Well, at least someone was.
“Can you cover the desk for me while I grab a coffee?” Pixie continued. “I am dying of caffeine withdrawal right now.”
Tilly glanced down at her active wear. She’d been planning to change before starting her day, but she’d still have time for that later. “Sure.”
“You’re a lifesaver. An electrician should be here any minute to do some work in the café.”
“Got it.”
Pixie headed out, and Tilly was about to round the desk when the door to the parking lot opened, and an older man walked in. The second his eyes fell on her, they narrowed.
“Matilda Taylor. I heard you got a job here.”
She swallowed, forcing her spine to straighten despite the flicker of nerves trickling through her at the disdain in the man’s eyes. “I go by Tilly, and yes, I’m the office manager. How can I help you?”
He laughed, but there wasn’t any humor in the sound. “Help me like your dad helped me?”
Tilly’s stomach dropped, but she was careful to keep her unease off her face. She opened her mouth, but the man spoke first.
“You shouldn’t even be here,” he growled, stepping toward her. “Why did you come back? To remind everyone what we lost five years ago?”
She took an involuntary step back, hating the way the guy closed the distance between them so quickly. “Sir, if there’s nothing I can help you with, then I need to ask you to leave.”
Another humorless laugh. “Askmeto leave? The entire damn town isscreamingfor you to be gone, yet you don’t seem to be going anywhere.”
He’d closed a bit more of the space between them when the door behind her opened. She turned her head to see Kayden in the doorway, gaze assessing as he glanced between them.
“Harry,” Kayden said almost too quietly, brows knitted together. “What’s going on here?”
“I was called in to take a look at an electrical fault in the café. Didn’t realize I’d be running into Taylor’s kid.” When he looked at her again, there was so much hate in his eyes that she couldn’t stop the shudder from rolling down her spine.
Every protective instinctin Kayden shot to life at the way Harry Jacobs looked at Tilly—with the threat of violence in hiseyes. Like he wouldn’t hesitate to show her just how much he disliked her.
He moved to Tilly’s side, almost touching her, needing to be close.
“You know where the café is, but I’ll still walk you,” Kayden said carefully, ignoring Harry’s words and the way he referred to Tilly as “Taylor’s kid.”
Everyone in town knew Harry’s hatred for Martin Taylor was strong—five years later and he still talked about it enough around town. And Kayden did not want that hatred to spill over into violence toward Tilly. Not in his visitors center. Not anywhere.
Harry’s hands fisted and he didn’t move, his eyes remaining on Tilly.
“Harry.” At Kayden’s firm, raised voice, Harry finally shifted his attention to him. “You gonna come fix that electrical fault in the café, or do I need to call someone else?”
A muscle in the electrician’s cheek ticked. “I’m coming.”
Kayden made sure to remain between him and Tilly as Harry made his way toward the door. He waited until they were on the deck, halfway to the café, to grab Harry’s arm and pull him to a stop.
“What the hell was that?”
Anger scowled the man’s face. “How can you ask me that? You know what her father did to me. What he did toyourfather too!”
“You were scaring her, and you know it.”
“Why the hell do you care?”
Fury filled Kayden’s veins. If the guy didn’t know the answer to that, then he was stupider than he looked. No man had the right to make a woman feel physically threatened, and Harry had definitely used his height and breadth to do exactly that.
“You know what? I don’t think this job’s a good fit for you. You can go.”
