Chapter Six A Small Favor
Christian
A headache forms between my eyes as I lean back into my office chair, turning towards the floor to ceiling windows that look out over my backyard. It’s beautiful here, more than I could have ever wanted for Oliver. The lush green of the earth stretches on almost further than I can see from where I’m sitting.
And every day I can’t help but pray that this place will help to heal the invisible wounds that both of us have.
Exhaustion fills me after doing paperwork all day, and I’m trying to figure out when I can get out to the rig outside of town. I’ve gotten several phone calls and emails today letting me know there’s a problem hitting depth, and as much as I wish they can handle it without me, that doesn’t look like it’s going to be the case. I’m going to have to head out there to check on it myself if the crew can’t figure it out.
Most men who own stakes in the same industry as me may not particularly care about going out there themselves to solve problems. But I do.
I love working on the rig. Getting my hands dirty is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t do it as often anymore because administrative work takes up so much of my time, but since this rig is so close, I should have more opportunities to go out there when I’m needed.
The only issue I’m facing is figuring out who can take care of Oliver while I’m gone.
There’s no one I really know well enough in Blue Ridge yet that I trust enough to watch him for an extended period of time. I left most of my house staff back in the city to take care of my father and grandfather. It’s just Oliver and I out here with a handful of part-time staff, none of whom I know well enough to feel comfortable leaving my son with.
Which is a problem.
I was in such a hurry to move us here that I didn’t really think about what I would do in this scenario. I need to secure a babysitter, and quick. If Theresa ever got wind that I didn’t have someone trustworthy to take care of Oliver while I had to work, she’d rush straight to court to bring it up as a custody issue.
I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting against the persistent headache rattling through my mind. It doesn’t last long before the alarm on my phone goes off.
Shit, it’s time to go pick Oliver up from daycare.
Which also means I’m seeing Haven again. My heart rate spikes momentarily at the thought of her. Seeing Haven when I drop off and pick up Oliver has become a highlight of each of my days. I like talking to her, and I like how normal I feel when I’m around her. Not to mention her smile is enough to brighten anyone's day.
As corny as that may sound. It’s like she doesn’t have a single gray cloud surrounding her.
Not to mention, she doesn’t look at me like a walking bank account, which is unfortunately rare for me. I just have to ignore the fact that she doesn’t actually know who I am. That’s the only real damper on my interactions with her.
Pushing the thought aside, I make my way out of the house and into my truck. The drive from my house to the daycare isn’t long and the moment I arrive I’m greeted by Maggie, who always has a smile on her face when I pass her desk.
“Afternoon, Chris!”
“Afternoon, Maggie,” I reply with a light chuckle.
Everyone is always so cheerful here. Which is refreshing considering how people in the city typically are. One of the many perks about this town that I enjoy.
I continue down the hall toward Haven’s classroom. The door is cracked open, and I stop to peek inside. Oliver and Haven are sitting together on the big story time rug, playing together with toy cars. The sight makes my chest tighten, but I’m confused.
Where are the other kids? Am I late picking him up?
I check my watch and frown. I don’t think I’m late.
Pushing open the door, their gazes meet mine and a smile crosses both of their faces.
“Hi, Daddy!” Oliver exclaims.
“Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”
He holds up two of the cars he’s playing with. “Playing cars!”
“Fun!” I declare, trying to match his excitement.
“Miss Haven is fun.”
Warmth blooms within me. That’s really something, given how hesitant Oliver is around new people. I suppose spending time in the facility over the last few days has made him open up a bit more.
“I’m glad you like Miss Haven,” I reply, glancing her way.
She grins up at me, her cheeks slightly pink.
“She likes cars,” Oliver tells me.
“Hey, I like cars too,” I tease.
Oliver looks at me with a slight frown. “I know, Daddy.”
“I’m sorry, am I late in getting him?” I ask Haven, feeling slightly guilty considering there aren’t any other children around, which clearly means I’m late or missed something I should have known.
“Oh, no!” she assures me, pushing to her feet. “You’re fine. We let out a little early today, but it’s all right. You probably didn’t know. Are you on the calling tree with the other parents yet?”
“The what?”
She chuckles at my response, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll take that as a no. It’s just a phone line thing for the daycare. We use it to inform parents about stuff.”
“Oh.” Embarrassment fills me, realizing I must have missed that in all the paperwork I filled out. “I must have missed that.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they get you on there.” Looking down at Oliver, she smiles, “All right, buddy! Time to go home. Can you pick up the cars?”
“Okay.” Oliver doesn’t hesitate to pick up the cars, taking them to the toy box.
“You’re really good with him.”
She glances up at me and smiles. “He makes it easy. You’d be surprised how many kids aren’t. But being surrounded by them all is why I love what I do.”
Gazing down at her, an idea suddenly pops into my head. It’s a little out there, but Haven is so good with Oliver, and I’ve begun to trust her. Not to mention her brother is a friend of mine, and I’ve known him for years now.
“Hey… I know we don’t know each other that well, but could I ask you for a possible favor?”
Her brow shoots up, clearly caught off guard by my question. “Um… sure. What’s up?”
“I have a bit of an emergency at work that I need to take care of… maintenance issues. And as much as I don’t want to leave Oliver alone right now, they really need me…”
“Do you need a sitter?” she asks, a smirk falling across her lips as she crosses her arms over her chest. Obviously amused by my questioning.
“Yeah—for tonight if possible.”
“Tonight?” she asks, her brown eyes widening.
“I know that it’s short notice, and usually this doesn’t happen, but unfortunately, I don’t have many other choices right now. I thought I’d ask you since he’s warmed up to you so quickly. Which also doesn’t usually happen.”
