Chapter 15
West
Monday morning, I was a cliché. Getting laid sure as hell could improve a guy’s mood.
After sleeping like the dead, I’d woken up early with lots of energy. I’d even caught myself humming in the shower. Humming, for fuck’s sake. I barely recognized myself, but I wasn’t complaining.
A few hours with Presley Holiday naked had rocked my world. After literally aching for her for weeks, I’d gotten her out of my system.
Something told me I’d be reliving the memories of last night for the foreseeable future. A devilish voice in my head wondered if memories would be enough, but I squelched it.
They’d have to be enough. Last night was a one-off.
My mom and Thomas had brought the girls back home early today as planned.
It’d been damn good to hug my little princesses, nonstop chatter, bouncing energy, and all.
My mom had assured me they’d had the best weekend, all of them, Thomas included.
When I’d told her I felt bad that they were spending so much time without me this summer, she’d insisted that being with family was good for everyone.
Don’t kid yourself. Allie and Kinsley and the other girls who watch them are like family in their minds, my mom had said. Your girls make bonds easily and fast. That means they feel secure. That’s because of you, West.
Her words assuaged my concern, but they also served as a reality check and a warning.
My daughters did bond fast and easily, particularly with women.
They’d already started bonding with Presley.
She could be a positive influence in their lives as long as I didn’t screw up and give them any reason to think Miss Presley could be more than a client and a distant family friend.
A one-off, I reminded myself as I got out of my SUV at the construction office.
An unforgettable, mind-blowing one-off.
The Dawson Construction HQ was basically a giant heated garage with a full wood shop, plenty of storage for supplies and samples, and a cluttered but functional office.
Levi and Nick were already in the office, waiting for me. Today’s meeting was a check-in on our projects before Nick and I met our crews at our respective worksites.
“Morning,” I said as I came in from the work area.
“What’s up?” Nick said.
“Hey, West,” our boss said. “Let’s get started so you two can get to your jobs. I’m running into Nashville to pick up the backordered bathroom cabinets for the Holiday project.”
“They don’t deliver anymore?” I asked.
“It’ll take nearly a week for them to get them here. You’re ready for those now.”
“We were ready for them last week,” I agreed, “but we’ve got plenty to keep us busy in the meantime.”
“How’s the kitchen cabinetry going?” Levi asked me.
“Slick. Alicia’s doing a bang-up job as always.” She was our in-house carpenter who built out all our custom cabinetry. “We’ve got about half of them in. The other side needed some adjustments due to changes Presley made on appliances. Alicia said she’d have them delivered by end of Thursday.”
“How’s that walnut looking with the paint color she picked out?”
“Really good. Presley loves it.”
Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought Levi sized me up for an extra couple of seconds. Maybe it was my guilty conscience, even though I technically had nothing to feel guilty about.
Levi turned to my coworker. “Nick, I ran into Old Man Castille at the Country Market over the weekend.” Levi shook his head disbelievingly. “He’s happy as a clam with you and your crew. You’re like the senior-citizen whisperer.”
Nick laughed quietly. “I live with a senior citizen. That probably helps.”
He’d moved in with his grandma a year or two ago. From what I knew, he was attentive, caring, and patient with her.
“Whatever you’re doing, thank you,” Levi continued. “Mr. Castille’s not easy to deal with or to please, but you’re doing both.”
I wasn’t surprised in the least. Nick was good. He’d been at Dawson for longer than me and had a way with the homeowners we worked for.
“Congrats, dude,” I said, meaning it, even if it brought on fresh concern as to who Levi would choose as foreman in a few weeks.
“Thanks, man,” Nick said. “Mr. Castille’s one of those where you just gotta let him ask all his questions and watch everything. He loves learning, so I give him a lot of how-to’s.”
“You’ve got more patience than I do,” Levi said. “Keep it up.”
The Holiday project was going smoothly so far too, and we were running on schedule, which in our business was nothing short of a miracle.
I felt good about the work I was doing, but I’d feel a lot more confident about getting promoted if Nick’s was going off the rails.
Not that I wished that on him. I didn’t.
Nick didn’t have three girls to feed though.
We double-checked supplies we were waiting on for both projects, discussed how the rainy end of the week might affect Nick’s outdoor project, and briefly went over the newest projects Levi had booked for the fall. We were having a record year, which explained why we had three new hires.
Forty-five minutes later, Levi said, “You can go, Nick. I’ll plan to help you tomorrow to see how much we can get done before the weather turns.”
Nick nodded, texted someone—probably his crew—said goodbye, and left the office.
I stayed put, curious what else we had to cover.
“How’s it going with the homeowner?” Levi asked me as soon as the door shut.
“Presley?” I asked unnecessarily.
His question aroused a kernel of concern, but nobody knew about last night. I’d paid close attention before turning into her driveway. No one had been in sight, and the same was true when I left close to midnight. At that hour on a Sunday, this little town had gone to sleep.
Levi tilted his head slightly, barely enough to notice, as if he was again assessing me. “Yeah. Ms. Holiday. How are you getting along with her?”
Did he know something? He’d never asked me whether I got along with our customers. The assumption was I did. “Getting along just fine. She knows what she wants and makes it clear.”
Boy howdy, did she, I thought, remembering the way she’d pulled me into the shower.
“We might not have a formal policy about getting involved with a client, but common sense says it’s a bad idea.”
“I’d agree with that,” I said, keeping my face blank. “I have no desire to get involved with anyone, client or otherwise. You know that about me.”
I made no secret of it. When April had moved out last year, my daughters had suffered the loss more than I had.
Their heartbreak had fucking crushed me.
It was the main reason I’d ruled out relationships for the foreseeable future.
I would not be responsible for another heartbreak for Scarlet, Sienna, and Nova.
The only way to guarantee that my breakups wouldn’t hurt them was to not have any relationships in the first place.
“I saw you leave Max’s wedding with Presley Saturday night,” he said, watching me expectantly.
“Did you also see she was having trouble standing up without support? And that her date who drove her there got called out for a fire?”
“Are you telling me what I saw was innocent?”
“I sure as hell am,” I said, my conscience clear because Saturday night was innocent. “I had to carry her up the stairs at the inn. She was in no condition for anything other than passing out in her own bed.” I wasn’t the type to take advantage of a woman, and he damn well knew that.
“Between the day job and your evening coffee shop gig, you two are spending a lot of time together.”
“That can’t be avoided.”
“No, I guess it can’t.” His shoulders relaxed a notch. “We just don’t need any talk about how we treat our clients, if you know what I mean.”
“Understood.”
One-off, I repeated in my head. I hadn’t lied about anything. Everything he said was true as well.
Getting involved with Presley wouldn’t just be stupid because of risking my daughters’ disappointment.
I got the distinct impression that, if Nick and I both excelled at our summer projects as we seemed to be, the final decision could very well come down to something arbitrary like client relations.
Nick had tamed a busybody retiree who had nothing better to do than interfere with the project.
That was a lot more desirable in a crew leader than a guy who had a secret fling with a hot homeowner.
“Anything else?” I asked Levi, impatient to start working for the day.
He shook his head. “Let’s get to work.”
Levi’s unspoken message was clear as day. Don’t fuck yourself by fucking the client.
Words of wisdom. Warning heard.
So why then, as I headed out to my SUV, was I fucking giddy at the thought of laying eyes on Presley again?