Lana and Matthew were becoming regular visitors at the West house, stopping by every Sunday after church, staying for lunch, and then spending the rest of the afternoon reading the paper, playing games, watching football, or whatever they wanted to do. Some days it was just the four of them, but most days, Jarrod joined them as well.
It was wonderful to watch how close Matthew had become to his father’s family, Lana thought as she looked up from the editorial section of the newspaper. Matthew was sitting on the floor with his grandfather and with Jarrod, playing a game of Crazy Eights. He was settled. They had moved around for far too long. It was nice that he had a place where he felt secure and loved. And she did too. She knew that Rachel and Frank loved her like a daughter, and that they would gladly ask her to move in if they didn’t know how much she valued her privacy. Rachel seemed to intuitively know that Lana needed time to adjust to her new family, and she was willing to give her all the time she needed.
The only person that Lana still felt uncomfortable with was Jarrod. Although they had not seen each other alone since the night he had left her apartment, Lana felt his eyes on her whenever they were together. They seldom spoke more than a few words to each other, which suited Lana just fine. She was always on edge around him, unsure of where they stood, and never quite able to talk it through to get to a more comfortable place.
She needed a new job. She knew that. It was particularly hard going into work on Monday mornings after having spent hours with him and the Wests. It felt wrong. It felt… sneaky. She didn’t like it. So she started to look around to see what else might be available for her, but cautiously.
One Sunday when the weather was particularly bad, Lana and Matthew arrived home from church to find Jarrod in the driveway waiting for them.
“Hi Uncle Jarrod!” Matthew greeted him with delight. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he ran into Jarrod’s arms to be lifted for a hug.
Jarrod immediately obliged, carrying the young boy to Lana’s front door as she pulled their things out of the car and followed him.
“I came to take you and your mom to your Grandma and Grandpa’s house,” he answered with a grin. “The weather is nasty, and we were worried about all of you coming over alone.”
Lana knew that they were less worried about her driving than they were about the condition of her old car, but she just smiled at Jarrod and said, “That was thoughtful of you. Come on in while I change and get Matt into his play clothes, and we’ll be ready to go.”
“I can help Matthew,” Jarrod offered immediately, following her in after she unlocked the door. “You go ahead and get into some comfortable clothes, and we’ll take care of everything else. Right, Matt?” he asked, appealing to the young boy for support.
“Right!” Matthew replied enthusiastically as Jarrod set him down on his feet.
Lana smiled at her son and shrugged her shoulders. “OK, it’s a deal. Pack up some toys too, Matt,” she reminded him. “You were hoping to get Grandpa to play Sorry with you.”
“Sorry?” Jarrod spoke up. “I love that game. Come on, sport. Let’s see if we can beat your Mom.”
It would have been hard to beat her, Lana thought after she had changed clothes and was standing in the kitchen packing some snacks for her son. She didn’t have too much to choose from in the way of clothes, so she tended to wear the same sweater often when she went over to the Wests. She was sure that Rachel had noticed, but was equally sure that Rachel understood why Lana didn’t put much stock in fashion these days. Rachel probably didn’t realize that money was an issue for Lana. She probably assumed that her son had provided well for his wife and child. Lana dreaded the day when she would have to explain to her mother-in-law that she was deeply in debt.
“You beat us,” Matthew sounded disappointed, so Lana turned around with a smile and said, “Not quite. I’m still getting some things ready. If you have all of your toys together, I’d say that you two managed to beat me!”
Her son grinned back. “It’s OK, Mom. I was showing Uncle Jarrod my Dad’s baseball card collection, so we were slow.”
Lana looked surprised. Matthew didn’t often talk about his father, and had shown very few people his cards. Ever. This must mean that her son was starting to trust Jarrod, and that the stability that she had sought for him was paying off.
“OK, go get your coat and stuff on, and we’re ready to go,” Lana told her son, picking up the bag she had just packed and a book that she was reading.
After she zipped Matthew into his coat, she thrust her arms into her jacket sleeves and zipped the coat up snugly around her. Jarrod and Matthew headed out ahead of her, as Lana locked the door to her small apartment and then carefully followed them out to the car. There was already an inch of accumulation on the windshield, but Jarrod insisted that Lana and Matthew both get inside and stay warm while he brushed off the snow. After he had cleaned off the car and gotten back in the driver’s seat, he immediately turned around to the small child in the back seat and said, “This is good snowman-building weather, Matthew. Maybe we can make one in Grandma and Grandpa’s front yard after lunch. What do you think?”
