Page 15 of Colby (Tucker’s Pride #5)

“Colby, do you have a minute?” He told Candi, one of his workers for the trips that he always had time for her. “I’m pregnant. I didn’t want it to happen right now, not with me getting a good job and all, but I have to think of my new addition.”

“Are you quitting?” His mind raced to figure out what he was going to have to do to replace her tomorrow if she was quitting already. “I sure could use you tomorrow, but I understand if you have to leave now.”

“I’m giving you a month’s notice. That’s plenty of time to get someone trained again, isn’t it?

” He said that he’d make it work. “I’m really sorry about this, but I don’t know that I want to be huge pregnant while out on a fishing trip.

I don’t have morning sickness yet, but I’m sure with the swaying of the boat that it’s going to be difficult to keep my soup down. ”

“I understand. I do. And I don’t know that you’d be safe out there either.

You’re going to be a little clumsy, too, I’m betting.

My sister was forever falling down when she was large with child with her two.

” Candi burst into tears, telling him how nice he was being to her.

“I know what it’s like to have someone having a child around me.

My sisters both have them. We’ll be all right.

And if you ever need a job again, come and look me up.

You’ve been a hell of a worker for us, and we’re going to miss you. ”

When she left him, he got back to work on trying to figure out an ad so that he could put it in the paper that he was in need of some extra hands.

He was also going to have the Tucker Foundation put it out there that he was going to be hiring three new people, hoping that at least one of them would work out as soon as possible.

He didn’t want to go through the process of hiring and training someone again, but it had to be done.

Maybe he’d find that all three of his new people would work out and he’d keep them around for the new boat when it got it.

Right now, it was going to have to be on a delay because of being short-staffed. But he had no doubt that he’d get it finished up and working in his favor in no time. He just needed to get people to come into the interview, past the drug and background check.

By ten that evening, he was headed home.

He should have gotten out earlier, but every time he thought of leaving, something else would pop up.

Mostly, it was calls from his family. They’d found out that he was helping the grandparents out, and they wanted a part of it too.

Glad that they wanted to help, he was disappointed when Denver said he’d help with the roses, as he could be there when the soil arrived.

He knew that all of them were going to help them out, and it would be a good thing.

They’d spend some time with the grandparents and have a good time too.

Dragging his ass home, he was nearly there when he remembered that he didn’t have any groceries in the house.

Not even any milk so that he could have a bowl of cereal in the morning.

Going back out seemed like too much trouble, and he decided that he’d grab something on the way to the docks.

Christ, it had been a long day, and he still needed to take a shower and get his clothing ready to go out tomorrow.

Just as his phone was telling him that it was midnight, he was finally able to get into his bed. Setting the alarm for a good time for him to get up, he nearly sobbed when someone touched his mind. Didn’t anyone have any schedule that they followed? Colby was happy when it was Emma.

“Sorry it’s so late, but I had to ask you something.

I know it’s really late, but I have to go out tomorrow, and I was wondering when the next time you’re off so that we can go furniture shopping.

No big deal if it’s not soon. I know we both have jobs that will have to be worked around.

” He told her that it just so happened that he was off Thursday through Saturday.

“Great. I should be back tomorrow night, and I’ve asked to have those days off too.

All right. We’ll split the cost of the household things between us.

I know we didn’t talk about money, but I have a little bit. Not a great deal, but a bit.”

“I have money. As part of the foundation, I get a check each week for working there once or twice a week, and I’ve been banking it.

Also, I have a nice-sized account from the trip funds that I can use for this.

” She said she was sorry again and told him she was glad that they could get together.

“Are you feeling any better about being overwhelmed? I know that since I get to talk to you often now, I’m feeling better too. ”

“I do feel better. It’s like things are settled, and I can move on with things that were bothering me before.

Thanks for telling me about the touch thing.

” He said it was his pleasure, and she laughed.

“Sometimes it’s all I can do not to pull off the side of the road and contact you, I’m stressing out.

Did I tell you that Taylor has all the drivers she needs?

That’s why I can get those days off now. She’s pretty excited about it, too.”

“She told me when I spoke to her today. Taylor said it was nice not having to rely on her wits to get the product to the stores, but with people like you working for her, she’s not as stressed about it either.

I’m assuming that Jack helps her with that stress.

” He felt his face heat up when he thought of the way his brother might be helping Taylor, and didn’t know what to say to her.

He was as embarrassed as he’d ever been.

He decided to change the subject. “We’ll drive to one of the bigger cities to have a look around.

There isn’t much around here for furniture that we might like. ”

After deciding what time to meet up and who was driving, they closed the connection.

It made his day not seem so overwhelming after talking to her, and he was glad that she’d contacted him.

As he was getting ready for tomorrow by lying out his clothing, he thought of all the things that had been going on of late.

He needed to slow down some or he was going to burn himself out.

That was the reason they’d moved out here: to get more time to spend with family and to rest a bit more.

He didn’t want to fuck that up by being overworked when things were just beginning to look up for him.

Smiling to himself, he got into bed. Tomorrow was going to be a better day, and he couldn’t wait to get started on it.

And even if it was hectic, he was going to teach himself to stand back and take a deep breath so that when things got messed up, he wasn’t so overwhelmed by them.

His new mantra was going to be, Don’t stress, it’s not worth it.