CHAPTER THREE
"Maddy!" Eric's voice and the sound of growling awoke her. Her eyes opened, and she jerked, surprised to see the muzzle of the massive black dog near her face. She pushed herself up.
“Okay, nice dog,” she murmured.
The dog ceased growling and whined. It sat before her, taking up much of the space between the small area between the two couches. She felt rested for the first time in two weeks despite the crick in her neck. She swung her legs off the couch, her eyes straying to her watch.
Eleven-thirty. She bolted to her feet and darted to the desk, where her BlackBerry sat. The dog growled again at her, and she eyed it, circling the desk.
“Maddy?” Eric called through the door.
“I’m up!”
“Whose dog is that?” he asked, cracking the door.
The dog rose and paced forward. His snarls were far from friendly. Eric ducked out. She dialed Jake’s phone, which he answered after four rings, as she expected.
“Yeah!” he shouted, sounding out of breath.
“Jake, can you retrieve your dog?” she asked. “He won’t stop growling and won’t let Eric in the trailer.”
“Duke gets sick in the sun. He does better in the AC,” Jake replied, sounding irritated already. “If Eric wants in, give Duke the friend command.”
“What is the friend command?”
“Tell him to stay and say, friend.”
“Why is he growling at me?” she demanded.
“He growls all the time. Just ignore him. Keep your hands away from his mouth, and you’ll be fine.”
“Jake—”
He hung up.
“Madeleine?” Eric called again.
“Um, try to come in,” she said. “Duke, stay! Friend!”
Duke sat. He growled as Eric stuck his head in but remained in place.
“Friend!” she said again. Eric eased into the trailer. Duke remained in place. “God, I overslept!” she said. “The finance department is two hours ahead and needed this information mailed four hours ago!”
“I’ll take it into the motel,” Eric offered without removing his shades.
“You okay?” She looked up at him.
“Had a few drinks.”
Madeleine waited for an explanation or at least an apology for not including her in the invite. Nothing came. Unusually hurt by the exclusion, she gathered her papers.
“I’ll take them in,” she said. “Need to get away from this place for a bit.”
“Sure, great,” Eric agreed. “I’ll watch things here.”
She glanced at him again. Eric didn't normally leave her side or volunteer to be left behind anywhere.
“Okay,” she said. “Jake’s dog likes AC. You might have a furry coworker until he takes the blasted thing home.”
Eric nodded and sat on a couch, gingerly touching his head.
“The coffee here is horrible,” she said. “I’ll bring you some good stuff. Why don't you go help Jake while I'm gone and make sure they're doing what they're supposed to be?”
He grimaced in response. Her phone rang, and she tucked her earpiece in place. She placed the papers in her briefcase, waved to him, and started out the door as she answered the phone. Duke followed, pushing by her as he trotted down the stairs.
“Ms. Winters, this is Deputy Miguel Fuentes. How are you today?”
“Great,” she responded. “Is this about last night?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jake asked me to give you a call this morning.”
“Thanks. I’ll be by your office in precisely an hour and a half. On what street are you located?”
Call waiting beeped, and Madeleine glanced at the number. It was Dotty.
“Look, I’ll call when I’m in town,” she said, then switched to Dotty's call. "Talk to me, Dotty!"
Duke trotted after her. She opened the door to her rental, and the dog bolted into the car. She looked over her shoulder. Jake was not in sight, and she was late enough as it was without waiting for him to claim his dog. Duke walked around the backseat twice before settling behind the passenger’s seat and rubbing his wet nose around the closed window.
Dotty was already talking. Madeleine tried to pay attention as she rolled down the rear window and started the car.
" … patch the finance department through?" Dotty asked.
"Right now?" Madeleine asked, unable to keep the dismay out of her voice. She waited for the AC to cool off, irritated by the heat. "I don't need worse news."
"Rumor has it your dear ex-fiancé Mark ordered an audit."
"Oh, dear god. I can't find what Alex did with the money—there's no way I can explain it to the finance department!"
"I'll hold them off. You sound beat already. Can you come up with some story for them in an hour or two?" Dotty asked.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it. I gotta get going. Will take me a while to get to town," she said.