Matthew immediately perked up. “Oh boy! Can we?”
“You bet,” Jarrod answered, reaching back to tousle his hair, then turning his attention to the road. It would take some concentration to drive in this, Lana knew, so she sat quietly, unwilling to disturb him as he drove.
They pulled into the driveway of the West home about twenty minutes later. Frank came out immediately to carry Matthew into the house, leaving Jarrod and Lana to follow behind. Rachel was there to take their coats, and she announced that lunch would be ready as soon as they had had a moment to wash up.
Lana smiled her hellos, then took Matthew with her into the bathroom to wash their hands. When they came out, they joined the family at the table. While the dinner conversation was as animated as always, it didn’t escape Lana’s notice that Jarrod was being unusually quiet. Polite as ever to the Wests, he remained a bit aloof throughout the main meal and well into dessert.
As soon as dinner was over, Jarrod asked to be excused, saying, “I have something that I need to talk about with Lana. Would you excuse us?”
“Of course, dear,” Rachel answered. “Take your time.”
Without waiting for Lana to agree to talk with him, he simply moved around in back of her and pulled her chair out gently. “If it’s all right with you, we’ll be in your study, Frank.”
Frank simply waved his hand. “Sure. Take your time. I’m going to take Matt on in a game of Sorry.”
Lana looked at Matthew to be sure that it was OK with him that she leave him, but he was already pushing back his chair in a rush to join his grandfather. Standing up, she followed Jarrod to Frank’s study. He opened the door for Lana, then followed her inside and shut the door behind them. Motioning her to sit down on the couch, he sat opposite her in one of the leather chairs.
“Is something wrong?” she asked. “You were quiet during dinner.”
“I’m just trying to figure things out, Lana.”
“Figure what out?”
Instead of answering her, he asked his own question. “Have you talked with Frank and Rachel yet?”
“About what?”
“About Daniel. About whatever it is that you can’t tell me until you tell them.”
Lana shook her head. “Not yet. But I will.”
“Why are you waiting?”
She hesitated before replying, “It’s not an easy conversation.”
“I can’t imagine it will be. But the sooner you have it…”
Lana leaned back, curling her feet under her and looking out the window of Frank’s study at the falling snow.
“You didn’t want me to tell them the truth for the longest time, because you didn’t think they were ready. Now that you’re encouraging me to tell them, I’m scared they won’t believe me,” she admitted. “And while it doesn’t matter a lot if they don’t respond well to me, it matters a lot what they feel about Matthew.”
“He’s Daniel’s son. You have nothing to worry about.”
But Lana knew that wasn’t true. Knew what the threat of mental illness in a family did to the dynamics. She was honestly a little worried that Rachel would call her a liar and kick her and her son to the curb. Not because she was a mean woman, but just because it was a hard thing to hear about your son – that he had schizophrenia. While Lana had the papers to prove it, she didn’t want to have to pull them out. She wanted to protect Rachel and Frank from the man their son had become.
“Just tell them the truth, Lana,” Jarrod urged.
“I have no reason to lie, apart from wanting to protect them. But that won’t solve anything,” she added. “So yes, they will get the truth.”
“Do it soon. Please.”
“Why in the world is this so important to you?”
“Because then you can tell me what’s going on. I’d very much like to know.”
“I’m not sure that the truth will change how you feel about me,” Lana warned him. “It might just make you angrier.”
Jarrod gazed at her for a few moments, then stood up and moved over to join her on the couch. Reaching out, he took her hands in his, then asked, “Did you marry Daniel for his money?”
Affronted, Lana tried to pull her hands away, but Jarrod held them firmly between his. “No,” she finally said firmly.
“Did you cheat on him while you were married?”
“No.”
“Did you do anything to deliberately harm him?”
“Like what?” Lana asked incredulously. “Poison his food? Stick a snake in his bed? For the love of God, Jarrod. Of course not.”
“Then I probably won’t get angrier,” Jarrod concluded with a slight smile.
But Lana just looked at him with frustration. “Do you really think all of these things about me?” she asked quietly.
“I did,” he admitted.
“Did? Have you changed your mind, then?”
“To be honest, I haven’t made up my mind at all. The only thing I know for sure is that I’m not willing to walk away from you.”
“Why not? For heaven’s sake, what exactly do you want from me?”
“I want you, Lana. And I want to know that Matthew is safe.”
She froze. “What does that mean?”
