Match Made In Paradise by Barbara Dunlop (black female authors TXT) 📕

Raven’s brow furrowed for a moment. “I see.”

Mia spooned the scrambled eggs onto the plates. “So, you see that I need to be useful. I was thinking I could start with some of those work pants. Do you have an older pair you aren’t wearing anymore? And you have special shoes for work, right?”

“You mean steel-toed boots?”

“Yeah, those. Got an old pair of those hanging around?”

“Why do you want steel-toed boots?” Raven frowned with concern. “What are you doing?”

Mia covered the slices of toast with a layer of peanut butter. She started to put the knife down on the counter, but on second thought she put it directly into the sink. She could tell her haphazard cooking style was making Raven jumpy.

“I thought you didn’t like peanut butter,” Raven said. “Or eggs. What happened to your fruit and yogurt?”

“You said protein sticks to your ribs when you’re working.”

“You don’t have to eat what I eat.”

She added jam to the toast, then held one plate out to Raven. “There.”

“Looks . . .” Raven hesitated for a beat. “Great.”

Mia knew she hadn’t done as good a job as Raven would have. But she’d get better. She just needed some more practice.

“Orange juice or coffee?” she asked.

“I’ll take both.”

Mia went for the juice and Raven poured two cups of coffee.

Then they both settled at the table.

“I can start slowly,” Mia said. “I don’t have experience, but I learn fast and I’m a hard worker. I want to be on the team.”

Raven stopped with a slice of toast halfway to her mouth. “What team?”

“Galina. Extra set of hands.” Mia held hers up to make her point.

Raven hesitated longer now. “We have a full staff.”

“You can give me something simple. I can lift boxes and things. It’s not like I have to run power tools or climb up on a roof.” Mia gave a little laugh at her own joke.

Raven took a bite of the toast and chewed like she was contemplating.

Mia waited. “Please let me try. All I want is a chance.”

Raven swallowed. “Uh . . .”

Mia sat forward and gave an eager smile meant to look like she’d give it her all.

Raven set down her toast. “Have you ever driven an electric vehicle or a four-wheeler?”

“A golf-cart at the country club.” Mia had had plenty of practice at that.

Raven rocked her head back and forth as if she was thinking it through. “We do have a steady stream of grocery orders to assemble.”

“I have plenty of experience shopping.”

Raven gave her head a slow shake, even as a smile crossed her lips. “I suppose you have.” She took another bite of her breakfast.

Mia raised her coffee cup for a sip, hoping that answer was a yes, and Mia dug into her breakfast. “Most people don’t know it, but modeling is really hard work.”

“Jobs that look like fun are usually really hard,” Raven agreed.

“Exactly.” Mia was gratified that she’d accepted the point.

“Brodie tells me that about flying. People think it looks fun and exciting, cruising around in the skies, but pilots make complex calculations on everything from mechanics to weather to weight and balance, never mind always thinking five, ten and fifty miles ahead and having contingency plans for everything.”

Mia couldn’t help but think of Silas. He seemed to worry a lot about risk. Raven’s description helped explain why.

“And I know what it’s like to be underestimated,” Raven said, a thoughtful expression shadowing her eyes.

“I can’t imagine anyone underestimating you,” Mia said, surprised Raven would ever think that.

Raven gave a laugh.

“You look so capable and smart,” Mia continued. “It’s something about your eyes. Or maybe your expression, the way you always look so thoughtful but confident, like it doesn’t matter what anybody says, no matter how complex, you look like you understand exactly what they’re getting at and what needs to happen next. And don’t get me started on when you open your mouth. When you open your mouth and say smart things, it’s game over.”

“I . . . wow.” Raven looked touched.

“Wow is definitely the way I feel about you.” Mia drank the last of her coffee, rising from her chair. “So, is it time for us to get to work?”

Chapter Seven

The steel-toed boots were clunky on Mia’s feet. The workpants she was wearing felt stiff. It was tricky to balance her hard hat, and she kept getting flashes of the bright orange vest in her peripheral vision. It was an interesting concept, clothing for protection instead of decoration. She’d never thought about it that way.

“This is representative of the fleet,” Kenneth said, pointing to a short line of vehicles angle parked against the outside wall of the warehouse.

They were around the corner where it was quiet, away from the loading dock traffic. Dust rose under their feet, and a few mosquitoes buzzed around her ears. But the pests weren’t getting through her canvas pants or the nylon vest, so the only things she had to protect were her face and neck by waving them off with her hands.

“Except for the forklift,” Kenneth said. “You won’t be driving the forklift.”

“Is it harder to drive?” She was warming to Kenneth. He was thirtyish, tall and lanky, polite and no-nonsense.

“It’s more dangerous, heavy, tons of torque. And it’s easy to unbalance a load when you’re lifting with it. Nobody gets near the forklift without the thorough training course.”

“Okay by me,” Mia said. “This looks less intimidating.”

She checked out the four-wheel ATV and what looked like an oversized golf cart with a long flatbed sticking out the back. The two were parked next to a mini front-end loader with a scoop bucket. The loader looked like it might be fun.

A pickup truck came to a stop on the gravel behind them and AJ hopped out. “What’s going on?” he asked, striding over.

“I’m learning to drive,” Mia answered.

AJ looked perplexed. “You don’t drive?”

“I have golf cart experience.”

“Utility vehicle,” Kenneth corrected her.

“I guess we won’t be golfing,” she joked.

“Let’s start with that,” Kenneth said, setting his hand on