Chapter Five
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B ristol parked across the street from the house she’d found using her GPS, an adorable late-period Victorian, by the looks of it. The basic bones of the place were good, but judging from the sagging roof and the sad state of the wooden shakes and columns on the exterior, it was in serious need of love and attention.
It was Saturday, but the place was a hive of activity. Two full-size pickups marked with the construction company logo were parked out front. A huge Dumpster sat in the driveway, already half full of debris from the demo they were doing.
The whine of a saw and loud bangs from inside greeted her as she went around into the backyard. Beckett Hollister stood in the center of the large lawn with his phone to his ear. He raised his chin at her when he saw her and kept talking.
She didn’t know him personally. By all accounts he was a bit gruff, but she didn’t mind that. He’d been born and raised here in Crimson Point and gave back to the community with every project his company took on, saving heritage homes that would otherwise be lost to a bulldozer. He also gave military veterans steady work with good pay and benefits. That told her everything she needed to know about his character.
“Hi,” he said once he’d finished his call, walking over to offer his hand. “Thanks for coming by.”
She shook with him. “Thanks for meeting with me.”
“No problem. Watch your step.” He took her hand in his larger one, helped her step over a pile of debris until she was safely on the grass on the other side.
“Thanks.” She glanced around the space, took in the various piles of lumber and other materials stacked neatly along the fence line, awaiting completion of the demo phase. “How long until you can start building?”
“Another few days. Hoped we might be able to work with most of what was inside, but it turned out to be a complete gut job. The wiring was a ticking time bomb. Honestly, can’t believe this place didn’t go up in flames years ago.”
She winced in sympathy. “I’m looking forward to seeing the transformation.” They did impeccable work.
Glancing left, she noticed an elderly dog sprawled out on a comfy-looking oval doggy bed in a patch of shade made by a pile of bricks. “Oh my gosh, is this the famous Walter I’ve heard so much about?”
A slight smile softened Beckett’s hard features and warmed his eyes. Aww.
Everyone knew the story of how he had adopted the senior pup from a local shelter after someone had left him at the dump. And his wife was the town vet. No wonder she’d fallen for him. “The one and only. You can go pet him. He’s an old guy, so you’ll have to go to him. Not much pep in his step these days, unless he’s in the truck or a dune buggy.”
“Dune buggy? That I’d like to see.” Bristol grinned and went over to crouch next to the dog, some kind of spaniel-basset mix if she had to guess. Walter thumped his tail softly but didn’t move, gazing up at her with droopy brown eyes. “Well, aren’t you a gorgeous, distinguished gentleman, huh, Walter? Yes.” She stroked a hand over his silky head and down his back, earning another tail thump. “You look pretty comfy, my friend.”
“Sierra’s got him all dosed up on arthritis meds and doggy weed. He’s not in any pain.”
Doggy weed. Ha. “That’s good. Oh, you are a sweet little guy.” Bristol rose and faced Beckett again. “Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I just wanted to come by and tell you that I managed to find Tomás.”
His dark eyebrows rose, a scar running through the middle of the left one. “Did you?”
“Yes. He goes by TJ now though. I told him about your company and that you offered to meet with him. I’m not sure if he’ll contact you, but I wanted to let you know just in case he does. I hope he will.”
It was all she’d thought about since meeting him yesterday. Well, not all. He’d certainly made an impression. Physically, he’d fit right in with the rest of the men around here.
“You said he served with your brother?”
“Yes, Rangers. They were deployed together a couple times. Eric always spoke highly of him. And for what it’s worth, the foreman Cassie and Gavin talked to in May said he was a good worker. No problems with him.” She felt the need to add that, because too many people saw homeless people as useless and disposable.
“Good to know.”
“I don’t know why he changed his name, but Cassie mentioned that Ivy had done some digging to find out more about him. I’m told there’s not much background information on him.”
Beckett frowned slightly. “Yeah, that’s kind of a red flag, Ivy not finding anything.”
“I’m sure he—”
“I’m not saying it’s a deal-breaker. I’ll meet with him if he’s interested.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Sure.” He eyed her for a moment. “This is really important to you. Helping him.”
“Yes. He was my brother’s friend. Eric was in a similar situation once, so if I can help TJ get back on his feet, I will.”
