A Long Way from Home (The Caldwells of Rebel Creek Book 1) Read online

  “Thank you.” Lucy breathed a soft sigh of relief.

  Again a long silence hung in the air for several moments. “I believe you may well be the right person for the job Lucy. Now, if you agree, let’s talk about a compensation package.” Devon studied her.

  All she managed in response was a nod and a small smile. She hoped the relief filling her heart didn’t show, at least not too much. Lucy didn’t want him to know how well acquainted she had become with Desperate and his close friend, Broke.

  As they continued to discuss salary, benefits, hours, and training the right-hand door burst open and a young man stormed into the room. “Dev, your truck is ready.” He stopped short. “Well, hello there. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything Big Brother.”

  “Not at all, Jack.” Devon feigned patience. “This is Lucy Caldwell, my new assistant.”

  “Devon—you sly old dog.” Jack’s grin betrayed his desire to cause trouble. “When can I hire myself a girlfriend?”

  “Jack,” Devon’s voice was almost hostile, “Lucy is my new assistant, not my girlfriend.” Lucy felt an odd pang near her heart, which she didn’t quite understand.

  “Well then. Maybe she can be my girlfriend.” Jack said with a suggestive wriggling of his eyebrows as he studied every inch of Lucy with lecherous eyes. “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

  “I don’t date anyone I work with,” was Lucy’s cool response.

  “What about those you work for?” Jack asked.

  “I believe Mr. James knows where I stand and if I am also working for you, Mr. James, you need to understand as well that I do not date people I work with.” Lucy blurted her voice an odd mixture of haughtiness and anger.

  “Take it easy, Lucy.” Jack laughed raising his hands in surrender, “I was joking. And I’m not Mr. James. I’m Jack Dalton, Devon’s stepbrother.”

  Lucy looked from one man to the other with a confused expression. Devon stood as he explained, “Jack is a little younger than I am—by a couple of months—so he calls me Big Brother. We introduced our parents to each other by accident while in college.”

  “I see.” Lucy stood as well believing the interview to be over.

  “Let me show you to your office and reintroduce you to Carmella.” Devon said as he led her by the elbow, sending a frisson of feeling through Lucy, something she had never before experienced. It was like an electric jolt awakening every nerve ending in her body; it felt shocking and exhilarating all at once.

  “It was nice to meet you Lucy. I hope we will be seeing more, much more, of each other in the future.” Jack drawled as he took the chair she had vacated.

  Out in the corridor, Devon whispered close to her ear. “If he ever makes you uncomfortable in any way let me know. I’ll take care of him.”

  “Are you everyone’s big brother?”

  “No. I just don’t want to think about you leaving right after I have trained you on account of ‘Randy Jack’.

  “I promise I won’t leave because of Jack.”

  Devon opened the door to the office next to his and ushered her in. “All the same, I don’t want to have to go through anymore nerve-racking interviews. I’ll get Carmella. She’ll explain a lot of what goes on here to you while I’ll go with Jack to pick up my truck. Don’t leave until I get back, okay?”

  “You’re the boss.” Lucy smiled as she wandered toward the window.

  “I figured you’d like some help getting your car running again.” Devon smiled.

  Lucy wheeled around. “My car? I had forgotten all about it.”

  “Wait for me, okay?” Devon raised an eyebrow to her as he opened the door to the right of her new desk. “This door connects to my office.”

  “Okay?” She drawled.

  A few minutes later Carmella tapped on the door then opened it. “Congratulations, hon. Welcome to James Dalton Environmental.”

  “Thank you, Carmella. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Mr. James for hiring me.” Lucy breathed. “I was so rude to him earlier in the cab and when he walked into his office, I just knew I had messed up and was not going to be hired.”

  Carmella looked surprised, “In the cab?”

  “He didn’t tell you? We rode in together in a cab from Third Avenue. My car broke down in the parking garage there on the corner. I guess you could say I shoved him out of the way to get the cab.”

