Out of Sight. Michelle Celmer
Читать онлайн книгу.
just biding his time, waiting until Vince was brought to justice. He was so close now he could feel the heavy hand of justice by his side, waiting for him to succeed. And he would get that justice, no matter the consequences.
“How did you end up working here?” he asked her.
“Fate.” She looked over at him, and though she smiled, he could see the guarded look in her eyes. She was hiding something, and he had a pretty good idea it had to do with her boss.
After talking with many of the other staff members, he’d concluded that not many seemed to know much about their elusive employer, and the few who did weren’t inclined to discuss her.
He was all the more convinced that Abi was the key, his ticket to meeting Maureen. But it wasn’t going to be a simple operation. There was something about her, something in her eyes he identified with—a connection he felt—and he was pretty certain the feeling was mutual. But he was also aware that his presence made her uneasy, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. That was okay, because he wasn’t sure what to make of her either—what he found so attractive about a woman so plain and unassuming. His wives might have been clingy and dependant, but they were both physically beautiful.
Today Abi wore her hair in a ponytail, her face once again scrubbed clean—he’d never once seen her wear makeup. Her clothes were on the baggy side, as if she were self-conscious about her body and deliberately tried to hide her figure. As far as he could see, she wasn’t overweight. In fact, she was so slight in stature, he was surprised by the muscle tone in her legs. He was guessing that she’d done a fair amount of hiking to develop calves like that.
Working undercover he’d learned to subtly—and sometimes not so subtly—insinuate himself into any given situation. He knew just how far to push and when to back off. He didn’t doubt he would get what he wanted. He’d waited too long, worked too hard to let this chance slip away. And there was no rush. He had the better part of four weeks to get what he needed. Plenty of time to win Abi’s trust.
“I guess I should be on my way.” He stood and hiked his backpack up over his shoulders. “I’d like to get a few miles in before I play golf.”
He looked down at Abi and for a second he could swear he saw disappointment in her eyes.
“There’s a sign-up sheet in the office for both individual and group therapy,” she told him. “I’d like you to consider it.”
“I will,” he said, knowing he really wouldn’t. He didn’t need a shrink to tell him he wasn’t cut out for marriage. He’d figured that out all by himself. “Maybe I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
She gave him a noncommittal smile that said whether he did or didn’t was of no consequence to her. “See you around.”
That he would definitely do. She could count on it.
Chapter 4
“Ms. Sullivan?”
Abi looked up from the file on her cluttered desk to the young man standing in her office doorway. The red T-shirt he had draped over his shoulder bore the retreat logo, meaning he was probably her new employee. According to his employee file he was barely twenty, and she didn’t make a habit out of ogling men ten years her junior, yet she couldn’t help feeling a tad breathless by the sight of him. Jet-black hair with dark, deep-set eyes to match. Tall and muscular in all the right places. A real heartbreaker. “You must be Tom.”
“Tom Sterling.” He dropped his duffel bag and walked toward her, hand outstretched, flashing her a lazy, brilliant white smile.
Oh, yeah, this guy was going to drive the female counselors into a tizzy. But considering his shining recommendations, he would be worth the hassle.
Abi stood and took his hand. His grip was firm and confident. “Welcome to Healing Hearts. I appreciate you coming on such short notice.”
“It’s me who should be thanking you. My scholarship doesn’t cover living expenses, so when my last position fell through, I was kind of desperate.”
“I was just looking over your file. Your references are impeccable. As I explained on the phone, you’ll be working primarily with the younger kids.”
“Okay,” he said.
“Great.” She pulled open the file drawer and took out a copy of the employee handbook. “This will cover what we didn’t discuss on the phone. If you have any questions, you can ask me or any of the other staff.” In fact, she was sure the female employees would be falling all over themselves to accommodate him.
“Go see Susie in the main office. She’ll see that you get settled in. I’ll give you the rest of the day to acquaint yourself to the grounds. You report for work eight o’clock tomorrow morning in the children’s activities center.”
He took the handbook. “Thanks, Ms. Sullivan.”
“Just Abi,” she said. “I’ll see you bright and early.”
He shot her one more heart-stopping, slightly shy grin, then grabbed his bag and headed out the door.
Abi picked up the phone and dialed Susie’s extension. “Susie, I sent Tom your way. Could you have one of the counselors show him to his cabin and get him settled in?”
“Sure thing, Abi. What do you think of him? Is he cute or what?”
“He’s going to wreak havoc on the female staff.”
“If I were ten years younger…” she said with a wistful sigh before she hung up.
Abi knew exactly what she meant. Seeing a young man like Tom, with his entire future ahead of him—it made her feel so…old. As if the best years of her life had been wasted. If she could only go back, knowing then what she knew now. She would have done things so differently.
But there was no point dwelling on the past. Some things you just couldn’t change.
Abi checked the sign-up sheets in the office and shook her head. “Darn it.”
Susie looked up from her computer monitor. “Something wrong?”
“I don’t suppose Will Bishop has been in here today.”
“The guy with the face? Nope, haven’t seen him. Why do you ask?”
“I was just hoping he signed up for therapy, but I don’t see his name here.”
“Maybe he just hasn’t gotten around to it yet.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She’d seen him heading toward the golf course with a group of men that afternoon and later she’d seen him walking toward the lake, a towel draped over his shoulder. She’d really hoped he would find time to stop in the office, but at least he seemed to be making friends. Maybe one of the other men would persuade him to join a group. She had the feeling that deep down he knew he needed therapy. Why else would he be here? All he needed was a nudge to get the ball rolling.
“Where’s Adam?” Susie asked.
“He’s with the tot group down by the beach. They’re having a picnic dinner. There’s a little boy who’s four, so Adam has a new best friend. He just loves it when the new family sessions start. Would you do me a favor and let me know if Will signs up?”
“Sure thing, Abi.”
Abi left the office and headed for the main dining room. It was the first Tuesday of the session, meaning it was Italian cuisine night. Though meals were served buffet-style, the food was delicious. Despite that Abi had a full kitchen in her cabin, it was usually easier to eat in the dining room with the guests and other staff. However, she tried at least two or three times a week to have a special dinner for just her and Adam—a family night when they would eat together, then sit on the family room floor and play board games or cards or do crafts. Then he would climb into bed and she would read him books until he fell asleep.
Sometimes