Page 45 of Kaden & Keegan
Two new employees? That sounded daunting to her P and L, but she couldn’t deny Renee was right. It would be nice to have enough people there to cover all that needed to be done.
Resigned to doing it simply because Kayla was one of her very best friends and she was bothered that she didn’t even realize Kayla had been going to school, she made the call.
A few hours later, Kayla stopped in, surprising Bristol.
After buzzing her into the building, she met her friend in the front office. “Hey, I didn’t think I’d see you today. I thought we agreed on next week?”
“We did, I know, but you piqued my curiosity. Couldn’t put it off.” Kayla walked over to the wide window in the front office that overlooked the main recreation room. “Wow, the place looks fantastic. I honestly had no idea it was this big.”
“You’ve never been here before?” Bristol asked, surprised that she hadn’t realized that either.
“Nope.” Kayla smiled. “Never really had a reason to, I guess.”
“Can I get you somethin’ to drink? Water? Juice?” Bristol smiled. “We might still have some coffee left. Made a pot at lunch.”
“I’m good.” Kayla turned to face her. “You sounded chipper on the phone. What’s up?”
“Please, have a seat,” Bristol urged, motioning to the chair on the opposite side of the desk.
Kayla’s expression turned worried, a frown marring her forehead. “Did I do something wrong?”
Bristol chuckled. “Not at all. God, no, Kayla.” She exhaled, let her shoulders relax. “I just thought maybe we could chat.”
Kayla merely stared back at her, a deer in the headlights.
Because she knew Kayla would continue to worry, Bristol decided to get right to the point. “Why didn’t you tell us you got your degree?”
A hint of pink infused Kayla’s pale cheeks, made all the more noticeable by the black hair that hung down to her shoulders.
“It’s a … uh … recent development.” Kayla slowly lowered herself into the chair.
“I didn’t even know you were in school. And that makes me a horrible friend, I will admit.”
“It does not.” Kayla gave a weak laugh, her eyes lowering, focusing on her fidgeting hands in her lap. “I was taking classes online. It took longer than I wanted, but I got it done. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“It’s a huge deal,” she insisted. “We should’ve gone out to celebrate.”
Kayla shrugged one shoulder. Always modest, this one.
Although Renee had already told her, Bristol asked, “What’s your degree in?”
“Early childhood development. I’ve been working in a daycare in Round Rock for a while now.”
Bristol leaned forward, smiled. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve been thrilled to hire you.”
Kayla’s eyes lifted and there was the familiar wariness in them. “Because you’ve done enough to help me. Last thing I want is for you to think I’m a mooch.”
Inside those dark gray eyes, Bristol still saw a hint of the woman they’d met years ago, the one who had been abused by a longtime boyfriend. Four years younger than her and a Coyote Ridge transplant since the age of thirteen, Kayla had been brought into their informal girls club a few years ago when they’d all been having margarita night at Moonshiners. That night, Bianca had chased off Kayla’s heavy-handed boyfriend and they’d befriended the woman. Since her breakup with that jackass, Kayla had been breaking out of her shell bit by bit. Yes, she was still a little on the shy side, but she’d come a long way.
“Well, I know for a fact you’re not a mooch. And I wouldn’t be the one doing a favor here. You’d be doing me a huge one.”
Kayla’s eyebrows dipped down. “How so?”
“I am in desperate need of someone who can help me run this place. Not only a teacher,” she explained, “but someone who can assist with the other stuff, too.”
Bristol could see the hope glittering in those pretty gray eyes.
“With a degree, the pay’s a little better than a teacher,” she continued. “And I figure, as we progress, we’ll work out compensation according to your job duties.”
