Chapter 12 #2
He knew what it was like to have something thrown in your face, he’d never do that to her. Even if it was to prove a point. That didn’t mean he was going to let her off that easy.
“Just tell me why you were avoiding me today and I’ll drop it.”
“Because you made me look like an idiot,” she said, and her words slammed into him like a hammer on a nail. That was the last thing he’d expected her to say.
“I don’t understand.”
“We were having a moment. Or so you let me think. But you knew the cameras were there the whole time.” She said it so quietly he barely heard her.
That she thought he’d actually play her like that broke his heart. It also meant that he had a long way to go in gaining her trust. He wasn’t sure who broke her ability to put faith in other people but he wanted to punch the guy.
“We were having a moment. I was in it as much as you were. I forgot where we were until I saw Jack out of the corner of my eye, and I stopped because I remembered how upset you were last week when they caught us in my workshop. I didn’t want you to get hurt like that again, so I played it off like we were just fooling around. ”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Thank you for being honest. As for me avoiding you, I’m sorry. Part of it was because of that but there’s another reason.”
Decker knew he wasn’t going to like the other reason. He could tell by the uncomfortable way she held her body.
“Moments like that can’t happen again. There’s clearly chemistry between us, but this project is too important to complicate over chemistry.
I need to be focused on the goal and that’s my aunt’s house.
Plus, I want to prove to people that I can handle this reno myself and I don’t need a big man to save me.
See why I can’t afford any distractions? ”
Being whittled down to something as insignificant as a mere distraction hurt. What he felt for Poppy went far deeper than just chemistry. He wasn’t sure what it was yet, but it was something he was desperate to explore.
He was about to explain that to her when she held up a silencing finger. “You hear that?”
All he could hear was the sound of disappointment ricocheting around the inside of his chest like a pinball.
“There. He’s in the freezer.” She grabbed Decker by the shoulders. “He’s going after my ice cream. Don’t let him get the ice cream.”
“Seriously?”
“Dead. Board meeting adjourned. Now, go get ’em, Thor.”
“Board meeting paused. We will come back to this.” He stood, grabbed the crowbar and stepped out from the bushes. With a fortifying pause he glanced through the garage window. And Poppy was right, Backpack had his head stuck in the freezer.
Knowing he had the element of surprise on his side, Decker jerked the door open and jumped into the room.
“Hey!” he shouted, but the punk was already on the move, racing out the side door. Decker was hot on his heels. He’d barely made it through the threshold when he heard the chain-link fence rattle. Backpack was trying to flee the scene.
He should have let it go. He really should have.
Had it been his house, and the situation were different, he would have.
But this was Poppy’s aunt’s place, and he didn’t want to think of the million-and-one reasons someone would run, fleeing from her house after hiding in the shadows. Unless they were guilty of something.
“Stop!” he called out.
Backpack did the exact opposite, sprinting toward the fence and going up and over. Decker was shocked the guy was so agile with his jeans pulled so low on his hips.
With a battle cry meant to intimidate, Decker swung the crowbar over his head like he was in Braveheart and took off after him. He vaulted the fence in one move, crashing down on his knee when he landed.
“Motherfucker!” he groaned.
Breathing through the pain, he got down the drive right as Backpack ran across the side lawn.
He might be built like a linebacker, but Decker still had a couple of inches and twenty pounds on him.
He also was faster, allowing him to run the guy down.
Before the prick could disappear into the night Decker grabbed the pocket of the backpack and yanked down.
The guy came crashing to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and started to run when Decker snagged the back of the hoodie and tugged him to a stop.
“Stop fighting, you’re only making it worse on yourself. The cops are on their way,” he lied.
“Shit!” the prowler said, and that’s when he realized that Backpack wasn’t just any delinquent—it was his nephew. His nephew who should be studying in a dorm at UCLA, where he was taking summer classes.
“Miles?” he asked and immediately let him loose.
“Uncle Decker?” He looked so young in his hoodie and jeans. His hair was messed up from the fight and his eyes were wide and scared.
Decker righted the kid’s sweatshirt. “You okay?”
“No. You tore my backpack,” he said.
“You broke into a closed set and ran.”
“I thought you were security or something. I mean you came out all wild swinging a crowbar. I thought you were going to kill me.”
