Chapter 13 Feel Things Out
FEEL THINGS OUT
“Chance,” Grant Fierce said. “Good to see you again. Wasn’t sure who we’d get today.”
He’d gotten into work today and saw the order to sign off on work being done inside the building he was at a few weeks ago for storage unit plans.
“You got lucky,” he said. “I’m easier to deal with than some of the other guys.”
He smiled when he said it, but he wasn’t joking.
“You are that,” Grant said. “I think the rest of the guys are up on the fifth floor. I got stuck on a call.”
He’d met Grant walking into the building. “I’m assuming Royce is there?”
That’s who he dealt with the most. Normally one of the Fierce men was around, rarely anyone from Olson’s or McCarthy’s unless there was work being done on the structures.
“Royce and his foreman,” Grant said. “I think Jim is here, only because he and I are meeting with a client later who wants some more windows. Not sure where or if we will cut into the building.”
“Got it,” he said. They got in the elevator while he prepared himself to come face to face with Jocelyn’s father.
He’d talked to Jim McCarthy several times over the years. Liked the guy too. But he wasn’t so sure how Jim would feel about the fact he’d had the guy’s daughter in his arms and was making love to her with his mouth yesterday when he dropped her off.
Not in the car. He wouldn’t do that to her or him.
He went up to her apartment with the sole purpose to get his hands on her properly.
She was all for it and more eager than him.
For the next nine days though, he wouldn’t see her much. He had a schedule set at the bar, working every night he wasn’t at the firehouse since Cooper was on vacation, and his other part-time bartenders were already covering his shifts while he was at the firehouse.
Hell, even the Friday night Jocelyn came in, he was on his own because he had a gap in the schedule but knew he could handle it.
“I heard the food at your place is great,” Grant said. “My son Ryder and his wife, Marissa, stopped in one night last week.”
“Good to hear,” he said. “I’ve been making changes from the previous owners. It’s slowly ramping up steam and getting the word out.”
“I’ll have to take my wife there some night. We always like to try new places.”
“Got takeout too,” he said. “Even part of DoorDash. You know, if you want to order lunch.”
Grant laughed. “I like how you sell yourself. Always a good quality.”
He wasn’t sure what the glimmer was that popped into Grant’s eyes, but when the doors opened on the floor, he pushed it off.
He’d been selling himself since he pulled his head out of his ass after graduation.
With no formal education, he had to work harder and start lower than most guys to get where he was.
A little hard work hurt no one. Got that from his grandmother.
He just didn’t want to be busting his ass like this for the next fifty years.
“If I don’t do it, I can’t expect anyone else to,” he said.
“That was always my thought,” Grant said, slapping him on the back. “Garrett and me, we had to learn to hustle. The same with my older brother, Gavin. If you can’t find pride in your work, no one else is going to.”
“You sound just like my grandmother,” he said.
“Bet she’s a wise woman,” Grant said. “Jim, Royce. We got lucky today. Chance is our man.”
He shook hands with the two men, pushed away the fact that Jim’s daughter had been in his arms yesterday, and walked around the space checking on the work.
“Everything looks good. I’m going to sign off on it now.”
“My men will be in here with the paint and flooring next, get this punched out in a week and get those tenants in here,” Royce said.
“That’s what we like to hear,” Grant said. “Move things along fast. I was just telling Jim the other day that it was nice to see Jocelyn taking an interest and getting out of the building. You two said you knew each other.”
What the hell? How did this come up?
“We went to school together,” he said. “Not that we hung around in the same crowd or anything.”
“My daughter was friends with everyone,” Jim said. “Always been a friendly girl and well liked.”
“She was, if I remember correctly,” he said. He was looking between the men. Royce was grinning as if there was some joke he didn’t know about, Jim frowning, and Grant smiling.
“We won’t keep you here too long,” Grant said. “I’m sure you’re busy.”
“I am. Talk to you later,” he said and left the building.
Should he let Jocelyn know he just talked to her father?
Nah. That’d be stupid. It was work related. He’d been talking to her father for years and this was no different.
“What was that all about?” Jim asked Grant when Chance left.
“He’s throwing bait in the water,” Royce said. “Been there, done that, and have seen the signs for years with everyone else in these buildings.”
“Thanks, Royce,” Grant said. “I was trying to get a feel for things.”
“What things?” Jim asked.
“I’m out of here,” Royce said. “Got things to do on another floor.”
