Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) by Denise Grover Swank Page B
Authors: Denise Grover Swank
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salary. And if it bugs you too much, you can pay me back when we’re in the black.”
“Or we can ask Joe to help.”
“No,” I said with more force than I’d intended. “We won’t be asking Joe for anything. This is our business. He may be part of the nursery side, but he has nothin’ to do with this part.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, fair enough.”
“She’s gonna come in soon. Now, I don’t want her to know that we’re cash poor.”
He chuckled. “She ain’t stupid. She already knows we’re cash poor, and even if she didn’t, she’ll figure it out within about five minutes if she’s any kind of bookkeeper at all.”
The front door opened and Neely Kate burst in. “Good morning!”
I grinned at her. It was true that I should have consulted Bruce Wayne before hiring my best friend as our bookkeeper, receptionist, and anything else we needed her for. Nevertheless, I wasn’t sorry. She was one of the best things to have come into my life since my momma’s murder.
But then again, from the way Bruce Wayne was beaming, I doubt he would have put up much of a fuss.
“Neely Kate!” I hopped out of my chair and gave her a big hug. “Welcome to your first day at RBW Landscaping!”
She squeezed me before pulling loose. “Are you gonna greet me like that every day? Because if you are, I hope I see you at the office before you start digging in people’s yards when summer comes around.”
I laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. How was your Christmas?”
She lifted her eyebrows in mock disgust. “Well, I got more pickled beets and okra than anyone has a right to enjoy.” She opened her purse and dug around, then pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper. “But I thought Bruce Wayne might like this one.”
He reached up and hesitantly took the package. “What is it?”
“Raccoon jerky. My Aunt Thelma made it. She’s known around the county for her—”
“Jerky. I know about Thelma’s jerky.” His face lit up like she’d given him a bar of gold rather than strips of dried raccoon meat. “Her jerky’s hard to come by.”
“Well, now you have some,” Neely Kate said with a grin.
His smile faded. “I didn’t get you a Christmas gift.”
“It ain’t a Christmas gift.” She shrugged. “Consider it a thanks-for-lettin’-me-work-for-you present.”
I bumped her arm. “Where’s mine?”
She gave me an ornery grin. “Why, I thought the sheer joy of having me in the office should be enough for you . I was worried that Bruce Wayne might need a little convincin’.”
He shook his head. “I’m glad you’re goin’ to be workin’ here, Neely Kate. All I ask is that you and Rose keep all that women stuff to yourselves.”
“You mean birthin’ babies and such?” she teased with an exaggerated country drawl.
He cringed. “Yeah.”
“Then I’ll try not to let my water break here at work.”
He ducked his head to hide his blush. “That’d be much appreciated.”
Neely Kate winked at me and I shook my head. I could already see that these two were gonna be a handful together. But my heart warmed with happiness.
Since Neely Kate didn’t have a desk yet, we set her up at mine. She didn’t waste any time opening the accounting program and entering in information for both the nursery and the landscaping office.
I grabbed a notebook and moved over to the table we’d set up in the back for possible client meetings. Both the nursery and the landscaping business were gonna have an opening and I needed to finalize the logistics. But truth be told, I really needed to plan it with my sister.
Releasing a frustrated groan, I stood. “I’m gonna go check on Violet at the nursery.”
Both Bruce Wayne and Neely Kate looked up in surprise.
I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “What? We need to finalize a reopening plan, and I want to check on how the reorganizing’s goin’.”
Neely Kate pointed a red and white striped fingernail at me. “Don’t you be lettin’ her
“Or we can ask Joe to help.”
“No,” I said with more force than I’d intended. “We won’t be asking Joe for anything. This is our business. He may be part of the nursery side, but he has nothin’ to do with this part.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, fair enough.”
“She’s gonna come in soon. Now, I don’t want her to know that we’re cash poor.”
He chuckled. “She ain’t stupid. She already knows we’re cash poor, and even if she didn’t, she’ll figure it out within about five minutes if she’s any kind of bookkeeper at all.”
The front door opened and Neely Kate burst in. “Good morning!”
I grinned at her. It was true that I should have consulted Bruce Wayne before hiring my best friend as our bookkeeper, receptionist, and anything else we needed her for. Nevertheless, I wasn’t sorry. She was one of the best things to have come into my life since my momma’s murder.
But then again, from the way Bruce Wayne was beaming, I doubt he would have put up much of a fuss.
“Neely Kate!” I hopped out of my chair and gave her a big hug. “Welcome to your first day at RBW Landscaping!”
She squeezed me before pulling loose. “Are you gonna greet me like that every day? Because if you are, I hope I see you at the office before you start digging in people’s yards when summer comes around.”
I laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. How was your Christmas?”
She lifted her eyebrows in mock disgust. “Well, I got more pickled beets and okra than anyone has a right to enjoy.” She opened her purse and dug around, then pulled out a package wrapped in brown paper. “But I thought Bruce Wayne might like this one.”
He reached up and hesitantly took the package. “What is it?”
“Raccoon jerky. My Aunt Thelma made it. She’s known around the county for her—”
“Jerky. I know about Thelma’s jerky.” His face lit up like she’d given him a bar of gold rather than strips of dried raccoon meat. “Her jerky’s hard to come by.”
“Well, now you have some,” Neely Kate said with a grin.
His smile faded. “I didn’t get you a Christmas gift.”
“It ain’t a Christmas gift.” She shrugged. “Consider it a thanks-for-lettin’-me-work-for-you present.”
I bumped her arm. “Where’s mine?”
She gave me an ornery grin. “Why, I thought the sheer joy of having me in the office should be enough for you . I was worried that Bruce Wayne might need a little convincin’.”
He shook his head. “I’m glad you’re goin’ to be workin’ here, Neely Kate. All I ask is that you and Rose keep all that women stuff to yourselves.”
“You mean birthin’ babies and such?” she teased with an exaggerated country drawl.
He cringed. “Yeah.”
“Then I’ll try not to let my water break here at work.”
He ducked his head to hide his blush. “That’d be much appreciated.”
Neely Kate winked at me and I shook my head. I could already see that these two were gonna be a handful together. But my heart warmed with happiness.
Since Neely Kate didn’t have a desk yet, we set her up at mine. She didn’t waste any time opening the accounting program and entering in information for both the nursery and the landscaping office.
I grabbed a notebook and moved over to the table we’d set up in the back for possible client meetings. Both the nursery and the landscaping business were gonna have an opening and I needed to finalize the logistics. But truth be told, I really needed to plan it with my sister.
Releasing a frustrated groan, I stood. “I’m gonna go check on Violet at the nursery.”
Both Bruce Wayne and Neely Kate looked up in surprise.
I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “What? We need to finalize a reopening plan, and I want to check on how the reorganizing’s goin’.”
Neely Kate pointed a red and white striped fingernail at me. “Don’t you be lettin’ her
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