Jarrod pulled his hands back and ran them through his hair – the first time that Lana had seen him react with such frustration. She watched as he rose and began to pace around the room, waiting for him to explain his words.
“Look,” he said at last, sitting in the seat across from her and leaning forward so that he was looking directly into her eyes. “I know this isn’t an appropriate conversation to have here, when Daniel’s family is just a few rooms away.”
“You need to finish this,” she pointed out.
He nodded. “I do. It’s important for you to understand that Daniel was once my best friend.”
She was trying to follow him, she really was. But she had no idea where he was going with this line of reasoning. “And you think that makes you responsible for Matthew’s well-being?”
“It makes my feelings for you complicated. And it makes me even more determined to do right by that boy.”
“Let me make this easier for you,” she said softly. “Whatever feelings you may have for me will go away, particularly when you don’t see me for a while. So you can let that go. And Matthew is fine. I’d love for him to have you in his life, but responsibility for that little boy begins and ends with me. Be a role model for him. Be an honorary uncle. But that’s all you need to do.”
But Jarrod shook his head. “Lana, you have no savings. You’re in debt up to your teeth. If Matthew needs something, where are you going to get the money?”
With a calmness she was far from feeling, she responded evenly. “Matthew has everything he needs. He’s my son, Jarrod. I’ll go hungry before I let him want for anything important. I’m working on my finances, and if you don’t mess things up for me, I can find another job with another company that pays almost as well as you do. Let me out of this, Jarrod. I don’t belong here.”
Jarrod’s eyes were fixed firmly on hers. “Matthew does.”
“And I’ve already told you that I won’t do anything to keep Matthew from his father’s family. Or from you, if you want to spend time with him.”
“I do.”
“Then you can.”
“I want to spend time with you as well.”
She looked over at him and laughed. But his expression was serious, and he looked puzzled at her reaction, so when Lana responded, her voice was softer and more understanding than it might have been.
“Don’t. Please. I get it, Jarrod, I really do. I get that you were Daniel’s friend, and for some reason, you think you let him down. You didn’t, though. Daniel let you down, and me, and Matthew. You don’t need to step in and save his family. We were divorced – I walked away from Daniel of my own volition. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I want to make sure that Matthew has what he needs, Lana.”
She swallowed. “I’m waiting for you to tell me that Frank and Rachel are filing for custody.”
Jarrod shook his head. “Of course not. They would never think of it. Nor would I. Matthew belongs with you.” Leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs, he laid his elbows on the arms of the chair, and his fingers met in front of his chest.
“I have a proposition for you,” he said at last.
Now what? Lana thought. She just stared at him, waiting for his next words.
“I think we should get married.”
Lana shot up from her seat and stared down at the man sitting in front of her. She was sure that she hadn’t heard right.
“It would be the best solution for Matthew,” Jarrod continued, his countenance remaining serious. “He would gain a stable and financially solid home, he would have a father again, and he would still have his mother around.”
But Lana shook her head.
“You hate me,” she managed to protest.
“I don’t hate you,” he responded calmly, a slight smile curving his lips.
“You don’t trust me,” she pointed out.
He shrugged. “You don’t really trust me either. So we’re starting off on the same page.”
Lana rolled her eyes. “What a great way to start a marriage.”
“At least we both know where we stand with each other. A lot of couples start marriages with worse track records.”
Lana crossed her arms in front of her and began to pace around Frank’s office. “Let’s start at the beginning. Let’s start with what you want from all of this. You want access to Matthew, and you want to be sure that he’s doing well and that he has what he needs. You want to assuage your own misguided guilt about Daniel. And you want me to suffer somewhere in here. Is that about right?”
Jarrod chuckled. “Yes, I want access to Matthew. I do want to be sure that Daniel’s son is well cared for – my own guilt about the situation aside. But you’re wrong if you think that I want you to suffer, Lana.”
“You have access to my son, any time you want. You can be sure he has what he needs, as long as you don’t spoil him. You can let the guilt go – it’s misplaced anyway. Let me take a new job, Jarrod. There’s a lot available – I just need to know that you will give me a good recommendation.”
“I will give you a stellar recommendation, but I don’t want you to leave yet.”
“Why not?”
“Partly because you’re loved in my office. And partly because I like having you close by.” She felt Jarrod come up behind her and rest his hands on her shoulders. “Which brings us back to marriage. I’d like you to think about it, Lana. It makes sense.”
“I don’t think it makes any sense at all for Matthew to grow up in a home where his parents don’t love each other,” Lana said quietly, without turning around.
