She's Expecting

It wasn’t that his partner didn’t pull his weight, but lately Jeff…

Opening the door, Jackson frowned when he saw that the trailer was empty, the phone ringing off the hook. Where was Jeff? Jackson snatched up the phone and looked out the window.

“Witt,” he said curtly. He saw the woman’s car parked beside the third trailer. What was she doing here? And by the empty trailer?

An uneasy thought sprang to mind. No! Jeff wouldn’t—

“Witt, Barton here. We’ve run into a snafu with your latest lumber order,” the voice on the other end said.

Jackson switched gears. He’d deal with the secretary situation after he settled with Miles Barton about the latest problem.

“This’ll do fine.” Mandy looked around the small trailer. It was like a tiny apartment. The living room segued into a dining nook and galley kitchen. The hall-way mimicked the one in the office, leading to a bed and bath.

From one window, she saw the trailer next door. From the back, however, she had a stunning view of the mountains rising majestically around her. And caught a glimmer of the lake.

Best of all, it was free—part of the compensation package. And she still got a healthy salary—how lucky could she be? Jeff’s partner was not driving her away from this job!

“I know it’s far from the city and all. In your condition, you sure you’ll be okay here? The trailers don’t have phones, but I’m right next door. And we agreed we’ll be shutting down operations for the winter long before you’d start your maternity leave,” Jeff said, sounding worried.

Mandy nodded, wanting to pat Jeff’s arm and reassure him she was fine. She wasn’t used to people taking such an interest and showing so much concern in her life. She’d been on her own since she turned eighteen—nine years ago. It was sweet, but not something she’d grow to expect, or trust.

He was her boss. One of her bosses. And she knew enough not to step over that line.

“This will suit me perfectly.”

“I’ll bring in your things.”

She swiftly put away the perishables, while Jeff helped her put away canned goods and packages. He carried her suitcases and two cardboard boxes into her bedroom.

“I’ll unpack later,” Mandy told him. She didn’t want help unpacking. Or in anything else. The less she depended upon others, the less likely she was to be disappointed when they walked away. “I’m anxious to get started on the job.”

“Don’t you want to rest up after your trip?” he asked.

“Not necessary. I did nothing but drive, which meant sitting the entire way. Now I’d like to get to work. That’s what you’re paying me for.” And she didn’t want to provide any reason for his partner to fire her. Despite what Jackson Witt said, she’d come to this job in good faith. He couldn’t fire her merely for being a woman. Only if she messed up. Which she didn’t plan to do.

Jeff handed her a key as they left the trailer. He watched as Mandy carefully locked her door.

“It’s not that we have a lot of crime here,” he said when they began walking toward the office, “but with all the men around, you’ll need to be a bit careful. Some of these guys are mavericks.”

“I’ll keep to myself,” she said. Her door would not be opened to anyone coming to visit. She wanted time alone and expected to get it.

“Up to walking?” he asked.

“Sure.” She smiled, wondering how to set Jeff straight. It couldn’t be more than a hundred yards to the office. “I’m pregnant, not sick. Walking is good exercise. I usually do a couple of miles a day.”

“Not many places to walk around here.”

“Are you kidding? There are hundreds of acres of pristine forest land. Not to mention the shore of the lake. I can’t wait to explore that. And if I want a longer ramble, I can always walk back up the road a piece.”

“Not in your condition.” He looked appalled.

“I’m fine, Jeff.” She would not allow him to think she couldn’t manage on her own. Even if his motives were sincere, she liked her independence. Depending on others always let her down. Besides, she didn’t dare let him think she was too fragile to do the job at hand. She needed him on her side if it came to a showdown with his partner.

When Mandy stepped into the office, the first thing she saw was Jackson Witt rummaging through the stacks of papers on her desk. Her heart skipped a beat. In his casual attire, he looked rugged and all male.

Quite a contrast to Marc’s rather dapper air. He hated the times he had to inspect the early stages of buildings, especially if the weather was inclement.

Mandy had no difficulty picturing this man out in any and all types of weather, relishing the challenges of nature, defying odds to bring the project in on schedule. While only an inch or two taller than Marc, Jackson radiated a power that the other man would only envy.

