Chapter 22
J oseph met Tomas and Fiona in the church parking lot.
The day had been a scorcher, and it was still warm as they approached a side entrance.
Tomas had never been in this part of the church and assumed this was where the offices were located.
A group of people were exiting, and Joseph moved to hold the door open for them.
Fiona and Tomas stepped aside, allowing the group to pass, then followed Joseph inside.
“I smell heaven!” Andy’s loud voice preceded him as he popped out of a conference room and beckoned them to enter.
Tomas smiled in agreement. The red chile sauce in Hola!
’s chicken enchiladas was heavenly. The combination of onion, garlic, and jalapenos made his mouth water.
Obviously, it was a good choice. The aluminum pan he carried was enough to feed a small army.
When his mother found out he was bringing dinner to the pastor, she pulled out all the stops, elbowing Stevie out of the way and preparing the food herself.
Fiona carried a bag with freshly made tortilla chips and guacamole, as well as paper plates and cutlery.
“Put everything on the table, I’ll be right back.
” Andy disappeared, and Tomas and Fiona busied themselves setting out the food while Joseph unpacked his laptop.
Andy had rearranged his evening, provided they fed him.
He reappeared carrying a tray with a pitcher of ice water and four glasses. “Sit, please,” he said.
They each found seats, Tomas and Fiona on one side of the long table, Andy and Joseph opposite them. Loading up his plate, Tomas waited for the others to do so. Andy said a quick blessing, and they dug in.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Andy said around bites of his enchilada. “That was the trustees group. They’d have talked forever. And thanks for insisting on feeding me.” He twisted around and kissed Joseph’s cheek.
Joseph smiled in response, then turned to Tomas. “He forgets to eat, then gets seriously cranky.”
Tomas watched the exchange between the two men.
They were relaxed and openly affectionate with one another.
He looked at Fiona to see her beaming at her brother.
As if feeling his eyes on her, she turned toward Tomas, a warm look in her eyes and a soft smile on her lips.
With that look, the tension went out of his shoulders, and he finished his meal in silence, listening to the men’s good-natured bickering.
Groaning, Andy sat back with a hand on his belly. “That was so good.”
Motioning at the leftovers, Tomas said, “My mother said you’d take the extra food.”
Andy nodded. “Yeah, we have a couple of families who will love it. I’ll drop off the leftovers on my way home.”
Fiona looked at her watch. “Shall we get started? Joseph, will you take notes?”
Her brother pulled his laptop toward him, and all three looked expectantly at Tomas.
He’d had doubts about his ability to contribute to a group of highly educated business and community leaders, and considered begging off.
Fiona could easily take the lead and would be more eloquent about it.
Then he thought about why he’d told her about his idea in the first place.
Telling someone else meant he needed to follow through.
Rubbing his hands on his thighs, he took a deep breath and began.
“There are people here in Keeney in need of housing. Already we have the tiny house community going up, but that doesn’t help families.
The cost of homes is crazy, making it hard for the average person to afford to buy one.
And what they can afford is often crap; in need of more work than they can do themselves, or afford to hire someone to do. ” He looked over to Fiona.
“HFH is in the position to purchase homes and work with qualifying families who would work on the homes themselves, with reduced mortgage rates,” she said.
Joseph’s fingers stilled on the keyboard. “Mother will never go for that.”
“Hear me out.” Fiona raised a hand and spoke directly to her brother. “Mother is looking for a legacy, and you are looking for something different.”
“What do you mean?” Joseph jerked back.
“You aren’t happy,” Fiona spoke softly but earnestly.
“I can see you’re restless. I think you want to do more than property management.
You know about real estate. You are the perfect person to oversee this project.
Find and purchase houses, learn from organizations that help people get into housing, then work with banks to offer loans that won’t overwhelm working families. ”
Tomas could see Joseph’s interest growing as he listened to Fiona, and he looked at Andy to judge his reaction. The pastor met his gaze and gave him a discreet thumbs-up. But Joseph wasn’t quite ready to commit.
“And Mother? She’s not a risk-taker. She only gives back to the community when it benefits her as well.
Like the cosmetology school.” Joseph glanced between Tomas and Andy and explained, “Everyone thinks that HFH started the school to train immigrants and students who aren’t college-bound.
What they don’t know is that graduating students intern in HFH salons as part of their training. Mother gets low-cost employees.”
“Your mother’s motives may not be totally altruistic, but that doesn’t mean the community hasn’t benefited from the school. I know she reduces tuition in favor of the internships, which makes it easier for students to afford the training. Not every school is willing to do that.”
Joseph frowned at Andy’s interruption, but Fiona went on before he could speak.
“Mother wants a legacy. And what better legacy than helping families find homes. And, I think right now, after what she said about Tomas, she’s feeling repentant, and will be willing to buy in.
And yes, I know I am capitalizing on her guilt, but I don’t have a problem with it.
” Fiona sat back, glaring around the table as if expecting to be challenged.
“How can I help, and what role do you want the church to play?” Andy asked.
At Joseph’s narrow-eyed look, he went on, “Fiona’s right.
I haven’t known you long, but even I can see you want more than to be a landlord.