  Carmella’s surprise grew. She studied Lucy for several seconds before she said, “He didn’t mention a word of it to me, but that’s not at all unusual for him. What we need to do now is fill out a bunch of wretched tax forms and then I need to show you around.”

  After Carmella helped Lucy fill out forms and stock her desk, Devon walked into the room. Carmella greeted him with a smile. “You’re back. That didn’t take long. We have found a gem here in Lucy. I’m sure she will be a great addition to the company.”

  “I’m glad you think so Carmella.” Devon nodded. “What we need to do now is keep her.”

  “Is that going to be a problem?” Carmella studied the two with avid interest.

  “It all depends on Jack.” Devon muttered.

  “Jack.” Carmella nodded understanding, “Well then if you don’t need anything else, I need to get back to work. I’ll see you again, Lucy, before you leave?”

  “I’m sure you will.” Lucy smiled failing to hold back the joy bubbling up from being hired. Carmella pushed herself out of the chair. Lucy could not help but like her.

  “I guess you two better say your good-byes now because I am taking Lucy back to her car. I want you to get your car repaired as soon as possible.” Devon said as he passed through the door to the right of Lucy’s desk. Before Lucy and Carmella had enough time to exchange questioning glances he returned. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I reckon so.” Lucy gathered her briefcase and umbrella.

  “Will you be back, Devon?” Carmella asked as she gathered the forms on Lucy’s desk.

  “I’m not sure. If not this afternoon, I’ll see you tomorrow. Lucy will start working tomorrow morning, right?” Devon turned to her.

  “Yes, seven-thirty sharp." Lucy smiled struggling not to bounce on her toes in excitement. She found a job!

  “I look forward to seeing you then, sweetie.” Carmella smiled as she extended her hand. Lucy took her hand and shook it with enthusiasm.

  “I am so looking forward to working here.”

  Devon took her by the elbow and Lucy again felt a heightened sense of awareness. It was an odd sensation which she had never experienced with any other man. Her stomach did little flip-flops. He led her out of the office and to the elevators before he released her. He too seemed to be unsettled, “I, um, I guess we first need to determine if your car battery is dead or if it’s some other problem.”

  “I feel like I’m imposing. There’s no need to disrupt your schedule on my account. I can get a tow truck.” Lucy tried to squelch her own dislike of the idea.

  Devon laughed, “You’re joking, aren’t you? I’m not going to tell you your car needs more work than necessary and I won’t take advantage of you by overcharging you to move your vehicle.”

  “You are assuming I don’t know anything about cars. Besides, how do I know I can trust you?” Lucy asked.

  Devon grew serious. “You had better trust me. We are going to be working very closely together especially during the next several weeks. I’m going to teach you everything there is to know about Phase One Assessments.” The elevator doors slid open. They were inside the elevator compartment with the doors closed before Devon continued. “There may be a few occasions, when we even have to go out of town together to get a project done when a client has placed a short deadline on us.”

  Lucy’s eyes grew wide. “You said nothing earlier about going out of town with you.”

  As they stepped out of the elevator into the parking garage Devon chuckled, “Are you afraid I will turn into another Jordan Lancaster?”

  “I hope I won’t have to worry about
the possibility of you trying to force yourself on me. Besides you know I will resign if you do, don’t you?”

  He paused. “Did I hear you right? He tried to rape you?”

  Lucy looked everywhere he wasn’t. The tip of her left shoe became the most interesting thing she had ever seen. “I’m not sure rape is the word I would use. The day I went to collect my things he cornered me in my office. He tried to kiss me while ripping at my blouse. Fortunately, I was able to slam my knee into his crotch. I grabbed my box and left.” She looked Devon in the eyes as she continued. “I meant what I said. I’ll leave if I have to.”

  Devon’s eyes narrowed, “I’m sorry you had to go through an assault. I feel like such an ass. I was teasing, Lucy. I have never, nor will I ever place an ultimatum on any woman for her—her company.”

  Lucy studied his face. “I believe you. I imagine you don’t have any trouble with the ladies. You look the type who has to shoo them off like flies.”

