Marry in Haste

“You’re surprised.” A knowing smile curved Valerie’s lips.

Shocked was a better description, but Abby tried to pretend she wasn’t. “I’m delighted for the opportunity—”

“But you’re wondering at your good fortune?” Valerie spoke dryly and laced her fingers over her knees.

Abby kept quiet. Valerie wouldn’t be fooled by denials and Abby shouldn’t embarrass herself by trying to bluff.

“Barbara and Nancy have been on my staff much longer, but Barbara has two young children and Nancy has a boyfriend who isn’t quite as understanding about irregular hours as my husband, Gordon, is. I don’t believe you have a boyfriend?”

Abby shook her head.

“Family obligations?”

Again, Abby shook her head.

“That’s best. Mr. Laird requires someone to be on call virtually twenty-four hours a day.” Valerie sighed faintly. “Sometimes I think Laird Drilling has an operation in every time zone in the world. The person who fills in for me will have to be flexible—”

“And I am!” Abby would tie herself into knots for an opportunity like this one.

“—and a hard worker. You’ll also have to be decisive, and if you can read minds, that will help.”

Abby chuckled politely, but she had a feeling Valerie was half serious.

“We have a week before I leave. I’ll show you my files so you can become familiar with the way Mr. Laird likes things done.” Valerie stood and so did Abby. “We’ll meet with him after he returns from the Chamber of Commerce luncheon.”

Valerie strode across the office followed by a dazed Abby. “Until then, this is the Laird executive directory. You should familiarize yourself with the names and pictures so you’ll know who Mr. Laird deals with most frequently.” Valerie held out a thick paperback book.

Abby took the directory, though she’d already spent several lunch hours studying it in an effort to become more efficient. It appeared her initiative had paid off—and far more quickly than she’d ever imagined. “Thank you, Ms. Chippin. I appreciate your confidence in me and I won’t let you down.”

“I’m counting on that, Abigail. See you at one-thirty.”

As Valerie spoke, a dark blur passed the doorway. “Hang on. Looks like you’re about to get your first lesson in flexibility,” she murmured.

Within seconds the intercom on Valerie’s desk sounded. “Valerie? I can see you now.”

“On my way, Mr. Laird.” Valerie raised her eyebrows. “You see? He’s back forty-five minutes early and expects me to be ready and available for the meeting I requested.”

Hands quivering, Abby nodded and scribbled an illegible note in her pad. She mustn’t let on how nervous she was or Parker Laird would reject her as an assistant for sure.

Beckoning to her, Valerie opened the door connecting her office to the conference room and led Abby through it. A door on the other side opened into Parker’s office.

“When you bring people for a meeting, you’ll take them in the other door, of course.”

“Certainly,” Abby murmured, able to figure that out for herself. Nevertheless, she made a note, mostly to see if her fingers were working properly yet.

And then Valerie was opening the door to Parker Laird’s office.

Abby held her breath as the bottom of the door whispered across the carpet.

Parker Laird stood facing the windows behind his desk, dictating into a small personal tape recorder. He glanced toward them, but continued talking, his eyes watching Abby as she followed Valerie.

Abby didn’t know where to look, so she met his unnerving gray gaze. That he could study her so thoroughly, yet still focus on what he was saying, demonstrated just how he was single-handedly able to run a company the size of Laird Drilling.

He was young for such a position, but everyone knew that. And with his dark wavy hair and black eyebrows, he was incredibly handsome—Abby already knew that, too. But according to the gossips, all that handsomeness was wasted, since Parker Laird was already married—to his company. They even said that when he was cut, he bled oil.

Before now, the most Abby had ever seen of Parker Laird was when he was either coming from or going to somewhere. He walked very fast, his long strides making it difficult for people to keep up with him. It amused her to see him emerge from the elevator and take off down the hall, followed by men who huffed and puffed and still tried to talk with him. He didn’t walk that fast with Valerie, but even so, Abby had seen her jog a step or two at times.

Valerie headed toward two armless chairs positioned at the end of Parker’s desk and indicated that Abby should sit in one. Valerie reached under the edge of the massive desk and pulled out an extension ledge that sprang into place. On it, she set her enormous planning book opened to a calendar, and a small tape recorder like the one Parker was using. Then she waited.

Abby took a deep breath, grateful for the few minutes to compose herself, though with Parker Laird only a few feet away from her, how could she?

She was in Parker Laird’s inner sanctum, actually breathing the same air. Abby inhaled again. There was something different about the air in here, something that accounted for the charge in the atmosphere. Abby wondered about the man responsible for it.

He’d turned back to the windows, so she studied him, allowing her gaze to roam over his perfectly chiseled profile, perfectly tailored suit and perfectly shined shoes. Obviously, nothing less than perfection would do for Parker Laird.

She waited, ready to attempt perfection.

The minutes passed. He wasn’t one to waste time, but as Abby sat there, waiting for him to finish whatever it was he was doing, she became impatient. She was in the middle of several projects which she would have to complete before taking over for Valerie.

And she was missing her lunch.

He launched into another set of comments and Abby rolled her eyes and grimaced. Couldn’t he have waited until after he was finished to call them in here?

At that moment, her eyes met his in the reflection of the window.

He’d been watching her and she hadn’t known it. Abby swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. From now on, when she was called into his office, she would bring an extra task with her. And if she didn’t have anything, she’d make something up.

Parker turned then and set the recorder on his desk. “Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies.”

He’d seen her expression. As her cheeks warmed, Abby heard Valerie introduce her.

“Mr. Laird, as we discussed, Abigail Monroe will be filling in for me while I’m away.”

They’d met previously, of course, but Abby knew that before, she was only one of hundreds of faceless employees.

“Thanks for helping us out here, Abigail.” Parker reached down to shake her hand.

“Please call me Abby,” she said impulsively when it became apparent that he wasn’t going to hold her impatience against her. His hand closed over hers, his grip firm without being overpowering. It was a confident grip, accompanied by a brief smile.

Abby hadn’t seen him smile much and was struck by the warmth in it.

“And how’s school going, Abby?” he asked, sitting in his desk chair and swiveling it to face her.

Abby caught a movement on her left as Valerie jerked her head to stare at her. Valerie obviously hadn’t known Abby was studying to get her business degree, making it even more astonishing that Parker had.

“F-fine.” When Valerie had asked about obligations, Abby hadn’t mentioned her night classes. “I have my final exam this week, and then the spring term will be over.” She understood that nothing could interfere with her duties to Parker Laird.

He hadn’t missed Valerie’s look of surprise. “I believe Abby is taking advantage of our tuition reimbursement program,” he said to Valerie.