toward the papers on the floor. "Pick those up."
Deacon did not like being told what to do. He stepped over the papers and continued down the hall. Behind him, he heard Allegra mumbling. He expected his quick glance back to show her fumbling with the papers and sending him black looks. What he saw instead made him pause.
Lisa's sister knelt in front of the scattered pile, fists clenched. She rocked slowly as she muttered, then touched one of the papers with one finger. She jerked back as if burned. Still muttering, she touched another paper, then another, faster and faster until finally she'd touched every paper in quick succession.
He must have made some soft sound of surprise at her actions because her head flew up. Her eyes, bright but unfocused, cleared rapidly and turned to a glare so fierce it made him physically take a step back. Allegra scooped the papers into her arms, crumpling them, and went back into her office. She slammed the door.
Deacon had no time to wonder what all that had been about. The scene left him uneasy, though, and as he walked toward the lunchroom door, he recalled what Lisa used to say about her sister.
"A little nuts," he said under his breath. "Yeah, that's a good description."
He stopped just outside the lunchroom door to brace himself for what awaited him.
"...late," Deacon heard a man say.
"What do you expect?" Said another, and though he didn't finish the statement, Deacon knew what he meant. What do you expect...from a criminal?
For a moment, Deacon seriously considered just turning around and walking away. He'd find work someplace else. He didn't have to work here, where at any moment he could come face to face with Lisa. Where every day he'd be working with people who'd already written him off before they even bothered to give him a chance.
Bertha Campbell hadn't raised any quitters. Deacon might be considered the black sheep of the family because of his supposed wild ways and the trouble he'd gotten into, but he wasn't a quitter. Doug Shadd had offered him this job for a reason, and Deacon was going to make certain he proved he was worth hiring.
He stepped through the door, clearing his throat. He already knew Doug, but the man sitting next to him at the long lunch table looked enough like him Deacon guessed it must be a son. He knew Lisa had three brothers and two sisters, and he knew only two of the brothers worked at The Garden Shadd. One of them was still in high school, which left only one choice. If only he could remember the guy's name...
"Good morning, Doug...Kevin," Deacon said, making a guess. The faint look of surprise on Kevin's face proved he'd guessed right. Deacon held out his hand and both men stood to shake it.
"Have a seat," Doug offered. "We're just about to get started."
Deacon pulled out one of the hard plastic chairs and sat down, wondering if he should have brought a pen and some paper. Both men had thick date books and pages of notes in front of them. They stared at him, equal expressions of assessment on their faces.
"I'd like to thank you for hiring me." Deacon figured it couldn't hurt to be honest. He was at a disadvantage with them, and he knew it, but it didn't sour his mouth to say nice things with it.
"Don't thank me." Doug waved his hand. "Thank..."
"Sorry I'm late!"
And there she was. Lisa, her honey-colored hair swept back today in a sleek roll at the nape of her neck. When he'd known her, she'd always worn it loose around her shoulders. Instinctively, Deacon got to his feet just as Lisa turned and saw he was there.
Her face paled instantly. She dropped the handful of papers she'd been holding, and they scattered on the floor. She bent to retrieve them, the serviceable gray skirt she wore riding up her thighs in a way Deacon fought not to notice.
Kevin bent down to help her, laughing at her clumsiness. "I swear, Lis, you're all thumbs."
The brotherly teasing sent red circles flaring in her pale cheeks. Lisa scowled at him, yanking the
Deacon did not like being told what to do. He stepped over the papers and continued down the hall. Behind him, he heard Allegra mumbling. He expected his quick glance back to show her fumbling with the papers and sending him black looks. What he saw instead made him pause.
Lisa's sister knelt in front of the scattered pile, fists clenched. She rocked slowly as she muttered, then touched one of the papers with one finger. She jerked back as if burned. Still muttering, she touched another paper, then another, faster and faster until finally she'd touched every paper in quick succession.
He must have made some soft sound of surprise at her actions because her head flew up. Her eyes, bright but unfocused, cleared rapidly and turned to a glare so fierce it made him physically take a step back. Allegra scooped the papers into her arms, crumpling them, and went back into her office. She slammed the door.
Deacon had no time to wonder what all that had been about. The scene left him uneasy, though, and as he walked toward the lunchroom door, he recalled what Lisa used to say about her sister.
"A little nuts," he said under his breath. "Yeah, that's a good description."
He stopped just outside the lunchroom door to brace himself for what awaited him.
"...late," Deacon heard a man say.
"What do you expect?" Said another, and though he didn't finish the statement, Deacon knew what he meant. What do you expect...from a criminal?
For a moment, Deacon seriously considered just turning around and walking away. He'd find work someplace else. He didn't have to work here, where at any moment he could come face to face with Lisa. Where every day he'd be working with people who'd already written him off before they even bothered to give him a chance.
Bertha Campbell hadn't raised any quitters. Deacon might be considered the black sheep of the family because of his supposed wild ways and the trouble he'd gotten into, but he wasn't a quitter. Doug Shadd had offered him this job for a reason, and Deacon was going to make certain he proved he was worth hiring.
He stepped through the door, clearing his throat. He already knew Doug, but the man sitting next to him at the long lunch table looked enough like him Deacon guessed it must be a son. He knew Lisa had three brothers and two sisters, and he knew only two of the brothers worked at The Garden Shadd. One of them was still in high school, which left only one choice. If only he could remember the guy's name...
"Good morning, Doug...Kevin," Deacon said, making a guess. The faint look of surprise on Kevin's face proved he'd guessed right. Deacon held out his hand and both men stood to shake it.
"Have a seat," Doug offered. "We're just about to get started."
Deacon pulled out one of the hard plastic chairs and sat down, wondering if he should have brought a pen and some paper. Both men had thick date books and pages of notes in front of them. They stared at him, equal expressions of assessment on their faces.
"I'd like to thank you for hiring me." Deacon figured it couldn't hurt to be honest. He was at a disadvantage with them, and he knew it, but it didn't sour his mouth to say nice things with it.
"Don't thank me." Doug waved his hand. "Thank..."
"Sorry I'm late!"
And there she was. Lisa, her honey-colored hair swept back today in a sleek roll at the nape of her neck. When he'd known her, she'd always worn it loose around her shoulders. Instinctively, Deacon got to his feet just as Lisa turned and saw he was there.
Her face paled instantly. She dropped the handful of papers she'd been holding, and they scattered on the floor. She bent to retrieve them, the serviceable gray skirt she wore riding up her thighs in a way Deacon fought not to notice.
Kevin bent down to help her, laughing at her clumsiness. "I swear, Lis, you're all thumbs."
The brotherly teasing sent red circles flaring in her pale cheeks. Lisa scowled at him, yanking the
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