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Chapter Seven
Jensen
“Ready to go, Buddy?” I ask Max, as I gather up our bag of baseball supplies. Really, it just consists of a tiny glove, a much bigger one for my hand, a small bat, and a few balls. The tee is in the garage and I’ll grab that before we head to the truck.
As I get everything loaded up, including a small cooler with a couple bottles of water and some fruit snacks, my phone rings. I almost ignore it. I hate losing even a few minutes of time with my son, but when I see the number, I know it can’t wait.
“Hey, Pablo. What’s up?”
“Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, Jensen, but I’m going through your order for tomorrow’s delivery. Are you sure you only need fifty edging stones? From the picture you painted in my head, I would have thought the order would be much bigger than that.”
I know right away that something is wrong. Pablo owns the concrete business the next town over that I use for all of my stone and gravel. “No, that can’t be right. Those edgers are supposed to expand the entire front of the house. No way should it only be fifty,” I reply, rubbing my forehead. I picture the design in my own head, seeing the subtle rise in the retaining wall so that it looks like waves along the shore.
“That’s what I thought. I’ve got plenty in stock, but was hoping you could give me a better picture of how many you’re looking for. I could send a few pallets with Tommy on the truck, but they’ll just be in the way if you really don’t need that many.”
I pull out my clipboard and realize right away something is wrong. Half the sheets are missing, including the finalized design, which includes the list of required materials I sent over to Pablo. I close my eyes, trying to recall the last time I saw it when it hits me.
Kate’s place.
Wes and I had used them Friday to outline the layout in preparation for this upcoming week’s work. The ground is now bare, ready for my favorite part of the job—the build. At the end of the day, I was so busy trying to avoid Kate when she was outside talking to Rhenn about lighting around the landscaping I must have thrown it all in the small job trailer I keep on-site with my tools. The plans have to be there.
“I don’t have them in front of me. Can you give me twenty minutes and I’ll call you back?” I ask Pablo.
“Sure thing. I’ll be here for another hour or two, getting everything lined up for you and everyone else.” Pablo’s business is the go-to place for concrete and landscaping needs. And not just big orders. A lot of locals prefer to patronize his place, rather than drive to the big box store a few towns away.
“I’ll call you back,” I tell him before hanging up and clipping my phone on my belt. “Come on, Max. We’ve gotta make a quick stop by Daddy’s jobsite before we hit the baseball field.”
Lifting him into the truck, I help him get fastened in his car seat, his signed baseball resting on his lap. I throw the truck in reverse, pull out of the driveway, and head toward the Elliott mansion. On a Sunday afternoon. When Kate is probably there. My heart does a happy little beat at the prospect of seeing her today. Ever since I invited her to join us for pizza Friday night, my body has not-so-subtly reminded me of how much she impacts me. Even now, I’m half hard in my shorts at the thought of seeing her.
Pushing all thoughts of Kate and my wayward cock out of my mind, I talk to my son about tonight’s game. The Cubs are visiting the Rangers, and we have a TV date to watch the game. This will be an epic battle for him. Ever since he found out, earlier this summer, Sawyer used to play for the Rangers, the Rangers have been his second favorite team, right behind the Cubs. I try to make it a big deal for him, including making chili dogs and nachos for dinner. He gets a kick out of it, pretending we’re actually sitting in the stadium instead of my ol’ worn couch, but even as excited as he gets, he’ll still be sound asleep by the end of the fourth inning.
I pull up to the house, keying in the temporary code we were all given at the start of this job. “This your work?” Max asks from the back seat of my truck, his eyes wide and eager as I drive up the lane.
“This is where I’m working, Buddy.”
“Can I play in the dirt?” he asks, taking in all the bare soil. My kid is one-hundred-percent me and loves to dig and play as much as I did (and still do).
“We don’t have time today if we want to get to the ball diamond and hit the ball,” I tell him, pulling alongside my small trailer. My plan is to jump out, unlock the door, and find my paperwork. Unfortunately, Max takes it upon himself to unbuckle his belt and climb out of the truck. “We’re not staying, Max. Get back in the truck,” I tell him as I find the right key on my key ring for the lock.
“I wanna see,” he says, coming around to where I stand. He doesn’t say a word as I open the lock and pull open the door. It’s dark inside the trailer, but fortunately, it’s plenty light outside. “Shovels!” he bellows, reaching for the tool on top of the pile.
“Max, let it alone or you’ll hurt yourself.”
“I dig,” he answers, trying to pull the shovel from the trailer.
“I thought we were going to play baseball.”
“I work and play, Daddy,” he says, a huge grin on his face as he drags the shovel outside.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. One thing I’ve learned about kids is they’re like yo-yos in regards to their attention span. One second he’s ready to play baseball, and the next he wants to do something completely different.
When I open my eyes, I glance toward the house. I’m off to the side, my equipment and supplies kept as far away from the impressive front entrance, but still within view. All of the windows are open, the curtains fluttering in the breeze. The door is open too and soft music filters through the doorway. Clearly, the owner is home, and the last thing I want is for her to come out and find us in her yard on a Sunday afternoon.
Glancing back over at my son, I find him already digging the tip of the shovel into the raw dirt. There’s a toothy grin on his face as he tries to lift, his small body not strong enough yet to elevate the dirt-filled shovel. He gets such a kick out of moving the earth, something I know all about. My own smile plays on my lips as I watch him drag the shovel, pretending to move big clumps of dirt and clay. In reality, he’s barely digging a hole deep enough to plant a perennial.
“I’m a little surprised to see you here on a Sunday.” The voice comes from behind me, soft and delicate. My body coils tight and my cock jumps to attention, clearly very happy to know she’s near.
Turning around, I come face-to-face with Kate. “Yeah, sorry. I needed to grab some of my paperwork I left in the trailer.” Glancing back over my shoulder to my son, I add, “Max decided to help with the landscaping.”
