Connie gave him an icy stare. "Is it all right if I call Lisa now and then to see how she's doing?"
Giddon looked surprised. "Of course. She's a house guest, not a prisoner."
Connie raised her eyebrows. "You mean an employee."
He favored her with one of his wry smiles. "Right." He glanced at Lisa's luggage. "Are you ready?"
Lisa glanced at Connie; not at all sure she was making a wise decision. She shrugged. "I'm as ready as I'm going to get."
At the car, Connie hugged Lisa while Giddon impatiently held the car door open for her. Lisa returned the hug. "Good luck with your job this summer. See you this fall, if not before."
Connie stepped back. "Take care of yourself, and if you have any problems, call me. OK?"
"Sure," Lisa said as she climbed into the car. Giddon closed the door, and Lisa waved to Connie as he walked around the front of the car. He started the car and they drove off, leaving Connie standing there on the curb looking after them with a troubled expression.
It was all so fast that she didn't have time to think. She studied her new boss, for the first time completely aware of his features. Connie was right. He was handsome, though she wouldn't go so far as to call him gorgeous. His features were too rugged to be described with such a word. Thick dark lashes and a deep tan intensified the blue of his eyes, and his freshly shaven face had attractive angles. She looked away; wishing Connie hadn't brought it to her attention. He was her boss now, not a date. A boss she knew little about. Was he married? Separated? Remembering his kiss yesterday, she doubted if he was still married. She stiffened, wondering if the job was genuine - or was he was simply looking for a mistress? She glanced at him suspiciously.
"Where is Tammy's mother?"
His attention left the road long enough to search her face. His expression was perplexed. "She died when Tammy was born."
Blood pulsed vigorously into her neck. "I'm sorry."
He gave undue attention to the road. "It was a long time ago." His tone was flat, almost uninterested.
Lisa hesitated, afraid of blundering further, but why did he need a sitter when his mother lived in the house? She tried to make her tone casual. "Has your mother always taken care of Tammy?"
He nodded; his attention riveted on the highway. Why was he so unwilling to discuss the situation? She stared out the windows at the telephone poles as they approached and sped off in a blur. Something wasn't right. She turned and studied his stoic profile anxiously. "Then why are you suddenly in need of a sitter?"