Chapter 2
On Thursday morning, the first rays of sun created an orange reflection in the lake’s still waters and turned the black blobs around the edges into willow trees.
But Lottie couldn’t appreciate the beauty, not when butterflies the size of buzzards fluttered in her stomach as she walked beside Knox on the way to the rec hall for breakfast. Jack always had pizza delivered on the night they arrived, and pastry, juice, and coffee the next morning.
After that, everyone was on their own unless someone cooked up enough to feed the whole crew as a treat.
To get her mind off talking to her uncle, she let her thoughts race ahead for six weeks.
Either she would be breaking up with Knox at that time, or Jack would talk him into traveling with them to El Paso.
If they split up, then she would be too distraught for another boyfriend for several months.
On the other hand, if they decided to have a long-distance pretend relationship, that might help for a few more months.
As long as Jack was good with the situation, she didn’t really care which way it went.
Knox pushed open the door into the rec room and held it for her.
“You are a good imitation boyfriend,” she whispered.
“I do my best,” he told her.
Jack waved from the back of the room. “The early bird gets the choice of the pastries. There’s half a dozen maple doughnuts, and I hid one in the kitchen just in case you were late.”
“We need to talk to you,” Lottie blurted out.
Jack eyed them both carefully, laid down the chocolate doughnut in his hand, and took a couple of steps forward. “That sounds ominous. Do we have another harassment issue?”
“No,” Lottie said, “nothing like that, and I’m hoping to avoid any future problems. But…”
Knox took a blueberry-filled doughnut from the box. “Lottie and I are dating. If there’s a company rule against that kind of thing, I’ll go on back home.”
“Well, hot damn!” Jack raced across the room and hugged Lottie. “This is the best news I’ve had in forever.” When he released her, he stuck out a hand toward Knox. “I thought Gabe was yanking me around last night when he told me that y’all were a couple. Figured it was an April Fool’s joke.”
“You’re not mad?” Lottie asked. “We’ve kept things under wraps for a little while, but now that we’re working together, we wanted to get it out in the open.”
“Hell, no!” Jack said. “This solves all kinds of problems. The single guys might flirt a little, but they’ll back off if they know you are dating Knox. You might get some flak about being a gold digger but dust any remarks about that off your shoulder and do your work.”
“Gold digger?” Lottie asked.
“I’ll leave that explanation to Knox.” Jack chuckled. “I see the others coming this way, so you better hurry up and grab whatever you want from the pastries. It amazes me how much Eddie can eat and still look like a beanpole.”
Gabe waved as he came inside. “Good mornin’. Y’all ready to go to work?”
Lottie removed two maple doughnuts from the box and put them on a paper plate. “Y’all think you can keep up with me?”
“Girl, you want to back up that brag?” Steven asked.
She poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Knox. “It’s not a brag. It’s a fact. We will have the first house framed and be ready to start on number two when the next crew arrives.”
“Without Walter?” Gabe asked.
“Hey, now, I’m not chopped liver. I can measure sixteen inches for the studs without even taking off my shoes,” Knox protested.
“You’d better scarf down a dozen doughnuts each if you plan to keep up with me and Lottie.
We’ll have all the sill plates down before y’all get the first wall ready to put up. ”
“So, y’all are working as a team?” Eddie asked, already on his second bear-claw pastry.
“We are a team!” Lottie declared, but she wished the other three would have stayed away long enough for her to ask Knox what Jack meant when he said a gold digger. Could her mother be right about the Callahan brothers having a lot of money?
“I have a question,” Knox said. “Why are we starting this in the middle of the week rather than Monday? Especially since this coming weekend is Easter.”
Jack laid the doughnut he had been eating on a disposable plate and set it to the side. “I was going to wait to make this announcement until the end of the project, but since you asked…” He paused and sat down. “Any of y’all want to guess what the finishing touch will be?”
“You mean when you hang the sign on the front gate just before we leave for El Paso in May?” Lottie asked. “My guess is ‘Lakeside Estates.’”
“That’s too common,” Gabe argued. “It will be something like ‘Sunny Side Estates.’”
“You are both wrong. This is my personal project, and the name is ‘Swan Song Estates.’ My wife, Mandy, and I plan to retire when we are all done here. The others have been bought by some of our family who’re ready to throw in towels for the nine-to-five jobs too.”
Thomas refilled his coffee cup and picked up another doughnut. “Why did you name it that?”
“Have you ever heard the story of the swan song?” Jack asked.
“It comes from the ancient Greek mythology. Swans aren’t musical, but they sing a beautiful song just before their death.
