Tim swept his arm in an arc and gave a slight bow. âAfter you, maâam.â
Dawn shook her head and chuckled. That pleased him. He was still trying to get over the shock of finding out she didnât see him as the kind of man who kept his word. He was determined to show her his true character, though he wasnât sure how. Granted, he could be rather ruthless in business if the situation called for it, but in his private life he wasnât so bad, was he? Introspection didnât show any major flaws that he was aware of. Therefore, he planned to prove to Dawn what a great guy he really was.
Why? The surprising question gave him pause. Why, indeed? He was Dawnâs boss, not her date. Why should he care about her personal opinion of him as long as she continued to do her job well?
DAVIS LANDING:
Nothing is stronger than a familyâs love
was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. In the years that followed she worked with young children, both in church and secular environments. She also raised a family of her own and played foster mother to a wide assortment of furred and feathered critters.
Married to her high school sweetheart since age seventeen, she now lives in an old farmhouse she and her husband renovated with their own hands. She loves to hike the wooded hills behind the house and reflect on the marvelous turn her life has taken. Not only is she privileged to reside among the loving, accepting folks in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, she also gets to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Steeple Hillâs Love Inspired line.
Life doesnât get much better than that!
Dawn Leroux tensed the moment her boss pushed open the door of his private office and entered hers. She was hard at work, as usual, so no one could question her diligence. Just the same, there was always a niggling feeling of intimidation associated with being in the presence of Timothy Hamilton.
âI left a short list of personnel on my desk,â Tim said. âIâll want their files updated and waiting for me when I get back. It shouldnât take you too long.â
âYes, sir, Mr. Hamilton. Anything else?â
âNot that I can think of.â
âFine. Iâll take care of it right away.â
Dawn smiled inwardly. She wished she had a nickel for every time sheâd told her boss that very thing. Being his administrative assistant wasnât a bad assignment as long as she was quick to respond to his ordersâand do things his way. The man was predictable, if nothing else. Whatever he wanted done, he wanted it done yesterday.
âWill you be out of the office long?â she asked, pen in hand, as he breezed past her desk.
He pushed back his cuff to check his Rolex. âI have a ten oâclock meeting with Ed Bradshaw in the Dispatch office downstairs, then lunch with my mother at twelve. If you need me, weâll probably be across the street at Bettyâs. Mom prefers the Bakeshoppe.â
âI can understand why. The food is delicious.â Dawn was making notes. âIs that all?â
âFor the moment,â Tim said. He tapped the breast pocket of his immaculate gray suit. âIf I think of anything else, Iâll phone you.â He paused. âYouâll be here?â
âAll day,â Dawn said pleasantly, knowing exactly what he meant. âI brown-bagged it today.â She gestured toward a lower drawer of her desk to reassure him. Knowing Tim Hamilton, heâd chain her to the stupid desk 24-7 if he thought he could get away with it! The man was so focused on business he made a normal workaholic look like a hopeless slacker.
âRight.â Tim was already striding away and disappearing through the door as he spoke.
Dawn heard the outer door close and sighed with relief. She stretched, fingers laced together, hands raised over her head. She loved her job, she really did, but ever since his older brother Jeremy had left town in a huff and Tim had moved up in the Hamilton Media corporate hierarchy, heâd acted as if his every act was of monumental importance. He even drank his morning coffee with deliberateness. The poor man was more of a machine than a human being, although she knew heâd be incensed if he suspected that anyone, especially a member of his staff, felt sorry for him.
Sighing, she breathed a quick prayer for her bossâs mental healthâand her ownâthen rose and went into his private office to retrieve the list heâd mentioned.