Pining for You : Good with His Hands: Season 2 by Leah Braemel

Author:Leah Braemel [Braemel, Leah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Somerlane Publishing
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

BRAD

After working nearly seventy hours last week, not including the hours I’d spent with Ellie on my business proposal, my eyes felt like I’d poured grit on them when I pulled into the PRP parking lot. Which is why I had to blink several times when I noticed Chloe’s truck parked a few spots down from me. What the heck was she doing here? After checking in with the office to pick up the job list for the day, I wandered into the work shed and found Chloe wearing a pair of PRP overalls, chatting with Finn at his workbench.

Before I could head to her, John came to stand by my side. “I see you’ve noticed your newest apprentice.”

“My apprentice? Chloe?”

“Yup. I just hired her as your new groundsman. Person. Whatever.”

Would John care that we’d been dating? Playing it cool, I rested a hip on my workbench. “Um, she’s a Pogue, right? The daughter of the guy who owns Port Paxton Property Management?”

Did that sound vague enough? Too vague?

“Yup, that’s the one. Plus, she’s Frank Pogue’s granddaughter. You know, Pogue’s Christmas Tree Farm?” John explained. “She grew up helping her grandfather shear the trees, so she’s already trained in of some of the work we do, and how to use the tools. Plus, she isn’t afraid of hard work in all weather.”

Except Chloe said she hated working outside. I knew she needed a job but she’d been so desperate that she had to apply to be a groundsperson? “You didn’t tell me you were thinking about hiring her.”

“Last I looked, I’m the boss here, not you. What’s your problem? You’ve been complaining about being shorthanded for the last month. Or is it you don’t like the idea of working with a woman?”

“It’s not that she’s a woman, it’s just…” I sputtered out. What? That I don’t like to mix dating and work?

Except John was right. Chloe had the skills. I’d seen it for myself.

I glanced over at her, assessing her as she examined a set of shears. She needed the job, needed a steady paycheck, though I had no doubts she wouldn’t stop looking for an office job. If I told John that, he might let her go without giving her a chance. Or he might ask how I knew she would be looking elsewhere and then I’d have to explain we’d been dating. It wasn’t like there was a rule Pine Ridge Prunery employees couldn’t date fellow employees—mainly because there’d never been a female PRP employee before. Other than Molly. But what if John decided to enforce a rule now?

“Look, I’ve hired her. So quit your bitching, pull your fucking big-boy pants on and get to work training her up.” John raised his voice. “Hey, Chloe.”

Chloe faced us, her gaze skating across my face before flitting away. Like she was embarrassed to be here? Or that she was afraid he might guess we were dating? Or…what?

“This here is Brad Calhoun. He’s our head arborist so you’re going to be working with him the first few weeks until he says you’re all trained up on safety procedures.

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