“Sonofabitch.”
If no one’s here, it means Hector, the site manager, left for an early lunch. And the rest of them followed.
No question about it. This is Hector’s third strike. Yeah, everybody knocks off early for lunch now and then. But not two days after the boss gets on them for not being where they need to be.
I have to fire him. It won’t be the first time I’ve done it, but it will be the first time it’s my call. And firing people—firing anyone—sucks ass.
“Shit.” This is so not in my Daily Three. Not Finances. Not Motivation. Not Fitness.
I grab my phone from the cup holder, and I’m about to search for Hector’s number when it rings. It’s a 337 number I don’t recognize.
“Luc Valencia,” I answer.
“We’re ready.”
My abs twitch. That voice. I shouldn’t know it, but I do. It’s her.
“Miss Delacr—”
“It’s Millie,” she says in a rush. “Please, call me Millie.” She sounds nervous. Maybe a little keyed up. I can hear her breath.
For a second, I go still, listening to the sound. And then I swallow and return to sanity.
“You’ve decided?”
“Yes,” she says, excitement clear in the word. “We’re ready. The four of us are agreed.”
I smile, imagining that. Her and three kids talking it out. A unanimous decision, if what she told me was true.
And I’d bet payroll it is.
“Good to hear,” I say, ignoring just how glad I am she called. She’s a client. Just another client. “We can get started Monday if that works for you.”
Silence.
“Monday?”
I frown. “Yeah. Is that too soon?” I listen, but there’s nothing. Not even breath. Is she holding it?
Breathe,I want to tell her.
“N-no… it’s not too soon.” She says this, but something’s off.
“Is Monday a problem?”
“No… It’s just I—” She pauses, and this time I do hear her breathing. I lean back against the headrest, listening.
An insistent voice in my head speaks up,She’s a client. We don’t listen to clients breathing.
I open my eyes. When did I close them?
“What is it?” I prompt, peering through the windshield, checking to make sure none of my guys have shown up on site.
“I-It’s stupid. For some reason, I just pictured you starting tomorrow,” she says, sounding embarrassed.
I sit up straight, surprised. “You’ve already packed up? Set up your temp kitchen?”
“Huh?”
