Valentine's Day at the Corral Read online

  It probably was stereotypical of her to think it, but men in business suits tended to be stuffy and uptight. She wanted someone more laid back, with an attitude as casual as the clothes he wore. An executive in charge of running a company wouldn’t know the first thing about relaxing. Taking life as it comes. Or having time to spend with a wife and a family.

  Still, despite the fact Scott Callahan was more than likely a clone of all of the other guys in suits and ties she’d ever met, she’d spent an inordinate amount of the weekend thinking about him. And not just his fine derriere. Had she been too quick to turn down his offer of dinner?

  Caught up in her memories, Gail jumped when the phone rang. “Thompson and Sons, this is Gail, may I help you?”

  “Did you get my note?” The man had a voice as nice as his ass.

  “Yes, I did.” Gail kept her tone professional as Jack Wellington nodded hello on the way past her desk.

  “It really was, you know. Nice talking to you.”

  “Thanks. It was nice talking to you too.” They’d joked. They laughed. They even found a tiny bit of common ground. Tiny, as in miniscule. Other than meddling relatives, they had zero in common.

  “So why don’t we do it again? I know you don’t want to have dinner with your boss, so how about coffee?”

  “Look, Mr. Callahan…”

  “Scott.”

  She ignored the correction. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea to date the boss.”

  “Who said anything about a date?”

  “Oh, I mean, I uh…” Heat flooded her cheeks. Gad. Thanks to her weekend of obsessing she’d misconstrued his offer.

  “This will simply be two coworkers getting together to chat.”

  Right. Like she could face him after putting her foot firmly in her mouth. Just because she couldn’t stop thinking about him didn’t mean he was interested in her. The candy and the silly note didn’t mean anything either. “I—”

  “You’d really be helping me out.”

  “I’m sure the woman in the pink jumpsuit is long gone.”

  He laughed. Her skin tingled. “Not that. I’d like to pick your brain about my uncle’s company.”

  What could she possibly have to tell him about the company he owned?

  As if reading her mind, he went on. “I’m the newbie here. I was hoping you could provide me with a little bit of the inside track. Give me your perspective.”

  An odd request, but nevertheless one she could grant. She enjoyed working for Thompson & Sons. It couldn’t hurt to let the boss know how much. Job security and all that. “Okay. Sure.”

  “Great. Are you available after work today?”

  “Yes.”

  “Any particular coffee preference?”

  “I can meet you at Bubba’s Diner. Say five-thirty?”

  He hesitated. Then, “Sure. That will work. See you then.”

  ****

  Gail slid into a turquoise booth across from her boss. She’d run home to change into jeans and a sweater, but he still wore his suit from work. He hadn’t even loosened his tie.

  After giving their orders to the waitress, he smiled at Gail. “Thanks for agreeing to meet me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “So how long have you worked at Thompson?”

  “About ten years. I started right after college.” Would it matter if she told him she’d only completed two years at the community level? An Associate’s Degree was good enough for her. Seeing he was the head of the company, he probably had an MBA at the very least.

  He nodded. “How do you like it?”

  The waitress set two mugs on the table. “Anything else I can get you?” She cast an appreciative glance at Scott, who murmured a refusal.

  Another woman showed interest and all of a sudden he went from Mr. Callahan to Scott? Gail shook her head, amused at even her own fickle female nature.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing. Sorry.” She added the contents of a sugar packet and a small creamer to her mug. “I was thinking about something else.” Before he could question her further, she continued. “And to answer your question, I love working for Thompson and Sons.”

  Scott gripped his mug with one masculine hand, but didn’t raise it to his lips. “Are you telling me what you think I want to hear, or is that how you really feel?”

  Gail blew on her coffee before taking a cautious sip. “That’s how I really feel.”

  “Any particular reason you like working there?”

  “The people are great. I make a decent salary. Good benefits and insurance. I get plenty of holidays and personal days.”

  “Your boss is understanding when you leave early to go to a singles’ mixer.”

  Gail’s face flamed as hot as her coffee. She stared into the caramel colored brew. “That too.”

  “Hey. I’m just teasing.”

  She glanced up. Saw the twinkle in his green eyes. “Phew.” A week ago, if someone would have told her she’d be sitting around at Bubba’s have a tête-à-tête with the president of her company she would have told them they were nuts.

  “Anything you want to ask me about the company?”

  “Not specifically. Do you mind if I ask you something personal?”

  He cocked his head to one side. “Not at all.”

  “How’s your uncle doing?”

  “That’s not really personal.”

  She shrugged.

  “He’s having a difficult time. It’s hard for him to be away. To give control to someone else. If he could have it his way, my guess is he would work until he was at least ninety. Probably would have died right at his desk doing what he loved.” Scott shook his head and raised his coffee to his lips, but grimaced before taking a sip. Instead he put the mug down. “Life certainly throws you some wicked curveballs, doesn’t it?”

  Why did she get the feeling they weren’t talking about his uncle any more? “What did you do before you took over for your uncle?”

