Chapter 6
P atrick pulled off his hard hat and ran a hand through his hair, checking his watch. Ten-fifteen. He scanned the street for signs of Kathleen making her way over with coffee for everyone, a daily delivery that he looked forward to each morning.
“Boss, you’re doing that thing again where you stare across the street,” Tommy called from where he was measuring lumber.
“Don’t worry about me,” Patrick shot back.
“Just keep an eye on what you’re doing.” His crew had figured out his increased interest in their coffee delivery person weeks ago.
He couldn’t blame them for the ribbing—he’d gone from being the guy who kept his head down and focused on work to someone who looked forward to their morning break.
There she was. Kathleen emerged from the café’s entrance, carrying the usual thermal carafe and carry bag that held everyone’s orders. Patrick checked his appearance and brushed concrete dust off his work shirt. When he looked up, Tommy was grinning at him.
Instead of waiting in line behind everyone else who’d ordered coffee, he walked across to meet Kathleen. “Hey there.” Patrick reached for the heavy carafe, and their fingers brushed against each other. “You’ll make us spoiled for regular coffee after this job’s done.”
Kathleen smiled. “It’s a win-win for everyone. You enjoy the café’s coffee, and having you here is great for business.” She handed Patrick a brown paper bag. “I brought an extra cinnamon roll for Tommy. He helped me hang a painting yesterday.”
Patrick chuckled. “He has the sweetest tooth of anyone I’ve met.”
“He’s young enough that a few extra pastries won’t make any difference to his waistline.” Kathleen set down the carry bag on a makeshift table. “Things are really coming along over here.”
Patrick nodded. “We’re onto the enjoyable parts now.” He poured coffee into one of the paper cups and handed it to the first person standing in line. After Kathleen gave Stevie the muffin he’d ordered, she reached for a pastry.
It didn’t surprise Patrick that a third of the construction crew was already waiting for their coffee. “How did the shopping trip to Bozeman turn out?” he asked. “You seemed excited when you told me about it.”
Kathleen’s face brightened, and Patrick felt a familiar contentment at seeing her happy. “Oh, it was wonderful. As well as Isabel finding the perfect wedding dress, she asked Lynda, Susan, and me to be her bridesmaids. Emily’s boutique had so many options that we didn’t know what to choose.”
Patrick poured another cup of coffee. “Did you all find something to wear?”
Kathleen nodded. “It took longer than we thought, but we got there. After lunch, we visited some of the antique stores around town. I found a beautiful vintage light fixture. It’s crystal and brass, probably from the twenties.
It’ll be perfect in my dining room. And we discovered a store with gorgeous wallpaper samples.
I could have spent the entire day looking through their books. ”
Patrick handed Tommy the extra cinnamon roll. After thanking Kathleen profusely, Tommy sat beside some of his friends and enjoyed the break.
“The structural engineer came on Friday,” Kathleen told Patrick. “I should hear about the final cost soon. If Lynda hadn’t seen the crack in the wall outside my bedroom, I could have been living in a pile of rubble.”
Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen. Patrick watched her expression shift from animated to concerned.
“I’ll just take this call, Patrick. It’s Jerry, the structural engineer.” She answered on the third ring. “Hi, Jerry. I hope you have some good news for me.”
Patrick focused on distributing coffee to his crew, but he couldn’t help noticing how Kathleen’s voice became quieter with each response.
“What kind of additional support?” A pause. “How much would that cost?” Another pause, longer this time. “Oh my. No, I... yes, I understand. Thank you for letting me know.”
She ended the call and stood perfectly still for several moments, looking at her phone as if willing it to ring again with better news. Patrick waved Tommy over. “Can you make sure everyone who’s ordered coffee gets a cup?”
“Sure, boss. What about the pastries?”
Patrick took a sheet of paper out of the carry bag. “If anyone forgets what they ordered, it’s on here.” With Tommy sorted, he walked across to Kathleen. He was concerned by how pale she’d become. “Is everything all right, Kathleen?”
She met his gaze with a frown. “The foundation of my house is in worse condition than the engineers originally thought. Much worse. The previous owners had some work done that wasn’t up to code, and it’s affected the entire structural support system.
Jerry says they’ll need to rebuild an entire section of the house. ”
Patrick felt his stomach drop on her behalf. Foundation work was serious business—expensive, time-consuming, and absolutely necessary. “What are we talking about in terms of cost?”
“About twenty-eight thousand dollars.” The words came out flat, as if she was reading a grocery list. She looked across the street at her café. “I already borrowed against my business for the down payment.”
Patrick felt his gut twist. He’d seen the same look on homeowners who’d gotten in way over their heads.
“I’m sorry,” Kathleen said suddenly. “You don’t need to hear about my mess. You’ve got work to do.”
“Hey.” Patrick’s voice came out rougher than he’d meant it to. “Don’t apologize. And don’t make any big decisions when you’re still reeling from bad news.”
“I’m not sure what other options I have,” Kathleen told him.
“Twenty-eight thousand dollars doesn’t just appear out of nowhere.
I’ve been putting money aside for the remodel for months.
I thought I’d planned for every single issue that needed to be fixed, and now.
..” She made a helpless gesture with her hands.
Patrick moved closer, keeping his voice low so the crew wouldn’t overhear. “What would you think about letting me take a look? I could give you another opinion on what needs to be done?”
“You’d be willing to do that?”
“I’ve worked in construction for decades. During that time, I’ve dealt with plenty of foundation problems. A lot of engineers don’t look for alternative ways to fix the issues they find. It might not change the outcome, but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone else examine the house.”
Kathleen searched his face, as if trying to determine whether his offer was genuine or just polite concern. “You’re too busy as it is. I couldn’t impose on your time.”
“You wouldn’t be imposing. I’m volunteering.” Patrick glanced back at his crew. They were making an obvious effort to appear busy while listening to every word. “I could look at your basement at four o’clock on Friday afternoon if that suits you?”
For the first time since that phone call, Kathleen’s expression showed something other than despair. “Do you really think there might be alternatives?”
Patrick couldn’t make promises. Structural damage didn’t resolve itself through optimism alone. But he’d also seen enough buildings to know that second opinions were always worthwhile.
“I think,” he said carefully, “that old houses can be full of surprises. Sometimes those surprises cost money, but sometimes they’re not as complicated as they first seem. I won’t know until I take a closer look.”
Some color returned to Kathleen’s cheeks. “Friday afternoon it is, then. Thank you, Patrick. I really appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I can do after you’ve hand-delivered our orders each day.”
When Kathleen smiled, Patrick realized he was already mentally rearranging the work he’d scheduled for Friday.
The end of the week couldn’t come fast enough.