She couldn’t come out and tell him she never wanted him kissing her, because that would have been a lie.
“He can afford another one,” Katie told the men.
Dean caught her eye and spoke directly to her. “Miss Morrison is hard to say no to.”
“Ha! Then why are there only five niches down the halls and not ten?”
Laughter erupted from the men.
Someone hissed like a cat.
“Touché.”
Dean turned back to his crew and continued his pep talk. He spoke about the next phase and his desire to have the hotel completed before the holidays. He finished up quickly and encouraged everyone to eat.
Music filled the room from an impressive portable player and work was completely forgotten.
Dean snagged an open bottle of sparkling wine from a bucket of ice as he walked toward her. “Looks like you could use a refill.”
Katie lifted her glass.
“Oh, is it Wait on the help day? I could use another beer, boss,” Jo said.
Dean chuckled and turned to get her one.
Steve was a step ahead of Dean and handed Jo a beer with a wink. “Here ya go, Jo.”
Jo’s face turned beet red and her gaze drifted to the floor. “Thanks.”
Looked like things had gotten interesting between these two. At last count, Jo had been snarky and standoffish and now there was a coy smile and knowing blush. Katie sipped her wine and watched.
“Nice speech, Dean,” Steve commented.
“I meant every word. I have a great crew.”
“You make it easy for them. It’s hard to get work in this economy.”
“Even when work wasn’t this hard to get, these men rose above the average. You know it. I know it.”
Steve nodded and lifted his beer. “For many more projects to come.”
Dean toasted and turned his attention back to Katie. “What about you, Katie? You think you’ll want to do this again after Jack’s hotel is finished?”
She’d asked herself that question a few times. The job itself had thus far served its goal. It gave her direction and purpose. Then again, so did Savannah. Juggling the secret and the job…and Dean.
“I think that’s a no,” Jo said.
“No. I’d do it again. Will do it again.”
“But?” Dean watched her intently.
“I think I’ll take this to a new level. Manage others to do what I do.”
“More than a worker bee.”
“Is that what I am?”
“Hardly,” Jo said over her beer. “Oh, c’mon,” she replied when all three of them stared at her. “Worker bees don’t set their own hours and come and go as they please.”
Katie couldn’t help but see that Jo didn’t think very well of her. For some reason she wanted Jo’s approval.
“You’re right. Bosses are the ones who work beyond nine to five and come in on the weekends,” Dean defended her. “Katie has worked hard on this project.”
“We all have.” Jo didn’t seem affected by his words or his rising anger.
Katie stepped in. “I realize that, unlike anyone else here, I’m the only one who hasn’t had to work to afford to live. I can’t alter the fact that I was born to money, which I wouldn’t change for the world. My father worked hard to make his fortune and Jack is doing the same. I’m just trying to figure out where I fit, Jo. I know I am the boss’s daughter, or in this case, sister, and it would be damn hard for Dean to fire me, but that doesn’t make me a slacker.”
Jo’s face had gone blank. “I didn’t call you a slacker.”
“Ya kinda did, Josephine,” Steve said under his breath.
“Oh, hell…I didn’t mean to. Sorry, Katie.”
“It’s OK.”
“No, it’s not. I’ve been a little edgy lately, not that that’s an excuse. My mother would slap my butt if she knew I’d been so rude.”
Jo simply vocalized what so many others thought. And that was refreshing…rude, but refreshing.
“No worries.”
Dean and Steve let the women work it out while they drank their beer. Steve broke the tension with a laugh. “Slap your butt. I’d like to see that.”
Jo swiveled on him. “I’ll bet you would. And don’t call me Josephine!”
Steve’s eyes grew wide. “Put your claws away, woman. Maybe food is the medicine you need.” He drew her in the direction of the food line leaving Dean and Katie alone.
“Wonder what has her all fired up?”
Katie thought of her own little bundle of fired up and shrugged. “Who knows? Let it go.”
“Still…”
“People have judged me every day of my life, Dean. That isn’t going to change. The truth is, I’ve never had to work and you can’t fire me.”
“Seems to me you’ve made up for that by working harder, darlin’.”
“I’m working harder because I don’t know what the hell I’m doing half the time.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“Oh, please. Everything is a learning curve. And my boss’s budget is as tight as an ant’s ass.”
Dean gifted her with his signature smile complete with the cleft in his chin and sparkle in his gray eyes. “I could put in a word with your boss, get a bigger budget.”
“Don’t you dare!”
“OK, OK…put your claws away, woman,” he repeated Steve’s words. “C’mon, you need food, too.” Dean slung an arm over her shoulders and shoved her toward the buffet.