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And to make things worse, I had a date with Preston tonight.
CHAPTER 21
Zachary
I tossed my takeout bag on the passenger seat and started my truck. My chest hurt, but it wasn’t from the piercing. Granted, that did hurt, but I wasn’t worried about the physical pain. It would go away. This ache was deeper.
My earlier confidence was shot. I’d convinced myself I was the right guy for her, but why? She was smart and beautiful and put together. What the hell did I bring to the table besides impulsiveness and sarcasm?
In the diner, I’d smiled at her so she didn’t think I was back to ignoring her, but then I’d left. She was probably still mad at me anyway. I hated to admit it, but the right thing to do was leave her alone.
I’d also decided I was going to quit. I couldn’t keep working for the guy Marigold was dating, even if it was indirectly. The job paid well, but it didn’t matter. If anything, I needed to keep myself from the temptation of screwing up the job on purpose just to fuck with him.
I ate my breakfast sandwich as I drove up the highway, not really tasting it. When I got to the job site, I parked and went looking for the foreman. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d say to him. How did you tell the contractor who’d hired you that you had to quit because you hated the owner with the furious heat of a thousand suns?
Probably better to tell him I had something else come up that interfered. Keep it vague. It wasn’t his business anyway.
I walked through the sprawling building toward the far side where I could hear the noise of power tools. Floors were being installed in that part of the house but I didn’t see the foreman anywhere. I went up to the second floor but it was deserted. He wasn’t in the multi-car garage, either.
Finally, I went out a door that led to the back. The sound of the river was a gentle hum and it pissed me off that Preston owned this land. It was too nice for him, with the beautiful view and the slope leading down to the rocky riverbank. The mountains rising in the background.
Fuck that guy.
But if Marigold stayed with him, wouldn’t all this be hers?
Maybe if I were a better person, that would have made me feel better. But it didn’t.
I was about to go back inside and just text the foreman since I couldn’t find him, when I realized I wasn’t alone.
Speak of the devil. Preston Bradford himself was out there, facing the view of the river.
My instinct for trouble went absolutely crazy. Should I confront him and punch him in the face? Rush him and tackle him into the freezing water? I’d get wet too, but it would be worth it. My hands twitched and I clenched my jaw while adrenaline pumped through my veins.
“Preston.” The voice of another man stopped me from springing into action. He came through another door, closer to where Preston was standing, and I stepped back into the shadow of the building.
Preston turned toward the other guy. He looked vaguely familiar. About the same age, dressed in slacks and a button down shirt.
“Can I get the keys to the cabin?” he asked.
Preston crossed his arms. “Why?”
“I need to blow off some steam.”
“No.”
“What the fuck is going on with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you keeping her all to yourself?”
Keeping who to himself? Was he talking about Marigold? I resisted the urge to charge in and punch them both in the face. Barely.
“I have plans for her,” Preston said. “But that means I need to be in control of the situation.”
“So you’re just going to keep her out there?”
“Until this place is done.”