And I can get the church firmly behind you.
Affordable housing is social justice, and that’s something this congregation strongly believes in. ”
Fiona grabbed Tomas’s hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. His heart lightened. This could work. Fiona’s determination and Andy’s reasoned enthusiasm were swaying Joseph. Rather than scowling, Joseph looked thoughtful.
“Andy, will you be able to identify families? If not from your congregation, then from other churches?” Fiona glanced at him before digging into her tote bag and pulling out a file folder.
“I made a list of action items.” She distributed papers, keeping one for herself.
All three looked at the list. Andy was the first to laugh, then Tomas, and finally Joseph.
“Can I check off the first item?” Fiona asked with an innocent look.
Joseph rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you sweet-talked me into coming on board.”
With an exaggerated stroke of her pen, Fiona ticked off the first box.
Andy nudged Joseph’s shoulder and spoke while studying the list. “Yes, I can identify the families. The city has a housing taskforce, and I’ll reach out to them.
They’ll be very excited. We might have a problem, though.
” He put the paper down and looked directly at Tomas.
“Your mother is very well-liked and has a lot of influence in the church. Your mother—” Andy switched his gaze to Fiona and then Joseph “—has a lot of influence. People respect her, but don’t particularly like her.
I think you are going to have to convince them to work together. ”
Tomas sat back and studied the others’ expressions.
His mother’s heart was huge. He didn’t think it would be difficult to convince her to participate.
Carlos, however, was a different story. He didn’t forgive easily.
He’d have a hard time supporting the project if Linh Han treated his wife the way she’d treated Tomas.
Fiona must have been thinking along the same lines. “Louisa Santiago is one of the sweetest women I know. If Mother treats her badly?—”
Joseph cut her off with a hard look. “She won’t.
Mother’s ego is big. I think she will want to do this.
We make it clear to her that an apology is required and that this is a communal project.
If she doesn’t agree, then I’m leaving HFH.
” He shrugged. “You’re right. This is the kind of thing I want to do.
I’ve been stuck for a while, and I want something more fulfilling.
If HFH doesn’t back the project, I’ll find work with an organization that does something similar.
Maybe you can hire me.” He looked directly at Fiona and grinned.
She snorted. “Mother won’t like an ultimatum. But we will make a compelling argument to the HFH board. I’m sure we’ll have the votes when they see our presentation.”
“Who’s on the board? I thought it was just your family?” Tomas asked.
Joseph shook his head. “Mother, Father, Fiona, and I each own fifteen percent of the company. There are eight other shareholders—our cousins, who have five percent each. They’re pretty passive, but we do need their agreement. Mother’s the one we have to persuade, though.”
“Will your dad be able to help?” Andy asked.
Joseph shot a look at Fiona before sitting back and crossing his arms. “Possibly. The thing is, Mother knows that Dad went to meet Tomas and wasn’t happy about that. Like he’s choosing Fiona over her.”
Fiona stiffened beside Tomas, tension rolling off her in waves.
“It’s not all bad because it’s about time Mother learns that she can’t run our lives.” Joseph looked at Andy, then at Tomas. “We get to choose who we want to be with.
“I don’t want to put this on the back burner while we wait for Mother to get her head on straight and welcome Tomas with open arms. It’s a brilliant idea, and we should move on it.”
Brilliant? Tomas’s lips twitched in a slight smile. If it was brilliant, it was because of Fiona.
He may have had the original idea, but it was unformed. She was the one who had seen the value and magnitude of what they could do.
Her spine straightened. “Then we better make this a very persuasive presentation.”
A tiny furball was buzzing with energy when they got back to Fiona’s place.
Little One scampered after the toy Fiona tossed down the hallway, bouncing off the walls in her eagerness to get to it.
Fiona put a hand against Tomas’s chest to push him back into the bedroom.
Resisting the push would have been easier than breathing, but the thought never entered his head.
She closed the door and leaned against it, eyeing him up and down like he was a prize she’d won at the fair.
He straightened his spine and flexed his pectorals, making them dance.
Fiona let out a surprised giggle. With her hands on his chest, she ordered, “Do it again.”
And he did, liking the feel of her touching him. Inviting her to touch him wherever she wanted. Her hands moved from his chest up to the back of his neck, and she tugged him down to claim his lips.
Whether she knew it or not, every time she kissed him, every time she smiled at him, she plucked a tiny piece of his heart, and put it in her pocket. She could have it all, and he would wait as long as it took for her to offer her heart to him.
His hands went to the buttons of his shirt, but she stopped him.
“No, let me.” Eyes glittering, she kissed each inch of exposed skin as she worked the buttons and pushed his shirt off his shoulders.
Light hands danced across his chest and under his arms. She dragged her nails down his spine, leaving him trembling.
He thunked his head against the wall, unable to stand without support.
Grabbing his ass, she squeezed him hard before teasing along his waistband and unbuckling his belt.
“Babe,” he groaned.
“Yes?” She looked up at him with an innocent smile from where she knelt before him.
“Are you going to?—?”
“Yes,” she replied and took him in her mouth.
“Yes,” he sighed, stroking his hands through her hair. “Yes.”