“I respect that.”
They both turned at the sound of uneven treads coming down the wooden steps behind them. A tall, built, good-looking man with a short auburn beard and hair came toward them with a noticeable limp. “The lads are about to knock off for some scran,” he said in a lovely Scottish accent, and gave her a smile. “Who’s this, then? I’m Mac.” He held out a hand.
“Bristol. Hi.” She shook with him.
“She’s trying to recruit a former Ranger for us,” Beckett said.
“Ah, that’s grand.” He shifted his attention to Beckett. “You want the lads to pick up anything for you in town?”
“Nah, we’re meeting Sierra soon. Come on, Walter.” He bent and scooped the dog up in his arms. Bristol’s insides went all squishy at the way he cradled the little guy to his broad chest and carried him across the yard.
She walked with them, unable to resist scratching behind Walter’s long, floppy ears. His swishy tail thumped against Beckett’s ribs. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything from TJ,” she said as they reached the driveway.
“Good.” Beckett strode for one of the pickups. “I’ll text you if he contacts me.”
“Thanks.” Bristol hurried over to his truck. “Which door?”
“Right rear. He can still see me from there, and he’s safe from getting hit with an air bag.”
She opened the door for him. Beckett leaned in, set Walter on another comfy-looking bed, and strapped him into a special doggy seatbelt. He straightened and ruffled the dog’s ears, a crooked grin on his face. And oh, yeah, she could totally see why Sierra had fallen for this hard-edged warrior.
“Thanks again. Enjoy your weekend,” she said. Or what was left of it. “Bye, Walter.”
“See you,” Beckett answered.
She got into her car and headed toward home, calling Cassie on the way.
“Just heading into a meeting,” Cass said. “What’s up?”
“I met with Beckett. He’s still open to meeting with Tomás. TJ,” she corrected.
“That’s great, hon, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to see either of us.”
“We took him off guard, and my offer stung his pride.” Damned, stubborn male pride made everything so much harder in her experience. “He’s had more than a day to process everything. I hope he’s at least thought about the offer.”
She’d sure thought a lot about him. Those dark, intense eyes, and all those hard muscles under his flannel shirt. Thinking about him sleeping on the street without anywhere to go weighed like a rock in the pit of her stomach.
“You know what they say. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
“I know.” But she had also managed to help drag her brother out of the black hole he’d fallen into. She wasn’t giving up on TJ. “You free later? I was thinking of heading over to the parents’ place for dinner later. That work? Dad’s golfing until then.”
“I’ve got training after the meetings. No idea when I’ll be done, but I’ll text you.”
“Okay, sounds good. Talk to you later.”
“Bye. And hey, don’t let it get you down if he doesn’t take you up on the offer. You tried. That was good of you, and way more than most people would do.”
“No promises.”
“Yeah, I know. Just felt the need to say it anyway.”
Good of her.
Those words rolled around in Bristol’s head as she drove home. Was it good of her just because she didn’t want to see a veteran who had served honorably with her brother live out the rest of a bleak existence and then die forgotten on the street?
She’d planned to go home and enjoy a glass of wine in the sunshine on her back patio, but now she felt restless and bored, the idea of going back to her empty place suddenly unappealing. If Eric was still here and he’d known about TJ, he wouldn’t sit back and wait for his friend to make a move.
She knew her brother. Knew he would have done everything in his power to help his buddy, to get him off the streets. TJ didn’t seem violent. She hadn’t seen any needle tracks on his forearms. He’d been sober at the site. If he had any addiction issues, he was high-functioning. That gave her hope. Made her believe it wasn’t too late for him.
A plan formed in her mind. It was impulsive. A bit invasive. A lot invasive, actually.
She considered it for another few minutes. Dismissed it. But after driving another mile, the feeling of rightness in her gut wouldn’t go away.
It was early afternoon. She had hours of daylight left yet. It wouldn’t be that risky as long as she left by the time it got dark. Besides, Cassie was busy. And Bristol was strong. She had done this before and could do it again now. For Eric. She could almost hear his voice in her head.
Help him. He’s got no one else.
She turned the car north and headed up the hill toward the freeway, determination taking hold now that she’d made her mind up to do this. She would start at the construction site and go from there.
The rest of the world might have given up on TJ. But not her.