The Rutherford Series

4. Chapter One

I HATE MONDAYS. Why can’t we just go straight from Sunday to Tuesday and forget this whole Monday concept? The alarm screamed at Faith Greer as she yanked the covers up over her head and attempted to stuff the excess into her ears. It didn’t help.

“Rise and shine, gorgeous.” Selby sat on the edge of the bed and strove to pull the covers from his wife’s head. “It’s a beautiful day, and you’re wasting the best part.”

“I thought being in bed was the best part.” She sighed as the covers disappeared. She hated morning people.

Selby only laughed as he set a hot cup of coffee on her nightstand. “Only if we’re having s*x, and since we’re not, it’s time to get up.”

“I’ll let you f**k me if I can sleep through it.” She spread her legs and laid her arms out flat.

“You could sleep through me f*****g you? I’m wounded.” Selby left the side of the bed and grabbed his shoes.

“I’m tired. Get over it. Pretend my snores are moans.” She kicked the covers back within arms’ reach and snuggled down. “I’ll even snore loudly.”

“Oh, no, no, no. Upsie daisy.” Selby walked back over and ripped the pillow from under her head. As she reached for it, she felt the covers being yanked away, as well.

She opened her eyes only enough to glare at him. “You, Selby Greer, are an evil man.”

His smile was better than morning coffee. “So you’ve told me.” He patted her tummy and then walked out of their bedroom, his shoes dangling from his fingers.

Faith couldn’t help but watch him leave, her eyes mesmerized by his faded Levi’s snug against his ass. His blond hair, even washed and combed, was a shaggy mess. He needed a haircut, and she knew he’d get one soon, because he hated the way it hung around his ears. Still, she loved that brief period where he let it go. It gave him a rugged, unkempt, beachy look, which she adored. It was during this period that the thin strands swished across the top of his shoulders, drawing her eyes to his casual but confidant stride. He was fit, with an athletic build but not that of a bodybuilder, which suited Faith just fine. She liked to lay her head on a firm chest, not a rock.

Selby turned the corner and was out of sight before Faith turned her gaze to the ceiling. Why couldn’t she be born rich so she could pay someone else to deal with Mondays? Oh well, she thought, nothing for it but to get this day started.

Faith forced herself out of the warm spot that had cradled her throughout the night. She turned the shower on to allow the water to heat up and then stared at herself with blurry vision in the mirror over their dual sinks. It was definitely a Monday. Her wheaten hair was all knotted and resembled the aftermath of a cat toy rather than her hair. She pulled down on her cheeks, examining her forest green eyes, for what she didn’t know. With a groan, she pulled her burgundy nightie over her head and tossed it onto the counter. Freckles dusted her slim body, her torso an hourglass shape she was proud of, and her breasts, while not huge by any means, were still pert and perky. She hadn’t always been so fit. When she met Selby, she was a pencil stick with hips. It didn’t help that at a quarter inch shy of five-ten she was only two inches shorter than he was. Heels were not her friends.

Steam billowed over the shower door, drawing her into the small stall where she allowed the scalding water to beat her pale skin. She hung her head under the pulsing jet and allowed it to massage her brain into wakefulness. She hated Mondays. The weekend was free and unstructured, and the two of them made the most of each moment. Mondays always seemed to give her separation anxiety, and she struggled those first few hours against feeling lost.

By the time Faith finished getting ready for work and downed that first cup of coffee, she came to life. Selby had packed her lunch and fixed her a cinnamon and raisin bagel with blueberry cream cheese, which waited for her as she emerged from the master bedroom into the kitchen. He took her Winnie the Pooh mug and refilled her coffee, adding two sugars and just a splash of cream. She might actually make it through the day.

Selby stood by the kitchen counter sipping coffee out of a mug with a giant picture of Grumpy on it. Besides his jeans and deck shoes, he wore a blue and yellow Hawaiian shirt. Casual. He owned his own used bookstore, so every day was casual Friday for her husband. She envied him. She worked in a construction office and had to have some sort of business casual attire, which to her point of view was the same as business dress up. There was nothing casual about it. Edwin Coldwell, her boss, wanted the girls at the office ready to meet a client at all times. While Faith didn’t really mind dressing up, she would have preferred jeans and a T-shirt.

