Chapter 21
A car pulled into the parking area while he was in the middle of instructing a student on the proper way to hold a hammer. “Now pull it all the way back,” Tomas said.
The student looked at him warily. “But I’m gonna miss the nail.”
Tomas nodded. “It’s gonna happen, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.”
“Okay,” the girl said, then took a big swing. She hit the nail squarely on the head and squealed in delight. “I did it!”
“You sure did. Keep it up.” He watched her a little longer, then turned to see who had arrived.
Fiona stood a few yards away with an older man beside her. “Hi,” she said with a bright smile. The man nodded, looking wary.
“Oh, hey. I wasn’t expecting you. Is everything okay?”
“Yes. This is my dad, and he wanted to see what you’re building. I hope it’s okay, I probably should have asked first.”
“Not at all.” Tomas came closer and bent to kiss her cheek. “You are always welcome.” He turned to her father, unsure what the protocol was. If the man refused to shake his hand, things would go downhill fast. He settled for introducing himself. “Hello, Mr. Han, I’m Tomas Alvarado.”
Not as tall as his son, David Han had rounded shoulders, graying hair, and a barely noticeable paunch under his short-sleeved button-down shirt.
His khaki pants were slightly wrinkled, and his shoes were well-worn.
He seemed the opposite of his pompous, rigid wife.
He held out his hand. “Please, call me David.”
They shook hands, then David stood back and surveyed the work site.
Four students were erecting the frames that would eventually form the walls of a house. It was their third day working together, and they were beginning to gel as a team. The girl Tomas had been instructing scooted across the floor, driving nails to secure the frame into the flooring.
“Wouldn’t it go faster with a pneumatic hammer?” David asked.
“Yes,” Tomas replied. “But they will have to use a hammer on some jobs, so they might as well get good at it now.”
Fiona stood ramrod straight, her smile looking a little strained as her gaze flicked back and forth between her father and him.
What did she want? He wasn’t good at small talk, and his anger toward her mother extended in part to the father who’d allowed his wife to run roughshod over Fiona for years. However, Fiona had brought her father to meet Tomas and see him at work, which had to mean something.
Fortunately, the cat, wearing a jaunty bow made from bright yellow construction tape, jumped down from the bed of his truck and strolled over to greet the visitor.
“How’s Little One like being on the job site?” Fiona asked, bending to pick up the animal. They’d determined she was a girl and made plans for her to soon be spayed.
“Good. She caught a mouse earlier and was very proud of herself,” Tomas replied. She’d left the half-eaten carcass near the entrance to the port-a-potty, which hadn’t endeared her to the student who stepped on it, though.
“I guess she didn’t like being alone yesterday. So when we were leaving for work this morning, she escaped and got into Tomas’s truck,” Fiona explained, stroking the cat’s ears. “I can’t take her to the office because two people have allergies, so Tomas brought her here.”
David nodded. If he’d caught on that Tomas spent the night at Fiona’s place, he didn’t react. “And you’ve named it Little One?” he asked.
Tomas snorted. “Yeah, we couldn’t settle on a name. I thought Hell Cat or Demon was appropriate, and Fiona wanted to call her Precious Kitty. So for now, it’s Little One.”
Little One scrambled out of Fiona’s arms, leaped to the ground, wove a figure eight around David, then sat on her haunches and stared up at him.
“I think she wants you to pick her up,” Fiona said with a laugh.
David frowned. “I’m not much of a cat person. I’m better with plants.”
Little One cocked her head as if listening, then stalked off with a flick of her tail.
“Did I offend her?” David asked.
“Apparently so.” Fiona patted his arm. “It’s okay, Dad. Bring her treats when you come to the house, and she’ll forgive you.”
She walked over to Tomas and stood on tiptoes to kiss him on the mouth before saying, “We’ll get out of your way.” She said, “Thank you,” in a quieter voice, and stepped back.
“Any time,” Tomas replied, meaning it. He added, “David, if you ever feel like swinging a hammer or playing with power tools, you’re welcome to stop by.”
“Really?” David smiled.
“Really,” Tomas answered truthfully, his gaze fixed on Fiona.
F iona walked into the cafe where she’d arranged to meet Tomas.
She’d suggested Hola! , but Tomas had demurred, so they were meeting at one of the restaurants that hired and trained workers from Keeney Works.
