Free Hidden Hills by Jannette Spann Page B

place on the table and emptied a couple of chairs, while he poured the coffee. It was the first break she’d had all day.
    â€œSo you work in a store.” She was surprised at his occupation. The boys complained all week of him spending too much time with his blueprints, and she’d pegged him as being an engineer. “I guess we have more in common than noisy kids.”
    â€œCould be.” He moved his Peace Lily to the sink and gave it a good soaking. She watched him remove the foil, letting the excess water drain through. For someone who knew nothing about flowers, he seemed to know what he was doing. Afterwards, he unpacked three boxes of dishes, putting them in the cabinets before joining her at the table.
    â€œI’m a checker at Milner’s Market,” she said, then remembered he’d been in her checkout line. “Of course, you already knew that.”
    â€œAnd do you like it there?” A cookie disappeared into his mouth.
    â€œIt’s okay.”
    â€œBut it’s not your life’s dream?”
    Charlotte hugged the warm cup with both hands. Glancing up, she found herself staring into his probing blue eyes, wondering how much she could reveal before he burst out laughing the way her father-in-law had. She wasn’t being fair to Jake, and she knew it. Any man who’d offered to meet her at the clothesline for a good gossip deserved the truth.
    â€œI’m also a cosmetologist,” she said, noting his puzzled expression. “John Milner offered me a job when our insurance coverage at Mitch’s firm ran out. I work part-time at the Beauty Boutique.”
    â€œMilner?” Jake dropped into the chair to her right. Leaning back, he reached for another cookie, popping it into his mouth. The teasing light in his blue eyes dimmed. “Is he a special friend?”
    She knew what he meant, but decided to take the high road. “Oh, he’s special all right, one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. His wife thinks so too, so you can get your mind out of the gutter.”
    â€œI didn’t say anything.”
    â€œFor your information, my husband won a difficult case for Mr. Milner several years ago, and this was his way of thanking him.”
    â€œI wasn’t prying.” His dark blue eyes filled with mischief. “Yes, I was. You seeing anyone on a regular basis?”
    â€œTwo girls, two jobs, and a mountain of bills… when am I supposed to have time for a man?” She flipped the tables. “What about you? Any special ladies in your life, right now?”
    â€œTouche’.” He laughed, avoiding her question. “How long have you been a beautician?”
    Was this a truce or just another tactic for prying into her personal life? She had nothing to hide, but some things were just hard to explain without making Mitch sound like a control freak. “About a year. I was in cosmetology school when Mitch and I married. I went back last year… got my diploma and passed State Boards.”
    â€œGood for you.” He lifted the coffee mug in salute. “Here’s to determination.”
    She was touched. It had taken a lot of hard work and no one, other than her parents, had cared. To her in-laws, anything short of a university degree was a waste of time.
    â€œSomeday I plan to own a string of shops.” She waited for him to laugh at her dreams, but he didn’t. Instead, he crossed his legs and relaxed, as if he was in for a long visit.
    â€œWho watches the girls?”
    â€œKimmie Jones,” she said, wondering if Jeremy had mentioned sitting to his dad. “She works with me at the shop, but our hours are the same sometimes.”
    â€œAnd then you’ll need Jeremy.”
    He’d said it as a statement — a done deal from which he’d been excluded, and it wasn’t what she’d meant by asking the boy. It was time to smooth any feathers she might have ruffled. “Only if