Decker put a hand to his beating heart. “Christ, Miles. What are you doing here?”
“I was trying to get ahold of you, but Brian said you didn’t have access to a phone.”
“It’s called a closed set. Why were you in the garage?”
“Looking for something to eat.”
Decker laughed. His nephew could pack away some serious food. “There’s nothing in the fridge.”
A voice came from behind them. “What we do have is a front door. With a bell. Why not use that instead of, oh I don’t know, scaring people to death.”
Decker looked at Poppy, who was standing behind him now, with his crowbar over her head. She gave Miles a little wiggle of the fingers. “Hi. I’m Poppy Hart.”
“I know who you are,” Miles said, and Poppy’s chest puffed out with pride at the fact that a teenager knew who she was. Decker took the crowbar out of Poppy’s hand and slowly lowered it to her side.
“You said you were hungry? There’s some ice cream bars in the freezer,” she offered sweetly.
“Now you’re going to offer up the sweets?” Decker snapped.
“Not for you. Not after the whole crush BS earlier,” she snapped back.
“I knew you were listening!”
“Hard not to when you’re screaming in my ear.” She turned to Miles. “All not true, by the way. That kiss story was complete crap if you ask me.”
“Ask me then. You’ll get a completely different story,” Decker said to Miles.
“I don’t know, Uncle Deck. It looked pretty sketch to me. Like it was all staged.”
“What?” Decker said at the same time Poppy punched a fist in the air and said, “Told ya!”
Decker found himself rolling his eyes. “You watch the show?”
“My frat brothers and I gather at the house every night and watch it.”
“Seriously?” Poppy asked, her voice alive with excitement.
“Can we get back to why you broke in here and nearly got yourself killed?” Decker asked.
“Honest, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Miles kicked the grass. “But can I crash here?”
“Isn’t there a dorm room with your name on it?”
Miles ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I sorta took a gap semester.”
“Does your dad know that?”
“The only guy I call Dad is the shithead who bailed when I was five. As for the guy who raised me? I call him Brian.” There was no venom in his voice, just acceptance. But it was news to Decker.
Decker wondered if it hurt Brian that the kid he’d raised like his own didn’t want to call him Dad. Why didn’t he know the answers to these questions? Even more concerning why now, after all these years, was he only now wondering about these things?
“Does Brian know?”
“I told him I wanted to take some time to figure out if I want to design homes or build them,” the kid said, skirting the question.
He chuckled because he knew Brian was going to flip his lid when he found out. No wonder the kid showed up here.
“Are you going to tell Brian?” Decker asked.
“Doesn’t matter if I do or not. I’m an adult,” Miles said.
“Great to hear that. Because adults know how to adult and that means facing the music and calling Brian.”
Miles looked as if he were going to puke. “Can’t you?”
“No way, kid. You’re old enough to make this life decision, you’re old enough to make a call. Adult. Remember?” He put his hand on the kid’s shoulder. “Now make the call.”
“Only if you promise me I can stay.”
“You want to stay?” Decker was stunned. “And do what?”
Miles gave a shy shrug. “Learn from you. I’m tired of studying how to build homes. I want to get my hands dirty and learn from you. Just like your grandpa taught you how to be a finisher. That’s what I want to do.”
“What about Brian?”
“He’s a great general contractor, but he’s a big picture guy. I want to build things that say something.”
Decker didn’t know why, but hearing that his nephew wanted to stay there and work alongside him gave him a sense of elation.
It was like a balloon was in his chest filling with helium as his nephew looked at him with almost hero worship in his eyes.
But that balloon quickly popped when he reminded himself that he was as far from hero material as one could get.
And his brother would be the first to point that out.
“There might be a flaw in your plan. I doubt Brian wants you to grow up like me.”
“That’s ’cause Brian can be a tool.”
“Maybe, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he’s smart. And he wants more for you than screwing in crown molding and painting walls.”
“What about what I want?” Miles burst out. “Because that sounds pretty cool to me.”
Decker wasn’t going to be the one to deter Miles. In fact, he was a firm believer in chasing your dreams no matter the cost. He wouldn’t have had the career he’d had if he hadn’t chased his dream with a thousand percent focus.
“Then you’d better get your phone out and call him, because this will be your last call. The second the producers get here and discover you’re squatting, your summer will be in lockdown.”