Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1) by Claire Boston Page A

school?”
    “I
dabbled in a few sports.”
    “What
about college?”
    “Never
went.” He took a sip of his beer, waiting for her reaction.
    Her
eyes widened. “But you’re a manager. You must have qualifications.”
    He
shook his head. “Learned on the job mostly. And took a few courses.”
    She
frowned.
    Jack
knew what she was thinking. He had no formal qualifications and yet he’d been
given the job over her. He waited for her judgment, for her to say he wasn’t
qualified to do the job.
    “I
guess that’s the best way to learn,” she said finally. “A lot of the theory
doesn’t make sense until you see the practical use. It was a real shock going
to a plant straight out of college. We’d learned best practice in a best case
scenario, and the real world isn’t like that.”
    He
sat back and blinked. She seemed to genuinely mean what she said.
    “Theory’s
all well and good until you have to get the guys in the plant to do it,” he
said.
    She
grinned, her eyes scrunching up and her mouth wide. “Amen to that. Some of the
guys don’t like to be told what to do. Especially not by a
girl.”
    “You
don’t seem to have any problems with them.”
    “It
took me months to win them over,” she said. “I had to earn their trust, show
them I was listening to their concerns before they began to let me in. There’re
still a few who will do the opposite just to spite me. They think they know best
because they’ve worked on the plant for twenty years.”
    That
kind of attitude was dangerous. He was about to say so when she said, “I’m
beginning to get through to them.”
    He
wanted to ask more but didn’t want to spoil the day talking about work. He’d follow
it up next week. He’d ask the other managers what they thought the safety
culture was like on site. But that was a thought for Monday.
    The
food was served and silence set in while they ate. His steak was cooked to
perfection and tasted delicious. They were sitting outside on the veranda
overlooking the vineyards. There was a children’s playground to one side where
children were playing while their parents enjoyed a quiet lunch.
    Jack
took a deep breath in. Life had been full on since he’d arrived back in Texas.
He’d had very little time to get over his jet lag before starting work, and
every weekend had been taken up either reviewing work or looking for a house.
    He
needed this, a relaxing getaway to forget about everything. Now his diving gear
had arrived he’d find some dive spots, and his father had been hassling him to
go out fishing. He’d have to make time.
    “I
ate too much,” Bridget said, leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes, her
hands on her stomach. “It was so good.”
    “Not
up for dessert?” Jack asked.
    Her
eyes flashed open. “Wash your mouth out with soap,” she said with a grin.
“There’s always room for dessert.”
    He
met her gaze and her smile faded, desire darkening her eyes. Her tongue ran
over her lips and Jack had to suppress a groan. He knew it. Their attraction
was mutual. He just needed to figure out a way to get her to trust him, to take
the risk.
    “We
should go for a walk,” Tanya declared. “They do tours. We can have dessert when
we get back.”
    Bridget
turned her attention to her best friend. “Good idea.”
    “I’ll
pay,” Hal said and left the table before anyone could protest.
    “I’ll
be back in a minute,” Jack said and followed his brother inside. He wanted to
pay his share.
    “I’ve
got this, Jack,” Hal said, handing over his credit card.
    “I can’t
let you pay for me.” His brother didn’t earn as much and he was saving for his
travel with Tanya.
    “Sure
you can.” He took the receipt from the cashier.
    Jack
knew better than to argue with him. “I’ll pay for dessert.”
    His
brother nodded. “Come on, let’s not leave the ladies
waiting.”
    When
they went outside, Bridget and Tanya were nowhere to be seen. Jack frowned as
he scanned the area. Maybe