Gwen laughs. “Yeah, something like that.”
I’m grinding my teeth, and I make a concerted effort to relax my jaw. “Gabe recommended him, and he knows how important this is to us.”
“I’ve got a good feeling about him,” Gwen says.
Everyone seems to have taken to Caden Landry but me. I brush off my irritation and focus on the win. I did my job and made two of the three bosses happy. If Wyatt’s on board, it’ll be a trifecta. My gaze darts back to the cane fields, and I squint against the sun to study the plants. They look perfectly healthy to me.
I return my attention to Gwen. “You just met him, but I’m glad you like him.”
She grins at me. “After years of hiring people, you get a sixth sense about these things.”
She’s from Chicago and still has a famous restaurant there, which has some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. Considering my brother is a culinary genius, that’s saying something. At one point Jackson was considered one of the top ten chefs in the entire world, until he left it all behind to take care of his sick baby. He was holed up, working in our uncle Beau’s bar when Gwen came looking for him.
Things didn’t work out quite the way either of them anticipated, but they couldn’t be happier. Together, Jackson and Gwen will create an empire, but for now their focus is on Toulon. But it’s a matter of time. That’s the kind of people they are. They have big dreams and the personalities to execute them.
My own lack of dreams flitters like a pesky fly in my ears, but I don’t want to think about that right now. I’ve got too much to do making others’ goals a reality to worry about my own.
I’m also ready to move on from the subject of Caden Landry, so I wave a hand in the air. “I suspect he’ll get the job done. Anyway, how’s Nat doing?”
“Smooth.” Gwen laughs, pushing her hair off her cheek. “Nat’s hanging in there. Mrs. Potts said therapy was hard today, but she is one determined girl, and every day gets a little easier.”
Natalie had surgery on both her legs a few months ago and needs to build up her strength before the next round. The hope is she’ll be able to walk within a year—with crutches, of course—but right now she’s still wheelchair bound.
I nod toward the big farmhouse where we all currently reside. “I’ve got one thing to take care of, and then I’ll go visit her.”
“She does love her Aunt Cat.” Gwen’s expression turns sly. “So, you’ve got some chemistry with our new manager, huh?”
I snap back. “The hell I do.”
How dare she mention it? I’ve ignored it, thank you very much. Of course I felt my body’s visceral reaction to the man—I’m not a complete idiot—but my plan is never to admit that to anyone.Ever.
“Uh-huh, sure you don’t.” Her tone is light and teasing.
Obviously she’s having fun at my expense, but it troubles me that she picked up on it so quickly. The best thing I can do here is deny and brush it off. “Please. I don’t evenlikehim, let alone lust after him.”
Gwen flips her long hair over her shoulder. “Like and lust don’t always go hand in hand.”
“Well, they do for me.”
I mean, I think they do. It’s hard to remember the last time I had a date, let alone sex. If only I was the type of woman who could ride a man just for the pleasure of it, but casual has never worked for me. I’m unfortunately one of those annoying women that has to have some kind of emotional connection in order to sleep with a man, and I’ve got far too much on my plate to deal with that nonsense.
One day I’ll get around to it, but I’ve got things to do. I can’t afford to be distracted. This family business we’ve got going here might not be my dream, but it’s the only thing keeping us from the poor house. The strain of poverty still weighs heavy on my shoulders, and I’m sure as hell never going back. I’ve got to keep moving, do my part, and prove my worth. Men will have to wait.
“You keep telling yourself that, sister.” Gwen laughs and points to the house. “I’m going to check on Nat and get back to it.”
“Me too.” I turn and start back toward my office.
“Oh, and Cat?” Gwen says from behind me.
I keep walking, calling over my shoulder. “Yeah?”
“When that man has you flat on your back, remember I told you so.”
A jarring image of me lying on my desk, Caden Landry between my legs, our bodies pressed together, flashes through my mind. I shut it down before it can gain momentum.
I swing around, walking backward and flipping Gwen off. “Why do I like you again?”
She grins. “Because I’m delightful.”