her, but she was hoping for a change of topic. She didn’t want their
evening together to end on a sour note.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, darlin’, have you thought that you may be training your
replacement?”
Juliana sighed and sat back in her chair. He was too close for
comfort now. “Could we talk about something else, please, Ash?
Please? I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It is what it is, and
I’m sorry if I seem so pig-headed about it.”
“I’m sorry. I got to thinking about it last night, and you must be
going in way before the store opens and staying until after it’s closed,
not occasionally but every day, including Sundays. How can you have
a life if the store claims that many hours in a week?”
“It won’t always be that way, and those people are like my family.
I don’t feel like my life is that hard.”
“What about relationships and the holidays and vacations? In a
way, the store holds you hostage under the guise of responsibility.
You should be allowed a life, time off with friends. Time for a
relationship—”
“Ash.”
64
Heather Rainier
“With me, Juliana. Where would you fit in time for me?” he
asked, leaning in so his question was asked as he stroked the top of
her hand. He took her completely by surprise with his question, laying
it on the line like that.
The events of the last few days had thrown her completely off-
kilter, especially the last twenty-four hours. He pushed her buttons
like crazy, he’d undressed her, seen her naked, washed her hair for
her, and he still hadn’t really kissed her.
He was pushing her to examine her lifestyle because he wasn’t the
type to sit on the backburner for long. With so many thoughts flitting
through her mind, she wasn’t sure how to answer his question.
“I’m sorry, Juliana. I know I made you uncomfortable but I care
about you.”
She smiled at him, hoping he would see that she wasn’t upset with
him. “You made some valid points. I’ve developed this habit of
spending all my time at the store, getting wrapped up in it until it’s
become my life. If you were to become a prominent part of my life,
I’d change things. I need to sit down with Leah and give her more
responsibility. I wanted to go slow with her, you know?”
“Do you think you can succeed in doing that?” he asked, smiling
but looking skeptical.
“Sure. I never intended to become a workaholic, but I guess I am.
I’m good at what I do. When I’m given responsibility, I take it
seriously, like anything I care about. Ash, I care about you,” she said,
twining her fingers with his on the tabletop. “Do you think you could
give me time? You know I can’t change the way things are
overnight.”
“I’m hung up on the part about you caring about me, darlin’. I was
afraid you were using the job as a shield so people couldn’t get too
close.”
“No, I don’t think I do that. And yes, I am aware I may be training
my replacement. Doug has been good to me over the years, and I’ve
taken good care of his family’s store, so I don’t anticipate being fired
Spurs and Heels
65
or anything like that, but a change may come. I think it’s only natural
for him to want to see his daughter running one of the family
businesses. I hope it’s not until after she’s ready for the responsibility
and I’ve secured another opportunity somewhere else.”
“It’s good to hear you talk like that. So you want to start dating?”
“Well, that would sort of be backing up, wouldn’t it? I mean
you’ve already seen me naked. I think that train has left the station.
But we have gotten off to an interesting start, haven’t we?” she asked
with a chuckle, taking a sip of her iced tea. “To be honest, I’m not
sure what our next move should be.”
“For right now, I want to see you feeling better and not looking so
tired. It’s six-thirty right now. How would you like to go back to your
house and watch a movie?”
“I could do that, but, Ash, I have to work tomorrow like normal.”
“I know, darlin’, me, too.”
“I’ll sit down with Leah, and we’ll make some changes in her
duties and my work schedule. But it will be gradual. I hope you
understand that. I can’t cut back to forty hours in one week, but I’ll
start shaving off a few of my early morning hours this week.”
“That’s good. I’m proud of you.”
“Ash, I would—No matter what happens, I’d never want for you