"Take care, Maddy."
She smiled, thankful to have one ally in the office. She wasn't surprised Mark was acting like the cad he was; he'd know just how to make her look bad enough in their boss's eyes to make sure she never moved up in the organization. She watched Eric make his way to Jake and pulled out with another look at the massive dog in the backseat.
* * * * *
“This’ll help my hangover?” Eric frowned.
“Yeah,” Toni responded. “It’ll sweat the alcohol right outta you.”
Half-listening, Jake smiled as he continued to stack the scattered stones into neat piles on top of wooden pallets. He and Toni, among others, had long since stripped down to their jeans and boots under the hot sun. Jake was sweating heavily, but it felt good to get his body moving after a night of drinking.
Eric removed his suit coat and carefully folded it before placing it on a waist-high stack of stones on one of the pallets. He unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt, rolled them, and planted his hands on his hips.
“Great, guys,” he said with some of his previous enthusiasm. “What do I do?”
“You see those rocks?” Jake asked, straightening.
Several pallets of previously stacked stones had been scattered over about a hundred square yards by the vandals. They couldn't move the stones out of the way of the heavy equipment until they were on the pallets.
“Pick ’em up and stack ’em there,” Jake instructed, pointing to the pallets.
Eric slapped his hands together in anticipation and started forward. He hefted the first one while Jake and Toni watched.
“Use your legs, or you’ll end up with a sore back,” Toni called.
Eric waved a hand but continued to lift the next two rocks incorrectly. Jake met Toni’s gaze and shook his head in wry amusement.
“Never thought I’d meet a man who’s never done some sort of manual labor,” Toni said. “That kid is about as foreign to this type of work as I am to his suit.”
“We oughta take him out tonight to get some boots,” Jake said with a grunt. “Show him there’s more to being a Texan than drinking.”
“I saw Miguel this morning,” Toni said. “Said there was some trouble last night?”
“City-girl called me about three. Guess there were some men out here looking for Alex,” Jake responded.
“Lots of men looking for that idiot.”
“Yeah. I’m afraid they’ll make city-girl a mark.”
“Howard should know better than to build a hotel in the middle of the Cortez gang’s trafficking route,” Tony said.
“You think he's involved?”
“Miguel said that guy Alex owed Cortez and Perez money and never repaid it.”
"Didn't Alex owe half the shady characters in town money?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, but Cortez and Perez are the two you don't wanna cross."
Jake knew of Cortez’s illicit activities in the area; everyone did. There would never be enough law enforcement to stop Cortez, not with his guns, men, and money. There were uneasy truces between him and local law enforcement, which meant the towns and those in them did not need to worry so long as they did not wander directly into Cortez's operations. Worse, the Oasis was nearly at the crossroads of two drug gangs: Cortez and Perez, who were competitors.
It wouldn't bode well for Madeleine if the men she saw were indeed Cortez or Perez's men there to collect Alex's debt. If either thought her and her project a threat to their operations, they had the manpower for force her out, or if nothing else, to extort his price from her. If she failed to comply, she would end up another of the bodies occasionally found in the desert.
City-girl didn't seem like the kind who would take extortion very well.
“Maybe that’s why Alex left,” he said.
“Probably,” Toni agreed. “Oughta warn city-girl.”
“Don’t think it would matter,” Jake said. “She’s obsessed with this project. I told her whatever we did with the lobby would have to be torn down after Mr. Howard’s visit. She don't give a shit.”
“Different people,” Toni said with a shake of his head. "It really could've been anybody, if Alex was as stupid as folk say he was."
"This whole thing just smells bad. Thought Howard was an idiot until I saw the article in the paper about the proposed bypass to go near here. Would be a gold mine for him. This godforsaken hotel is an hour from any sort of civilization," Jake said with a grunt.
"Howard's in a position to know stuff like that. Would make more sense if he pressured the bypass into getting passed. It'd be in Cortez's interest, too, since a bypass would cut the time traveling from the border down quite a bit."
"You never know with these kinds of people. They're all shady."