  “I worked for Merrill Lynch in New York.”

  No big surprise there. He definitely gave off a big city vibe. “Ah, that explains your accent.”

  For a moment he looked nonplussed, then he grinned. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re the one with the accent.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that. Anyway, New York? You must feel a bit out of your element here.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” He gazed at her as if trying to come to a decision about something. “If I tell you something, would you keep it off the record so to speak?”

  “Certainly.”

  “To be totally honest, I wasn’t thrilled to have to come here and take over my uncle’s company.” He sighed. “Living in a little hick town isn’t part of the future I planned.”

  Gail sat back against the booth. “Hey.” She crossed her arms across her chest. Nobody insulted her town.

  Scott reached for her hand and coaxed it away from her body. He squeezed. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.” He waved his free hand. “This is a nice little town, but I had plans. Big plans. I was on the fast track. And now…” He ran his fingers through his hair.

  Not only did it leave his hair sexily mused, but the endearingly casual gesture tugged at her heart. Her tense muscles relaxed.

  “So why did you come here?”

  “There wasn’t anybody else. At this point the ‘and Sons’ is a misnomer. Since the company was founded the oldest son was always groomed to take over and keep it running. It worked for three generations, but Uncle Al didn’t have any kids. So it came down to my sister or me to run things. And since she’s busy with her matchmaking business, everyone thought I was a better fit. So, here I am.

  “Of course I’m technically not a Thompson, but at least I’m a blood relative. With no immediate heirs, eventually we’ll have had to figure out what to do, but Uncle Al’s sudden illness moved the timetable up.”

  “You’re right. That’s one hell of a c
urveball.”

  Scott threaded his fingers through hers. “It hasn’t been all bad. Especially since Friday night.”

  Whoa. What was she supposed to say to that? Gail avoided his gaze, instead focusing on the red and pink cherubs and hearts suspended on fishing wire from the diner’s ceiling. Gad. Three days ago she hadn’t given the upcoming Hallmark holiday a second thought. Now what with the singles’ mixer and the conversation hearts, not to mention the with-a-face-like-that-he-should-be-a-frickin’-model man with an ass that wouldn’t quit holding her hand, she couldn’t get away from it.

  Be that as it may, her view on things hadn’t changed. Getting involved with her boss wasn’t a good plan. No matter how fast her pulse raced when he was near.

  “I want to clarify something, if I may?”

  “Sure.”

  “You turned me down for dinner because I’m your boss, right?”

  Gail winced. He made it sound so harsh. But he wasn’t wrong. She nodded.

  “So it’s me as your boss you’re refusing, not me personally?”

  “I guess.” Where was he going with this? If he weren’t her boss, more than likely their paths never would have crossed.

  His eyes did a charming crinkle thing when he smiled, albeit ruefully. “Not the resounding declaration I was hoping for, but I’ll take it. For now.” He leaned nearer and lowered his voice until it reached an almost intimate level. “What if I told you that might not be a problem for much longer? Would you reconsider?”

  She swallowed and ignored the goosebumps elicited by the close proximity. “What might not be a problem?”

  “I might not be your boss for much longer.”

  “Are you firing me because I won’t go out with you?” Did the semi-teasing tone hide the slight flicker of alarm clutching her stomach?

  “No, of course not.” He glanced down at the table, then back up to meet her gaze. “I’m thinking of selling the company.”

  Chapter Three

  Gail’s head spun as she lay in bed trying to sleep. It had been whirling since Scott made his heart-stopping announcement.

  If he sold the company, what would happen to her and her coworkers? Would a new owner keep everyone on, or clean house and start fresh with new personnel?

  If he wasn’t her boss any more, she could go out with him with no qualms. An enticing idea—more than enticing—but it wasn’t like anything could come of it. She’d never see Scott again when he returned to his big city.

  Yeah. ’Cause that was the important thing to focus on right now. Her almost love-life instead of the possibility of losing her job.

  What if Scott changed his mind about selling and just shut down the company? Or would some large, commercial corporation swoop in and absorb the small operation into its corporate umbrella?

  She liked working for a small business in a small town. Would she quit if it came down to scenario B? Or were they already on C? Gad.

  She needed to come up with a plan of her own. A plan to save the job she loved. What if she could convince Scott small town life wasn’t so bad? Better question, how could she convince him small town life wasn’t so bad?

  ****

  Sandy Allen leaned closer to Gail and whispered, “It might just be the pregnancy hormones talking, but our new boss is really, really hot.” She rubbed her rounded belly and fanned herself.

  Gail studied the man in question as he shuffled some papers on the table at the front of the conference room. A hot flash of her own swept through her. “It’s not the pregnancy hormones.”

  “I didn’t think so. You know, I heard he’s single. Maybe you should try to hook up with him.”

  “Yeah, right. His league and my league are like light years apart.” Gail shifted in her seat. Was anyone listening in on their conversation? Since the meeting hadn’t started yet, unintelligible whispers filled the room. Everyone seemed immersed in their own conversations.

  “So what? Look at him.”

