Sweetest Goodbye (Navy Book 3)

Chapter 2

As soon as Kate parked her little beat-up car outside of the large barn that housed the horses at the Mercer Ranch, Phil Marks started to saunter in her direction. "You're a little early today," he called as he approached.

She reached over grabbing her bag and smiled up at him as he reached to take it from her. It was another cold day and she had dressed for it.  She was wearing her best blue jeans with a thermal shirt, topped off by a large hand knitted sweater that she had made herself. She was also wearing a wool cap, scarf, and mittens that she had made as well. They were a god awful color, but the wool had been on sale, and she figured no one else would have the same mittens, scarf, and hat made in a burnt orange with streaks of dark green running through it.

"I wanted to make a good impression on the new boss." Kate knew she was on the plain side, she always had been, but she had a natural charm and such a kind nature that she naturally drew people to her. She was also well past her first youth at thirty-three, so the likelihood of anyone thinking that she was anything other than a kind middle age woman was slim.

'So you heard Lee was here." Phil looked over his shoulder, checking the barn behind him. "He's upstairs and wanted to meet with you first thing." Phil seemed nervous and that was odd for him since he was normally so laid back.

"Do I have anything to be worried about?" she asked, taking the bag from Phil and swinging it over her shoulder.

"No, he's just caught everyone off guard, especially Mrs. Mercer and Lily."

Eve Mercer had been Bruce's wife and Lily was their daughter. She was about to turn sixteen and was an awkward girl. Her mother was beautiful, but Lily didn't favor her, nor did she favor Bruce who had been a handsome man just like Lee.

"It'll be fine Phil, I'll shoot you a text as soon as the paychecks are cut, alright?," she said, trying to bring normalcy back into his world, and there was nothing more normal than a payday.  It would let everyone know that things were continuing on just has they had been, at least for a while.

She gave Phil a reassuring pat on the arm and moved past him towards the stairs at the back of the barn that led to the office on the second floor. It was blissfully warm as she pushed open the door and quickly closed it behind her. The man named Lee was standing at the window which looked out over the area in front of the barn where she had parked her car.

"Hello," she greeted happily as she started to shed her outer layers.

He slowly turned watching her as she did so, his face passive. He didn't return her smile and she looked away frowning.  He had smiled at her in the diner.

She held out her hand, fighting to keep her smile in place. "I'm Kate Owens." She knew his name but she wasn't going to admit it.

"Lee Mercer," he said, taking her hand in a firm grasp. He didn't hold it long, but she could feel the calluses so she knew that he worked with his hands. He was wearing the same thing he wore most days she saw him at the diner. A pair of loose fitting blue jeans and a large sweatshirt, this time it didn't have the hoodie though. He was also minus his ball cap and she was able to see his brown eyes clearly; eyes which were taking their time assessing her.

"Phil said that you wanted to work with me today."

"Yes, I'd like to see what you do."

Kate was full of questions but she held her tongue knowing that none of it was her business and nodded her agreement as she walked over the computer and turned it on while setting her bag under the desk.

"Pull up a chair, its payday and that's always first." She smiled as he did what she said, pulling a chair behind her and straddling it. He was close and it made her nervous at first. He was a lot larger than she had expected, and he was silent as he watched her and listened to what she said. She explained how she had come to work for Bruce, telling him that she had been working for him for two years and that she worked all day on Tuesdays and half days on Thursdays.