  Devon burst into a deep belly laugh. It was several seconds before he could speak, “Lucy—you have made my week. I wish your estimation of my ability to attract women, was as accurate as you believe. The truth is I'm too busy working to draw too many 'flies'.”

  "Maybe things will change for you once I'm fully trained." Lucy offered.

  Devon took a moment to answer. He guided her toward a huge work truck and helped her up into the cab. He was deep in thought and Lucy didn't want to bother him. She wasn't certain she wanted to know what he was thinking. Besides, he was now her employer. Devon's private life was none of her business and he didn’t need to know all the sordid details involving her Lancaster debacle. Lucy made a mental note to avoid all types of conversation regarding their private lives in the future. .

  Once he was settled behind the steering wheel and had started the engine, Devon spoke. "I reckon we'll have to wait and see. What about you, are you seeing someone?"

  "No. I'm not inclined to see anyone right now anyway." Lucy said trying to avoid a direct answer.

  Devon frowned. “Is it because of what Lancaster did to you?”

  “No. I’m just not interested in a relationship right now.”

  Devon chuckled. "I'll be sure to make that known to Jack in no uncertain terms."

  Lucy gave him a sidelong glance. "You do that."

  "Are you interested in Jack?"

  "Not in the least." Lucy shuddered. "He's kind of…slimy, and reeks of alcohol."

  Devon gave her a quick glance as he pulled into the parking garage where her car had broken down. “Where is your car?"

  Lucy directed him around the garage until they found her car. Devon pulled into the space next to the silver economy car. He unbuckled his seatbelt as he said, "Give me your keys. You can wait here for a minute."

  Lucy nodded and handed him the keys to her car. He gave her an amused look as he held up her cartoon character key ring. He jumped out of the truck and walked over to the car. He lifted the hood and checked the battery cables. Lucy watched him brush some corrosion off the connectors. Then he squeezed his large frame behind the wheel. He tried to start the engine and as before nothing happened. He checked the switches on the dash. With great effort he extricated himself from the car. Lucy wondered if she had left the headlights burning. She pushed the window button down in the passenger door and leaned out as she asked, "Well? Did I leave the lights on?"

  Devon smiled. "No you didn't. I'm going to try and jumpstart the engine. If that doesn't work the alternator is gone."

  "Is it going to be difficult to fix?" Lucy asked.

  "No and they aren't very expensive either. Let's first try to jumpstart it, okay?" Devon said as he pulled a set of jumper cables out of the back seat of the crew cab.

  "What do you want me to do?" Lucy asked.

  "When I signal, step on the gas here in the truck. Okay?"

  She nodded.

  Devon lifted the hood of the truck and attached the cables. Then he moved to Lucy's car and attached the other ends of the cables. He went to the car door—he nodded to Lucy. She slid over into the driver's seat and reached for the gas pedal then waited. In the meantime, Devon wriggled his way back behind the wheel. He nodded. Lucy stepped on the gas. He turned the key.

  After several tries the feeble engine started. Devon revved the engine for several seconds then climbed out of the car. “Keep the motor running a little faster than idle,” he said through the window as he went to stand in front of her car. After what seemed a small eternity Devon pulled the positive clamp from the battery post and the negative off the frame of the car.

  The car coughed and sputtered for a minute longer before it quit running. Devon reconnected the cables and climbed back into the car. He pointed to Lucy. She gunned the engine. Again he started the car. Lucy began to wonder if a dead battery was expensive to replace. Devon repeated the process of disconnecting the cables. Again after a minute or two the engine quit. Lucy climbed out of the truck. “So I guess I need to get a new battery, huh?” She tried to sound upbeat.

  Devon shook his head. “I’m not so sure it’s the battery.”

  Lucy looked confused, “If it’s not the battery what is it, the alternative thing?”

  Devon chuckled. “It's probably the alternator. Let’s push this thing out so I can hook it up to the truck. Then we can tow it to the office garage where I can fix it.”

  Lucy shook her head. “No. Let me call the dealer to come get it and fix it. I can’t ask you to fix my car for me; it’s too much trouble.”

