Free Rich in Faith (Richness in Faith, Book 3) by Lindi Peterson Page B

by the sound of the feeder jamming.
    My face flushes at my nosiness.
    Whatever is going on with Court’s company is his business, not mine. He hired me to take care of Bristol and Darling, not snoop into his computer files and imagine crazy scenarios. Wringing information out of Jared is entirely different than opening Court’s documents.
    As I turn my chair to unjam the feeder I almost back into Court.
    His gaze is fixed on me, his lips are in a straight line, and his arms are crossed. “Find anything interesting?”

 
    MENACING
     
     
    I’M AMAZED AT HOW calm I feel with him towering over me, looking more menacing than I know he is.
    At least I hope he’s not as menacing as he appears right now.
    Since he hasn’t moved there’s nowhere for me to go. My knees are almost touching his as I continue to sit in his chair.
    “Wow.” I decide that honesty is the best approach. “This looks really bad, I’m sure, but I didn’t open any of your documents. I accidentally hit the wrong drop down and then the printer jammed, so…”
    “So I can thank the printer for keeping you out of my personal files?”
    Even though his expression hasn’t changed his tone is lighter.
    Or maybe that’s my imagination.
    I want to reach up and uncross his arms.
    But I don’t.
    That would be overstepping boundaries for sure. “I wouldn’t have looked.”
    “And I know that because?”
    “You don’t. You just have to trust me.”
    Uncrossing his arms, he then runs a hand through his hair. His thick, black gorgeous hair.
    “I’ve trusted you with my children, but…”
    His more relaxed stance has relaxed me. “I’m telling you I didn’t open anything. Please believe me.”
    Knowing that I didn’t do anything wrong is normally all it takes for my conscious to feel okay when a situation like this comes up, but for some reason, it’s important for me to know he knows I’m telling the truth.
    He backs away, his gaze not leaving me. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”
    Those words don’t settle anything inside me. They keep me on edge, a feeling I don’t like.
    He picks up one of the stacks that haven’t been scanned. “Have you been working on this all day?”
    He’s not far enough around the desk that I can get to the printer, so I stay seated, which I feel puts me at a great disadvantage. I don’t like looking up to him. “I have.”
    I decide not to reveal how interesting I find the information and in some cases, lack of information. I’m sure he knows his wife’s strengths and weaknesses. We all have them.
    But MaryLeigh Treyhune definitely had organizational issues.
    And issues with authority, it appears.
    Now I wish I had paid more attention to the television when my dad watched those races. Not that I could have gleaned much personal information from a few seconds of camera time, but it would have been interesting to see Court’s interaction with MaryLeigh. If he had a smile for her, a kiss on the cheek or the lips before stepping into the race car.
    Dale never would kiss me in public on the mouth. He always kissed my cheek or forehead if people were watching. I asked him about it once, and he said if he kissed me the way he did in private he might forget we were in public.
    That’s what he said, but he really meant that classy people didn’t kiss on the mouth in public.
    It wasn’t a sign of status.
    My parents always kissed on the lips.
    Hence, no status for the Madisons.
    “Why don’t you call it a day?”
    Court has now walked over to the door.
    “I will. As soon as I unjam these papers. Then, I’m going out. I need to buy a Father’s Day card for my dad. Not that’s it’ll get there by Father’s Day.”
    Court stops his exit from the room. “Thanks for the reminder. I need to do the same.”
    Then he disappears and I open the printer once again.
    “No sense in taking two cars. I’ll drive.”
    When I look toward the door where Court’s voice came from, all I see is his hand on the doorframe