Caden’s paperwork is still on my desk, and I glance down at it. His handwriting is strong and bold, but barely legible. Not that it matters, since he only filled out enough information to put him on the payroll and get him set up in the system. All other information, like previous address and prior employment, is blank.
Dinner with Gabe will give me an opportunity to find out something more about the man. Subtly, of course. I don’t want to raise any suspicion that I have ulterior motives. It’s common practice to ensure I’m not hiring a criminal, after all.
I’m anxious for information, but I think I can wait a day to get my answers. I text back.How about Wednesday? I could bring pizza and beer and we can hang out at your place?
Living with family has its perks, but chilling on the couch isn’t one of them. There’s always someone going in and out of the room, or interrupting your show to just say one thing, or there’s a fight about what to watch. It will get easier once Gwen and Jackson’s house is done, but for now it’s crowded and noisy. I have a sitting area in my bedroom, but I don’t want to be trapped up there all the time. So sometimes I go to Gabe’s, and he lets me have control of the remote, only speaks when spoken to, and allows me to relax.
My phone pings.It’s a date.
I’ll have Jackson make the pizza.No one can beat him, and he won’t mind. He’ll use it as a chance to experiment with something weird that shouldn’t taste good together, but will be magical when it hits your tongue. That’s his gift.
Gabe:Seven?
I text back.Sounds good.
An escape is in my future.
There’s a knock as I put my phone back on the desk. “Come in.”
The door swings open, and Caden stands there, filling the doorway.
My heart skips a beat, but I am determined to remain unaffected. “All done?”
He nods. “May I?”
Well, isn’t he polite? I stand and point to the hallway at his back. “How about I show you your office and take you through our system?”
Another nod. “Now’s as good a time as any.”
Before I move, I pick up his paperwork and hold it out to him. “You didn’t fill this out in its entirety.”
His jaw takes on a stubborn line. “You’ve got all you need.”
I flutter the papers. “What if I need to run a background check?”
“Are you going to?”
“Do I need to?”
“Nope.” His voice is flat.
Okay, he’s clearly got something to hide. I find myself torn between wanting it to be an offense I can fire him for and panicking over what I’d do if I was forced to let him go. I don’t think I could handle the next six weeks on my own—not with the type of results Jackson demands.
I take a chance and see whether if I’m direct, he might be direct back. “What are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything.” His shoulders loosen, and he props himself against the doorframe. “I just don’t see the need to talk about the past.”
So that didn’t work. Let’s try logic instead. “Employment history is not the past; it’s relevant to the safety of our business.”
“Nothing in my history is any danger to your business.” He smiles. “Talk to your brothers. They’ll vouch for me.”
This sets my teeth grinding, because it’s been a day and he’s already figured out the truth. Wyatt and Jackson are the ones that matter, and he’s won them over. Dissent on my part will only look petty. I haven’t been involved in their discussions about our operations, but Caden has impressed them, and he hasn’t even delivered a crop yet.
Caden has already homed in on the fact that I hold none of the power.
This compels me to exert some authority.
“What if I want to make sure you don’t have a record?” Barring a criminal record, my brothers will view his employment history as inconsequential as he does.