They fell into silence and continued working under the hot sun. It was not long before Eric stripped down to the T-shirt under his collared shirt. Jake held off their lunch break until late, still buzzing with angry energy. Toni finally called the late break, and Eric joined them for a small picnic packed by Toni’s wife.
The small man drank a quart of water before glancing around him.
“Quite a day!” he said enthusiastically.
Jake knocked back a quart of water as well and wiped his mouth. He leaned back to pour the remainder of the water bottle over his head and neck.
“Good afternoon, boys.” The honeyed voice made them all turn.
Jake chose a sandwich and began eating, ignoring the three blonds in tight shirts. One wore snug white pants, one a mini-skirt, and the third Daisy Dukes.
“Afternoon, ladies,” Eric said, and rose. “Care to join us?”
“Hi, Jake.”
“Lily,” he said.
The petite blond with manicured nails perched on a rock near him. He felt her gaze rake over him and remembered a time when such a look would have boiled his blood. The knowledge of her rampant infidelity during their years together—and the fact she hid well that she was a gold-digger—had cooled his emotions and desire for the beautiful woman. She left him for a sugar daddy three months ago, and word in town was that the sugar daddy wasn't as rich as she thought Jake's uncle was, which was why she was back.
“Haven’t seen you in awhile,” she said. “Missed that cute smile of yours.”
Her honeyed voice agitated him, brought up both the memories of steamy nights and the realization of his own ignorance of her true personality.
Javier's instinct had known what she was the whole time. Jake still owed his uncle for advising him not to marry the woman when he'd considered proposing a year before she left him.
You think too well of her, son.
As always, Javier was right.
“Been busy,” Jake said, and wolfed down the sandwich.
“I’m in town for a few days. Saturday still tequila night?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t I join you tonight?”
“Free country.”
Lily appeared satisfied by his response. Jake glanced at her from the corner of his eye, part of him wondering if he dared go drinking with the woman. Their nights of drinking had always led to one thing: bed. His anger was still hot, but as he had learned the hard way, Lily was always up for a one-night stand. After three dry months, Jake wondered if a one-night stand with the deceptive woman might settle his anger and his restless hormones.
He finished eating and rose without another word. Toni and Eric remained, Eric flirting shamelessly with all three women. Jake looked back once to see Lily’s hand on Eric’s thigh and decided even if he needed to get laid, she would not be the one he chose to sleep with. Of course, drinking always had a way of lowering his standards. He didn't want to skip tequila night but suspected he wouldn't go home alone if he went.
Irritated, he set out stacking stones with renewed energy.
* * * * *
Madeleine was in a foul mood when she returned to the site. An argument with Nigel, plea bargains with the finance department to extend her funding, and a waste of two hours at the police station all ate at her patience. While the finance department was considering a partial extension of funding in exchange for a full audit, Nigel had threatened to cut it already.
Nigel’s verbal instructions regarding the third change of the blueprints baffled her. He refused to send the blueprints but expected the changes to be incorporated for Mr. Howard’s visit, uttering excuses ranging from their final drafting status to the lack of time in his schedule to help her. To make matters worse, Eric was refusing to answer his phone, and she needed his help in working through several of the funding and building kinks.
The hamburger and fries she fed Duke during a quick stop to eat gave the panting dog horrible gas. Madeleine left the windows of the car down and grabbed her briefcase. Duke climbed out the window and loped ahead. She stopped to orient herself, staring at the office. It was not where she left it, unless she parked elsewhere. She looked back at the common parking lot. Unwilling to waste time on the moved office, she made her way to the trailer. Duke launched himself onto a couch.
Madeleine glanced at him as she dropped her briefcase and papers on the desk.
The trailer smelled as bad as the dog. Agitated and hot, she dialed Eric’s number again. He didn't answer. No one had been in the trailer for awhile; the AC was out and the generator silent. She left the office to refill and start the generator.
Her own lunch was cold. She popped it in the microwave and sat, pulling out a newspaper she'd picked up in town. The microwave dinged, and she withdrew her soggy hamburger and fries, eating quickly as she read.
Five bodies found in desert; linked to Cortez-Perez fight for drug corridor. She scanned the article, surprised to find what Jake said was true: there were drug trafficking gangs in the area. The article included a small map illustrating the route the thugs used.