  Scott cleared his throat and addressed his employees. “Thanks for taking a bit of time from your day to meet with me.”

  The room stilled.

  “I want to thank you for your patience since I’ve taken over here. I’ve been sequestered in my office trying to get a handle on things and learn as much as I can about this company. I know we’re all still strangers for the most part, but I hope to get to know you better as I plan for the future of Thompson and Sons.”

  Why bother to get to know people if he was planning to sell? Had he changed his mind? Hope stirred inside Gail.

  “Over the next couple of weeks I’d like to meet with each of you to talk about your role at the company. Nothing too formal, so not to worry.” He smiled. Gail’s heart went pitter pat. “Outside of that, if you have any questions or concerns about how things are going under the new leadership, my door is always open. I know this was a sudden change for everyone, and we haven’t had a lot of time to debrief.” He pushed his hands in his pockets causing the material to stretch enticingly across very male anatomy. “I’ll be in touch about those individual meetings, and in the meantime, I’ll try not to hide in my office all day anymore.”

  When the meeting adjourned, Gail made her way back to her desk wondering if Scott would confide his plans about the possible sale to anyone else during their meetings. He’d told her to keep it in confidence, but surely he’d run it by someone else in the company besides the receptionist, right? One of the senior accountants perhaps?

  Then again, he hadn’t told Gail the receptionist about his plan; he’d told the woman he wanted to ask out to dinner his plan. Although he claimed their after-work coffee was a business meeting, a more personal tone had definitely sneaked in. Especially while they were holding hands.

  And speaking of a more personal tone…a miniature tan teddy bear with a red ribbon around its neck sat in Gail’s desk chair. A small, white card dangled from the ribbon.

  She picked up the bear and fingered its soft paw before flipping open the note.

  Roses are red

  Violets are blue

  This teddy named Ted

  Is just for you

  Once again the bold scrawl and silly note made her smile. Where did he come up with this stuff?

  She removed the note from the ribbon and tucked it in her purse. No telling if someone would get nosey. Ted went in a place of honor next to the flat screen monitor in the corner of her desk.

  Her smiled lingered as she pressed the button to check voicemail. It had been a long time since anyone tried to convince her to be their Valentine. Boss or not, a small part of her, growing more tempted everyday, wanted to let him.

  ****

  Had she found the bear yet?

  Scott swiveled his chair. The view from the second-story window overlooked the clichéd Main Street of the small town complete with clock tower and corner square. It couldn’t have been more different than the jutting panorama of skyscrapers visible from his office in Manhattan.

  Had it been wrong to tell Gail he was thinking of selling the company and going back? Would her knowing help or hurt his chances of taking her out on a real date? Not just coffee, but dinner at a nice restaurant.

  He wanted to be honest with her. Lying or keeping things from the woman you wanted to date was no way to start a relationship. Even a short-term one. Which is the only thing it could be if he went back to New York.

  But meanwhile there was nothing wrong with getting to know Gail better. Time for the next step in Operation Valentine. For that, he needed some expert help.

  Scott punched in a number on his cell. “Hey, Sis, I delivered the candy hearts and the bear. What’s next?”

  ****

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  The sparkling green eyes of Scott Callahan made Gail catch her breath. “What are you doing here?” Gad. Hadn’t they greeted each other the exact same way last time? And why was she suddenly making a habit of running into him at The Corral?

  “Actually, I was hoping you
would be here.”

  “Scott…” He certainly was tenacious. Which wasn’t good for her waning willpower.

  “Well at least we’re past all that Mr. Callahan stuff.” He nodded toward the empty chair across from her. “Mind if I join you?”

  “Sure. I mean, I don’t mind. I’m just waiting for my cousin.”

  “Ah, the meddler?” He slid onto the high chair. Although he’d traded in his business suit and tie for khakis and a polo shirt, he was still overdressed for The Corral. For some reason, though, he didn’t look out of place. Was it the small thrill of knowing he’d ventured there just for her?

  “The one and only.” What would Amber say when she saw Scott sitting with Gail?

  “What are you drinking tonight?”

  Gail held up her almost-empty bottle. “It’s a beer night.”

  Scott hailed a passing waitress and ordered another beer for her and a scotch and tonic for himself.

  “Have you ever had a beer in your entire life?”

  “Of course.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “So let me ask you something. Hypothetically, if I said yes to dinner, where would you take me?”

  “La Ristorante, a wonderful Italian restaurant with a fabulous wine list. White linen tablecloths. Tuxedoed waiters.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds pretentious.”

  “Me or the restaurant?”

  Before Gail could reply, her cell phone chimed, signaling a text. Amber’s name popped up on the screen. “I’m sorry, I just want to check this. Amber was supposed to be here by now, maybe she’s letting me know she’s running late.”

  “Go right ahead.”

  Gail opened the text. When I came downstairs I saw you sitting with a hot guy. Niiiice. You know what they say, three’s a crowd. I want the scoop later. Or the morning after. A winking smiley face completed the message.

  Subtle.

  “Is everything okay?”