Western Promise Page 2
“Good afternoon. I’ve brought Mr. Eversley for check-in. Is everything in order?”
The young man behind the desk had a dopey smile as he looked at Lily, and Chase felt a bond with the man. It was how he wanted to look at her as well.
“Yes, Miss Reed. Everything’s in order.”
She rewarded the man with another smile. “Excellent. Thank you so much.”
“Anything I can ever do to help you, Miss Reed, just let me know.”
“You’re too kind.”
She turned back to Chase, and her friendly demeanor disappeared. “Henry will take you to your room. Please let either of us know if you need anything else. Now, before I leave, would you like me to make a reservation in the dining room for lunch?”
He was hungry, but sitting in the dining room all alone didn’t sound appealing. “Would you care to join me for lunch? You can update me about the town, about anything that’s happened that I should know about.”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. My schedule is full, and I must be on my way. But I’ll see to your dining reservation.”
Chase wasn’t defeated nor deterred. “Thank you. Your help has been invaluable.”
Her head dipped in acceptance, neither preening at his compliment nor brushing it aside. She was such an enigma to him, so different than other women he’d met, and he couldn’t help but continue to be intrigued by her. “When will I see you again?”
“As long as there are no problems you need help with, then whenever you manage to make it into the office.” Her tone sounded doubtful, like she didn’t think he’d ever show up.
It was how everyone saw him, and it didn’t bother him in the slightest. What people didn’t know was that, even though he was the face of the operation, the man who smooth-talked through red tape, pushed past roadblocks, and accessed things previously unreachable, he did a lot behind the scenes as well. He worked long hours, late nights, and did whatever it took to make their business thrive. However, he wouldn’t defend himself now, wouldn’t justify his position. He’d allow her to think as she would and form her own opinions.
“I’ll see if I can make time to visit the office soon.”
Her lips thinned. “Good day, Mr. Eversley.”
“Have a wonderful afternoon,” he said as she walked away.
Such a reaction from a woman would generally discourage a man, but Chase didn’t discourage easily. He was determined to win her good opinion.
He liked a challenge. And Miss Lily Reed didn’t stand a chance.
Chapter 3
Lily sat at Lucas’ desk, finalizing a few things before he came into the office that morning. With Mr. Eversley’s arrival yesterday, she hadn’t gotten as much done as she’d wanted to. Luckily, she’d been able to catch up this morning.
She tapped her lower lip with a pencil, rechecking Lucas’ schedule for the day, when the office door jingled open. “I think you’re going to like the way I arranged things today,” she said without looking up.
“Delightful. I had no idea you were in charge of my schedule.”
Lily’s head jerked up. “Mr. Eversley, good morning. I didn’t expect to see you this early.” Or at all, she thought.
He smirked as if he knew exactly what she’d thought. “I have to work sometime. At least, that’s what my partners tell me.”
That was more like it. Exactly what she expected. “Well, I’m certain they’ll be pleased with your diligence.” It was hard, choking out the sentence, but she managed. People like Chase Eversley, those born to privilege, couldn’t be bothered with what the rest of their fellow humans did: hard work.
“Haven’t had any complaints so far.”
“Hmm.” She held back any other unfavorable comments. “Be that as it may, I’m sorry to tell you that Mr. McDermott isn’t in the office yet.”
One of his golden brows raised. “I beat Lucas?” His surprised expression turned into indulgent amusement. “Ah, yes. Newlyweds.”
Lily squirmed in her seat and kept her eyes on the desk, hoping her fair skin wouldn’t give her blush away. She was practical and blunt, but not so much so that she could openly speak about marital relations with a stranger. “I’m sure Mr. McDermott will be in shortly.”
“I think you might be underestimating the allure of a new wife.”
He was trying to provoke her. She placed a hand on her hip. “And this is something you know much about?”
“I’ve had enough friends tighten the noose to know what it’s like.”
She rolled her eyes and made a disgusted sound. “I highly doubt that.”
“I’d be happy to tell you some tales.”
“Mr. Eversley,” she said, sternly. “I don’t know if you intend to do any actual work here, but I’m very busy. If there’s anything I can do to help you, please let me know, other than that…” She trailed off, raising her hands in the air. She hoped he got the picture.
Instead of looking put off, he smiled. “Other than that…leave you alone? Get out of your hair? Walk off a cliff?”
She sent him a scathing look, but when he held his innocent expression, she snorted and shook her head with reluctant amusement. “I apologize for my rudeness.”
“There’s no need. I’m interrupting your work. If someone had interrupted me, I would’ve told them to walk off a cliff too.”
“I don’t think we need to be that extreme. But I do have quite a bit to do.”
He held up his hands, as if offering her peace. “Then I shall remain out of the way.”
Lily nodded once and immediately turned her attention back to Lucas’ schedule. Mr. Eversley wandered around the room, looked at a picture on the wall, and leafed through books.
He was doing exactly as he said he would, leaving her alone, allowing her to focus, but it wasn’t helping. He was as much of a distraction as he was while talking.
