“Mine? Really?”
They walked together to the office beside Dax’s. On the desk there was indeed a huge wrapped box with Willa’s name on it. Willa turned to ask Kate for a pair of scissors to open it and discovered that the other woman already had a pair with her. “I figured you might not have one yet.”
There was a card taped to the outside of the box. Willa tore it open. In beautiful cursive writing it said, “Congratulations on your new job! Sophie and Dale.”
Willa read it aloud, trying to hide her surprise, then added, “Kenzi’s parents.”
“That is so sweet,” Kate cooed. “What do you think they sent? Do you mind if I stay and see?”
“Of course not,” Willa said. Kenzi had said her relationship with her mother had become much closer recently. Was this an olive branch? A sign that Kenzi’s parents wanted to get to know Kenzi’s friends better as well? Strange, but after all the time she and Lexi spent with Kenzi, she didn’t feel she really knew Kenzi’s parents at all. She and Lexi had interacted with them as little as possible for Kenzi’s sake. The idea was disconcerting.
Willa didn’t let herself think about how much she missed her own mother. That sorrow was also buried deep within her. She cut the ribbon that held the box closed and ripped the paper away. As Willa took out each item she said the name of it slowly. In all her life she’d never received such a thoughtful gift. “There’s a personalized desk calendar, stapler, letter opener. There’s even a lunch bag with my name on it.”
Kate clapped her hands together happily. “It’s like school supplies you get every year when you start in a new class, isn’t it?”
“I guess,” Willa said after lining up the items on the desk. “My parents passed away when I was young. We lived at boarding school after that. The school supplied everything. We didn’t get things like this.”
“That’s so sad,” Kate said sincerely.
Willa shrugged. Only if I remember. And I don’t want to. “Not really. It’s just the way it was.”
“Moving in?” Clay asked from the doorway.
Kate made a quick departure. Willa moved the box off the desk and hastily organized some of the items into the drawers of the desk. She paused when she realized he was watching her. Oh, shit. This is his desk, really. And here I am putting stuff in the drawers like it’s mine. She started taking the items back out. “I’m sorry. This was delivered. I should have asked if you wanted any of it in your desk.”
Clay leaned against the door jam. “Put whatever you want in here. Consider the office yours. I don’t really do desks.” He walked over and looked into the box on the floor. “Is that a lunch bag with your name on it?”
Willa blushed and pushed the box aside with her foot. “Sophie Barrington sent it. She must have heard I took this job.” She took a deep breath and fought for inner calm. Seeing Lance that morning had brought everything back. Dark thoughts that had been securely tucked away were fighting for space in her head again. She was keeping it all contained, but it was taking everything she had.
Clay sized Willa up from head to toe. “And she likes you. Interesting.”
He’s curious, that’s all. All I have to do is convince him that there is nothing interesting and he’ll move on to something else. “I’ve known the family for a long time.”
“The Barringtons are an intense bunch, aren’t they? Really uptight.”
Willa looked away, not wanting to say anything one way or the other. She picked up the stapler to place it off to one side of the desk. “Every family has their good points and their challenges.”
“Why didn’t it work out between you and Lance?”
The stapler hit the floor. Willa scrambled to pick it up. She looked straight into Clay’s eyes and lied. “There was never anything between us.”
“You’re not a good liar.”
I can’t do this. I won’t do this. Willa straightened her shoulders. “Do you have a list of job responsibilities for me?”
Clay smiled. “I like you, Willa. You’ve got this genuine vibe going. I respect that. I get that none of this is my business, but it’s like a car crash I can’t look away from. What is it about Lance you don’t like?”
Willa blushed again and hated that she wasn’t better at hiding how she felt. Lexi would never betray herself that way.
Clay straightened from the door. “You do like him. Oh, that’s even more interesting.”
If Clay hadn’t been blocking the only exit, Willa would have withdrawn. Feeling trapped, she forced a smile. “Like I said, I’ve known the family a long time. I like all of them.”