Read Need You Tonight for Free Online Page A

married , we bought a house in Jacksonville close to the Marine base. Then I moved here, recently.” Stop. Just stop, Brooklyn. She didn’t ask for your life story.
    She gives me a hard look. “Legally, as an employer, I can’t ask you this, but as a woman… are you safe? Your ex isn’t going to try to cause you problems, is he? It’s not a deal breaker for me, and I won’t fire you on your first day over it, but I want to know up front what we’re dealing with.”
    “No,” I say, my voice growing hoarse. “My husband won’t be… I’m a widow. He’s dead—the war.”
    Her face pales as she hops off the desk, getting on eye level with me. “Crap. I’m so sorry, Brooklyn.” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “I really stuck my foot in it.”
    I shrug, trying not to cry in front of someone I don’t even know. As I try not to be stupid and weak after two years of barely living with myself. “It’s okay,” I say quickly. I don’t understand it, really, this ache that never goes away. Time is supposed to heal all wounds, but the hole in my heart just keeps getting wider. “He was a Marine. So…” I smile brightly. “Could you tell me more about the job?”
    “The job,” she echoes, confusion written all over her face.
    “Yeah.” I nod, my head bobbing like a broken doll. “I want to know about the job, the hours, the pay, and the dress code.”
    Seemingly relieved, she stands up and goes over everything with me, ending with, “We’re only open to employees on Saturdays—so you’ll have off on the weekends.”
    I blink. “The entire weekend?”
    “The guys who work here are gearheads, so instead of them stealing the parts they need and heading back to jail when they eventually get caught, I let them order the parts at cost and deduct it from their pay. They also have use of all the tools here, too.”
    Some of the guys have criminal histories. I can practically hear Parker saying the words.
    “And you should be aware that most of my employees have spent time in jail. They’re not couth, they don’t give a damn what your last name is, and more than likely, they’ll screw up again. But I completely believe in second chances, which is why I started Jailbirds to Jobs.” Rowan tips up her chin and crosses her arms over her chest. “Is that going to be a problem for you?”
    I don’t say anything for a moment because I don’t want to answer her with a flippant ‘yes’ or a fake ‘of course not.’ The thought of working around former criminals does bother me. I can’t help that, but I’m not going to hold it against any of them. And as Rowan said, everyone deserves a second chance. “My husband didn’t have the squeakiest of records, before the Marines gave him a second chance, and he still got in trouble every now and then. Sometimes, I contributed to his…um, backsliding. Is that a problem for you ?” I counter.
    Her stern expression eases, and she grins. “You’ve got some lady balls, Reeves. I like that.”
    The rest of the day flies by as I take notes, learn names and codes, employee and delivery schedules… there’s so much to take in, but luckily, Rowan is patient with me.
    “Don’t worry about nailing everything down today, or even this week,” she says, blowing her bangs out of her face. “I’ve been doing this for years, and I still forget crap. Which is where you, my shiny, new assistant manager, will come in.”
    Snorting, I tilt my head and look at her. “Shiny?”
    “Shiny or prissy. Take your pick.”
    With a little laugh, I say, “I vote shiny.”
    “Okay, then.” She nods at the clock above the door. “Time to knock off.”
    After turning off the computer, I gather my things and look around my office. It’s located in the corner of the building and has twin corner windows. The view’s not bad—it’s a row of flowering trees bordering the parking lot.
    “See you tomorrow.”
    She pauses by the door. “Yep. So, um… about the dress code around