So, this is my personal retirement swan song, as well as Mandy’s and her three sisters’, and my brother and sister’s.
We all threw names around, and this one came out as the winner.
And yes, Lottie, your mom and dad are moving up here with us. ”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Lottie gasped. “They are moving again!”
“This time, Darlene says it’s for good. She’s already packing,” Jack said. “That means you are building your mama’s new house, and after this year, we will have family holidays right here in this rec room, starting with Independence Day.”
“We haven’t had family gatherings in years,” she said.
“None of us are getting any younger,” Jack reminded her.
“I get the feeling you don’t really like your family,” Knox whispered.
“Love every one of ’em,” she answered. “But my mama meddles worse than Bernie.”
“Not possible,” Knox said.
Jack cleared his throat and stared at Knox and Lottie. “If our two new lovebirds will listen up, I’ll go on.”
“Sorry,” Knox said with a nod. “We’re all ears.”
“Every one of y’all will still have a job,” Jack went on to say.
“Walter is taking over as boss in the business. He’s fair, and you know him, so the transition will be a smooth one.
As far as starting in the middle of the week…
You’ve got six weeks until the El Paso job is ready for you to begin.
I slipped my own project in between that one and what y’all just finished.
I wanted to give you more time to rest up and see your families, but it wasn’t possible. ”
“I can’t believe you are retiring.” Eddie sighed. “Walter is great, but things won’t be the same without you.”
“I’m seventy years old, and Mandy gave me an ultimatum. Retire or she would throw my things out on the front lawn,” Jack said with a grin. “She didn’t have to push me too hard, though. I’m ready to spend more time with her and my family.”
“Then we’ll make this the best project ever,” Lottie said with a hitch in her voice as she crossed the room and hugged Jack. “I understand, but I don’t like it.”
Knox followed her and patted Jack on the back. “Congratulations. At the end of this whole thing, the celebration dinner is on me.”
“Thank you,” Jack said. “That’s very generous, but do you realize how many people might be here?”
“I reckon around somewhere between fifty and seventy-five, right?” Knox answered. “I can handle it, unless you expect surf and turf.”
Lottie looped her arm into his. “Since you can cook, I thought maybe we’d have smoked brisket and all the trimmings.”
He kissed her on the cheek. “Your wish is my command.”
“Bullshit!” Thomas said. “By then, y’all will be broken up.
No couple can work together all day and expect a relationship to last. I’ll be happy with bologna sandwiches and barbecue potato chips.
But like Eddie said, we’re damn sure going to miss you, Jack.
Walter will be a good boss, but he ain’t you. ”
“Thanks for that,” Jack said with a nod.
“Whether Lottie and I are together or not, I’ll take care of the retirement dinner.” Knox took Lottie’s hand in his and headed for the door.
Eddie grabbed another doughnut and followed behind them. “If you think y’all are getting a jump start on us, you are wrong.”
* * *
At the end of the day, Knox stepped into the shower at the rec hall and let the hot water pound against his sore back muscles.
“That bet broke me from sucking eggs, even if we did win bragging rights,” he muttered when he finally turned off the water and stepped out.
The doorknob turned, and he quickly wrapped a towel around his waist.
“What… I didn’t…” Lottie stammered and dropped her tote bag beside his army-green duffel.
“This is a community bathroom, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes, but…” She glared at him. “Learn to lock the door!”
“Why, darlin’,” he teased. “We are dating, and that means we can take a shower together, doesn’t it?”
She picked up her bag. “I’ll leave and come back.”
“And let everyone who’s out there waiting on us think that we are pulling a fast one on them?
” Knox asked. “Turn around and face the wall while I get dressed. Then I’ll do the same until you finish.
We’ll go out together, and the guys will think that we still had the energy for some hot shower sex. ”
“You turn around until I get in the shower, and then you can get dressed.”
Knox whipped around and waited until he heard the shower curtain closing. He picked up his grooming kit, set it on the narrow edge beside the sink, and shaved while he waited. By the time she finished her shower, he was dressed and had his back to her again.
“You are a gentleman,” she muttered.
“But not an officer,” he said.
“What does that mean?”
“Have you never seen An Officer and a Gentleman?” he asked.
“Nope,” she answered. “I’m dressed, so you can stop looking at the wall.”
“I’ve got it in my box of movies. We should watch it sometime.
” His voice sounded a little hollow to him when he turned around.
Her damp hair hung down her back, and what little makeup she wore had washed away.
She looked like she belonged on a beach scene in a modeling session in her denim shorts and oversized chambray shirt.
For a split second, he wished that their relationship wasn’t fake.