“Can I help you find something?” she asked calmly. She knew enough about psychology to know that it would be best to keep any hint of worry from showing.

He turned and looked at her. For a moment Mandy felt a frisson of apprehension. He appeared angry. Or was that scowl his perpetual expression?

“Why are you still here? We’ll pay for your travel time and any inconvenience we caused. You might want to take off before it gets dark.”

“There has been no inconvenience. I’ve come to work and I’ll do my job.” She walked behind the desk and sat down defiantly, almost holding her breath as she threw out the challenge. Jeff remained by the door—in order to make a quick escape? Mandy wondered.

“Are you pregnant?” Jackson asked in disbelief, staring at her stomach.

Had he not noticed earlier?

“Almost six months. Don’t worry, it’s not contagious. And it doesn’t interfere with my abilities.”

He swung around to Jeff. “You hired a pregnant woman to come out here? I don’t believe this! Have you lost what little mind you had left?”

“She’s got experience in the building industry. Her skills are great. She’ll be able to do a lot to help out without our having to teach her every step. She’ll be doing office work, not heavy construction. Besides, it wasn’t as if we had a lot of choice. People aren’t exactly champing at the bit to come to some construction site thirty miles from the nearest town—even for a couple of months. I figured any help was better than coming back empty-handed.”

Mandy looked at Jeff in dismay. She’d been sure her experience had impressed him, that he’d truly thought she was the best person for the job. The pride she’d felt in landing the position deflated.

Standing suddenly, she tilted her head pugnaciously. “Give me a week. If you aren’t totally satisfied with all I’ve done, I’ll leave and you won’t even have to pay me for the work,” she said before she could think.

Jackson looked at her, frowning.

Jeff looked at her, frowning.

“No.” Jackson’s flat-out denial was immediate; no compromise from him. His dark eyes sent a shiver coursing down her back. Mandy wanted more than anything to prove to him she could do the job—to have him change his mind and eat crow.

“That’s not fair to you, Mandy,” Jeff protested.

“I think it’s fair. Especially if you are satisfied with my work, I stay and you give me a bonus.” It was a gamble, but she was desperate. Her gaze locked with Jackson’s and endless moments ticked by. He was the one to convince.

“Today is Tuesday. You have until Friday. Then you’re gone,” Jackson said, breaking eye contact first. He turned and glared at Jeff. “And I’ll do the interviewing next time.”

“Won’t be a next time,” Mandy muttered, already delving into the stack of rolled-up blueprints.

She continued to sort and stack the various documents on her desk, almost holding her breath until the two men left. Then with a whoosh, she let it out, leaning back in her chair and gazing around her in dismay.

What had she so recklessly done? She’d be lucky to find her way around the office by Friday, much less prove to be invaluable to a man whose mind was made up that she was expendable.

She needed the money. How foolish to say they needn’t pay her. Her primary reason for accepting a job so far away from everything she knew was the added pay. She didn’t have much in savings, though she’d been scrimping to augment what she had ever since she’d discovered she was pregnant. Ever since she’d learned Marc wanted nothing further to do with her or their child.

Something about Jackson Witt got her back up and gave her a new focus. She wanted him to turn around and admit she was suitable for the job. It was personal now.

The baby kicked and Mandy idly rubbed her stomach. “Buckle up, babykins, we’re in for a bumpy ride!”

The phone rang and Mandy answered it. Her job had begun in earnest.

By the time Mandy’s stomach had growled for the third time, she was ready to call it a day. Glancing out the window, she noticed all was quiet on the job site. The noise from the heavy machinery had faded long ago. The sound of hammers ringing and the buzz of the saws had ended without her noticing.

She surveyed her desk with quiet satisfaction. She’d gone through everything and sorted it into piles. She had fielded calls, settled one problem with a vendor and been the target of curious construction workers who had found one dumb excuse after another to stop into the office during the afternoon.