The Desert Oasis was in the middle of the route.
Cortez. She frowned and sat up, flipping open her accounting book. Alex had owed a Cortez five million. She opened the newspaper and soon decided it was a coincidence: half the town had a Cortez in their name, if the newspaper's Community page was any indication. Graduations and marriages, small business owners, local charity for the poor—many of them were Cortezes. Even Javier, whose full name was listed on his card as Javier Enrique Garcia Cortez.
Aware she'd taken too long of a break already, she tucked the BlackBerry into its place at her waist and left the trailer, walking to the construction project to find Eric.
Her phone buzzed. She touched the earpiece, her nose wrinkling at the smell of spilled gas on her hands.
“Madeleine Winters.”
“Madeleine, this is Judith from finance.”
She held her breath. She spotted Toni, Jake, and Eric a short distance away and was irritated to see none of them working. Instead, all of them stood around three attractive blonds, talking. Eric was stripped down to his T-shirt.
Jake’s broad, muscular back drew her eyes. He wore jeans and boots and stood with his back to her. Caramel-hued skin coated a thick layer of perfectly roped muscles, and once again she wondered if he'd been a professional athlete. His arms were thick and shapely, his shoulders and back wide, toned, and gleaming with sweat. Her eyes traveled over the impressive upper body down to his tucked waist and hips. His jeans were too loose to show the shape of his behind or thighs, but she could imagine them to be as perfect as the rest of him. She had the untimely memory of being pressed against that powerful body, as she had twice within the past week, but wondered how much more delicious it would be pressed against that body with the both of them gloriously naked.
She tripped, the movement jolting her out of her stare. She forced herself to concentrate on Judith’s ramblings and paused outside of earshot of the six before her.
“Approved?” she said suddenly. “You’re certain?”
“Partial funding approval,” Judith answered with some irritation.
She almost sighed. It was nowhere near what she needed, but it would get her started! She would apply again once Mr. Howard’s visit was complete. If happy with what he saw, he would be more likely to give her free rein.
Jake was looking hard at one of the blonds, who trailed her fingertips down one bicep. He didn't seem to be happy, but he didn't move either.
Madeleine half-listened to Judith. It was five-thirty, not quite quitting time for the tequila gang. Judith finished finally, and Madeleine thanked her and hung up. She approached the group, agitated.
“Excuse me,” she stated. “Eric, please join me at the office. Jake, I know you have happy hour planned for six. I’d appreciate it if you and Toni could straighten out the tool area before you leave. It looks like a tornado hit it.”
To her surprise, Jake stepped away without resistance. Eric snapped to attention at her voice and was halfway to his suit jacket by the time she finished. Madeleine glanced down as Duke sat beside her, one paw on her foot. She shook her foot free.
“Ladies, this is not public property, and you are not covered under our insurance policy should any of you become injured while on Mr. Howard’s property,” she continued.
The women looked at her, amused.
“We’ll be gone with the boys at six,” one, a beautiful blond with pert features and large blue eyes, assured her.
“This is not a spectator sport. If you’re not working, you don’t belong here. You can meet the boys at the bar, but I don’t expect to see you here again,” Madeleine countered. “Eric, escort them to their vehicles and ensure they leave Mr. Howard’s private property immediately.”
She turned away and answered her buzzing phone, aware of the women’s looks. One muttered something she was certain wasn't a compliment. For reasons she couldn't quite pinpoint, their presence irritated her.
Duke trailed her back to the office. Once again he commandeered one of the couches and sat, panting. The generator had kicked in and the air was cooler. Madeleine blinked until her eyes adjusted and looked around the cramped office which had become her home.
Maybe her life did suck. She certainly didn't have time to drool over shirtless men or spend more than the minimal amount of time on her nails or hair. She'd rarely had time for men and only dated when she was desperate for some sort of human interaction that extended beyond work. She hadn't dated a non-coworker in nearly a decade and her relationships since then had been much like everything else in her life: convenient, timely, minimal, purposeful, and non-interfering in her work.
She tossed her sunglasses on the table in frustration. She couldn't help the sense that everyone had a normal life but her.
