Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“You might as well call me Silas. Save on the confusion after you meet my brothers. That way, we’ll know which one of us you’re talking to.” Silas Coleman’s gaze remained fixed on the curvy road.
Alanna averted her gaze from studying his to stare out of the front windshield. “You said there are seven of you?”
“Yes, plus, my sister, her husband, and son.” Silas took his eyes off the road to give her a brief smiling glance. “Have you started regretting your decision to take the job?”
“No, I’ve never been afraid of hard work. I’m just amazed you’re all still living together on the same property. Normally, I would think at least one would have moved away.”
They hadn’t discussed the ages of his brothers during the short interview. Skittish of saying the wrong thing and have Silas deciding against hiring her, she hadn’t asked many questions. She was regretting it now. At least she would have been better prepared for what was waiting for her.
“None of us consider ourselves normal. The boys and I prefer keeping to our mountain. We leave the globe-trotting to our sister, or at least she used to. Ginny’s pretty much settled down with her husband in their new home since they had little Freddy. Every now and then, they go on a short trip for Ginny’s work. Not so much since she found herself expecting again. That’s why I decided to hire someone. Ginny’s been doing the job I’m giving you, but the boys and I don’t want her to keep overtaxing herself. She’ll still help out,” he added, giving her a searching look, as if he was scaring her off. “Ginny won’t be able to stop herself. I’m just trying to give her a break from the heavier chores she shouldn’t be doing anyway.”
“That’s nice of you.” Alanna wondered which heavy chores Silas and his brothers didn’t want their sister to do anymore. “Just let me know which chores you don’t want her doing, and I’ll make sure I take care of them before she can.”
“I don’t expect you to take over the heavier chores. All I want you to do is text me when you see her lifting over five pounds or climbing anything that is over three inches off the floor.”
“I don’t have a cell phone,” she told him, embarrassed. Not wanting to share the details of how she had lost her phone, Alanna gave him a grateful glance when he just shrugged.
“We have short range radios. I also have a spare cell phone you can use.”
With every word he spoke, Alanna liked him more and more. She cautioned herself. Mr. Coleman couldn’t be as nice as he seemed, yet something about him was able to bypass the normal wariness which hindered her from making friends.
She slammed an imaginary foot down on mental brakes to put a stop to becoming friendly with him. He was her employer; letting a friendship develop between him or with any of his family could be detrimental to their health.
“Thank you. You can take the price of the phone and the cost of cell service out of my pay.”
“That won’t be necessary. It’s just been sitting in a drawer.”
“I insist.” Keeping interactions on a business level from the start would save them from possible heartbreak down the road. Kate and Owen would be looking for opportunities to keep her in their control.
As Silas drove, Alanna took the opportunity to stare out at the scenery. Movement from Silas had her turning her head to the side.
“Do you mind not rolling the window down?” she asked, seeing what he was doing.
Rolling the window back up, Silas gave her a surprised look.
“Sorry, allergies,” Alanna brusquely explained, averting her gaze back to the side window without further explanation.
“Might need to get some medication for them. I’m afraid you’re not going to avoid being outside to get to my brothers’ homes.”
When she had been told she would be cleaning his brothers’ homes, she had nearly refused the job. She hated being outside with a passion.
“It’s not a big deal unless the wind is blowing.”
“That’s unfortunate. I prefer being outside than being inside, but then I don’t have any allergies.”
“I’ll be fine once my medication kicks in,” she said absently with her mind on them passing the spot where she had been arrested. The house sitting on a hill above the parking lot was where she had jerked the steering wheel out of the trucker’s hand, who had forced her to accompany him to the tiny town she had never heard of before; where she had found herself landed in their jail. It was a stark reminder of how she had failed to find Elizabeth before it escalated to her being accused of the crime that Kate had devised. Alanna was sure Kate was behind the plan to extort Arin, Elizabeth’s boss. Owen couldn’t tie his own shoes without Kate’s help.