Jeff had been there most of the time. She’d done her best to ignore the visitors, claiming she hadn’t a clue yet where things were when they asked, and suggesting they talk to Jackson. She’d love to know if any had followed through. She could just imagine what Jackson Witt would have said to any man who mentioned he’d talked with her!

Though she hoped none were crazy enough to ask him. She didn’t want anyone giving credence to his prediction about her being a distraction.

Mandy walked outside, locking the door behind her. The fresh air was pleasant, though cool. The sun had already moved behind the ridge, bathing the valley in deep shadows.

When she drew near her trailer, her relief was almost tangible. She was on her own until eight the next morning.

The door of the first trailer opened and Jackson stepped out. His eyes narrowed as he saw her, but he said nothing, walking on down the beaten path toward the lake as if she hadn’t been there.

She tossed her head. She didn’t care. He could be as rude as he liked when they weren’t working. It was only for two months and she could stand anything for that long.

Tonight she’d unpack, take a soothing bath and fix something light for dinner. Then it was bed for her! She’d read until she fell asleep. It had been a long day.

Dammit, it was bad enough having Mandy Parkerson work here, but Jeff had to make it convenient for her to stay on-site. The whole setup was explosive. Jackson knew trouble in the making. He only hoped he could stave it off until she left on Friday.

Jackson headed for the lake, and the quiet spot he liked to find at the end of the day.

One of the trailers had lights on inside. It wasn’t dark, but the sun had already slipped behind the high peaks to the west. Twilight fell early in the high country in late September.

He liked this time of day. He always had. He and his late wife, Sara.

As he walked to the lake’s edge, he heard the drone of television coming from a couple of trailers, ribald conversation from another. A small group of guys sat in folding chairs near one camper, swapping stories. When Jackson reached the lake, he nodded to a couple of men trying their hand at fishing.

They were building a luxury resort for the Windhaven Corporation in the middle of the Colorado wilderness. The lake was one of the major attractions. The proximity to cross-country ski resorts and hunting and fishing were other aspects the corporation planned to highlight. As well as a state - of - the - art spa to attract women.

For a place to relax, it wouldn’t be beat. Jackson knew the resort would charge guests an arm and a leg, and visitors would happily pay for the remote luxury and pristine setting.

He’d be long gone by then. To another site, another job. Another couple of years in a remote location. Getting through life one day at a time.

He walked along the edge of the lake, stopping at a tree that had fallen partially into the water. Placing a foot on the trunk, he rested his elbow against his knee and took a swig of the cold soft drink he’d carried. He was alone and liked it that way.

Sara would have loved this place, he thought for the hundredth time.

The familiar ache took hold. He always missed her, but especially at twilight. They’d made it a tradition to have a quiet drink together, just the two of them, before dinner every evening. Even after Sammy had come along, it had been their special time to talk over their respective days, and to be with each other. To shut out the rest of the world and draw their own world around them.

He gripped the can tightly. The ache would get worse as the night wore on. It had been three years, but it could have been three minutes or three decades. With his wife gone it was like a part of himself had been amputated. Which it had—the best part of him.

He could close his eyes and see her—tall and slim with dark eyes and sleek dark hair that cupped her head. She’d been almost as tall as he was when she’d worn high heels. They’d know each other since second grade. Their likes had meshed; their thoughts had run parallel. Their dreams had been the same.

God, the ache was impossible. Some days he thought he couldn’t make it without her. Her and Sammy.

If he closed his eyes, he could see her walking toward him. Hear her sweet voice—

“Mr. Witt, there’s a problem with my water. I can’t find Jeff. Can you fix it?”

Jackson opened his eyes and turned. Instead of Sara’s dark beauty, he confronted the petite blonde Jeff had hired. The petite, pregnant blonde who barely came up to his shoulder.

Irritation rose. What did she want now? If she thought he planned to baby-sit her until Friday, she had another thought coming. He still didn’t know why he’d given her until Friday. She should have headed back to Julian already.

Chapter Two

“What do you want?”

“Someone to fix the water in my trailer. I knocked on Jeff’s door. He said he has the trailer next door to mine, but he’s not there. And I don’t know anyone else to ask. I certainly don’t want you to think I was flirting with someone if I asked for assistance,” Mandy said.

