She was off balance, shaken, and embarrassed.
Indecision hadn’t been one of her shortcomings once upon a time. She’d always prided herself on being able to consider all the options she might have and making the best decision possible. She’d been a detailed, thorough person with enough intuition to make the mental leap to fill in gaps when there might not be sufficient information. Once she’d committed to a course of action, she’d never had regrets.
That was before she’d gotten involved with Joseph.
Elisa stopped in her tracks. Joseph Corbin, Jr. Even internally, she hadn’t let herself say his name since she’d first left. She didn’t want to give him space inside her head—not him and not the shady business he’d had planned. Instead of the anticipated dread—speaking of the devil and all—she experienced a tiny spike of elation. Triumph. She could finally think of him without having his name terrify her.
Looking around the reception area with its hardwood benches and flooring, deep blue walls, and naturally homey feel, the twisting in her gut eased. She’d agreed to let Alex drive her here because this was the last place she’d felt calm and capable. It’d given her back a measure of pride. She’d done work efficiently and set up processes, however small, to make things better than they had been when she’d arrived.
It was a far cry from the corporate offices and conference rooms she’d worked in as a project manager and so much more personable than the sterile walls of Joseph’s house. There were good people here, ready to lend a hand or jump to her defense, and this morning Alex had proven it. What’s more, he’d asked her right afterward what she wanted to do next.
So she made a decision. She’d stay and give this a try.
Because something about this place and these people was different. Or maybe enough time had passed. Or maybe it was because she’d gotten her first chance at an interesting job and her first good night’s sleep. Could be any number of things, but they all added up to her coming back here to see what else might change. For the better.
“Welcome back.” Alex entered from the hallway leading back to the kennel run.
Her heart jumped up into her throat, and she resisted the urge to beam happily at him like an idiot. “You drove me here.”
He shrugged. “Still seems like a good thing to say.”
He, in particular, was different in all sorts of good ways. The undemanding, accepting, not-too-many-questions kind of ways. A big part of what had convinced her to give this a try was the way he hadn’t acted entitled to know everything about her in exchange for his generosity.
He’d changed out of the sweatshirt he’d worn earlier and stood in the doorway dressed in jeans and a light, short-sleeved button-up shirt. Hope’s Crossing Kennels was embroidered in a circle over the breast pocket around the silhouette of a dog. After having met Souze last evening, she sort of thought it was probably a German shepherd.
German Shepherd Dog, she mentally corrected herself.
Whether she was going to stay or not, she wanted to remember to refer to the kind of dog by the proper breed name. It was important to her to have details correct.
Abruptly, she remembered he wasn’t a mind reader and would have no idea what she was so happy about. No need for her to get all excited at the sound of his voice, either. Even if he spoke with a rough sort of morning growl, the kind that sent tingles through her at the sound of it.
Brandon and Alex were her employers, and she needed to consider both of them with a certain level of professionalism. He was right; this was a good place to start the day over.
“Good morning.” She plastered a polite smile on her face as she met Alex’s gaze.
He gave her a friendly smile as he stepped forward to offer her his hand. “Glad you’ve decided to give us a chance, Elisa.”
He had it backward. They were the ones giving her the chance. It was more than a job, more of a new beginning. But she didn’t want to come across too cheesy. Instead, she went with another truth. “Yesterday’s work was interesting. I thought today might bring some good surprises.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, humor twinkling in his eyes. “Well, we do have a tendency to experience the unexpected around here.”
She blinked. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
He shrugged. “Do all things have to be classified as good or bad?”
Now there was a question. “Generally, things do fall under one or the other.”
“True, but then again, whether something is one or the other tends to depend on point of view.” Alex headed over to the desk and placed a fresh pack of pens on it. “I find I experience fewer nasty surprises if I just leave off on the opinion altogether.”