but if he doesn't have a problem with it, I'll do it."
"Sounds fair to me." Pete took her hand in his, but instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "You won't regret it, darlin'."
She kept her gaze on his steady and cautious. "I hope you're right," she said softly. For both their sakes.
60
.First thing the next morning, Jo opened the back door to Mike and, to her dismay, Melanie. She frowned at her sister.
"I didn't know you were coming," she said.
"Mike said you'd asked him to stop by, so I figured I'd tag along.*' Melanie returned her gaze curiously. "Is that a problem?"
Jo bit back a sigh. She'd really hoped to have this conversation with Mike in private. She was afraid her sister would read too much into it. Too late for that now. She could hardly kick her out. Melanie really would read too much into that.
Jo forced a smile. "Of course not," she said with exaggerated cheer that was as phony as her smile. Hopefully it was too early in the day for Melanie to pick up
61 61
on that. "Come on in. The coffee's ready. Have you two eaten? I can scramble some eggs, or make you some toast at least. I'm afraid if you want baked goods, you're at the wrong place. That's Maggie's province."
"I'll pass," Melanie said, still regarding her with a puzzled look.
"Me, too," Mike replied. "I have to be on a job site in twenty minutes. I'd have been here sooner, but I had to wait for my wife to get ready. It's actually astounding how fast she can move when she's highly motivated."
"Oh?" Jo asked.
"She was dying of curiosity about why you wanted to see me," Mike said, giving his wife an affectionate look.
"Then I'll get right to the reason I called," Jo told him. "Pete Catlett has asked if I'd be willing to do the landscape design for a couple of houses he built. He said you were too busy to get to them right away. I said I'd do it, but only if you didn't have a problem with it. I don't want to poach on one of your clients."
"Hell, no, I don't have a problem with it." Mike grinned. "That would be great, in fact. Pete's been very patient. The minute Melanie told me you were coming, I started hoping you'd agree to take on those jobs, but I didn't want to rush you."
Although he sounded very convincing, Jo pressed him. "You're sure? We can work it out so you bill him and then you can pay me whatever you figure the going rate is around here."
"Absolutely not," Mike said. "Why make extra paperwork? Make your deal directly with Pete. I don't need to be involved." He gave her a sly look. "Although, if you decide you want to work around here on a more perma-
62
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
nent basis, I'd like you to consider teaming up with me. There's more than enough work for a partnership."
Melanie's eyes lit up. "What a fabulous idea!"
Jo frowned at her. "As if you weren't the one who planted it in his head."
"I most certainly did not," Melanie retorted. "This was Mike's idea."
Jo glanced at him. He nodded in confirmation.
"In that case, thanks. I appreciate the offer. I'll think about it. Let's see how these two jobs go first. You might hate my ideas."
"Don't wait. Say yes now, Jo," her sister pleaded. "It would be so great to have you living here."
"She's right," Mike agreed. "It would sure help me out."
Jo held up her hands. "Hey, slow down, you two. I've agreed to take on a couple of jobs. Even if I agreed to do a few more, I'm not making some long-term commitment. I still intend to go back to Boston at some point."
"But why?" Melanie asked. "This is perfect for you. You'd be your own boss, instead of working for someone who doesn't really appreciate you. And who knows? If you settled here, maybe Mom and Dad would retire down here. Wouldn't that be fantastic?"
Things were moving way too quickly for Jo. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Mom and Dad are nowhere near ready to retire and, despite what you think of my boss, I did tell him I'd be back. It was very generous of him to give me a leave of
"Sounds fair to me." Pete took her hand in his, but instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "You won't regret it, darlin'."
She kept her gaze on his steady and cautious. "I hope you're right," she said softly. For both their sakes.
60
.First thing the next morning, Jo opened the back door to Mike and, to her dismay, Melanie. She frowned at her sister.
"I didn't know you were coming," she said.
"Mike said you'd asked him to stop by, so I figured I'd tag along.*' Melanie returned her gaze curiously. "Is that a problem?"
Jo bit back a sigh. She'd really hoped to have this conversation with Mike in private. She was afraid her sister would read too much into it. Too late for that now. She could hardly kick her out. Melanie really would read too much into that.
Jo forced a smile. "Of course not," she said with exaggerated cheer that was as phony as her smile. Hopefully it was too early in the day for Melanie to pick up
61 61
on that. "Come on in. The coffee's ready. Have you two eaten? I can scramble some eggs, or make you some toast at least. I'm afraid if you want baked goods, you're at the wrong place. That's Maggie's province."
"I'll pass," Melanie said, still regarding her with a puzzled look.
"Me, too," Mike replied. "I have to be on a job site in twenty minutes. I'd have been here sooner, but I had to wait for my wife to get ready. It's actually astounding how fast she can move when she's highly motivated."
"Oh?" Jo asked.
"She was dying of curiosity about why you wanted to see me," Mike said, giving his wife an affectionate look.
"Then I'll get right to the reason I called," Jo told him. "Pete Catlett has asked if I'd be willing to do the landscape design for a couple of houses he built. He said you were too busy to get to them right away. I said I'd do it, but only if you didn't have a problem with it. I don't want to poach on one of your clients."
"Hell, no, I don't have a problem with it." Mike grinned. "That would be great, in fact. Pete's been very patient. The minute Melanie told me you were coming, I started hoping you'd agree to take on those jobs, but I didn't want to rush you."
Although he sounded very convincing, Jo pressed him. "You're sure? We can work it out so you bill him and then you can pay me whatever you figure the going rate is around here."
"Absolutely not," Mike said. "Why make extra paperwork? Make your deal directly with Pete. I don't need to be involved." He gave her a sly look. "Although, if you decide you want to work around here on a more perma-
62
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
nent basis, I'd like you to consider teaming up with me. There's more than enough work for a partnership."
Melanie's eyes lit up. "What a fabulous idea!"
Jo frowned at her. "As if you weren't the one who planted it in his head."
"I most certainly did not," Melanie retorted. "This was Mike's idea."
Jo glanced at him. He nodded in confirmation.
"In that case, thanks. I appreciate the offer. I'll think about it. Let's see how these two jobs go first. You might hate my ideas."
"Don't wait. Say yes now, Jo," her sister pleaded. "It would be so great to have you living here."
"She's right," Mike agreed. "It would sure help me out."
Jo held up her hands. "Hey, slow down, you two. I've agreed to take on a couple of jobs. Even if I agreed to do a few more, I'm not making some long-term commitment. I still intend to go back to Boston at some point."
"But why?" Melanie asked. "This is perfect for you. You'd be your own boss, instead of working for someone who doesn't really appreciate you. And who knows? If you settled here, maybe Mom and Dad would retire down here. Wouldn't that be fantastic?"
Things were moving way too quickly for Jo. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Mom and Dad are nowhere near ready to retire and, despite what you think of my boss, I did tell him I'd be back. It was very generous of him to give me a leave of
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