“But we’d both love him. And that would be the most important thing for all of us, right?”
Lana shook her head. “No. This isn’t a good idea. I thank you for the thought. I think. It’s nice that you care that much about my son…”
“I could push you into this,” Jarrod pointed out.
She nodded. “I know. And I’m grateful that you’re not doing that.”
“I’ll bring it up again, though.”
Lana didn’t answer. She just continued to stare out the window at the falling snow. Jarrod let his hands fall from her shoulders, but he didn’t move from his position behind her.
“I wonder what would have happened if Daniel hadn’t lied to me about his family,” she finally said. “I would have liked to have had Frank and Rachel in my life when Matthew was first born.”
“He told you they were dead?” Jarrod asked, knowing the answer, but wanting Lana to keep talking.
“Yes. He told me that he was alone. That he’d lost everyone close to him when he was a kid.”
Jarrod was silent for a moment before he asked, “Any idea why he would tell you that?”
Lana shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I hope I can figure it out someday, though.” It was puzzling, but Lana suspected that Daniel’s mental illness played a role, and she was beginning to wonder how much of his schizophrenia was already starting to manifest itself while they were dating. She should have looked closer, she thought. But truthfully, she probably wouldn’t have seen it at the time, so that means that there wasn’t much that she could have changed. Even if she had, having Matthew made it all worthwhile. All of it.
“Help me to understand, Lana. I know there’s more going on than you’ve told me. For heaven’s sake, talk to Frank and Rachel, and then talk to me. If not for your own sake, then for Matthew’s.”
“I will.”
“Let me help you with your finances, Lana.”
“No.”
“Lana.”
“Jarrod, the day we met, you accused me of marrying Daniel for money. It wasn’t true, but I know that in the back of your mind you still wonder about it. I’m not taking your money. Or Frank and Rachel’s money. That’s not what any of this is about.”
“This?”
“My relationship with all of you. For me, it’s about family. It’s about people, not about things. I know that I’ve got financial issues, but I’m responsible. You’re paying me a good salary, my expenses are small, and as long as I keep Matthew clothed and fed, that’s good enough for me. I’ll get through this, but I need to do it on my own.”
“You’re stubborn,” Jarrod observed with a slight smile.
“I’ve been told that before,” she responded ruefully.
“OK. I’ll let it go. For now. But if Matt needs something, you’ll ask?”
Reluctantly, Lana nodded her head. “Yes. I’ll ask,” she said quietly, swallowing her pride. It was a kind offer on the part of Jarrod. She needed to acknowledge that. “Thank you.”
The next thing she knew, Jarrod was gently pulling her with him toward the couch, sitting down beside her and taking her hands in one of his, cringing slightly when he realized that they were blocks of ice. He used his other hand to raise her chin until she was looking at him.
“I only want to help you,” he said softly, his thumb lightly tracing along the line of her jaw.
Shocked, he watched her eyes fill with tears, and reacted instinctively. He reached out and gathered her into his arms. She remained stiff, but didn’t try to stop him as his hands stroked her back, her hair, her shoulders. She would not cry, she told herself. She simply would not. But she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from Jarrod’s embrace, either.
Softly, his hands continued to move over her as he whispered quietly in her ear that everything would be OK. At some point, Lana relaxed against him. When he felt her resistance die, Jarrod reached around and turned her face up to his. Her cheeks were tear-streaked, despite her best efforts to keep herself from crying. Her eyes were huge, and her cheeks were rosy with emotion. She had never looked more beautiful, Jarrod thought, even as he lowered his mouth to hers.
Lana was lost. There was no anger, or hatred, or even lust in this kiss. He wasn’t kissing her to prove a point. He was kissing her gently, seductively, soothingly. She had never before been held this way, kissed this way, as if she were precious and loved. Her heart skipped a beat as he raised his head to look into her eyes, then slowly lowered his lips to hers again. His tongue lightly caressed her lower lip, causing Lana to groan with pleasure.
At the sound, Jarrod caught his breath and whispered, “Do you want me to stop, Lana?”
“No. Please,” she answered, raising her lips back to his, and opening her mouth to allow his tongue access. Her arms encircled him, drawing him closer to her. His hands moved up to hold her head steady as his mouth ravished her own with a gentle strength that moved Lana more than anything he had done before.
With his mouth still covering hers, Jarrod carefully lowered her to the couch, following her onto the cushions. His hands reached around to circle her waist, pulling her hard up against him, letting her feel his need.
