Trent
Iglance up from my notepad as Kade settles back in his chair, flipping to the next page of the interview packet. Last candidate of the day. The guy across from us sits straight and focused, like he’s been running through this conversation in his head all morning.
“What specific skills do you have that we would benefit from by employing you?” Kade asks.
The room goes still as the candidate gathers his thoughts.
Mine drift to Sunny Mead, the large housing project Jenkins Construction has just taken on.
Brandon finished the cost breakdowns earlier, Kade and I finalized the lot layouts this week, and the designs are already locked in.
Everything is ready to move forward—we just need the right people to begin.
It’s a clean, confident list—solid skills, nothing showy. The kind of résumé that says this guy could walk onto a crew and not slow a single person down.
Kade nods as he snaps the folder shut. “Alright,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “Anything else you want us to know before we wrap up?”
The candidate clears his throat and adds a few details about past jobs—short, steady explanations that speak for themselves. No rambling. No overselling. Just a man who knows what he’s doing.
When he finishes, Kade stands to shake his hand. “Appreciate you coming in,” he says. I follow, grip firm, giving him a polite nod. The door clicks shut behind him, and the room settles into a quiet that makes the decision feel obvious.
Kade blows out a breath and drops back into his chair. “Alright,” he mutters. “What do you think?”
I flip the folder once before setting it down. “Best of the bunch we saw today. A few of the others could work with some guidance, but I think we can build a solid team out of what we’ve got.”
“Yeah, I thought that too.” Kade rubs his jaw, eyes unfocused as he does the mental math. “Reckon we can have them all ready to go in the next few weeks?”
“Yeah,” I say. “I’ve been chatting with Clay—he’s gonna help keep the guys in line.”
“Good.” Kade stands, stretching his back until it pops. “Alright, I’ll talk to Brandon, then reach out to the successful ones.” He grabs his keys from the desk and shoots me a grin. “You want to get a beer at the rig? Liv and Strawberry are gonna be there too.”
The mention of Aubrey hits me before I can hide it, my gaze flicking up just a little too fast.
“Yeah, sounds good,” I say, keeping my voice casual, even though my pulse ticks a little faster than it should.
Kade grins, tossing the folder into the drawer on his desk and shutting it. “Good. Let’s roll.”
We climb into the truck, and he eases it onto the quiet streets, the small town sliding past outside. The silence stretching until Kade breaks it.
“What do you think about being on-site with the guys?” he asks, eyes on the road.
I shrug, leaning back in my seat. “Whatever you need. You know I’ll do it.”
Kade glances at me, a small smirk tugging at his mouth. “Setup would be the same as any other project. A cabin for the guys to use as a break room… but I was thinking we could make a small office for you. I don’t need you doing manual labor—I need you managing them.”
I nod. “I can do that.”
Kade taps the steering wheel. “Good. Up close. Keeping things running smooth. Making sure nobody drifts off task.”
I lean forward slightly, meeting his glance. “Sounds good.”
Kade flashes me a smile as we pull into the rig parking lot. “Looks like we’ve got something to celebrate.”
Once inside, I grab a table while Kade heads to the bar, greeted by Grayson—the usual creep who has a real issue keeping his eyes off Aubrey whenever she’s here. I shake my head, ignoring him.
Turning back to my table, I reach for my phone when I feel someone’s hands on my shoulders. I spin around with a smile, expecting Aubrey, only to find Mel leaning in instead.
“Hey, Trent. How’s it going?” Her hands linger a beat longer than necessary before she plops into the seat next to me.
She isn’t wearing her usual bar uniform tonight, and for a split second it almost throws me. I keep my eyes steady, my expression neutral—careful, controlled. Mel is just a ghost from a different time in my life. That’s all she is.
“All good, thanks. You?”
“I’m good. Saw you sitting here alone and figured you could use some company.”
I shake my head. “Not alone. Kade’s at the bar, Brandon and Clay will be here soon, and Liv and Aubrey are heading this way.”
Mel tilts her head, a teasing smile on her face. “Room for one more?”
Before I can answer, the door swings open and Aubrey walks in. My chest tightens as her eyes land on mine, flicking briefly to Mel before coming back to me.
She smiles in my direction, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Liv, beside her, mirrors it before they both turn their attention to Kade, who’s now been joined by Clay and Brandon at the bar.
“Trent?” Mel pulls my attention back to her, leaning a little closer.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I asked if there’s room for one more. Feels like it’s been ages since we hung out—without me being stuck behind the bar.”
I glance over at Aubrey, who’s ordering a drink from Grayson. He winks at her and she rolls her eyes with a laugh, and I feel a flash of irritation crawl up my spine.
Before I can say anything, Clay, Brandon, and Kade slide into the remaining seats at the table, leaving me sandwiched between them and Mel.
I glance toward Aubrey and Liv—notice they’ve taken their own table across the bar.
“They not joining us?” I ask, ignoring Mel’s expectant look.
“Nah, not right now. Aubrey wanted some girlie time before joining us,” Kade says with a shrug.
I look back at Aubrey. Her eyes are on me, her expression unreadable, before she turns back to Liv. My shoulders relax slightly, but I can’t stop the little knot of anticipation lingering in my chest.