  Devon studied her face for a moment before he spoke. “And how are you going to pay the dealer’s prices? Haven’t you been out of work for almost three months? You aren’t one of those pretty young ladies who work just to have something to do are you?”

  “I am not a wealthy heiress by any means. If I were would I be driving this heap? But I do have some savings left.” Lucy tried to hold her onto her pride while ignoring the skittering of pleasure. He thought she was pretty.

  “Then let me help you. All you’ll have to pay for is the parts,” He grinned, “I’ll throw the labor in for free.”

  Lucy was uneasy. She was not at all certain she should allow this man to entrench himself into her life so soon. After all he was now her employer. They should not spend their free time together. Devon offered, “If it would make you feel better you can buy me lunch tomorrow—provided I do a good job replacing your alternator.”

  “All right, Mr. Eagle Scout.” Lucy agreed even though she had her misgivings.

  “Good.” Devon smiled, “Let’s get going then, we have a great deal to accomplish in a short time.” He instructed her to get into her car and steer while he pushed it into the driving lane. Then Lucy waited while he backed his truck out of its parking place and parked it in front of her. He attached the tow chains to each vehicle. When he finished he came back to her window.

  “All set?” She asked.

  “Yes. Now this is what I need you to do. First, keep off the brakes unless we are stopping, of course. Second, make the turns wide okay?”

  “Okay,” she smiled.

  Chapter Two

  Without event, Devon pulled Lucy’s car from the public parking garage to the private garage underneath their office building. He stopped in the middle of the garage, unhooked the chains and parked his behemoth of a truck. He came over to the driver’s side window, which Lucy had rolled down. “All right, now let’s push this thing into a spot.”

  “Okay.” Lucy answered.

  In no time at all Devon had pushed Lucy’s car into the parking space next to the truck and lifted the hood. Lucy clambered out of the driver’s seat to ask, “What are we going to do now?”

  Without looking up from removing the car battery from its place he answered, “I’m going to the auto parts store to get this battery charged or replaced and I’m also going to take the alternator for a new one. While I’m gone you can go upstairs and get acquainted with Carmella and have some coffee or something.”

&
nbsp; Lucy was surprised. She said, “You want me to go upstairs and sit around while you fix my car? You are an unusual boss.”

  “As I recall you are not my employee until tomorrow,” Devon said as he placed the battery in the bed of the truck. He retrieved his toolbox then continued, “Go on, now. Go upstairs and enjoy your last afternoon of unemployed leisure. Or, maybe Carmella can explain some of the computer programs we use in case you aren’t familiar with them. Will that make you feel better?”

  “That sounds good to me.” She started to turn but then she realized she would need to pay for the parts. “Wait a minute. Don’t I need to go with you to pay for these parts?”

  “Don’t worry about it. We can settle up later.” Devon waved her off. “Now go on. I will let you know when I’m finished. By the way, what year is your car?”

  She told him then added, “Are you sure you want me to just sit and wait?”

  “Yes.” He let his annoyance show. “You’re not dressed for mechanic’s work anyway.”

  Without further argument she went to the elevator and pushed the button. As the elevator opened and Lucy stepped into it she pondered why alarm bells were not going off in her head where Devon James was concerned. It didn’t make sense to her. As soon as Jack entered Devon’s office earlier her skin crawled. She had a sense about men—which ones you could trust and which you couldn’t. Of course, her sense had failed her where Jordan Lancaster was concerned. A nagging worry pulled at her high spirits. Devon gave her his word. He would not strong-arm her into an affair. So why was she so unnerved?

  Carmella looked up when Lucy walked through the door. She sighed with relief, while resting her head against the back of her chair. "Oh thank God. You're not Sydney,” she paused, “Is something wrong dear?”

  “I’m not sure, Carmella,” she answered while lowering herself into a waiting chair, her back to the wall of glass.

  “Is your car in worse shape than you expected?”

  Lucy sighed and rubbed her temples. “Devon is taking the battery and alternator to have them tested and if need be replaced. But, that’s not what concerns me.”