Divine Phoenix by Heather Rainier Page A

with you. I’m curious about what you do.”
    “Business is good and we have enough traffic through the store that more help is warranted and you could assist me in staying caught up with my Internet orders. We’ll talk more about it tonight.”
    “Okay.”
    “Make your appointment with Doctor Guthrie. After she sees you, we’ll be able to determine the date you start working.”
    She pointed back toward the bedroom and asked, “If I feel up to it, can I try out the—”
    Clay shook his head in disbelief. “You never give up, do you? No. No elliptical until Emma approves it.”
    Lily scrunched up her mouth for a second and said, “I hope she can see me right away. I’m accustomed to staying busy.”
    “Lily, you’re accustomed to working yourself to the bone. You’re going to rest and release yourself from that mindset.”
    A reluctant smile crossed her face. “You’re a very persistent man.”
    “You knew that about me years ago. Get your butt on that couch and make your calls. I’ll come home at lunch.” He laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him, but then he dragged her warm, curvy form into his arms for a hug. God, she feels so good!
    She trembled but then relaxed and tightened her arms around him. He’d startled her with the sudden contact. “Sorry. I just—” Needed you against me. Slow down, Cook. He bit his cheek to hold back the groan when she held on tighter and pressed against him. Her breasts were so soft, cushioned against his chest, and he wanted to just sink into her.
    Her voice hitched when she spoke. “It’s okay. I needed a hug as much as you did. I’m going to settle in, Clay. I’m going to get better. Just don’t give up on me.”
    Never, Lily. An ache stirred in his chest for her.
    She gazed up at him and then shooed him. “Go. You don’t want to be late. That won’t make a good impression on…What’s her name?”
    “Miss Tabitha Lester.”
    One of Lily’s eyebrows arched. “I won’t make a good impression on Miss Lester if I make you late for work.”
    Clay snorted. Like I give a shit.
     

Chapter Seven
    When Tabitha practically threw a temper tantrum, Clay most definitely gave a shit, especially since a customer walked in the front door on the tail end of her words. “Another woman? There’s another woman?”
    Her eyebrows drew together, and she actually put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot. Even from where they stood inside the propped-open doors of the workroom, she would’ve been easy to overhear.
    Shoot me now! That’s how she chooses to see this?
    “Tabitha, lower your voice, please. It’s October and the Christmas season will be starting soon. You most certainly do need help in the showroom. You said it yourself, several times in fact.”
    Clay had gotten calls from the three temps who always helped out at Christmastime. They were a young woman who was a college student, her mother, who was a housewife, and her grandmother, who was retired. They thought it was a lark to temp together in the shop during the Christmas season. They would be coming to work soon but in addition, it was past time to hire a second employee.
    “I meant I needed your help, Clay. I don’t need another woman in here.” She called across the shop, “ Hello, sir . I’ll be right with you.” The elderly man nodded and gazed into a glass case. “You don’t need this other woman. I’ll get caught up. I know I’m behind on the Internet kink orders.” She probably didn’t even realize her lip curled automatically when she’d said the words. “But I’ll get them all done. I don’t need the help, Clay.”
    “Yes, you do, Tabitha. The decision is already made. And they aren’t Internet ‘kink’ orders. They are personal jewelry orders or just Internet orders, if you can’t stomach that. They represent a larger and larger part of my business. Customers are e-mailing me and asking why it takes so long to receive their orders, and local people don’t