“You haven’t eaten it yet?” Rachel trolleyed the crane back to the stacker and parked to wait for another bundle of finished product to add to a stack.
“Well, I might have tried a piece or two,” Mercy admitted over the radio.
“Knowing this crew, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting rid of the candy.” Rachel kicked back in the chair, propped her foot on the control box, and blew out an irritated huff. This was the third day in a row that Jayden Smith had disrupted her shift by pelting the security office with gifts meant for her. The only way she had kept her supervisor off her back was by pointedly refusing to acknowledge the gifts, and anyone who wanted the stuff was welcome to take it home with them.
Why was this guy so persistent? She hadn’t even seen him since that night at the house when he and Caelan had gotten into their wrestling match. Something was not quite right about this sudden hot and heavy pursuit from him.Stalker dudewas getting on her nerves, but she wasn’t sure how to get rid of him and didn’t really have anything to tell the sheriff that the man would take seriously. After all, the guy had only showered herwith gifts and calls to go out with him. The sheriff would laugh her out of his office if she filed a complaint about that.
She hadn’t told Caelan about it and had sworn Mercy and her entire crew to secrecy. The knot in her chest loosened and her heart lightened, warming and filling with joy as he came to mind. No. She wouldn’t tell Caelan. Their wonderful moments together would not be ruined by something as ridiculous and annoying as Jayden Smith. She couldn’t remember when she’d ever been this happy and wasn’t about to jinx it.
“Hey, Hawk! You’re backing up the line. Are you going to get this bundle or what?” one of the stacker crew shouted over the radio. “Come on, Hawk!”
“Mess with me and I’ll swap shifts with Josh,” she threatened. “You want to listen to his mouth for eight hours?” She lifted the newly banded bundle, eased it over to the transfer car, and carefully released it to its new location.
“No way!” a guy in the stacker crew shouted amid laughter in the background. “You sit up there and daydream about your Highlander as long as you want! We can make steel some other time.”
Good-natured heckling was part of the job, and Rachel didn’t mind. Working with her crew at the steel mill was like being suddenly blessed with a herd of little brothers who liked nothing better than to aggravate her at every opportunity. But she also knew if she ever got into a bind, any of the guys on her crew would quickly come to her aid.
After a glance at her watch, she trolleyed the crane to the landing and began filling out the end of shift check sheet so the next operator would know if she’d had any problems with the crane during her time at the stick. With her things gathered and tucked under her arm, she climbed out of the crane, looking forward to getting home to Caelan.
After that first unbelievable night, when she’d finally given in to her emotions, she’d discovered him capable of a depth of caring and love she thought existed only in fairy tales.
Physically, he’d taken her body to ecstasies she’d never imagined possible. She shook her head, smiling as she flashed hot at the thought of it. Who knew a body had so many sensitive spots capable of exploding into bliss? Emotionally, he was healing her soul, helping her to become whole again.
“Try this one. It’s unbelievable even if it is from Mr. Smith.” Mercy interrupted Rachel’s inner chatter by stuffing an enormous piece of chocolate into her mouth.
Rachel wasn’t about to admit that the chocolaty caramel delight tasted fantastic. “I don’t want anything from him,” she reminded the grinning security guard while trying to chew the treat down to a size she could swallow. “Anything he sends is to be distributed as you see fit. As a matter of fact, since you enjoy aggravating people so much, why don’t you call him and tell him how much you love all his gifts, but that you prefer candy only?”
Mercy tipped her head toward the gate while trying to pry a caramel bite out from between her teeth. “You can tell him for me. He’s in the parking lot. Been there since noon.”
“What? Why didn’t you warn me?”
“I just did.”
Rachel leaned across the counter and squinted out the large window overlooking the lot. Mercy was right. Jayden Smith was there, leaning against the side of an immaculate BMW.
As if sensing her gaze upon him, he whipped off his sunglasses, which probably cost more than her annual salary, and gave her a predatory smile.
Tucking her hard hat under her arm, Rachel stormed out of the security office. Time to end this ridiculous game.
“Wait till you get off company property to belt him, or they’ll make me call the cops!” Mercy shouted, then quickly slammed the door and pulled the shade to block her view of the lot.
“What are you doing here?” Rachel spat at the man before she was halfway out the employee’s only gate. It was taking all her self-control to keep from slinging her hard hat at him and knocking that smug look off his face.
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days, beauty. Sent gifts. Left messages. Nothing seemed to get through. So, I decided to show up in person and tender my apology personally so you’d come to your senses and give me another chance.” He tipped a nod at the other workers slowly filing out through the gate and making their way to their cars.
“You all right, Hawk?” one of the grubbier workers called out.
“Fine, Stump. Go home and give that new grandbaby a hug for me.” Rachel faked a smile at the kindly man who was short and squat but burly—just like his nickname.Stump.
“I accept your apology,” she told Smith as she turned back to him. “We all had a bad night, and what’s done is done. Get in your beamer there, point it toward Chicago, and don’t stop until you see Lake Michigan.” She forced another smile she didn’t feel. “See? All cleared up. On your way, Mr. Smith.”
“Have dinner with me tonight, and I’ll leave you alone.” He flashed that smile of his that made her wonder if he’d sprout fangs at the scent of blood.
“Sorry.” She shook her head. “Thank you, but I already have plans. If you start now, you could probably reach Chicago before midnight. I hear that Stop and Rob at the off ramp is running a special on coffee if you buy one of their mugs. Plenty of caffeine and a tank load of gas to be on your way. Who could ask for anything more?” She turned and headed for her truck with her teeth clenched. Something deep inside told her it would not be that easy.
“Come to dinner with me, and I’ll show you a way out of this financial mess your ex left you in. Then you and your throwback Highlander can raise all the backwoods babies you want.” Smith cocked his head to one side, his smile melting into a cruel sneer. “I thought you’d have better sense than to turn me down, but I guess I was wrong about you. You’re just another stupid little hick that doesn’t have the sense to come running when I snap my fingers.”
A chill shot through her. She slowed her steps. How did he know about her finances? About her ex?