She arrived early to speak with the owner and was pleased with the glowing report she received.
At present, four of the staff had come through the program, and the restaurant owner was considering training one for a management position.
Driving back from the job site yesterday, her father had commented favorably on Keeney Builds and Tomas’s patience with the students.
She assumed her mother had told him about Tomas’s prison record, but her father didn’t bring it up, or comment on Tomas spending the nights at her place.
Today, her father messaged about accepting the invitation and setting a date to work on the job site.
So when Tomas entered, Fiona was in a good mood.
He spotted her wave and strode over with a frown on his face. It didn’t look like his afternoon had been nearly as good as hers.
He leaned down to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head and caught his lips with her own, turning the chaste peck into something deeper. His eyes flashed as he pulled back with a low growl.
The blush on her cheeks warred with the grin on her lips. She wanted this man and wasn’t afraid to let anyone know.
He sat across from her and spoke in a low voice, “We should have met at your place.” He grinned evilly as comprehension dawned, and Fiona’s blush deepened.
The server arrived at that moment, and they placed their orders. Tomas drank from his water and placed it back on the table. His frown returned.
Before meeting up with him, she’d exchanged emails with Hilary, who said Tomas had the details on the second scholarship student.
So Fiona texted and asked him for the contact information.
He’d come back with the request to meet for lunch, which pleased her greatly.
It was no burden at all to meet with all that hotness in the middle of the day.
Sitting across from him and sensing his uneasiness, her stomach tightened.
If something was wrong, she wanted to know now.
Before she allowed herself to dream bigger.
She steeled herself for the blow. “What is it?”
He placed his elbows on the table and interlaced his fingers. “I need to come clean.”
Her heart leaped into her throat, and it must have been visible on her face because he reached out to take her hand.
“Not about us, babe. We’re all good. It’s about the second student who wants to be an architect.” He glanced down at the table and back up at her. “It’s me.”
Fiona blinked. “What?”
He released her hand and sat back, not meeting her gaze while he spoke. “A while ago, Vincent walked in when I was looking up details for becoming an architect. He assumed it was for the students, and I didn’t correct him.”
“You want to be an architect?” She drew his gaze back to hers, and he nodded.
“Yeah. At least, I think so. I like building things, and I want to learn how to design, too.”
She studied his face. It was earnest and animated. “Have you always wanted to do this?”
He shrugged. “Kind of. When I was younger, I didn’t want to put the effort into learning more.
It was….” He pointed at his head and rolled his eyes.
“But I made it through the contractor’s program, and with the work I do at KBS and Keeney Builds, I think I can do it. I just have to take my time and focus.”
The server arrived with their orders, and they took a few minutes to eat. Her mind reeling with questions, Fiona forced herself to let Tomas take the lead. This was his dream.
“Then Hilary got you involved.” He looked up and grinned. “You two were so excited. You see possibilities everywhere, and I didn’t want to bring you down.”
“How would that bring us down?”
“I’m too old. You can find scholarships for the young ones. They’re so eager and fresh-faced. While I’m….”
The frown was back as Tomas shook his head and took a bite of his sandwich.
“You’re older? Have a record? You are the perfect candidate. You have a great story. Someone who screwed up, and is starting over. When schools hear about you?—”
Dark eyes flashing, Tomas leaned in and spoke intently. “That’s just it. I don’t want my story out there. It was bad enough to have to talk about it to get support for Keeney Builds.”
Chastened, Fiona turned her attention to her meal.
“Babe,” he murmured.
She focused on her sandwich, but when Tomas spoke again, his voice soft and gentle, she looked up to see tenderness and apology in his eyes.
“That came out too harsh. I didn’t tell you I was interested in being an architect because I realized what a time and financial commitment going to school would be.
And yes, I know a scholarship would offset expenses, but still, I have a learning disorder, it will take a long freaking time to do the program. ”
“People go back to school as adults, even people with learning disorders. They work full-time and go to college if that’s what they really want.
” Mindful of the people around them, Fiona kept her voice down, but she was angry, disbelieving that Tomas was too lazy to study.
It sounded like he was using his difficulties with reading as an excuse, too.
“Yeah. I get it. And I’m not afraid of hard work. But you and Iris and a cranky old man opened my eyes to something else.”
“What?”