Jackson took another swallow of the soda, his cherished quiet shattered. He scanned her from head to toe, irritated anew at the sight of her. The asperity in her voice was noticeable. He straightened. She was right; if there was a problem, he or Jeff should fix it. No sense opening a crack in a door for any of the men to think it was an invitation.

“What’s wrong with the water?”

“I can’t get any hot. It comes out cold from both faucets. There’s a hot-water heater, but I don’t know a thing about it and don’t know if it’s working properly.”

“Probably needs a new propane tank hooked up.”

She stared at him. Her eyes were darker in the twilight—not deep brown as Sara’s had been, but navy blue.

Navy blue eyes? It had to be lack of light, or altitude sickness. What was wrong with him? She had plain old blue eyes, period.

He sighed over the inevitable and turned to begin to walk back along the shore, then up the slight incline, heading toward the trailers. Despite not wanting her around, he would fix the blasted hot-water heater. A pregnant woman needed warm water.

A shaft of pain pierced him. He remembered how much Sara had liked soaking in hot baths when she’d been pregnant with Sammy. Sometimes he’d joined her, the two of them sloshing water everywhere.

Quickening his pace, he tried to put distance between him and the memories. It took a couple of minutes to realize Mandy Parkerson was almost running to keep up with him.

Jackson stopped abruptly. She skidded to a halt and looked at him, her breasts rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. The higher elevation took some getting used to. Exertion wasn’t recommended until a person had become acclimated.

“You needn’t run,” he said.

“I want to see how you fix the hot-water heater. If there’s a problem in the future, I can take care of it myself if I know how.”

“There won’t be another problem before Friday.”

She tilted her chin, meeting his gaze. “I meant beyond Friday—when I’m still here and a valuable member of the team!”

Jackson felt a twitch of amusement. He’d give her credit for being tenacious, if nothing else. But the proof would be in the work and the way she handled herself. He didn’t have time for dilettantes. Tomorrow he’d make sure she realized fully what all was involved. He’d bet she’d be gone by sundown.

He turned back toward her trailer, moving more slowly, conscious of the woman beside him. He’d never had to shorten his stride with Sara.

As they walked along, Jackson’s senses were teased by the floral scent that seemed to float around Mandy Parkerson. It was light and delicate—like she was. It brought home how much he’d missed a woman’s presence in the last three years. And how long the years stretched out, empty and lonely, ahead of him.

Unable to bear the reality of Sara’s and Sammy’s deaths, he’d thrown himself into his work, taking on more and more. Joining Jeff in partnership, he had pushed to build their newly formed J&J Construction to the size it was today. He didn’t have time for friendships beyond the job site, and had no plans to ever get involved with another woman. One heartache in this lifetime was more than he could handle.

Yet for the first time in three years, he was actually looking at a woman. Smelling her scent. Speculating about the true color of her eyes. And wishing she were a hundred miles away.

Innocently walking beside him, Mandy obviously hadn’t a clue about the turmoil he felt. The sooner he got her hot-water heater fixed, the sooner she’d be closed up in her trailer and out of sight—and scent. He didn’t need her to remind him of all he’d lost.

It took five minutes to locate a new propane tank, hook it to the hot-water heater and ignite the pilot light. Once he heard the whoosh that indicated the heater was working, he turned and almost crashed into her. Mandy had been at his elbow every step of the way, watching closely as he worked, asking intelligent questions.

She stepped back quickly, a hint of worry in her eyes.

“It’ll take a while for the water to heat,” he said, wanting to step back, to put distance between them. But the close confines of the trailer didn’t allow that luxury. Why didn’t she move?

“I know. I’ll eat dinner first. Then take a quick shower.” She sighed softly. “I had been hoping for a nice hot bath, but a shower is all this place has.” She smiled politely and stepped back into the living area of the trailer.

Jackson followed, intent on leaving before he did something else stupid. He had a tub in his trailer—the only one in camp, if he remembered correctly. For an instant he almost offered her the use of it. Then sanity took hold. He didn’t want her here, and didn’t plan to do anything to encourage her staying. By Friday, she’d have to admit defeat, and depart.

