cheeks – a condition provoked only by the runt this man used to be. She propped hands on her hips and took a step forward, careful to enunciate each word slowly so it would sink into his hard, hard head. “But, Mr. McGee . . . I-don’t-get-paid.”
His exasperating calm remained intact, along with the patient curve of his lips. “Oh, but you do get paid, Miss O’Connor. I’m quite certain the reward of helping children will be more than payment enough.” The smile tugged enough to indicate he was fighting a grin. “That and the promise of law school, if you should be fortunate enough to go.” He glanced at his watch once again, then dismissed her with a dazzling smile. “Excuse me, but I’m late for a meeting.”
For the second time since she arrived, Katie stood gaping, the click of his door a slap in her face. She felt the fire in her cheeks clear up to her eyes. “God, help me . . . I can’t do this.”
“Oh yes you can, sweetie.” Betty placed a tapered hand on Katie’s arm and steered her toward the time clock, a hint of soothing in her tone. She leaned close to whisper in her ear. “You just have to learn how to handle him.”
Katie peered up, eyes squinted. “What, you have a manual on dealing with morons?”
Betty chuckled and pulled a time card from a slot, then nodded toward the closed door. “Nope, but I have some experience in dealing with that one. Here, just write your name on a card every week and punch it in this machine when you come or go.” She handed the card to Katie with a secret smile. “Luke and I grew up together, you know, so I had to learn the hard way.”
Katie snatched the card with a roll of her eyes. “As if there’s an easy way with a clod like him.”
The woman’s smile shifted to the right. “Nope, nothing’s easy with Luke, that’s for sure.” Her features softened for the briefest of moments as a touch of melancholy shadowed her smile. But then it was gone in a blink of her eyes. “Especially if you fall for him.”
Katie froze, her hand glued to the time card she’d inserted halfway. “ Fall for him?” she uttered in profound disbelief. She turned to stare, her jaw distended for the third time that morning. She snapped it shut, wondering why anything ever shocked her when it came to McGee.
Betty smiled and arched a brow. “Or so I’ve heard,” she said in a smooth tone.
Katie rammed the card all the way in and jerked it out quickly, flinging it into an empty slot as if her fingers were on fire. “Well, the saints be praised, there’s no danger there.”
“The trick is to not let him rile you,” Betty continued with a graceful flick of her hair. She moved toward Katie’s desk with a mesmerizing sway of her hips. “It’s kind of like a shark with the scent of blood in the water.” She turned and smiled, trailing ruby-red nails along the back of Katie’s chair. “If you let him get under your skin, you’re lunch.”
A moan erupted from Katie’s throat. She plopped against the edge of her desk and folded her arms. “Oh, that’s just great. I may as well stop breathing.”
Betty’s soft giggle floated up as she bent to open a drawer. “In these three drawers, you’ll find everything you need for typing, filing, and general appeasement of both Lu – er, Mr. McGee, our assistant director, and Mr. Riley, the director.”
“Well, at least he’s not the top boss,” Katie blurted in relief.
Sympathy radiated from Betty’s patient smile. “Sorry. Parker Riley is Luke’s best friend from school and a real softie with a heart of gold. Which means he usually lets Luke badger him into having his own way.”
Katie groaned and put her face in her hands. “Maybe law school is not such a good idea.”
“Oh, that’s right. Mr. McGee mentioned you hoped to attend Portia Law School in the fall. How exciting!”
“Not if my father refuses to pay for it. Which, if he gets his way – ” Katie jerked a thumb toward the closed door –
His exasperating calm remained intact, along with the patient curve of his lips. “Oh, but you do get paid, Miss O’Connor. I’m quite certain the reward of helping children will be more than payment enough.” The smile tugged enough to indicate he was fighting a grin. “That and the promise of law school, if you should be fortunate enough to go.” He glanced at his watch once again, then dismissed her with a dazzling smile. “Excuse me, but I’m late for a meeting.”
For the second time since she arrived, Katie stood gaping, the click of his door a slap in her face. She felt the fire in her cheeks clear up to her eyes. “God, help me . . . I can’t do this.”
“Oh yes you can, sweetie.” Betty placed a tapered hand on Katie’s arm and steered her toward the time clock, a hint of soothing in her tone. She leaned close to whisper in her ear. “You just have to learn how to handle him.”
Katie peered up, eyes squinted. “What, you have a manual on dealing with morons?”
Betty chuckled and pulled a time card from a slot, then nodded toward the closed door. “Nope, but I have some experience in dealing with that one. Here, just write your name on a card every week and punch it in this machine when you come or go.” She handed the card to Katie with a secret smile. “Luke and I grew up together, you know, so I had to learn the hard way.”
Katie snatched the card with a roll of her eyes. “As if there’s an easy way with a clod like him.”
The woman’s smile shifted to the right. “Nope, nothing’s easy with Luke, that’s for sure.” Her features softened for the briefest of moments as a touch of melancholy shadowed her smile. But then it was gone in a blink of her eyes. “Especially if you fall for him.”
Katie froze, her hand glued to the time card she’d inserted halfway. “ Fall for him?” she uttered in profound disbelief. She turned to stare, her jaw distended for the third time that morning. She snapped it shut, wondering why anything ever shocked her when it came to McGee.
Betty smiled and arched a brow. “Or so I’ve heard,” she said in a smooth tone.
Katie rammed the card all the way in and jerked it out quickly, flinging it into an empty slot as if her fingers were on fire. “Well, the saints be praised, there’s no danger there.”
“The trick is to not let him rile you,” Betty continued with a graceful flick of her hair. She moved toward Katie’s desk with a mesmerizing sway of her hips. “It’s kind of like a shark with the scent of blood in the water.” She turned and smiled, trailing ruby-red nails along the back of Katie’s chair. “If you let him get under your skin, you’re lunch.”
A moan erupted from Katie’s throat. She plopped against the edge of her desk and folded her arms. “Oh, that’s just great. I may as well stop breathing.”
Betty’s soft giggle floated up as she bent to open a drawer. “In these three drawers, you’ll find everything you need for typing, filing, and general appeasement of both Lu – er, Mr. McGee, our assistant director, and Mr. Riley, the director.”
“Well, at least he’s not the top boss,” Katie blurted in relief.
Sympathy radiated from Betty’s patient smile. “Sorry. Parker Riley is Luke’s best friend from school and a real softie with a heart of gold. Which means he usually lets Luke badger him into having his own way.”
Katie groaned and put her face in her hands. “Maybe law school is not such a good idea.”
“Oh, that’s right. Mr. McGee mentioned you hoped to attend Portia Law School in the fall. How exciting!”
“Not if my father refuses to pay for it. Which, if he gets his way – ” Katie jerked a thumb toward the closed door –
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