Her father wouldn’t be pleased when he found out she’d detoured off the carefully mapped road to her future and severed ties with her boyfriend. With any luck, she’d buy enough time in this quiet valley to heal before her father demanded answers.
Her quest for peace wouldn’t be easy if she had to deal with a big glassblower with a chip on his brawny shoulder. Would a dose of humor jar him out of his bad mood?
“Introduce me to some of your employees.” She rubbed her palms together in her best imitation of a consultant ready to wreak havoc. “I need to figure out whom to fire.”
Blue eyes contracted into two menacing slits.
She took an exaggerated breath and grinned. “I love leaving a trail of destruction in my wake. Makes me feel giddy. Consultants enjoy making heads roll, you know. The rush is addictive.”
“Aw, hell.” Mitch left her office and stomped away.
She caught up with him in the hallway, giving him a blatant once-over. “I’ve never met a glassblower before. I expected you to be more avant-garde, since you’re an artist and all.”
“I’m not an artist.”
“Doesn’t feel good to be lumped into a group, right?” She linked her hands behind her back and walked beside him. “I wish you wouldn’t assume I’m like every other consultant you’ve encountered.”
The length of his stride shortened. He nudged up the brim of his cap, revealing the bunched muscles along his forehead. “Are you always so sharp in the morning?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“Not until I have caffeine.” He resumed walking at his normal speed. “Do yourself a favor and avoid talking to me until I’ve had coffee. That’ll make life more pleasant while you’re living under my roof.”
Again, her stomach did that strange somersault. Did he want her to stay? “I promised to move into a hotel later today.”
“Right. Good luck with that.” He grinned.
Jaye’s steps faltered at the handsome sight. She’d fall flat on her face if he ever gave her a full smile. Leery of what other surprises this man had in store, she followed him into a large office flanked by a wall of inboxes.
“How long have you been consulting?” he asked, flipping through several pieces of mail.
“Five years.” After putting in so much time, she’d finally merited a job offer from her father. Once she finished working for Blake Glassware, she’d become her father’s right-hand man, so to speak. She wondered when she’d start feeling excited about stepping into the role of Davis Software’s heir.
Mitch tossed a catalog into a garbage can. “You’ve been jumping from job to job for five years?”
“Many of my assignments have been long term. I was in Richmond for almost a year.”
“I see.”
The note of censure in his voice indicated he thought her itinerant lifestyle little better than a clown wandering the country in a traveling circus.
A woman waddled into the office, maneuvering so her pregnant belly wouldn’t bump into the filing cabinet. “You must be our new consultant. Don’t worry, I’m not about to give birth to an elephant. I’m Sarah, the administrator for Blake Glassware.”
“I’m Jayson Davis, but please call me Jaye.”
Sarah pursed her lips. “My gosh, you look familiar. Have we met before?”
Jaye’s optimism wavered. Her family lived three hours north of here. Had their photo appeared in the local papers? If so, her anonymity was in jeopardy. During the next four weeks, she wanted the freedom to be herself—whoever that was. “A lot of people say I remind them of someone. I must have a twin running around. I hope she’s nice.”
“This will drive me crazy. I’ll figure out why I recognize you.” Sarah looked at Mitch, who watched their interaction with a mild scowl. “Don’t move, mister. Girl with a big stomach coming your way.”
The scowl tilted into a grin. “What did I do now?”
“You fixed things, as usual.” She navigated around a desk and wrapped her arms around Mitch’s sturdy shoulders, patting him on the back. “My son threw two perfect passes at the football game. He felt so much better after you took him out for a catch last week. I don’t know what you two talked about, but it worked.” She stepped back, holding him at arm’s length. “I love you for helping him, you know?”
A dull flush crept up Mitch’s thick neck. “I just showed him a few ways to evade a tackle, that’s all.”
“You gave my kid more coaching than he’s gotten during the past month.” Sarah squeezed his arm. “You should have seen him last night. He played great.”
“I was there, watching my brothers.” He poked her in the shoulder. “You said hi to me at halftime.”
“Oh, right. I swear, pregnancy makes me stupid.” Sarah laughed, her chin-length blonde curls bouncing. She turned toward Jaye. “Don’t hesitate to ask me anything, but I can’t guarantee I’ll remember the answer until after this baby is born.”
“No problem.” Sarah’s open display of affection for Mitch disconcerted Jaye. Nobody at Davis Software hugged her father. Heck, Jaye couldn’t remember the last time she’d embraced her father. When she was eight, maybe? Heat prickled across her chest, a warning that her thoughts had ventured into uncomfortable territory. She unbuttoned her blazer, nudging apart the lapels to get some air.
Mitch’s gaze landed on the open collar of her white blouse. The dull flush on his neck turned a deep red.
A middle-aged brunette entered the room and tossed Jaye a smile. “Hello. I’m Veronica.”
“Watch out,” Sarah warned with a wink. “Veronica does our accounts receivable. She’s really good at taking other people’s money.”
Veronica scrutinized Jaye’s navy skirt and tweed blazer. “We get together at my house on Tuesday nights to play poker. Want to join us tomorrow?”
“Sure. I like playing cards.”
“Great. We accept IOUs if you run out of cash.” Veronica grinned, showing a row of slightly crooked teeth. “I want to win enough to buy a new desk lamp.”
“You’ll have one month to collect the money,” Mitch advised. “Jaye is leaving