There'd only been one man that she truly felt a connection with, the man who stood her up and sold her out for a promotion. She'd sworn off men since.
She looked at the panting dog and crossed to the Styrofoam cups by the coffee maker. She poured bottled water into one and set it down on the floor near the dog. Duke hopped down, knocked over the flimsy cup in two licks, and continued to eat the cup.
“No, Duke,” she muttered, and pulled free a new cup. She poured in more water and squatted beside the massive dog, holding the cup for him.
He slurped, spraying her arm and the surrounding area with water.
“Good dog,” she said with a grimace, patting its large head awkwardly. She cleaned up its mess and rose just as Eric entered with his trademark smile. He was sweating but his hair neatly in place.
“I’ve been trying to call you since I left,” she told him.
“I was … I thought I would help them a little.” He added, “I know how important the lobby work is to you.”
She eyed him, well aware of political wrangling when she heard it.
“You can help when I don’t need you,” she said. “At least keep your phone on. I tried to call back for information.”
“Great, no problem,” he agreed quickly. If Eric was one thing, he was non-confrontational. She grabbed a bottle of water, tossing it to him.
“Do we have a lot of work tonight?” he asked.
“Don’t we always?” she returned.
“Of course,” he said. “I thought you might need a break. Jake and Toni are going for burgers and tequila. It might help you relax.”
She said nothing.
“Or, you know, if you’d like to work without interference or don’t think you’ll—”
“Go,” she said curtly.
“Maddy, I’ll help if you need it,” he said. “I went out last night.”
“Yes, you did,” she said as she sat. “Go on and go. Keep your phone on.”
“Great, sure!”
She expected him to give token resistance, but Eric snatched his jacket as if believing she would just as quickly change her mind. When she looked up from the desk again, he was gone.
Her eyes fell to the dog.
“Just us, Duke.”
He panted in response, but the whiff of lunch roiling in his stomach made her nose wrinkle. She leaned forward to grab the Lysol out of the cleaning supplies bin. She sprayed and eyed the dog before her attention returned to her papers. Precisely at six, the door cracked open. She didn't bother to look up; Duke gave a cheerful yap and launched off the couch toward its master at the door.
“Heya, Duke,” Jake said warmly. “He been good today?”
“He’s been fine.”
“We’re taking Eric to the bar. You up for it?” he asked, crossing to the desk and placing the rolled blueprints on the edge.
“Looks like you have enough company,” she replied, and leaned back, meeting his gaze. She was somewhat disappointed and relieved to see he was fully dressed once again.
“Always room for one more,” he offered with a half-smile.
“Thank you, but I have work.”
“You’re not staying here tonight."
“I haven’t decided,” she replied.
Jake crossed his arms again. The tension between them was thick. Neither budged on the issue.
“Duke’ll stay with you,” Jake said. “I’ll leave my phone on.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine,” she said just as tersely. “Eric promised to answer if I call.”
Jake’s jaw twitched. He said nothing but turned to leave.
“I have some changes for the blueprints,” she added.
“I’m taking tomorrow off.”
Madeleine wanted to launch something at him, anything. His thick frame disappeared through the door. She bit back a curse and rose, hurrying to the door.
“Can Toni incorporate modifications?”
“You’ll find out, won’t you?”
Jake strode toward his truck without turning back. She shielded her eyes from the sun and watched him trot to join Toni. She waited until she'd closed the door behind her in the office to release the string of curse words tickling her tongue.
She imagined them all going out to party, happy and carefree, without a second thought about anything that really mattered. She couldn't do it. There was too much that did matter.
Her anger melted into frustration and then desperation. She'd never be able to complete this project on schedule, especially not all alone!
* * * * *
Jake didn't expect his night at the bar to go badly. He didn't expect to flat out refuse Lily or feel jealous when she went home with Eric. He didn't expect Madeleine’s cold refusal to annoy him beyond a shot or two of tequila. And he didn’t expect her phone call at seven in the morning the night after happy hour.
“Yeah,” he growled into the phone.
“Jake, it’s Madeleine.”
