Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(32)

“How are you doing, Lily?” At her reassuring nod he continued, “Tabitha, after you’re finished, we’re going to lunch. We’ll be back in time for you to take yours.”

Lily had been so excited about her first day of work, packing a lunch hadn’t occurred to her. Clay didn’t appear all that put out about it. JT would’ve told her to go hungry just for spite.

Tabitha’s eyebrows shot up, and Lily felt the chill in the room. If Tabitha had been a cat, her ears would’ve flattened against her head. Clay seemed to ignore the reaction.

As he turned back to the workroom he said, “After lunch, I’d like to show her the website and the online orders.”

“Sure, Clay.”

Lily’s cheeks heated as she glimpsed him walking through the doors. His butt was just as gorgeous as the rest of him. She was trying to not be obvious, but the way Tabitha’s lips were pursed told her she hadn’t been convincing.

“So you own a house in Divine?”

“Yes. My parents’ house. I was born in Divine.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes,” she explained, giving Tabitha a few sparse details to satisfy her curiosity.

“Well, I have to say…it seems very odd that you landed this job with the circumstances being what they are. Your living arrangements also seem a little…odd. Did you know each other before you moved away?”

Had Clay told her? Lily didn’t like being put on the spot but didn’t want to share more than Clay was comfortable with. The fact that they’d been young at the time made it seem like a safe topic, so she nodded. “Yes. I was best friends with him and his brother, Del.”

Tabitha’s brows rose. “You know Del?” At Lily’s nod, Tabitha added, “I’ve never met him. He’s been out of the country for several years.”

Lily nodded but didn’t say anything else. Clay had already told her what he knew and she felt no need to share it with Tabitha.

“So, you work in the shop and you’re living with him,” Tabitha stated, sounding like she wanted to add, in a Dr. Phil voice, “How’s that workin’ for ya?” Lily resisted the urge to say anything and simply nodded. “You do know about his employer-employee relations policy, right?”

“No. What is it?”

“It’s pretty simple, really. Clay has a no-fraternization rule. I just thought you should be aware of it. Clay is very disciplined about it and keeps work relationships and personal relationships separate. He feels very strongly about it.” Judging by the look on Tabitha’s face she’d been more than happy to supply that information.

Lily’s chest clenched. She thought she’d better be more guarded when she was around Tabitha and Clay. She really needed this job and couldn’t afford to alienate her coworker. “That won’t be a problem, Tabitha. I’m not in the market for a relationship with either Clay or…” Lily felt humor well inside her at Tabitha’s clueless look.

“Or?”

Lily smiled and shrugged. “Clay and I are just friends, so that’s not an issue, and I’m not attracted to girls. That’s all.”

Lily thought she came from a small, backward town, but the look on Tabitha’s face was enough to curdle milk. “I—uh. I—um. No. That’s not what I meant.” Her lips flapped open and closed a couple of times. “I don’t—Oh, never mind! I just wanted you to know about it so you don’t get your hopes up. He doesn’t date employees. Period. So—we’re done here. I have work to do. You go ahead,” she said, shooing Lily toward the workroom doors.

Lily nearly drew blood as she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She hadn’t meant to flabbergast Tabitha, not really. Well, maybe just a little.

“What was that about?” Clay gestured at the security monitor mounted above his workbench. Lily glanced at the screen and saw Tabitha talking into her phone in an obviously agitated state.

Lily didn’t feel quite so amused now. She shouldn’t have said anything because it was plain that Tabitha was in a tizzy. Still, it was a little bit funny. “Tabitha was explaining your ‘No Dating’ policy to me. I told to her that you and I are friends and I’m not a lesbian, so she has nothing to—What?”

Clay’s face looked a little flushed as he removed his canvas work apron and smiled at her. “Let’s go before she hears me busting a gut.”

“Okay.” She grabbed her purse and followed him out the back door. “Was that the wrong thing to say? I could tell she’s put out by me living with you and landing a job working for you. She brought up the subject.” Lily climbed in with minimal help from Clay before he went around and opened the driver door. “She took enjoyment from sharing it with me and I just couldn’t help but point out the obvious. You and I are friends and I like boys so she’s safe. I thought she would take it with a sense of humor.” It wasn’t a lie to say they were just friends, no matter how much the idea of being more might be appealing to her.