Page 60 of Fierce-Matt

“Don’t worry about it,” Jolene said. “Anything I can help you with?”

She was stacking the glasses to get them ready for faster service. She had a routine that worked for her. Justin had told her he liked working with her the best. It gave her a sense of pride she’d been lacking in her career choices.

Though she had to admit, last week’s closing and another coming up in a few weeks had made her feel much better about herself.

Matt was right.

She didn’t have to be like everyone else.

She didn’t have to be cutthroat and stab someone in the back to do a good job.

Being the person who was nice and available went a long way.

As long as she continued to draw that line to not be taken advantage of or walked all over.

Her job was to provide a service to her clients, but that didn’t mean she was going to be handcuffed to them so she had no life.

If it meant losing a sale, then so be it. If her employers didn’t like that, she’d have to find someone else who did.

“I’ve got it,” she said. “Almost set up.”

Jolene waved her hand. “Not with work. With what is making you frown now?”

She forced her smile back in place. “Wow. I didn’t realize you had such a steely eye.”

“I see and know everything,” Jolene said. “How is your father doing?”

Guess Jolene was right. “He’s doing well. I wasn’t aware you knew my parents.”

“It’s a big town, but family-owned businesses that have been around as long as ours know each other. When Fierce was just a pub, Gavin did most of the work getting it set. He worked construction prior and spent some time buying supplies in your father’s business.”

“Oh,” she said. “I hadn’t realized that.”

Her father was older than Jolene and Gavin, she was guessing.

She wasn’t good with ages, and it’s not as if Jolene looked much older than fifty, but she obviously was with her kids in the mid to late thirties.

Being on the petite side with a stylish shoulder-length bob, no grays in her hair, tan Bermuda shorts and a light blue T-shirt tucked in with canvas sneakers on her feet would have her blending into the customers well.

“I’m sorry to hear what happened to the business. What a shame. I’m not sure what I’d do if someone who worked for me so long had stolen from me.”

Anya snorted. “She got away with it for so long because my father trusted her. Then he started losing track of what was going on. Shelly took advantage of it.”

Which was the sharper sword to pierce her back.

She’d known Shelly her entire life. Shelly came to holidays with their family when her husband passed and she was alone and grieving.

To think someone could hurt you so deeply. Be welcomed into your home, sit at your table and share in your memories, then betray you like that was unfathomable to her.

EJ had always liked Shelly. More than the rest of them.

It should have been a sign looking back.

Shelly and EJ were a lot alike. Neither could be trusted and both had a sneaky side.

“Which is harder to handle,” Jolene said. “I would be camped out on her doorstep until she paid us back every single penny. I’d be shouting through the doors and windows too. The police would have to pull me away.”

She burst out laughing. “I can see you doing all of that, but it’s not our way. My mother has more important things to focus on, but I believe we’ll get what is coming to us.”