“I figured as much,” he bit off. His head pulsed. Normally on Sundays, he slept in until at least nine. Having gotten home later than usual, he'd planned on sleeping until noon.
“Toni doesn’t know anything about blueprints.”
Jake rolled onto his back and rubbed his face. Toni knew as much as he did about blueprints. He suspected his foreman was either hung over or unwilling to deal with her.
“I’ll deal with it tomorrow,” he said.
“I’m in your kitchen. I’ll wait for you to come down.”
Jake clicked the phone off and stared at the white ceiling. The persistent woman was an inch away from getting her ass spanked. He took his time getting dressed and emerged from his large room in the airy hacienda. He trotted down a set of polished wooden stairs to the main foyer and padded to the kitchen. He heard his sister’s excited tones before he stepped into the large, modern kitchen Javier had remodeled not a year before.
Even on a Sunday, city-girl was dressed for a day at the office. His sister had spread quite a few things in front of Madeleine, to include several of her newest jams, a couple of her latest culinary experiments, and about three cups of coffee. Madeleine was listening intently as his sister went on about spinach.
Despite the professional exterior, Madeleine exuded a sense of restrained exhaustion. The sight of her pale features and shadows beneath her eyes tempered some of his irritation.
“Madeleine didn’t come to talk about weeds, Kitty,” Jake grumbled with a half-smile at his sister.
“Maddy actually understands me,” Kitty shot back. “And her palate is exquisite. She can name the individual spices in my cooking!”
“Bring me some coffee, palate-girl.”
Kitty glared at him but rose. She was tall like the rest of the family and slender like their mother and Toni, her graceful figure marred by a limp caused by a car accident several years ago. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her dark eyes outlined with heavy eyeliner.
“One day, you all will appreciate my cooking!” she vowed as she left.
Jake dragged a chair out from the worn kitchen table and sat. He met city-girl’s alert gaze. Vaguely he wondered why he'd taken so long to appreciate her classic, earthy features, which were set off by her auburn hair.
“You have a nice place and interesting family,” she said. “I understand both your siblings live here?”
“Just Kitty for now. Our other sister is at Texas A&M,” he said.
“Kitty shows some definite talent in the culinary arts.”
She eyed him, waiting. Jake avoided the trap; Kitty had apparently already laid blame for her inability to pursue her love of cooking on her overprotective brother, who forbade her from going to an elite culinary school in New York City. Kitty made sure everyone who praised her food knew it.
“It’s my day off,” he said.
“I understand and will be brief,” Madeleine said. She nodded to the blueprints at her side, grimaced, then said, “Mr. Howard … he wants things to be round.”
“Round,” he repeated. “What does that mean?”
“I’m not entirely certain,” she said. “My instructions were that he wanted the lobby to be more circular than square and the outer corners of the building itself to be curved.”
Jake laughed, understanding why Toni referred her to him.
“It’s not funny, Jake,” she said, taken aback. “Mr. Howard—”
“I get it.” He held up a hand. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking for?”
She gazed at him for a moment and then admitted, “No."
“So, you drag me out of bed after happy hour on a Sunday to tell me that Mr. Howard has given you new blueprints—”
“Actually, those are the old ones. I don’t have new ones, just instructions.”
“You drag me out of bed after happy hour on a Sunday to tell me that Mr. Howard has given verbal direction but no hard blueprints regarding his desire to make things round.”
She nodded.
“You got a lotta nerve, Madeleine,” he said. “You don’t seem to have a problem bossing everyone else around. Couldn’t you tell Mr. Howard no, just once?”
“You don’t tell someone like him no,” she said with resignation.
“You don’t tell a contractor to change a design without blueprints,” he countered. “And I expect you want this done before his visit?”
“Well—”
“The answer is no. Give me blueprints, and I’ll alter the design.”
He saw the troubled look in her green eyes but vowed not to be affected by it.
“Shouldn’t we be working as a team?” she ventured.
“Your version of team is telling me what to do and me doing it. By your definition, we’re a great team!” he said, voice rising. “Now, if you don’t want me charging today as a work day, I suggest you leave and let me eat my breakfast.”
A surprised look crossed her face before she rose.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said in a hushed tone. “Enjoy your day off.”
