Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Yet here Joe was—with her bright, wide smile that made even the sunflowers I had just been looking at seem pale by comparison—living proof that maybe my teenage perception and understanding of my father might have missed the mark a little.
The woman put her hand in her pocket and looked down a little. “Actually, it’s Jo. Short for Joanne.”
And… maybe I had missed the mark in other ways, too.
I’d been prepared for the shop to feel like an extension of my dad—dark and gloomy, oppressive and stuffy. But instead, it was light and airy, bright, and cheerful—a real tribute to my mother in more ways than just the name above the door.
Mom was easy to talk to. And she also would’ve approved of Joanne, I had no doubt. The way she had immediately come out from behind the counter and tried to make conversation, tried to put me—a complete stranger, as far as she’d known—at ease… that was pure Patty.
The thought made my throat close up for a moment, and I wondered if my dad had seen those same qualities in Joanne… and if he’d appreciated them.
It was a lot to process, even now, and it definitely wasn’t the time to try and sort out all of my feelings—not while this beautiful woman was still standing just a few inches away, nibbling at her lip as she looked up at me expectantly.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Jo finally said after several moments of prolonged silence.
We’d both been perfectly still, but the moment she spoke, it was like a spell had been broken. I started breathing again.
She was suddenly full of life and action, eyes bright and seeming to take everything in at once.
The woman looked me over from head to toe as she clasped her hands first in front of her, then behind, that sunny smile warming all over.
“I wasn’t expecting you here today, but I’m glad you finally made it,” Joanne continued, sounding sincere. “Naomi and I have been looking forward to working with you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” I nodded, then furrowed my brow. “Sorry to come in unannounced, but I guess I didn’t think much about it. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“No, not at all,” she said, motioning for me to come with her. “In fact, if you happen to know anything about computers, you’ve come at exactly the right time.”
I shook my head but followed behind the girl anyway—even though I was unsure of where we were going or what she was even talking about.
“I’m afraid I don’t know much more than on and off, point and click when it comes to computers. But…” I paused, not sure how I should say what was on my mind, or if I should even say it at all. Fuck it. “Are you the person—the same Jo, I assume—who has worked here for years? Like, almost since my dad opened the place?”
“That’s me,” Joanne said, turning to face me again once we were both standing in the cramped office. “I started about a year after your dad opened the shop, and I’ve been here ever since. Why?”
“I’m just… I guess I wasn’t expecting someone so… cheerful. And happy, and…”
Beautiful.
I paused, uncertain how to articulate exactly what I was thinking or why I felt it was so important that I do so.
Joanne arched a brow. “Female?”
My eyes went wide as I shook my head at Joanne’s misinterpretation. “No, no. No, not that. Well…” I shrugged. “That wasn’t what I was going to say. But honestly? Knowing my dad? Yeah, I guess that threw me off a little.”
“With all due respect, I knew your dad, too. It wasn’t a problem for him.” Joanne’s eyes narrowed as all traces of that bright, sunny smile completely vanished. “Is it going to be a problem for you?”
I shook my head.
This conversation had gone completely off the rails, and I didn’t know how to fix it.
Chapter Seven – Brady
It was clear from Joanne’s expression that I had fucked up. I hated that I’d been the reason she had stopped smiling. Still, I needed to set the record straight. I wasn’t some anti-feminist asshole.
I normally didn’t give a damn what people thought of me, but for some reason, it mattered that Joanne knew I wasn’t some kind of macho jerk. In fact, I wanted to prove to her how much I loved women. Yet, that might be a bad idea too.
Offending my new employee and then hitting on her within five minutes of our first meeting was probably a little much.
“No,” I said as soon as I could get my mouth working again. “Hell, no. Look, I know we just met, but I’m not that kind of asshole. In my line of work, the only thing that matters is if the person next to you is competent and trustworthy. I don’t give a shit about anything else. I worked with female trainers. The only reason I asked about any of it was because you’re just so… different from what I expected.”