“Want to trade places with me today,” Faith said, as she held her mug with both hands in front of her. “I’ll run the bookstore, and you can sit in an office with Cherish all day.” Spending the day with her younger sister had lost its appeal after the first week of working together, even if there were muscle-bound men to distract Faith at times.

He just smiled at her. “I really don’t think the guys would appreciate my ass as much as they do yours. Besides, I prefer the solitude of my shop. Workplace politics don’t get along with me too well. And it’s Monday, isn’t it?”

She gave him a quizzical look. “Meaning?”

“Cherish always calls out on Mondays according to you.”

Faith nodded as a slight laugh escaped her. “Very true, which means it’ll be quiet today. I can handle that.”

Selby placed his mug in the sink before leaning over and giving Faith a kiss on the forehead. “That’s my girl. And speaking of handling it, I need to get going. Have a great day, love.”

“Oh joy,” Faith said as she watched him scoop up his briefcase and the latest Terry Brooks novel. As the door to the garage shut, Faith took a deep breath. She might as well get the day underway.

As she crossed the Melbourne Causeway her phone dinged. Glancing at the text she read, Tracey wants to have dinner Wednesday night. She says she misses you. You up for it? Faith couldn’t help but smile knowing what Selby meant behind his “up for it”. Tracey owned Joe’s Bakery & Café across from his bookstore, and ever since he introduced the two women, he hoped for some girl-on-girl action between them. Tracey was a hot little redhead, but Faith had never crossed the girl-on-girl line and wasn’t sure she wanted to start. There were still so many other lines Selby and she were crossing.

Dinner, yes, she texted back and could picture his mischievous grin as he read it. Well, at least the dinner date would give her something to look forward to as she struggled through another Monday.

Before she knew it, Faith drove her Toyota pickup onto the grounds of the new Rutherford Construction, Inc. offices. They had recently moved the business from within the city to four acres west of I-95 on Eau Gallie Boulevard, one of the more isolated areas in Melbourne.

One of the major construction conglomerates in East and Central Florida, Rutherford Construction handled office buildings, hospitals, and million-dollar homes and even did some work for the major amusement parks that filled Orlando. The founder, Neal Rutherford, was a self-made man who started flipping houses in the ‘90s and then just kept stretching his reach until he was one of the most sought-after contractors in Florida. Rumor had it he was even putting his fingers into projects in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Faith only met Neal once at a Christmas party three months back. He was a powerful-looking man, still in perfect shape at fifty-two, with short salt and pepper hair and a trimmed mustache to match. He caught the eye of every girl in the office, all four of them.

She parked her small pickup on the side of the building, snatched up her purse, and headed for the front door. The morning sun brought a smile to her face as it warmed her hair, contrasting with the breeze that cooled her face. Neal wanted the Brevard offices close to the interstate since their jobs were located in so many different locations. Of course, some of the bigger locations had a trailer on site for immediate needs, but the bulk of the operation was housed on this small four acres of land practically in the middle of nowhere. It housed two buildings, the offices, and a warehouse, and had plenty of room for trucks and materials. Eau Gallie Boulevard dead ended into the St. Johns River, and air boats and lovers in parked cars crowded the area, but it was otherwise pretty quiet. There was an animal shelter, a giant flea market, a Park & Ride parking lot that always seemed to be empty, and the new Fire and Rescue Training School. Otherwise, it was a gravel road surrounded by palm fronds and alligators. It was peaceful, even if a little scary at night.

Most of the men were getting the materials they needed for that particular day’s assignment loaded into their trucks and ready to go. Some were still arriving, however, and honked at Faith as she walked to the main doors. She turned, waved, and then sashayed her ass into the office. Forget s****l harassment. She wanted men to flirt with her, whistling at her to show their appreciation of her attributes, and working with construction workers definitely boosted a girl’s self-esteem. It turned her on for them to want what they couldn’t have.