Jim watched his daughter-in-law’s brother walk out, leaving him there with Grant. “What are you baiting?”
“Jocelyn,” Grant said. “With Chance.”
“What? You’re kidding me.”
“Nope,” Grant said. “When the two of them were together a few weeks ago, there were enough sparks flying in their gaze that I thought for sure Chance would change gear to put the fire out.”
Interesting.
Jocelyn rarely showed her cards with a man.
And especially didn’t have any PDA going.
His daughter wasn’t cold by any means. It always surprised him how repressed she was in her relationships when he expected her to be more open and welcoming like she’d been as a child.
Since half the men she dated were dicks and not men he’d approve of, it was just another mark in their corner to get out of his daughter’s life. She deserved someone who let her be authentically herself.
“This is the first I’m hearing it. Gabe never said a word.”
“He probably didn’t see it,” Grant said. “You know, having so much on his mind with Elise being pregnant and all.”
“What do you know about Chance? I don’t remember his name being spoken by Jocelyn, but again, I don’t remember half the people she talked to in school.”
“Because she was open and friendly with everyone. That’s what I love about your daughter. She tells it like it is but gives everyone the benefit of the doubt.”
“She is that way.”
“As for Chance, I just know he’s been at the fire department for years. A code enforcer. You’ve dealt with him as much as me. He bought a pub a year ago and is giving it quite a name.”
“I hadn’t heard that part,” he said. “But I can tell you now, no way Jocelyn is going to go for being set up.”
“She doesn’t need to know,” Grant said. “Let’s just feel things out. Name dropping is all you need to do.”
“I suppose,” Jim said. “It was easier with Gabe and Elise. They knew each other and worked together more closely.”
“Well, you can encourage your daughter to be on site more. You know, when we have a code enforcer we have to meet with.”
He laughed. “I’ll have to see what Stacy says. You know how it goes. Got to fill the wife in.”
“She’ll be on board,” Grant said. “Mark my words.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“There is no way Jocelyn is going to let anyone set her up,” his wife said two hours later.
He’d had to meet with another client with Grant, then his wife was busy and he had to find a time when Jocelyn wasn’t around to overhear this conversation.
“She doesn’t need to know,” he said. “You know how it works. Grant said that there were looks between the two of them.”
“Jocelyn doesn’t do looks with a guy in public,” Stacy said.
“Exactly.”
“Are you sure Grant isn’t just reaching?”
“He said Gabe was there. Royce left to go to another floor or I would have asked him about it.”
“Get your son on the phone right now,” Stacy said. “We’ll find out.”
He should have figured this would happen. “He’s busy.”
“You don’t think I’m waiting, do you?” Stacy pulled her phone out of her pocket, put it on his desk on speaker and called Gabe.
“Hey,” Gabe said.
“A few weeks ago when Jocelyn went to the site with you, was she acting differently around Chance? The code enforcer?”
His son laughed. “Are the Fierces getting in your ears?”
His shoulders dropped. His wife was probably right. “Grant mentioned something when we met with Chance earlier. He threw Jocelyn’s name out to see if Chance reacted to it.”
“Did he?” Gabe asked.
“Enough of that talk,” Stacy said. “I want to know Jocelyn’s reaction that day.”
“She was surprised to see Chance. Recognized him right away. There might have been more smiles or laughter than she normally does, not sure. But Garrett and Grant were like missiles latching onto their targets. Royce and I noticed that more than anything.”
“They are always looking for their next project,” Stacy said. “Do you really think it’s Jocelyn?”
“Oh, it’s definitely Jocelyn. Just don’t know if it’s Chance or not,” Gabe said.
“Thanks,” Jim said.
“Wait,” Stacy said before he could disconnect the call. “What do you think of those two if that is their plan?”
“Not much to think,” Gabe said. “I like him. He’s a hard worker. Food is great at his pub. Jocelyn made some comment about seeing him again, so my guess is when she went to pick up food there a few weeks ago she saw him.”
“Got it,” his wife said. “Thanks, Gabe.”
He hung up with his son. “Well?”
“I’m going to want to meet this guy at some point. Jocelyn has had a rough go of it with men lately.”
“And she’s putting a crazy amount of stress on herself because she feels as if she should be married with kids,” Jim said. “Maybe if she opens up to this, she’ll find someone. They are never wrong.”
“I’ll work on her, but she’s a tough nut to crack.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
“If we don’t butt heads over it,” Stacy said.