it. It wasn’t right that she had chosen the correct path with great sacrifice, while others thumbed their noses at the world and thrived.
Brooke and Nick had not deserved to thrive, she told herself, letting her eyes sweep the room again. He had deserved to lose his job and his respect and his reputation. What he didn’t deserve was the opportunity to continue his fling when he began designing those church windows.
After all, the purchase and renovation of the old landmark had been
her
idea to begin with. But then someone else had suggested stained-glass windows, and the pastor had hired Nick, who’d hired that girl, and everything had gotten out of control.
Well, Abby was going to get back in control now, if it killed her. No bracelet-jangler was going to treat her the way she had been treated this morning and get away with it. If she had anything to say about it, Brooke Martin would be out of this town by week’s end.
CHAPTER
N ICK TRIED NOT TO LOOK AS IF HE were waiting for her when Brooke pulled back into the parking lot. He wasn’t, after all. He’d merely come outside to take out the garbage.
Well, she was here now, and as he waited for her to get out of her car, he watched her face for a sign of her mood. He couldn’t tell from her expression if she was staying or going.
Brooke got out of her car, tossed her hair back with a flip, and faced him squarely. “I told Mrs. Hemphill I was taking the job,” she said. “So you win. I’m staying.”
A subtle smile gleamed in Nick’s eyes, but he didn’t let it reach his lips. “I think we both won.”
“Not yet, we haven’t.” She started to go on, stopped, and took a deep breath. The breeze swept her hair back into her face. She pushed it away with one finger as she seemed to struggle with her words. “Look, Nick, I think if we’re going to be working together, we should lay down some ground rules. Otherwise I might just be a nervous wreck the whole time, and that won’t be productive at all.”
Nick leaned back against her car and inclined his head solemnly. “What do you have in mind?”
Brooke looked down at the concrete. Her hair feathered into her face once again. Shoving it back, she met his eyes. Her tone was matter-of-fact when she answered. “It’s strictly business, Nick.”
Nick nodded. “We’re going to be business partners,” he said quietly. “What we’re going to create together will be very special. But strictly business.”
Brooke set her hand on her hip, and for a second Nick thought she was struggling to speak. Instead, she fidgeted with the bracelets on her left wrist. “Okay,” she said, her voice a decibel quieter than it had been before. “Then let’s get started.”
His smile reached his lips then, and he stood up fully. He opened the big church door, and Brooke went in. A committee of well-dressed business people were milling around, dodging the carpenters and contractors. Some women were dragging boxes into the back rooms of the church with strained expressions on their faces, as if they couldn’t get away from the contractors fast enough.
“That’s the Historical Society,” he said. “Even though this is a church project, they’re getting involved because the building is a landmark. They’re in charge of preserving whatever is salvageable.” He stepped over a cord and grabbed Brooke’s hand. “Watch your step.”
Brooke caught her balance and withdrew her hand at once. She jammed it into her pocket, as if to assure herself that he wouldn’t take it again.
Nick let his hand drop to his side. “Anyway, they’re all over the place wrapping and packing the pieces that can be moved out. I’ve got our workroom set up in the back, but I’m afraid we’ll have to share it with them for a few days. Just until they’re finished moving everything.”
Brooke scanned the group again. “Mrs. Hemphill wouldn’t be in that group, would she?”
“Of course,” he said. “Mrs. Hemphill’s in
Brooke and Nick had not deserved to thrive, she told herself, letting her eyes sweep the room again. He had deserved to lose his job and his respect and his reputation. What he didn’t deserve was the opportunity to continue his fling when he began designing those church windows.
After all, the purchase and renovation of the old landmark had been
her
idea to begin with. But then someone else had suggested stained-glass windows, and the pastor had hired Nick, who’d hired that girl, and everything had gotten out of control.
Well, Abby was going to get back in control now, if it killed her. No bracelet-jangler was going to treat her the way she had been treated this morning and get away with it. If she had anything to say about it, Brooke Martin would be out of this town by week’s end.
CHAPTER
N ICK TRIED NOT TO LOOK AS IF HE were waiting for her when Brooke pulled back into the parking lot. He wasn’t, after all. He’d merely come outside to take out the garbage.
Well, she was here now, and as he waited for her to get out of her car, he watched her face for a sign of her mood. He couldn’t tell from her expression if she was staying or going.
Brooke got out of her car, tossed her hair back with a flip, and faced him squarely. “I told Mrs. Hemphill I was taking the job,” she said. “So you win. I’m staying.”
A subtle smile gleamed in Nick’s eyes, but he didn’t let it reach his lips. “I think we both won.”
“Not yet, we haven’t.” She started to go on, stopped, and took a deep breath. The breeze swept her hair back into her face. She pushed it away with one finger as she seemed to struggle with her words. “Look, Nick, I think if we’re going to be working together, we should lay down some ground rules. Otherwise I might just be a nervous wreck the whole time, and that won’t be productive at all.”
Nick leaned back against her car and inclined his head solemnly. “What do you have in mind?”
Brooke looked down at the concrete. Her hair feathered into her face once again. Shoving it back, she met his eyes. Her tone was matter-of-fact when she answered. “It’s strictly business, Nick.”
Nick nodded. “We’re going to be business partners,” he said quietly. “What we’re going to create together will be very special. But strictly business.”
Brooke set her hand on her hip, and for a second Nick thought she was struggling to speak. Instead, she fidgeted with the bracelets on her left wrist. “Okay,” she said, her voice a decibel quieter than it had been before. “Then let’s get started.”
His smile reached his lips then, and he stood up fully. He opened the big church door, and Brooke went in. A committee of well-dressed business people were milling around, dodging the carpenters and contractors. Some women were dragging boxes into the back rooms of the church with strained expressions on their faces, as if they couldn’t get away from the contractors fast enough.
“That’s the Historical Society,” he said. “Even though this is a church project, they’re getting involved because the building is a landmark. They’re in charge of preserving whatever is salvageable.” He stepped over a cord and grabbed Brooke’s hand. “Watch your step.”
Brooke caught her balance and withdrew her hand at once. She jammed it into her pocket, as if to assure herself that he wouldn’t take it again.
Nick let his hand drop to his side. “Anyway, they’re all over the place wrapping and packing the pieces that can be moved out. I’ve got our workroom set up in the back, but I’m afraid we’ll have to share it with them for a few days. Just until they’re finished moving everything.”
Brooke scanned the group again. “Mrs. Hemphill wouldn’t be in that group, would she?”
“Of course,” he said. “Mrs. Hemphill’s in
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