With a smile at the wetness between her legs from the attention, Faith pulled open the door to Rutherford Construction and entered her day.

SELBY FINISHED ADDING several Sue Grafton novels someone traded in the previous week to the mystery section when he heard the cowbell over his front door jingle. “Lunch time,” he heard the soprano voice call out. He glanced at his watch, surprised it was already a quarter past noon. This Monday flew by.

He slid T is for Trespassing onto the shelf and then left the rest of the books in the box in favor of food. He hadn’t realized he was hungry until the call for lunch rang out. “Be right there.” He slid to the back room, snagged a Coke and a Dr. Pepper from the ancient fridge he kept in the back, and then made his way to the front counter where Tracey already sat on a stool Selby kept there for her visits, opening a Styrofoam container. He could smell the sauerkraut and knew the selection of the day was Reuben sandwiches. “Smells delicious.”

“Well, you know it is. I made it.” She nibbled on a corn chip as Selby handed her the Dr. Pepper. Tracey’s vibrant red hair kept falling into her face, forcing her to keep tucking it behind her ear. Even sitting on the stool, she couldn’t look Selby eye-to-eye. Standing, she was only five-five, and every inch was a treat for the eyes. Her hair fell just below her shoulders, pointing to a firm heart-shaped ass Selby just loved to watch walk back to the bakery. Her breasts were firm handfuls that always seemed to have hard n*****s pointing out of her blouses. She was petite, but strong. People would not take advantage of Tracey Williams easily, and she ran her business with a firm hand and a gentle smile.

Selby sat in his big, black leather office chair, twirling it so he faced the tender frame of his lunch companion. “How’s your day going?”

She merely shrugged. “It’s Monday. Joe’s there, grumbling about the way I’m running his bakery as if he forgot he sold it to me. Joanie screwed up two cakes and a strudel, and Darrell was late with my food delivery this morning. I’m ready for a drink.” She gave him her fake grin with her lips pressed into a thin line.

Selby finished chewing a bite of sandwich before answering. He nodded as he said, “Yeah, that sounds like a Monday. Why don’t you just tell Joe to stop coming in?”

She slipped a slice of corned beef into her mouth, sucking the juice from her finger as she withdrew it. Selby had to shake the erotic thoughts out of his head. “I feel sorry for him,” Tracey admitted. “His kids moved away right after he sold me the place, so he doesn’t have anyone here. Besides, he’s not really that bad. He’s like my father, if my father still talked to me.”

Selby nodded his head. “I just can’t understand a father turning his back on his daughter, for any reason.”

Tracey shrugged. “It is what it is. My choices in life didn’t get his stamp of approval. Of course, when dear ol’ Dad is against you, Mom has to follow suit, so she ignores one of the children she shot out from between her legs.”

He almost choked on his lunch at her brutal description. “You’ve never told me what decision you made that caused them to exile you.” He doubted she would now, but it didn’t stop him from being curious. As far as Selby knew, only her brother kept in touch with her.

“What does it matter? No one bullies me into their way of thinking. My life is mine to live as I see fit, and I refuse to allow others to control or manipulate me.” She dropped her sandwich back into its container. “People have to accept me for me, even my parents.”

Selby took another bite of his sandwich. He agreed with Tracey, up to a point. Some choices, he knew, were just too much for traditional people to handle. Most would not accept the decisions Faith and he made with their lives, but then, there was no need to shout everything they did from the rooftops, either. Selby was a firm believer in living your life and only answering questions when asked. There was no point in volunteering things just for the shock value.

The rest of their lunch was idle chitchat about other shop owners downtown. The man who ran the British store was secretly seeing the lady behind the counter at the candle shop, and it was all hush-hush, which meant everyone was talking about it. Another street party was being planned to attract business. Selby never worked one, and Tracey thought the only thing they attracted were drunks. Still, since it was the bars organizing it, they were reaching the crowd they wanted.

“Oh, Faith said yes to Wednesday night. Where do you want to go? Our place?” Selby tried to look innocent, but Tracey’s laugh told him it didn’t work.