She left quickly. Jake didn't realize how angry he was until he twisted his tense body to watch her go. His gaze remained on the doorway after she left.
“You’re a jackass, Jake,” Kitty said, dropping his plate of food in front of him. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”
She, too, stalked away, leaving him with scrambled eggs all over the table and a set of blueprints. His eyes rested on the blueprints. Madeleine was not one to leave something so important in a rush. Either he was harsher than he thought himself to be, or she left them for him to bring in later. Judging by Kitty’s reaction, the former was the case.
Jake rubbed his face again, agitated.
Jake’s words affected her more than she expected. She left fast and drove back to the site, upset. Upon arriving at the office and realizing she had left without the blueprints, she sent Eric to retrieve them and sat down at the desk.
Duke panted from his position on the couch.
She tapped a pen, staring at the nearest stack of receipts.
She never thought of herself as bossy, or her version of team telling others what to do. The words hit home, and she could think of no other reason than because they were probably true. But what choice did she have? She had to get this job done! She needed the money too much.
She sat back, upset. She had someone depending on her. If the project failed, she failed Mama. At the moment, she had absolutely no delusions of success, but if she pushed herself and those around her, she might not fail.
Then why did she feel like crying? Why did Eric running off for happy hour make her feel completely isolated and alone? Why did Jake’s continuous jabs into her unhappy life bother her so much? Why did she feel like the only adult burdened by a sense of responsibility while everyone else seemed … free?
“It’s just us, Duke,” she said. “Unless you wanna ditch or insult me, too?”
Duke remained where he was on his couch, panting. She stared at the wall for awhile before spraying more Lysol. It was not Duke this day, but the bathroom. How long she gazed into space she didn’t know, but she was still doing it when Eric returned with a smile and the blueprints.
“Jake invited us to a barbecue bonfire tonight,” he said. “It’s after the men are released at about eight-thirty.”
Madeleine said nothing and opened her accounting book.
“Maddy, you okay?”
“Just have a lot to clean up,” she replied. “You can go tonight. I have too much to do.”
Eric hesitated but didn't press.
“I brought Duke’s dog food,” he said. “Jake says to feed him about three cups a day. People food upsets his stomach.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Eric waited. Madeleine kept her eyes down.
“I’ll just go check on things,” he said.
“All right.”
Her phone buzzed, and she reached for it mechanically.
“Madeleine Winters.”
“Hey, it’s Jake.”
“Good morning, Jake,” she said in a flat tone. “How can I help you?”
“I sent Duke’s food with Eric. We’re having a barbecue tonight. Kitty is excited for you to try her homemade sauces.”
“Thank you, but I’ve got too much to do today.”
“All right,” he said with an edge. “Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I won’t. Eric will probably go.”
“Have a good one.”
“You, too.”
She frowned at the phone. Jake had sounded even more pissed at her refusal. She couldn't fathom what else might be bothering him about her; he'd already insulted her work ethic, personality, and shoes. There wasn't much else she could do to draw his scorn.
She didn't leave the site the entire day. She snacked on granola bars and left once to refill the generator. She read the book on blueprints and worked past dark until her mind froze up then sat back finally for a break, nowhere near content with what she'd done but satisfied she could see some progress. Duke crossed to the door and pawed at it. She rose to let him out and stepped into the warm night air. It was still too warm for her, but she breathed deeply and stretched her neck and back before leaning against the railing to stare into space. Even when she tried to relax, visions of empty bank accounts danced in her mind.
She rubbed her face.
"Thought you might need something."
She looked up at Jake's quiet voice, startled she hadn't heard him approach. He stood at the bottom of the rickety stairs with a large, covered plate in one hand.
"You brought me dinner?" she asked skeptically. He chuckled.
"I can take it back," he said.
"No, I didn't mean it that way. It's just …" She drifted off.
"We're always at each other's throats, so why would I bother?" he finished.
"Something like that."
"Funny how two people trying to do the right thing can end up thinking they're working against each other."
She sighed and opened the door to the trailer, inviting him in. The scent of barbecued meat and fixin’s made her stomach roar to life. She couldn't help wondering when she'd last eaten real food; it felt like it was before she left back east for the stupid desert.
