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“My bid was already going to be higher than my competition. I had to cut something, and I wasn’t going to go cheap on quality materials or on working my whole crew. So I adjusted what I could.” He shrugged like it was no big deal.
“I’ve worked toward this for years, too. Getting the grant, convincing the city council, all of it. But I’m sure as hell not working for free. It’s important for Rockford Falls, and will be for years to come. But a girl has got to eat,” I said, trying to be light while showing my newfound admiration for him. He shook his head.
“We gotta food bank down at the Methodist church if you’re starving,” he said with a half-smile.
That half smile shot straight to my lady parts which clenched in response and got a little—wet. That wasn’t something I ever intended to admit to anyone, even myself. I felt color flood my cheeks and walked over to my desk and looked down to try to cover my embarrassment. Which didn’t help because I was so turned on now that I could feel my nipples poking against the rough lace of my bra. This was so inconvenient. I swallowed with effort.
“If you’ll write out an itemized list of the items that are missing, I’ll call Brody and get the wheels in motion. You’ll be reimbursed for your tools,” I said, clearing my throat. “I know you’re busy. I won’t keep you.”
He raked a hand through his hair, “Okay. Thanks,” he said. “I need to get back to the site.”
He met my eyes and nodded. I nodded back and he left. Then I dropped into my chair like my knees didn’t work anymore. If I laid my forehead on the edge of my desk and took deep breaths before I called the sheriff’s office.
I talked to Laura about the theft, and she sent the other deputy down to write up the complaint. I talked to him and then he went out and talked to Noah, too.
“Probably just kids, like you said,” the deputy told me. “Bored teenage boys do all kinds of stupid crap.”
I nodded but something prickled at my neck. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something bothered me about the whole thing. Maybe I was too attached to the community center build, because I was starting to take this personally. I was from out of town, after all. Maybe my success with this big-deal build and grant pissed somebody off. I tried to run through the people who seemed annoyed by me—there were a lot of them, and they were 90% older men who liked to call me honey and didn’t like my opinions. I doubted they’d do more than bitch about me over coffee though. I shook it off. I had bigger things to worry about.
Like maybe why my body suddenly liked Noah Jeffries way more than was reasonable. Or why my eyes dropped shut and I had to swallow because my mouth watered thinking about his hands on my body. I bit my lip. That was not an obsession I was going to pursue. Nope. Hormones did crazy things to people. I checked my calendar, but my period wasn’t coming up so I couldn’t blame PMS for this insanity. I’d stop by the drugstore and get some vitamins on the way home.
9
Noah
That first drink of a cold beer refreshed me. It had been another long day at the build site. Max had been there with the lumber I’d ordered for the covered outdoor section meant to house part of the farmer’s market. We’d laid out and double checked the supplies to start framing that part and made a lot of headway. The sweat and exhaustion were real in the still-hot fall sunshine though. So I had earned this beer and so had my friend.
“How are you running on the schedule you made?” he asked.
“We lost almost a whole day over the tool theft, but we’ve made up half that. I have to keep the pace, which is an added mental load honestly. But it’ll be worth it. All of this will be, when we open the center. It’s going to be so good for the people of this town, Max.”
“I’m glad you believe in it so much. Otherwise working for no profit would get old fast.”
“Don’t start in on me about that. It was my choice and it got me what I wanted. I knew if I didn’t reduce my costs, they’d choose another builder.”
“You could’ve got cheaper lumber in Overton.”
“And bypass the lumber my best friend sells that happens to be more solid, seasoned and dried better, and sturdier? You know I want this place to stand for generations. I could go get cheap-ass wood at a chain store in Overton, sure. But why would I want to?”
