Dawn over Sun Valley Ch. 02

Leanne looked confused. "But I don't work 24/7, Mr. McConnel. I get time off every night."

"It's Joe." He knew he sounded impatient, but he really hated her calling him Mr. McConnel. As if our night together never happened. "And you work from sunup till sundown every single day, twelve hours straight. More, now that Summer had arrived. That's pretty damn close to 24/7."

He had expected her to simply say 'okay' and promise to take her breaks as per her contract. Obviously, he was wrong. Leanne stood taller, squaring her shoulders and sticking her chin out, as if getting ready to tell him off.

"No it's not, Mr. - Joe. In fact, it's the easiest time I'd had in years. You wanna know 24/7? Well, being a live-in au-pair to a baby and her twin toddler brothers; that's 24/7. Or taking up college when Sofia and the boys grew up a bit, attending classes in the morning while they were in school, and then taking care of them until they went to sleep, then starting on my home assignments until one or two in the morning - only to get up at six AM the next day and start all over again. That's 24/7."

Joe just stared at her. All he could think was, Wow. and I thought farm life was hard?

"And I was happy to do it, too, because I knew it was the only way I could afford my education. This -" Leanne gestured around her, shaking her head. "This is easy. I get to eat three meals a day that I don't need to make, nor clean up after. I get most of my laundry done for me, and don't need to do anyone else's. I work with animals every day, all day, which is everything I'd ever dreamed of. And when the sun sets, I go back to my room and still have hours of free time before getting a full, solid, uninterrupted night sleep."

She held his gaze. "This is the easiest I've had since..." She stopped abruptly, her eyes darkening, and then shook her head. "Well, since forever, it seems. I don't need, nor want, any more time off. I want to make the most out of my job here."

Joe had to admit it, at least to himself - he was seriously impressed. Her attitude was refreshing, especially compared with most newbie seasonals. And yet...

"I'm glad you like it here. Still, you not taking any time off isn't right. It kind of makes me feel like a slave driver." He said it with a smile, though, and was rewarded with a tiny answering grin.

"So you're saying I should take some time off for you?"

Now there's an idea, he thought, and then shook his head to clear it. "I'm saying you shouldn't settle for less than you deserve, even if it's better than what you had before, or what you expected to get."

His eyes locked with her, and he saw her blink twice, as if in a mental double-take. He decided to push further.

"What other things would you have liked to do, if I made you take the time off you deserved? How would you spend a half-day off? Or a whole weekend?"

Leanne paused, seemingly lost when confronted with this foreign concept, but then her eyes turned distant, and he knew she was imagining it in her mind.

"Well, I - I've always loved hiking. My mom and I used to do it a lot before - " she swallowed. "I guess, if I had the time - I'd love to hike around here."

Joe smiled. "These hills are beautiful, aren't they?"

And then, acting on complete, crazy impulse, he said - "and you're going to see them for yourself, tomorrow. Nine AM, after morning chores and breakfast, I'm taking you hiking."

At first, her eyes lit up in excitement. A moment later, they clouded. "Um..." She fidgeted uneasily.

"What?"

Leanne shuffled her legs, but finally pulled her eyes up to meet his squarely.

"Are you telling me, as my boss, that I have to go hiking with you? Or are you asking me?"

Her question hit him like a kick in the gut. Damn. He didn't think this through.

All he wanted was to make her take some time off and enjoy herself. Okay, if he were honest with himself, there was also something about her that made him want to take care of her, to lighten her burdens. And although any kind of intimate involvement was strictly off-limits, he really, really wanted to spend more time in her company.

But he never considered it may come across as inappropriate. Even borderline harassment. Cursing to himself, Joe back peddled, fast.

"I apologize. That came out wrong. Let me rephrase: I am telling you, as your boss, that you're taking tomorrow off. I am asking you, as Joe, the guy you met a few weeks ago in Santa Rosa, if you'd like to go hiking with me tomorrow. I'd love to show you the prettiest trail on these hills."

"Um..."

Leanne seemed torn; her brow was wrinkled, thoughtful, but he could see the glint of excitement had returned to her eyes. Finally she gave him a tentative half-smile.

"Just a hike?"

A surge of excitement made his heart thud harder, and at the same time his belly dropped. Just a hike... yeah, right. Like it was 'just a kiss' that night? But he ignored that knowing voice in his head, and instead answered her solemnly, with just a hint of a lopsided grin.

"Just a hike."

Finally, she nodded.

"Okay."

*****

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