Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
“You should’ve kept that last part in mind before firing me because there’s no way James wants me replaced on this job.” Cheryl planted her fists on her hips. “Did Landon even bother speaking to him about it before telling you to give me my walking papers?”
I wasn’t sure what the guys had said when they talked because James had been vague, but I didn’t owe this woman an explanation beyond what I’d already said. “Mr. Bardot is aware that I’m firing you this morning. He has no issues with the plan we’ve put into place moving forward on this project.”
“I knew you were a spoiled bitch,” she hissed, her gaze darting around the site as she pressed her lips together. “But this is a new low. You don’t even care that you’re ruining my life, do you?”
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” I wasn’t really, but I was desperately trying to hold on to my temper after she’d made the situation personal. “Please clear out any personal items. Immediately. You’re done here, and your final check will be processed with the payroll run next Friday.”
Cheryl looked as though she’d like nothing more than to throttle me, but she couldn’t exactly act on that impulse without risking serious consequences for her actions. Instead, she muttered to herself as she stomped over to the desk and slammed one of the drawers open.
The air was thick with tension between us, so I wandered out of the trailer to give her a little privacy. I kept an eye out for her as I walked the site, introducing myself to the crew and filling them in on the plan for the next few days until the new foreman arrived.
When I finished making my rounds, Cheryl had stalked in and out of the trailer several times, tossing stuff into the back of a pickup truck parked near the office. I kept my distance from her as she headed over to the other side of the job site, presumably to grab something else of hers. But then I lost sight of her for a few minutes while one of the guys asked me a few questions. Luckily, she appeared again just as I was going to look for her.
I watched Cheryl trudge back to her vehicle, shaking my head when she tossed me a venomous look over her shoulder before climbing inside. She zoomed out of the parking lot so quickly that she kicked up gravel behind her wheels.
“Good riddance,” I muttered.
“You can say that again,” one of the guys agreed.
“Samantha! Watch out!” James yelled, appearing out of what seemed to be nowhere to race toward me. I didn’t figure out what he was warning me about until a ladder propped against a nearby wall crashed at my feet, clipping me on my right ankle.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, and then I was down on the ground, gripping my leg. “Crap! Ouch!”
“Fuck! Are you okay, baby?” James skidded to a stop in front of me, shoving the ladder out of the way to crouch near my feet.
“I think so,” I breathed, pressing my hand to my chest. “But that scared the crap out of me.”
“It took a fuck ton of years off my life, too,” he grumbled, gently wrapping his fingers around my ankle as he peered down. “I thought that damn ladder was going to crash right into your head. Whoever the hell left it in such a precarious position is about to get their ass handed to them.”
The guy closest to us grimaced. “Too late. It was Cheryl, and she’s already gone.”
“Then I’m the one who handed her butt to her since I fired her already,” I quipped with a forced smile, hoping to calm James down a little.
“You’re cute, baby, but losing her job isn’t enough of a punishment if her negligence hurt you.” After checking my ankle, he swept me into his arms and stalked outside. “And I’m gonna talk to your brother about blacklisting her after we’re done at the hospital. Getting you checked out is my number one priority.”
“I don’t need to go to the emergency room,” I insisted, twining my arms around James’s neck as he carried me to his car. “It’s just a twisted ankle.”
“You don’t know that for sure.” His hazel orbs were filled with concern. “You could’ve broken or sprained something.”
I shook my head with a sigh. “I’d be in way more pain if that was the case.”
“Even the smallest amount is too much,” he growled, gently lowering me into the passenger seat after one of the workers opened the door for him. “Nothing should ever hurt you.”
“You can’t protect me from everything,” I chided.
“I wouldn’t bet on that.”
He didn’t give me a chance to react to that warning before rounding the front of the vehicle to climb into the driver’s seat. I waited until he pulled into traffic to request, “Please don’t take me to the hospital. I really don’t want to sit around waiting to be seen when I probably just need a compression bandage and a couple of over-the-counter pain relievers.”