“I know Faith is becoming adventurous, but I doubt she’s become that open. Yet.” Tracey’s smile told him, however, that she would be willing if it were ever to happen. He was halfway there. “How about that small Italian place out by the interstate?”

Italian sounded good to him, so they set a dinner date for seven and then lunch was over; all too quick for his taste. Selby watched her perfect ass sway back across the street to her bakery to finish her day. He smiled the entire time, wondering if he would ever see her without those white shorts covering her ass.

The bell over his door rang as an elderly couple entered, said good afternoon, and started browsing. Selby went back to organizing the recent additions to his mystery section with images of Faith and Tracey spread upon his bed, making him wish he was either alone or at home.

FAITH HAD BEEN right. Not that there had been any doubt in her mind she wouldn’t be, of course. Cherish called out for the day, claiming she hurt her back over the weekend moving furniture. Faith knew it was a lie, or at least a cover-up. Knowing Cherish, she wore herself out over the weekend or merely hated Mondays. It became a pretty common occurrence. Her sister may not call off every Monday, but it was frequent enough to be noticeable; at least to Faith it was. Edwin either didn’t notice it or didn’t care. To be honest, Faith didn’t care either. Cherish was moody, her emotions sometimes coming out like a roller coaster ride that’s gone out of control. The office was a much more pleasant environment to work in when Cherish stayed away.

The day seemed set on fast forward, which was great for a Monday, and the fact there were only two hours left to her daily prison sentence pleased Faith. She glanced at her list of To Dos and gave herself a satisfied pat on the back when she saw all but two things checked off. Four girls worked at the Brevard office of Rutherford Construction. Ashlynn Leighton was the receptionist and worked out in the front lobby. She was a sweet girl, but not the brightest. Her sole purpose seemed to be eye-candy for the male clients who could stare at her store-bought t**s and not care if they were kept waiting.

The other three worked in what the men affectionately called the Girls’ Den, a small office with three desks and several file cabinets. Cherish was human resources, in charge of all employees, the hiring, firing, and keeping track of vacation days and sick days, which was ironic considering how often she called out. Nessa Sanchez was a part-time employee, there to tend to the overflow of assignments the other girls couldn’t do, which quite often relegated her to answering phones and filing when she was there.

Faith kept track of everything else, job assignments, trucks and equipment inspections, and customer complaints. She started out as Nessa, part time and doing the filing, but Edwin Coldwell had been impressed enough with her work ethic to make her full time and dump a heavy load of responsibility on her. She had loved it, but her sister hadn’t been the same toward her since. Of course, they had never really been close, but Faith’s promotion made it worse.

“How’s it going in here?” Edwin stood in the doorway. Faith saw him glance at Cherish’s desk and then turn to Nessa and her.

“Almost quitting time, so I’d say pretty well,” Faith said as she paused from going over a contract and turned to face her boss. He was a powerful man, standing three inches over six feet with broad shoulders and thick arms. His stomach was just beginning to gain that middle age paunch, but he still looked solid with strong arms and legs that could pin a girl to the bed as he drove into her. A Salem cigarette perched behind his right ear almost hidden by his raven black hair. So far the color gray had left him alone.

Nessa glanced up at him, a smirk giving her a mischievous look. “Forgot Cherish wasn’t here?”

Faith glanced at the dark-haired girl, woman really, even if she was ten years younger than Faith, not understanding the question. Then she saw him take the cigarette from behind his ear. “Well, it’s time for a smoke break.” He put the cancer stick between his lips and left.

Nessa just chuckled and went back to her files. Faith stared at the empty doorway, at the spot where his ass had been just seconds ago, and could still see the way his tight jeans had highlighted its firmness. Maybe I should take up smoking.

The rest of the day went by just as fast, and before Faith knew it, Nessa was packing up to go home. Faith looked up at the clock. 5:05. It was definitely Monday, and Cherish wasn’t there. If she had been there, then the office would have closed thirty-five minutes ago. With a sense of pride, Faith checked the last thing off her list and began shutting her computer down. Nessa said goodbye and left before Faith could return the farewell.