And if life wasn’t as comfortable as she’d hoped, maybe she’d leave even earlier.

“We start work at eight,” he said gruffly, feeling a hint of guilt for denying her such a minor bit of comfort. But he was determined to have her gone in three days.

“I’ll be there. Thank you for fixing the heater.”

She ushered him to the door and practically shut it in his face.

He stood on the step for a moment, surprised by her move. What did you expect? he asked himself as he walked away. He had done nothing since they’d met to encourage any friendly feelings. Still, he admitted he had expected her to try to change his mind—with a smile, or soft words, or an invitation for a drink. The fact that she hadn’t surprised him.

Mandy stood beneath the hot shower some time later and reveled in the warmth. She wished she could have had a nice soak, but the water felt almost as good cascading down as it would sitting in it. Tilting back her head, she wet her hair, relishing the feeling. She wished the lake was warm enough to swim in—not that late September was the time to go swimming in Colorado’s high country. The lake was probably icy cold even in summer. But it had looked inviting.

When the water began to turn cool, she shut it off and stepped out into the minuscule bathroom. It didn’t take long to dry off and don the flannel nightie she’d brought. Nights were cool in Denver, and she’d known they would be cold in the mountains. Combing her hair, she debated using a dryer. Her hair would curl in any case, so she might as well let it dry naturally.

Slipping beneath the covers a little while later, she turned off the light without reading. She wanted to get a good night’s sleep. She had a feeling she’d need all her wits about her tomorrow to prove to at least one critical partner that she was the perfect secretary.

Curiously, she had no doubt that if she proved her worth, Jackson would let her stay until they closed down for the winter. She suspected he was an honorable man, a man of his word.

She grinned in the darkness. He hadn’t wanted to help her tonight. But he had. Without a word of complaint. Another man might have said that was one hardship of working on a remote site—that they all dealt with cold showers—as a way to discourage her. But he hadn’t.

He’d been patient in answering her questions, too, though he was convinced she would never need a working knowledge of the heater or propane tank.

Would he graciously accept defeat when she showed him she could stay the course? Or would he always be looking for fault, searching for any excuse to fire her and get rid of the woman secretary? He’d agreed to the outrageous terms she’d flung out. If she passed, she’d stay. Something about the man told her that. But he was the one who’d decide if she passed, and she knew the deck was stacked against her.

Mandy was already on the phone to the county building department when Jackson entered the trailer the next morning. She’d seen him up on the framework of the main building when she’d crossed to the office, but he hadn’t seen her. He’d been deep in conversation with two other men, comfortably at home on the high skeleton of the new resort. How long had he worked in construction? Probably since he was a teenager, to be so comfortable on precarious structures.

He looked at her with surprise when he entered.

“It’s only a few minutes past eight o’clock. If he could be here by one, that would work,” she said to the woman on the other end of the line.

Mandy tried to focus on the conversation at hand, ignoring Jackson’s presence to the best of her abilities. But something about him sparked an awareness she wasn’t used to. It was as if the air shimmered with static electricity in his presence.

She almost grinned at her frivolous thoughts. If there were electricity present, he’d use it to zap her away.

Mandy smiled in triumph, but let none of her jubilation show in her voice when the woman on the other end acquiesced. “Thank you, I’ll let them know he’ll be here by one.”

She hung up the phone.

“That was?” Jackson asked, leaning against the edge of his desk, his concentration on her. His dark eyes were narrowed, offering no clue to his feelings, yet the intensity was disconcerting. Mandy felt almost as if he touched her. A tangible awareness seemed to grow. Shivering slightly, she tried to ignore her reactions, and smiled in delight.

“The county building department. You’ll have an inspector here by one.” She wanted to jump up and dance around in triumph, but contained her excitement. Jeff had told her how frustrated they’d been with inspection delays. Let Jackson think it was all in a day’s work for someone with her expertise. A few more triumphs like that and he’d have to admit she was more than suitable—she was indispensable!