He set her plate on her desk. She sat back in the familiar chair and watched him. He made no move to sit and twirled his truck keys around his index finger.
"You need anything else?" he asked, glancing around.
"This is more than enough. I really appreciate it, Jake," she said. "Tell Kitty I'm sorry I couldn't come."
"All right," he said. He seemed ready to say something else, then stopped himself.
"Have a good night, Jake."
He nodded without another word and left. She sensed he was frustrated again and couldn't help feeling grateful for the loaded plate of food before her. She didn't know if it was an apology for earlier or if Kitty made him bring her food, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt. Their tiny truce probably wouldn't last long anyway.
She dug into the food and opened the blueprint book once again, trying to understand a little more of Jake's world.
* * *
Madeleine was asleep at the desk when he arrived at six the next morning. Duke uncurled from his position atop the couch and dismounted with a full body shake. The large dog wagged his tail and padded to the door. Jake let him out to use the bathroom.
Though she didn't move at his entrance, she snapped awake when her phone rang.
“Madeleine Winters.” Her voice was exhausted.
Irritated by her already, Jake let Duke back in when the dog whined and stayed only long enough to pull the blueprints off her desk. Madeleine didn't so much as look at him; instead, she was busy scribbling numbers down on a pad of paper.
He shook his head as he joined Toni outside.
Toni had begun the hard work on the lobby that day. Despite his objection, Jake gave him a sketch with measurements of what to do to make the lobby round. He grabbed his hard hat and moved with Toni toward the lobby area.
The beams of the lobby were already shaped and curved, most of them waiting to be secured and a few already in place. It was no easy feat to bend metal with the limited capabilities of the portable workshop Jake had brought in a few days ago. He inspected the work.
“It’ll hold for a few days,” he said wryly. “Though I hope it falls on Howard’s head.”
“We can arrange that,” Toni said. “Wouldn’t that stun city-girl?”
“She’d have a heart attack,” Jake agreed.
“She didn’t come last night.”
“I know.”
“Lily did.”
“Yeah, I know,” Jake said with a long look at Toni. “Can’t stand either woman.”
Toni was quiet.
“If they were the last two women on the planet, which would you choose?” he asked philosophically.
“Neither. I’d save Duke and run like hell from both,” Jake responded.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“Good to hear I have fans out here.” Madeleine’s icy voice made them both turn.
Jake met her frigid gaze and silently cursed himself.
“I’m going to the hotel. I’ll be on my phone.”
She spun without another word and strode toward the cars. Duke loped ahead.
“At least she didn’t fire us,” Toni said with a frown.
“Not yet,” Jake added, then cursed. “That woman drives me freakin’ crazy!”
“I think she knows that now."
Jake pulled off his hard hat and flung it toward the desert. He wasn't normally so callous, impulsive, or insulting. He didn't know what it was about Madeleine that made him crazy, or what made him feel guilty about slighting her.
Toni watched him.
“Five bucks says she’s calling Houston for a new contractor,” Jake muttered, settling his hands on his hips.
“Yeah, and? This project is doomed anyway. If we escape before it falls on its face, we walk away without that on your uncle’s reputation.”
Jake drew a deep breath. “I know,” he said, calming.
“Projects don’t normally affect you like this,” Toni said. “Somethin’ else on your mind?”
“Let’s just get started,” Jake muttered, and strode to their workspace.
Toni was quiet until they had reached their area.
“I’d take Madeleine.”
“What?” Jake glanced at him and set down the blueprints.
“If it were the end of the world, and I had a choice, I’d take Madeleine.”
“You’re welcome to her,” Jake said. “Why?”
“She’s bright, honest, dedicated, and probably loyal. Wouldn’t sleep around like Lily.”
“If you were the only two at the end of the earth, she couldn’t sleep around anyway,” Jake pointed out.
“Yeah, well, Madeleine has spirit. Lily couldn’t think for herself if she tried, and she really doesn’t have that spark.”
Jake absorbed Toni’s words, secretly agreeing. “We've got a few looooooong days of work ahead of us,” he said.