Not that I’ve let him around too many new people.
I gaze at her, tensing, worried that maybe I’m stepping over the line a bit.
To my surprise, though, she nods. “That’s fine. I can watch him.”
Really?
I blink, caught off guard by her easy response. “Are you sure? Because if not…”
“It’s fine,” she insists, smiling up at me.
“That, uh… that’s amazing,” I reply. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this. You’re a lifesaver.”
“It’s not a problem,” Haven assures me. “Don’t worry.” She turns to Oliver as he returns to us. “We’re gonna be a-okay, aren’t we, racer?”
Oliver grins ear to ear. “Yeah!”
“All right, then,” I murmur, smiling a little. I gaze at Haven, stunned by her generosity and willingness to help. She’s really… really amazing.
My phone suddenly buzzes, startling me out of my daze. I dig it out of my pocket and see that it’s Buck Paulson, the site leader, sending me a text: Can’t hit the depth. Keep breaking drill heads .
I sigh.
“Yeah, I’ve got to go,” I say. “Um, do you mind possibly taking him out to our house? There’s someone there that can let you in.”
“Sure thing,” she answers. “Can you text me your address? I’ll give you my number.”
I hand her my phone and she puts her number in so I can text her our address and other information she might need. Once that’s done, I look down at Oliver.
“I gotta go to work for a while, buddy. Will you be a good boy for Haven?”
“Okay,” he says with a nod. I smile, kissing the top of the head. As much as I want to believe everything is going to be okay, I can’t 100% block out the nagging concern in the back of my mind that’s telling me that maybe I’m making a mistake.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be totally fine,” Haven assures me, clearly noticing my hesitation in leaving Oliver behind.
“Thank you so, so much,” I tell her. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear. And I won’t be too late. As soon as I get it sorted, I’ll be right back.”
“It’s all right,” she insists with a small laugh. “Go on. Don’t worry about a thing. I promise to take excellent care of him.”
I release a long breath and nod. “Okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can, and I’ll leave his seat up front with Maggie before I head out.”
I cast one last glance down at Oliver, who looks as cool and calm as I’ve ever seen him. Which does help to make me feel a bit better about this situation. Even if the constant worry of parenting floats at the back of my mind.
With a final nod toward Haven, I turn and hurry out of the room, turning my focus toward the work issues, calling me away from home.
***
Two hours later, I arrive at the rig, dressed in a button-up shirt and a pair of slacks. I hadn’t changed from the attire I’d had on this morning. Instead, I left the daycare and came straight to the site.
“You’re overdressed,” Buck snorts as soon as I step out of my truck. Usually I’d take a helicopter to things like this, but with as close as the site is, I don’t have to.
“You said it was an emergency,” I grin, shaking his hand.
“You got me there,” he chuckles.
He leads me down into the rig, toward the drill, and I take a look at the broken drill heads before I strip off my shirt and climb into the machine.
“Ricky Tan tried it for hours, boss, and he kept breaking through just before the drill popped,” Buck calls.
“It just needs a man’s touch,” I call out with a laugh.
I can’t stop the smile that falls across my face as I get to work. This is my favorite place to be, other than next to Oliver. I grew up on my father’s oil rigs, and they’d been small until they weren’t. This is what I’m good at. This is where my passion for the job really lies.
Cranking up the machine, it roars to life. I can’t hear anything but the rush of adrenaline in my ears. I push the drill bit down, down, and when Buck starts to yell, I don’t back up, just continue in a slow and steady push until I feel it give.
Oil bursts through the pipes and all over the rig, and the guys are cheering when I get out of the machine, covered from head to toe in thick black oil.
Hell, Ricky Tan even hugs me.
“I’ve been working on that sonofabitch for days,” he groans.
“Like I said, it needed a man’s touch.”
Ricky rolls his eyes, but lets out a begrudging chuckle.
“Stay for a drink, boss,” Buck suggests, and as much as a beer sounds good right now, I can’t stop thinking about Oliver.
And I can’t stop thinking about Haven, in my house, in my personal space. The thought heats my blood in a way I can’t ignore.
I just need to go home.
“As tempting as that offer is, I’ve got to get going. My son’s waiting for me at home, and I’m already going to miss dinner and bedtime by the time I get there.”
I say my goodbyes, and of course, it’s late and I’m exhausted when I arrive back at home a little after three in the morning. My shirt is relatively clean since I’d taken it off before I started, but I’m still covered in oil and sweat and don’t want to dirty it further by putting it on. When I walk into the house, Haven and Oliver are on the couch.
He’s asleep on her chest, and she’s snoring softly. Oliver’s mouth is open and his arm hangs over one end of the couch.
My heart seizes in my chest. They look adorable, I must admit.
Haven snorts awake when the door shuts and scrambles up with Oliver in her arms.
“Oh, shit… I mean, shoot,” she says, her eyes widening. Oliver’s still dead asleep. “Let me get him up to bed.”
“It’s okay,” I tell her in a hushed voice. “I really appreciate you taking care of him. Any problems?”
She shakes her head as she adjusts Oliver in her arms. “None at all. He was great. Let me take him upstairs and put him to bed. You look like you could use a shower.”
I glance down at my oil splattered pants and nod. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go wash up quick. If you’d hang out until I’m done, I’d appreciate it.”
“Oh, sure thing,” she murmurs, giving me a once over before quickly turning and heading up the stairs.
I watch her until she disappears from sight on the second floor landing. A heavy breath escapes me as I try to collect my thoughts. How is it that a woman I barely know can completely catch me off guard?