Determined, she set her eyes on the paper in front of her, reading it once, then again, and then again when the words still didn’t register. She couldn’t process what she was reading because her brain was obsessed with Mr. Eversley. The way he looked and moved, the way his black coat fit over his wide shoulders and angled down to a trim waist. It was expertly tailored and made his form look exquisite—not that he needed any help with that. His hair was a tad too long, but instead of looking unkempt, it was rakish. She should hate it, but it attracted her. She wanted to touch it, see if it was more brown or blond on closer inspection, see if it was course or fine, or how it felt sifting through her fingers.
Both yesterday and today, he’d kept a little scruff on his face, and she wondered if he always did, or if he allowed it now that he was out West. If he shaved daily, it would be a shame, because the light beard attracted her.
Why am I still thinking about Mr. Eversley? She cleared her throat, drawing his attention, but she kept her eyes downward as she silently berated herself.
She could feel him glance over at her again, feel his eyes caress her as he looked her over. She wanted to tell him to stop it, to turn his attention elsewhere, but she refused to acknowledge it. Besides, she was worried any further conversation between them would prove to be more of a distraction.
By the time Lucas walked in fifteen minutes later, her nerves were on the verge of snapping.
“Good morning,” Lucas said to her then grinned when he noticed Mr. Eversley in the corner. “Chase, I’m glad you’re here.”
Chase placed the book he was flipping through back on the shelf and walked toward Lucas, offering him an enthusiastic handshake. “Tired of doing all the work?”
“Don’t you know it. It’s time to pull your weight around here,” Lucas said, but it sounded as if he were teasing Chase—Mr. Eversley.
He sighed dramatically. “Well, if I must, I must. I can’t live a life of luxury all the
time.”
“Actually, you can. But I’m glad you don’t.” Lucas glanced over to Lily, and she straightened from his desk. He held out a hand to her. “I’m assuming the two of you have gotten to know each other a bit better?”
Lily wasn’t sure how to respond, and before she could come up with something, Mr. Eversley shook his head. “I haven’t been here long, and I didn’t want to disrupt her work. Looks like you’re keeping her busy.” He winked.
She didn’t know what he meant by that. Did he think she wasn’t working hard enough? Why were men like him so hard to read?
“I have,” Lucas admitted. “There’s been plenty to do, and honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve accomplished half of it if it weren’t for Lily.”
“Miss Reed seems very capable.”
She wasn’t sure if he was being condescending, but she decided to take him at his word. “Thank you,” she said, bowing her head slightly. “I value my job, and I always want to do my best.”
Lucas grinned at her. “You do more than enough. That being said, have you finished my schedule?”
Immediately, Lily handed it over.
Lucas glanced over the tasks, nodding thoughtfully. “You’ve done a good job. I wasn’t sure how we’d fit it all in.”
“You have to shave time off your lunch, but I think you’ll be able to manage it.” She stilled the pencil she’d been tapping on the desk, hating to show any nerves.
Mr. Eversley stepped forward and glanced at the paper. “You know, I can take some of those meetings, if you’d like. I have time today.”
Lily bit her tongue. He probably only came in to work for an hour before leaving. But he was offering to help, so she shouldn’t think too unkindly of him.
Lucas shook his head in amusement. “That’s wishful thinking on your part.”
Mr. Eversley shrugged. “We can make it work.”
“You have too much to do at the mine today. In fact, I was going to suggest we hire an assistant for you while you’re here.”
Mr. Eversley seemed to consider it, but then shook his head. “The extra help would be nice, but with me only being here a few weeks, it seems pointless to hire someone for such a short time. Unless you could make use of them after?”
Lucas shook his head. “I don’t think so. Lily is all the help I need for now, and once the mine is operating, I don’t think an extra assistant will be beneficial.”
“Is there anyone else who’s being underused? Someone we could reassign temporarily?”
Lily had no idea what they were talking about, and confusion moved through her. Did Mr. Eversley truly plan on doing some work here?
“I can’t think of anyone with the necessary skill.”
Before Lily could think better of it, she stepped forward. “What about one of the other women?”
Chase looked over at Lucas curiously, but Lucas shook his head again. “No. None of the others are suited for this. We need another one of you,” he said jokingly.
“What do you need done?” Lily shouldn’t have asked, but she couldn’t help her curiosity.
Mr. Eversley gave her his complete attention. “Probably much of what you do for Lucas. Scheduling, correspondence, telegrams. That sort of stuff.”
She had plenty of work as Lucas’ assistant, but she was torn. She did have some extra time, and she wanted this mining operation to be a success so she could continue working there. But part of her—a part she didn’t want to examine—wanted Mr. Eversley to finish what he needed to do and return home. He was too much of a distraction. “I could help with a few of those tasks.”
“Are you sure?” Lucas looked concerned. “I don’t want you overworked.”
Lily shrugged. “It’ll be fine. Besides, as you said, this isn’t a long-term situation. I can easily manage it for a few weeks until Mr. Eversley leaves.”
The man in question smiled. “That’s kind of you. Are you sure?”
