She waited for him to pounce—to again make the offer of a job she was going to have to take. Because in some strange way, she was testing him.
“All right. I’ll write you a check to cover the costs. Pay me back when you can. After you graduate from college is fine.”
Not the offer she’d expected at all. She sagged against the door frame. “Who are you, Jeff?”
“Why does it matter?”
Because he was making her want to believe in him and she’d learned to never believe in anyone but herself. Besides, he couldn’t have made it more clear he wasn’t the least bit interested in her skinny self.
A knock at the front door interrupted them. Maggie rushed past, eager to greet Brenda. Ashley turned away from Jeff without answering his question and hurried after her daughter.
Brenda was already inside the house and hugging the little girl. “It’s raining this morning,” she said. “You’re going to need a jacket.”
“I know where it is!” Maggie announced, turning around and racing toward the stairs. “I’ll get it, Mommy.”
“Thank you, sweetie,” Ashley called after her, then went to speak with Jeff’s assistant.
Brenda smiled at her as she approached. “I know you’re feeling better, but I appreciate you letting me take her to school this morning. I just adore her.” The older woman sighed. “Grandkids are the best and Maggie is just as sweet as my daughter’s little girl.”
“You’re more than welcome.” Ashley glanced over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone, then invited the other woman into the living room. “I need to ask you a question,” she said. “It’s probably going to sound a little strange and I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable.”
Brenda settled on a beige sofa and grinned. “Now I’m wildly intrigued. Go ahead.”
Ashley checked again to make sure no one lurked in the hallway, then joined her guest on the couch. “To be blunt, can I trust Jeff? Through an assortment of circumstances, I’m in a difficult situation right now. Jeff has offered me a job as his housekeeper. It would mean living here with my daughter. On the one hand it’s a great opportunity. The money is good, the house is terrific. But I don’t know him very well and I do have a young child to be concerned about.”
“Don’t worry about Jeff at all,” Brenda said, lightly touching her forearm. “I know he’s a little formidable and he doesn’t talk about himself, but he’s a great guy. I’ve known him for nearly five years and I would trust him with my life. Better, I would trust him with my grandkids’.”
Which was what Ashley needed to know. “Thanks for telling me.”
Brenda tilted her head slightly, then tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “At the risk of being presumptuous, I do have one more thing to say.”
“Which is?”
“He’s not a people person, so don’t expect witty banter. And he’s very solitary. As far as I know, he hasn’t had a serious relationship in the past five years. So don’t even think about giving away your heart.”
Ashley smiled. “Not a problem. I’m not interested in getting involved.”
While she might find the man sexy and appealing on a physical level, emotionally she knew better than to risk her feelings again. If she ever did that again, it was going to be with someone who could love her more than anyone else in the world.
“Then you should be just fine.”
Maggie burst into the living room. She had her jacket dragging from one arm and her backpack trailing from the other. “I’m ready,” she announced.
Ashley laughed. “Not exactly, young lady. Come here.”
In less than five minutes, Maggie was ready to leave for school. Ashley kissed her goodbye and promised to pick her up promptly at two. Brenda gave her a quick wave and a thumbs-up, then they left. Ashley was alone with Jeff. It was decision time.
She found him in his office, packing his briefcase. Had he worked into the night? she wondered. She hadn’t been able to sleep much, mostly because she’d been thinking about his offer and how badly she’d acted. What had kept him up through the long dark hours?
She knocked on the open door, then stepped inside. “Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.”
He motioned for her to take one of the seats in front of his desk. She did, choosing the one she hadn’t sat in the night before. He relaxed into his chair.
She licked her lips. “I want to ask if your offer is still open.”
“For the loan?”
