AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I went with Jaime to her family’s cookout.”
“Jaime Summer, right? I might have heard something about you and her.”
“Yep,” I reply, getting ready to grab the moving piece of roof as the operator shifts it up into place.
“Might have heard something else, too,” he says, cockily, and pauses for dramatic effect. “Maybe something about a certain business owner naked along ol’ man Gerard’s bean field. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“No clue what you’re talking about,” I reply, straight-faced as can be.
“Huh. Musta been another six-foot two, two-hundred pound man with Elson Construction on the side of his truck.”
“Musta.” Poker face firmly in place, I fight to keep the corner of my mouth from turning upward.
Danny stares at me for several seconds, neither of us wanting to crack first. Finally, Danny starts to laugh. “Man, really? You aren’t gonna give me anything?”
“Nope,” I reply, smiling. “I’m not gonna give you anything.”
“Whatever. I’m not gonna tell you what else I heard then,” he sasses, turning and grabbing the tress to help guide it into place.
“What else did you hear?” I finally ask, unable to resist the temptation of knowing what is being said about me.
“Well, my sister’s friend, Kami, works as receptionist at the jail, and she often helps log evidence. Apparently, you may not be aware of this, but the squad cars are equipped with dash cameras.” He wiggles his eyebrows repeatedly as a big smile crests his face.
I think about the insinuation for several seconds while Danny starts to pound nails. Knowing that someone might have seen me naked doesn’t both me, but the thought of someone seeing Jaime? Well, that makes my blood pressure spike to stroke level.
“Don’t worry, man. She was in your truck the whole time until she came out to talk to Barney, and when she did, she was clothed. You, on the other hand, might want to remember to keep the family jewels covered as much as possible. Though, according to my sister, you’re packin’ enough heat to not have to be too embarrassed about everyone seeing you naked.”
“Jesus,” I reply, dropping my head a bit.
“Oh, and she says your ass is finer than anything she’s ever seen. Her words, not mine. Definitely, not mine.” Danny laughs again as he drives the final nail, and I move to unhook the chain that’s connected to the tractor for transport and support.
“Have you heard from Orlando?” he asks while we wait for another tress.
“I talked to him a couple of days ago, and it wasn’t looking too good,” I confirm to my employee.
Paula has taken a turn for the worse, her cancer winning the long fought battle. Orlando was dismal when he called, having recently called in Hospice care, but still remains optimistic, as any husband would in this situation.
“It just sucks, you know? I mean, she’s forty. She’s still got a whole lotta life left to live. Not to mention Cassie is a senior in high school. She’s gonna finish without her mom. Just blows.”
Danny speaks the words we’ve all thought numerous times. Life isn’t fair sometimes.
“Hey, did I hear your ex was caught screwing the mayor?” Realizing that Danny’s pulled another one-eighty on me and spun the conversation in an entirely different direction–again–I turn towards him, unable to hide my surprise.
“What?”
“Yeah! Rumor is they were busted in his office. He had her bent over the desk when his wife walked in to take him to lunch,” he chuckles.
“Sounds like the only place she’s taking him is to court. Isn’t the mayor, like, fifty?” I ask absently.
“Fifty-four with his first grandkid on the way in October.”
“Huh, guess you never know what level Sara will stoop to.”
I don’t care so much about what Sara’s up to in the present, but I do care that innocent people are being hurt by her selfish actions. The mayor has been married for thirty years and is the father of two. He and his wife are active in the community and push to promote and support their charities of choice. The fact that his wife is collateral damage in Sara’s self-centered quest to find herself a sugar daddy turns my stomach. It also makes me damn glad I wised up and got away from her after I moved here. If I was still with her, I could be in the same boat as the wife.
My thoughts turn back to the only woman I can see myself settling down with. No way would Jaime screw around on anyone. Not only is she loyal, but she knows what it feels like to be discarded. She understands the heartache bestowed upon by your partner better than most, because she lived it. Jaime doesn’t trust easily, I can tell. Not since her douche ex left her before the wedding. That’s why I’ll take extra care of the trust she’s given me in the past month. That simple gesture is a true gift.
We just secure the final tress when my phone rings a third time. I watch as the guys all make it safely to the ground before I pull the phone from its holster on my tool belt.