She just chuckled to herself as she put pens and reading glasses into her purse. She couldn’t blame the younger girl. She was ready to go, as well. Work was great, but home was better.

“Heading out?” Faith turned and saw Edwin walking into the room.

She stood, slinging her purse over her shoulder, keys dangling from her fingers. “I was, unless you needed something else.” She waggled her eyebrows at him as she pursed her lips into a smile.

Edwin laughed, the sound deep and inviting. “Too many people still here, otherwise…”

Faith walked by him and patted his ass on the way out. “You always tease me.”

He turned and watched her walk down the hall. “As if you’d let me do anything else.” His eyebrows lifted as he gave her a challenging smile.

Faith paused at the door that opened to the lobby and smiled back at him. “I’m not the one who keeps giving excuses.” She blew him a kiss. “Goodnight, Edwin.” And then she left.

On the drive home, she wondered what she would do if Edwin ceased teasing and acted on his taunts. He flirted with all the girls, offering services outside of their job descriptions, but Faith never knew him to follow through on any of it. Of course, Nessa called him a dog and a player, insinuating their boss did anything and everything in a skirt. Still, Faith never saw or heard any evidence suggesting it was true.

Furthermore, even though Selby and she had opened up that part of their lives to new adventures, Faith wasn’t sure she was ready to venture in that direction. She liked the security Selby provided, the strength to allow her inhibitions to fall away and explore that dark side she had always ignored. Until a year ago, she denied those fantasies even existed. Yet, they were there, and she was nervous about where it would take her.

By the time she arrived home, Selby’s car was already in the garage. As she entered their quaint beachside haven, the sound of Journey telling her to Don’t Stop Believing mingled with the aroma of stir-fry. Selby stood at the stove pushing food around in the wok, dressed in shorts and a blue Quicksilver T-shirt. As the scent of cooking vegetables and sizzling meat assailed her senses, she was glad he made it home before her. She loved when he cooked.

Dropping her purse on the white Formica counter, Faith snuggled in behind him and slid her hands around his waist and up his firm chest. She laid her cheek against his back as she squeezed, breathing in the scent of him. “I missed this.” Her voice came out soft and content.

“What? My cooking?” She could hear the smile in his voice.

Faith squeezed again. “Nope. You. I missed you.”

Selby set the wooden spoon on the stove and turned to face her. She never let go, allowing his body to turn in her arms. As she glanced up into his deep, ocean blue eyes, he leaned in and kissed her nose. “You mean all those burly construction workers couldn’t keep you from missing me?”

She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Well, they are nice to look at, but I fit so much nicer in your arms.”

Selby licked her nose, laughing. “But in order for you to know that you would have had to try their arms around you.”

She shrugged. “Perhaps.” Her grin was mischievous, and he just shook his head, laughing, before returning to the stir-fry. Faith kissed the back of his neck. “I’m going to go get as comfortable as you. How long do I have?”

“Fifteen.”

She kissed him again as she gave his ass a squeeze and then passed from the kitchen to the master bedroom. From the speaker system throughout the house, Journey finished, and Styx was urging her to Come Sail Away. She unzipped the side of her dress pants as she kicked her heels toward the closet, and her breathing relaxed as the business attire slid down her thin legs. It was a different mindset being in work clothes and only now, as she shed them like unwanted skin, did she feel as if she could relax. The cream-colored blouse and bra were next, followed by her black thong. The thought of just remaining nude tempted her, but then they would never eat. Instead, she grabbed a lavender sundress and slipped it over her head.

“All comfy,” she said as she spun in front of the mirror. “Selby Greer, you are one lucky bastard.”

“Don’t I know it.” He leaned on the doorframe, watching her with insatiable eyes. “Now, let’s eat.”

Faith felt the blush warm her cheeks at being caught staring at herself. “You mean dinner, right?” She walked toward him and slid the sundress up tantalizingly close to her p***y as she gave her husband a sultry come-hither glance.

Selby groaned and went back to the kitchen. “Grab the wine, vixen,” he called as he picked up both plates and headed to the back deck.

Faith smiled and did as Selby ordered.