The Proposal (Forever Bound Book 2) by Bree Callahan Page A

rang again.  He picked it up.  “This is Derek Worthington.”
    “It’s Amanda,” his HR manager spoke on the other end.  “There is an Evelyn Winston on the line for you.”
    “I don’t know any Evelyn Winston and how did you get the call?” he asked.
    There was a brief silence before she continued.  “The operator gave her to me.  She’s calling in regards to a reference for Charity.  I thought you might like to take the call since you worked close to her.”  Derek’s jaw dropped.  He couldn’t believe Charity was out searching for another job.  He thought it would all blow over.  “Now, would you like me to put out that you’re hiring?” she asked.
    “No!” he snapped.  “I’ll take the call.”
    “Alright.  Line one.”
    “Thanks,” he mumbled.  Amanda hung up, and he pressed the line.  “Hello, this is Mayor Derek Worthington.”
    “Hello, Mayor Worthington.  My name is Evelyn Winston, and I’m calling from Jamison Daycare. I’m calling in regards to your employee, Charity Parker.”
    “Yes…” he took a deep breath waiting for her to continue.
    “I promise I won’t take all your time, I know you’re busy, but I just have a couple questions to ask you.  Do you mind?”  He wanted to tell her that she had it all wrong, and Charity would never leave him, but instead he found himself telling her she could proceed.  “Great!  Thank you!.  What type of attributes does Charity need to do her current job?”
    “Well, she needs to be dependable.  She has to be able to prioritize her day.  She needs to be organized.”
    “How do you feel she does on each of those skills?” Evelyn asked.  “Is there one skill she excels in more than the other?  Or, one she could work on?”
    He shook his head, still not believing he was having this conversation.  “No, she does each of those skills with ease.  I’ll be honest, Mrs. Winston…when I first looked into hiring her, I was worried she wouldn’t fit the perfect picture I had in my mind of an employee.  When she started, those fears immediately dissipated.  Charity is a well-rounded worker.  She is conscientious, hard-working, and a great asset to this job.”
    There was an awkward pause that ensued until Evelyn asked the last question.  “So, you think it would be a smart choice on my part to hire her?”
    Derek laughed slightly, before responding.  “Mrs. Winston, I don’t want to see her go, so no I won’t say you should hire her because that means she’s leaving her position here.  However, with that being said…I wouldn’t stand in her way, and I know how much she loves children, so I think you probably couldn’t ask for a better employee.”  As he spoke the last words, he felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest.  He couldn’t imagine Charity not being there, but he meant the words.  He couldn’t hold her back.
    “Thank you for your time, Mayor Worthington.”
    “Of course!” he quietly stated.  “Have a good day, Mrs. Winston.”
    “You, too.  Goodbye!”
    He hung up the phone and stared ahead at his computer screen.  He needed to talk to Charity one time before she walked out of his life forever.  He reached for his phone and dialed up her number.  Expecting to get her voicemail, he wasn’t surprised when it came on.  He hung up the phone and pulled out his cell phone.  He scrolled through the contact list and finally landed on Calvin’s number.
    He called him up and immediately Calvin answered.  “Hey, Cal,” Derek started.  “I have another job for you.  I’m looking for someone, and it’s important I find her.”  He told Calvin everything he knew, which wasn’t much, giving out addresses for Ana’s parents, Charity’s apartment, and even passing on Jesse’s information.  Just in case Jesse knew more than he was letting on.  After passing on that information, he hung up the phone.  He pulled up  Charity’s employment information and scrolled down until