Bride by the Book (Crimson Romance) by Kathryn Brocato

she the one from the résumé?” Cliff stared at Angie, who went back to sweeping. “She looks familiar somehow.”
    Great
, Angie thought, chastising herself yet again. One public appearance in shorts, and everyone of any importance in her new life saw and remembered the event.
    • • •
    Garner shook his head at Cliff. He’d already seen Angie didn’t want him recognizing her. Why antagonize the secretary-from-heaven before she’d had a chance to straighten out his office and teach him a few things about computers?
    “On the other hand,” Cliff said swiftly, “I’ve been known to lose bits and pieces of my mind at odd times. At least, now I know why Mindy bothered to call
me
.”
    “Show us how to call up that disk-cleaning program, Angie,” Garner urged. “I want Cliff to see this.”
    “Tomorrow,” Angie said firmly. “Tonight, I have more important things on my mind, like getting ready for those shelves. Excuse me, please. I’ll shut down the computer.”
    Garner swiveled to watch her fingers fly expertly over the keys, before hitting the master switch of an electrical strip. “Where’d you find that?”
    “You had it stored in the bottom desk drawer.” She indicated the drawer with a stern gesture. “What I want to know is why haven’t you been using it?”
    Garner glanced up in time to see his brother-in-law’s silent whistle. “Darned if I know. Well, carry on, Angie. Come on in my office a minute, Cliff.”
    “Pleasure meeting you, Miss Brownwood.” Cliff smiled at her. “I can see you’re just what this office needs.”
    Cliff followed Garner into the other office, and Garner half-closed the door. “Well, what do you think?”
    “Are you sure you want to know?” Cliff nodded his head at the door. “That one is a force to be reckoned with, mark my words. If you’re not careful, she’ll be going to court in your place. Have I seen her before?”
    “That bad?” Garner laughed. “She does seem a mite determined for such a young thing, doesn’t she?” He grinned and added, “Remember that young girl you were so impressed with this morning? The one who was tasting her first serving of grits?”
    “You’re kidding.” Cliff whistled again. “So she’s the one from the résumé.”
    “She does appear to know a lot about computers.” Garner settled behind his desk and cast an indifferent glance at the three messages from Mindy Adams Angie had left for him. He picked up the letter Angie had typed and admired the beautiful formatting. “I figure she has an agenda of her own. Why else would she want this job?”
    “Why, indeed?” Cliff took the other chair. “Now that we know she’s a stranger in town—”
    “Look at her, Cliff.” He gestured toward the outer office. “Why would a woman like that take on a job in this picayune office?”
    Garner dearly loved his sister and thought Cliff was the perfect man for her, but sometimes he found Cliff’s complete lack of suspicion toward strangers a bit naïve.
    “Yeah, and with a sleazy shyster such as yourself as boss. I guess I can see your point.” Cliff leaned back, yawning. “Lord, I’ll be glad when the quarter is over. These quarterly reports are killing me.”
    Garner reminded himself of the help Cliff had given him, unasked and without asking awkward questions, when he left Dallas and moved back to Smackover, not to mention the way he had stuck by Garner and Laura during the death of their father that occurred around the same time.
    “Seriously, why would she take this job?” he argued, seeing Cliff was unconvinced. “That outfit she’s wearing probably cost what she’ll make in a couple of weeks working for me.”
    “Didn’t she say she just moved here from California? Salaries were probably a lot higher out there.” Cliff ran a hand through his curly hair and yawned again.
    “She’s up to something.” Garner reread the letter she had typed. “She even used the printer to address the envelope. I’ve