“Oh God, Lana. Feel what you do to me,” he murmured softly into her ear.
Lana’s response was to pull him closer, to rub her body against his with sheer feminine instinct. Jarrod groaned, nearly losing control and fighting to prevent himself from pulling off her jeans to thrust himself into her. But he somehow managed to remember where they were, and to realize that Frank could walk in on them at any time. Carefully, slowly, Jarrod held her until they both caught their breath and returned to earth. When Lana tried to sit up, Jarrod helped her, standing up and looking away as she quickly adjusted her clothes.
“I’m sorry, Jarrod,” she said at last. “I didn’t mean to get so carried away,” she added softly. “Oh God, and with Matthew just down the hallway,” she moaned, burying her face in her hands.
“It’s all right, Lana,” Jarrod said softly, his voice steadying her as he added, “That was my fault. I’m sorry for taking it too far. I seem to have impeccable timing, don’t I?” he asked dryly.
But Lana was nothing if not brutally honest with herself. It hadn’t been his fault at all. She was the one who had lost control. She had been the one to pull him closer. He had been the one to stop. So she shook her head as she stood up and moved away. “OK, that one was on both of us.”
“Think about what I said, Lana. Marriage makes sense.”
“No. That’s off the table.”
“You can say that after what we just did?” he asked.
“That’s just sex,” Lana said with a shaky voice.
“Was it just sex with Daniel?” he asked, then immediately regretted it when Lana turned away and headed for the door of Frank’s study.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized quickly. “I just…”
She stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “Just what?” she asked softly.
Jarrod hesitated before saying quietly, “I just wish it had been me who met you first.”
“Because then Daniel might still be alive.”
“No, Lana. Because I’m jealous of a dead man. My best friend is dead, and I’m jealous of him, because he had you. How twisted is that?” Jarrod asked in frustration.
Lana waited a few moments before she responded. When she did, her tone was soft and filled with understanding. “It’s OK. I understand, Jarrod.”
“Would you tell me why you left Daniel?” he asked softly.
She sighed. She didn’t really want to get into all of this now. But, she realized, Jarrod had a right to know. “I was afraid of him,” she said at last.
“I'm beginning to see that, Lana. But why? He was a kind man.”
Lana nodded. “He was, Jarrod. But he changed.”
Jarrod shook his head. “And that's what I don't understand, Lana. I hope one day you'll trust me with what happened.”
"I hope so too,” she said seriously. “But for now, let’s go play Sorry with Matt and Frank, and then help Matthew build a snowman.”
Jarrod nodded. “Will you at least consider what I’m suggesting?”
“Marriage?”
“Yes.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Not now.”
He smiled then. “I’ll ask you again.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
The following week went quickly. Work had picked up significantly – as Lana had become a more trusted member of the team, she had been seeing a lot more responsibility. On the one hand, she was really pleased that people appreciated her work. On the other hand, she was completely swamped. Somehow in all of this, she needed to continue her hunt for a new job. She had put the change off for too long. Sooner or later, people at work would start talking about her and Jarrod. Even if they told them the truth – that Jarrod was her ex-husband’s best friend, this position would smack of nepotism, or worse. Never mind that Grace had been the one to make the decision – it would still look like the job had gone to her because of who she was, not what she could do. It would kill her reputation if people thought she had slept her way into this position, be it with her ex-husband or with her current boss.
With that in mind, Lana spent time each evening, after Matthew was in bed, looking for another job. She wanted to stay within a reasonable radius of the city, both because she loved being near her sister, and because she wanted Matt to be near his grandparents. Jarrod had nothing to do with it, she told herself.
On Thursday night, Lana had just put Matthew to bed and had fired up her laptop to edit her resume when she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Jarrod standing in the doorway, with a large bouquet of wildflowers in one hand, and a small box in the other.
“Oh my,” Lana breathed. “These are for me? They’re beautiful. How did you know that I love wildflowers?”
Jarrod smiled and handed them to her. “I didn’t know. They just seemed like you, so I bought them.”
“Come on in,” she said, burying her face in the bouquet. “Take your coat off and make yourself at home. I’m just going to put these in water. Would you like coffee?”
“Sure. Need any help?”
Lana shook her head. “No thanks. It’ll just take me a minute.”
She quickly arranged the flowers in a glass vase and placed them on her kitchen table, then turned her attention to making coffee. As soon as it was done, she poured two mugs, then added creamer to hers. Flicking the light in the kitchen off, she moved back into the living room. Jarrod had pulled off his coat, and looked very much at home sprawled out on her couch. She handed him his coffee and sat down in a chair on one side of the couch.
