Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“I want to apologize for any awkwardness I may have caused…” I began reluctantly, but he stopped me with a wave of his hand.
“Forget about it. I wanted to say that while I was frustrated at the way the cost issue was raised, you had a valid point, and Keegan had no right to be so dismissive of you,” he said, and for once the grin faded and I saw something genuine in him.
I was completely taken aback and stuttered. “Okay, thanks, I…”
“We got off on the wrong foot, and I haven’t done anything to fix that. It’s no secret that I have kind of an ego,” he smiled sheepishly. “I wanted to make things right, and thank you for your work. It’s good to have someone in here. Keegan means well, but he doesn’t always… make good decisions.”
“Thank you,” I said, blindsided. “I don’t want to cause trouble.” I shut out the voice inside my head that was reminding me that causing trouble was exactly what I wanted to do.
“You won’t,” he reassured me. “This is a family company. We are trying to do good things, and if I sometimes find it hard to trust my brother’s input in that, then that is my issue, not yours. I want you to be comfortable working here.”
I struggled to find honest things to say, and I must have been scarlet faced. “I can see that you care about the company, and I appreciate you coming to talk to me.”
Sean eyed me suspiciously. “Effie… you know, if anything about the work – or about Keegan – doesn’t seem right to you, I want you to know you can talk to me. If you notice anything happening that doesn’t sit well with you.”
“Thank you, that’s good to know.” I smiled at him, trying to look appreciative and thoughtful even though I had absolutely no clue what was going on.
Whatever he was worried about Keegan being up to, I had a feeling it was connected to my reasons for being at Clover House. I had never felt so close to the truth and yet so confused about where to go from here. Sean was looking at me as though I might have something to disclose, and for one moment of madness, I was tempted to confide in him. Shaking off the crazy notion, I simply held out my hand to shake his, and he took it gently and gave it a squeeze. I don’t know what I expected when I walked into the office, but as I walked out I reflected that the last thing I had expected was for Sean to become my newest ally.
Chapter 14
KEEGAN
A LONG WEEKEND was exactly what I needed, and yet the strain that had slowly melted away as I built up some distance between myself and the office was quick to return on Tuesday morning. I made sure I was in early and ate breakfast at my desk before anyone else arrived. I had barely been indoors in the four days I had been off. My skin felt tight from the sun, and I was uneasy in my tailored suit. I made myself comfortable on the couch in my office and looked over the photographs I had taken.
God, I had needed a break. Things with Lucy were going okay, but there was no future in the relationship. She was nice, but lacked spark, and I found myself bored in her company. I had packed a few things and headed out early Friday morning, the bike easily covering mile after mile of road as the sun shone brightly. The air was fresh, and the first warmth from the morning could be felt. Last time I had ridden out of the city there had been snow melting at the roadsides. I had to calm my rising annoyance at how much of my time Clover House ate up these days. I resented every day I spent in that office, telling people what to do, managing problems, and arranging meetings so that things I didn’t care about could be discussed. I was kept well away from where anything interesting or important might be happening. That was all Sean’s domain.
I put work out of my mind and concentrated on the road. I had a long way to go, and I was looking forward to the prospect of a long journey and falling into a comfortable hotel bed at the end of it, properly tired for once. I hadn’t slept well in months. Hell, I hadn’t slept well in years, if I was honest. A guilty conscience will do that to you. I tried to put all my reasons for not sleeping out of my head and focus on the road and the bike as the city shrunk behind me and I headed out into more open land. I had met so many people in Boston who never ventured out of the city far enough to see what the rest of the state had to offer. It didn’t even take long before you could feel the earth under your feet and breathe in some clean fresh air. The one thing I loved about America was how open and vast it felt. There were places where you could ride for hours and hours and hardly see a soul. It wasn’t like that back home in Ireland. Sure, there were isolated spots, but it always felt small. Even so, I missed home. Again, I pushed the thought out of my mind and pushed on a little faster.