It was like he was baiting her, but she refused to bite. She smiled brightly, as if he wasn’t affecting her at all. “Of course. It’ll be easy.”
Chapter 4
Chase couldn’t decide what he liked more about Lily Reed: her fiery spirit, the way she seemed immune to his charm, or the way she’d organized his schedule to perfection. She was a woman to be reckoned with, and although he could tell she’d rather not work with him, she’d still volunteered to do so.
Normally, he’d think the woman was out to trap him into marriage. But with Lily, he knew nothing could be further from the truth.
He planned to arrive early to the office, knowing neither Lily nor Lucas would be working then. He needed time to orient himself with the mine’s timeline.
But when he left the hotel that morning, he was surprised to see a lady in the window.
He walked into the office, but this time Lily seemed to be expecting him. “Good morning,” she said, all professionalism and grace.
“Good morning. Did you sleep here?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You were here late last night, and you’re here this morning before anyone else. I think it’s a natural assumption.”
She gestured to her dress. “If I had slept here, I’d be wearing the same thing. But perhaps you don’t notice those things?”
Well, she hadn’t lost her bite, that was for sure. He rocked back on his heels. “I had noticed, in fact. The green today is much more flattering to your complexion than the brown from yesterday.”
Ah, that flustered her. Fascinated, he watched a blush wash over her peaches and cream skin, and a sudden ache filled him to know if he could taste the heat with his lips.
He cleared his throat loudly. “Have you had a chance to arrange my schedule?”
She snapped out of her embarrassment and promptly handed him a sheet of paper. He glanced over his schedule, noticing meetings with several head operators in the mine. He hadn’t planned on meeting with them today. “I wasn’t aware of these meetings. Who asked you to schedule them?” he asked, wondering if the workers themselves had asked.
She arched a brow as if she’d been waiting for him to argue. “Mr. McDermott. Is there a problem?”
He shook his head. “No. Just curious. Do you have any idea what they want to meet with me about?”
She turned her attention back to the desk, needlessly straightening paperwork. “I believe they want to know exactly how the duties will be divided once the operation starts.”
Chase’s brows furrowed as he nodded and looked back over the paper. With it memorized, he handed it back to her. “Thank you, I appreciate you putting it together.”
She held the paper awkwardly in her hands. “You can keep this, if you like.”
“Thank you, but I don’t need it.”
“But how will you know what you need to do?” She looked completely put out.
He couldn’t help it, his lips quirked. “I memorized it.”
“You memorized it?” She asked slowly, giving him a speculating look.
“Is that really so hard to believe?”
She looked at the paper. “What’s at 11:30?”
He raised a brow. “An early lunch with Mr. Ainsly.”
She pressed her lips together. “And at three?”
“A meeting with Mr. Weiner to discuss recommended disciplinary action with workers who cause problems.”
She let out a huff, and his lips quirked. “Care to test me further?”
She dropped her arm, lowering the paper. “No. Obviously, you were telling the truth. Forgive me for not believing you.” The words sounded like they’d been pulled from her unwillingly.
He shrugged easily. “It’s all right. Having a perfect memory comes in handy, but sometimes it gets me into trouble.”
She crossed her arms. “You have a perfect memory?”
Her perturbed voice tugged a laugh from him. “No, I misspoke. Not a perfect memory. That would be horrid. I meant that I can remember everything I see after looking at it for a moment.
I’m not sure there’s a name for it.”
She studied him doubtfully. “Truly?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “That’s incredible,” she said, sounding reluctantly impressed.
“It’s helped me a bit.”
“I’d imagine so.” She stared at him for a moment before jerking her gaze away and clearing her throat. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Is there someplace I can work?”
She winced and glanced at the desk next to them—really, it was more like a table with a small pass through beneath. “Unfortunately, this is the only workspace we have. Of course, you can use it.”
He rocked back on his heels. “There’s not another desk in the back room?”
She smirked. “There is no back room. What you see is all there is.” She held up her hands.
“Ah. Well, if that’s the case, we’ll make do.”
She stepped toward the desk and stacked up her paperwork, but he followed her and put his hand on her arm. “There’s no need for that. You’re already situated.”
She shook her head. “No. You should have the desk.”
She looked as if she expected him to fight her on it, and he probably would have, but he already knew he’d never win. “Since we both have work to do, why don’t we share it?”
“Share it?”
“Yes. You know, use it at the same time?”
She frowned. “I’m not sure it’ll work.” She looked at the desk and shook her head.
“Of course it will.” He moved around to the other side and pulled one of the chairs up to the desk. “You’re already set up over there, so you might as well stay. There’s plenty of room on this side to work across from you.”
She shifted on her feet, looking between his chair and hers on opposite sides of the desk. “If you’re sure…”
“I am,” he said, firmly. “Besides, I’ll be in and out all day with my meetings.”
“All right, then. As long as you’re sure.” She slowly sunk into her chair as if expecting him to change his mind at a moment’s notice.
He didn’t reassure her again, instead he just pulled his seat closer. “Is there extra paper and a pencil I could use?”