Taking a drink of her coffee, she clicked on the Kendall’s financial details. Using the time to go over the books, she realized she was getting close to a zero balance in her account. She’d already mortgaged the place as much as the bank allowed. Thankfully, she had an advance check for $10,000.00 from a modeling agency that had asked to use the place for a week. When they finished their location shoot, she’d get the balance. The money wouldn’t go far, but it would pay Jace’s salary and help with some of the marketing she was doing. She’d contracted with local visitors’ bureaus and had brochures being printed to announce the opening of the farm for visitors.
She’d worked with a web designer and the site was ready to go live. There were more details that needed coordination, but she was on schedule.
Kelly glanced at her grad school degree hanging on the wall. Her MBA got her a job at an advertising and marketing firm on Madison Avenue. In charge of several key product accounts, she was on her way up the ladder. Then disaster happened. She lost a big client. She winced at the memory of her client telling her they were switching to a rival firm. Nothing she said could change their minds. Nothing she offered was good enough. Afterward, she felt as if there was a cloud over her and no longer was she given the important clients. Advertising is a business based on image and perception. Kelly was good, but one failure was all it took to end her chances at being the golden girl.
When her grandmother died, leaving her a small inheritance, and the Kendall came on the market, Kelly snapped it up with the intention of proving her promotional skills were as honed as ever. Looking over the marketing plan, she made a few changes and hit the print button. As she pulled the page from the printer, Jace came in.
“Oh,” Kelly said, startled as she turned back from the machine. “Is it nine o’clock already?”
“Afraid so,” he said. He took a seat next to the desk. He held a sheath of papers.
“Are they completed?” she asked.
He nodded, handing them to her.
Kelly checked to make sure the insurance forms had no gaps. Finding none, she looked up.
“They seem fine. I’ll submit them right away.”
Placing them on the top of her inbox, Kelly looked over the pages on her desk. Rifling through some, she glanced at Jace. “I’m usually more organized than this,” she said, finding what she was searching for. “Here’s a list of things I’d like you to start on. I made notes about what needs repair and what needs to be replaced.”
Jace looked at the list. He nodded several times.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Yes. I was hoping you could let me know if you think of anything else that should be done or restored here at the Kendall, given your association with the place.”
He sat forward in the chair. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve mentioned I’ve done a lot of the work myself, with my cousin’s help and her husband’s, but if I should bring in a specialist for something, let me know.” She pulled another sheet of paper from her desk and handed it to him. “These are the projects I worked on.”
“You did all these?” He scanned the long list.
“I did.”
“Including replacing the fencing along the road?”
She nodded. “That’s right.”
“I’m impressed.” He stood up. “I’ll get going on those jobs that need doing.” At the doorway he stopped and turned back. “Do you mind if I take Ari with me?”
“Not as long as you’re responsible for his safety.”
“Don’t worry. He’s always my first concern.”
“I watched the two of you together,” she said.
His eyes flashed.
Kelly felt a streak of heat run through her as if she’d just made a confession, that she’d somehow invaded the privacy of a father with his son. “I didn’t mean anything by it, just that it’s obvious how much you two love each other. I can tell you wouldn’t let anything hurt him if you could possibly prevent it.”
He gave his head a shake and left, but not before Kelly saw the bob of emotion in his throat.
CHAPTER SEVEN
KURT MALLARD HAD been right, Jace thought. The sunlight shining through Kelly’s hair was like watching a beautiful fire. It mesmerized him. He couldn’t take his eyes off it or her. Outside he perused her list and decided which tasks to complete first. With Ari trailing behind him, he strengthened barn door fittings, checked to see that the correct size stone for the added pathways had been delivered, put up a half dozen shelves in the garage and reorganized the storage there. It took him two days to complete just the first third of the list. As he went about his work, to say that he was impressed with everything Kelly had done would be a gross understatement. Jace could see her presence at the Kendall was more than an asset.