“Thank you again for the flowers.”
“You’re welcome. I have something else for you too.” Sitting up straight on the couch, Jarrod picked up the box that he had been carrying and held it out to her. Lana set her coffee down on the table and took the box from his outstretched hand.
“What is this?” she asked quietly, looking up at Jarrod.
“Open it,” he urged.
Her eyes still on his, she carefully lifted the lid of the box. Looking down at it, her eyes clouded with confusion. It was filled with papers, what looked to be bank slips and official forms of some kind.
“I don’t understand,” Lana admitted. “What is all of this?”
“It’s a bank account that I established for you this morning. There should be enough money in there to take care of your needs for a while, but if you need more just ask.”
Lana sat in her chair staring into the box. They had started their whole relationship with Jarrod telling her that he knew she was just after money, and then when she told him that she wanted nothing to do with his fortune, he simply signed some of it over to her anyway? This was a sweet gesture, she acknowledged, but she knew that she couldn’t accept it.
“Thank you, Jarrod. Really. But I have everything I need already,” she finally said politely, closing the box and reaching out to hand it back to him. When he didn’t take it, she laid it down on the coffee table between them. Looking up at him, she saw that he was watching her carefully.
“It’s not very much, Lana. I hardly think this will compromise you.”
“No, probably not. But I honestly don’t want it, and I don’t need it. It’s kind of you, but I think you’d better close the account.”
“Not a chance,” he responded.
“It will just sit there,” she warned him.
“Then it will sit there. It’s your money.”
She shook her head. “It’s not my money. It’s yours. You are paying me a good salary at work, Jarrod. I’m doing well on that alone. Matthew and I have insurance. I’m paying my debts and I have plenty for whatever Matthew needs. I don’t want more. I really do appreciate this, but…”
“You’re a stubborn woman,” Jarrod said at last, smiling slightly as he sipped his coffee. “But keep it anyway. I like knowing that you have a resource in an emergency. And you might as well know that Frank and Rachel still want to sign Daniel’s assets over to you.”
“Not going to happen. They can go straight to an account for Matt.”
“I don’t understand why you are so opposed to this.”
Lana smiled. “I know you don’t. I’ll explain it someday.”
“You haven’t talked to Frank and Rachel yet.” It wasn’t a question.
“I will. Soon,” she promised.
He nodded. If it were up to him, he’d drag her over to the Wests tonight, and pace in the foyer while she talked with them. But he understood that she was worried about the conversation, so he didn’t push it. The thing was, he had no idea why she was worried. Frank and Rachel were good people – they would listen and understand, and would support Lana in whatever situation she had found herself. It was Lana’s call, though, and Jarrod reminded himself to be patient. He changed the subject.
“Did you bring work home with you tonight?” he asked, nodding at the laptop that she had open on the coffee table.
“Not really. I’m updating my CV. I’ll start sending it out to a few different businesses in the area, but I’ll make sure that none of them are in direct competition with Marshall Industries.”
Jarrod looked surprised. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“Yes. I love working at your company, but I can’t do that and have…” she stopped talking, realizing that she might be making assumptions that she shouldn’t make.
“… a relationship with me? Is that what you were going to say?”
She shrugged. “Yes, though that’s not exactly what we have, is it? Our relationship is complicated, and I don’t want people reading into it. We’ve been discreet about the time we’ve spent together, but I don’t want rumors to start.”
“All right. I guess we can work on replacing you, but I’ll wait until you hear something definite.”
Smiling slightly, Lana said, “That’s nice of you. Thank you.”
“The choice is yours, Lana. We'll be sorry to lose you. But let's deal with that when you get an offer.”
She grinned then. “You’re assuming I’ll get an offer,” she said, taking a sip of coffee.
“Of course. Do you want me to take a look at your resume before you send it anywhere? And I’d be happy to forward it to a few folks I know who might be looking for someone like you.”
“I’d appreciate that. Both of your offers.”
“And my third offer?”
Lana didn’t pretend to misunderstand him. “Still no,” she responded with a smile.
He laughed. “OK, it’s late. I just wanted to stop by and drop that off to you,” he said, nodding at the box on her table before he stood and reached for his coat.
She stood as well, and walked him to the door. “Thanks for the flowers. And it’s not that I don’t appreciate the money, Jarrod…”
“If you need it, it’s there. Good night, Lana.” He leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. “See you tomorrow.”