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Alec made a sound that was not quite agreement as he placed a block.
“You knew her before, right?” Marcus asked.
Noah almost answered, but Marcus wasn’t asking him.
“Yeah,” Alec said, scooping some mortar of his own. “We lived in the same complex a few years ago. I didn’t know her well, other than she likes volleyball.”
“Oh yeah!” Marcus said. “She was playing with some of the guys at the school the other night.”
Alec chuckled. “She used to come around to the sand courts all the time wanting to play. Hoping to get into the men’s game, I guess.” He paused as he grabbed a block. “Or maybe she was looking for a date, but I was seeing someone else. Anyway, I’d rather play with just guys, keep the level high, you know?”
Marcus paused in his work. “She’s pretty good. Gave the boys some good pointers.”
“Well,” Alec said, nudging his block with one finger, “I never really saw her play. Might ask her out once we get back though.”
“You’re out of line.” Noah’s voice came out gruffer than he intended, and the other guys looked surprised.
“Huh?” Alec said.
“Sorry,” Noah said, forcing a smile to cover his embarrassment. “Your block—it’s not quite straight. See?” He pointed to the guide string. “It just needs a tap here and here. Now you’re good.” He returned to his own section of wall and scooped some mortar, regretting his interruption even though the correction had been necessary.
“So you were Grace’s math tutor?” Marcus asked him.
Why did I talk? Why, why, why?“Mm-hmm,” Noah said, praying Marcus wouldn’t push for more.
Scoop. Scrape. Set. Tap.
“And you’ve worked some construction before, right?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah. Mostly summers,” he said, spreading some mortar up the side of a block. “It’s decent money, and I’ve always liked to work with my hands.”
“It definitely shows,” Alec said. “How do you get the mortar to stick on the side like that with only one stroke? Mine falls off every time.”
Huh. Maybe Alec wasn’t completely arrogant.
Noah relaxed. He could talk construction. “That usually happens when I go at it from the top. It’s easier for me if I start at the bottom,” he said, demonstrating, “then slide it up on an angle. See?” When he glanced up, Alec was nodding at the wall, but Marcus looked right at him.
“I see,” he said.
Chapter 33
Beach Boys
Sweat dripped off Noah’s headas he scooped the last of the mortar from the bucket. The walls had climbed as steadily as the scorching sun once the other guys had gotten the hang of it. He was about to mix another bag when Oscar came to check on them.
“Bien, bien,” he said, running his hand along the walls and bending to check their lines. He glanced into the mortar bucket and smiled. “Muy bien! Good timing. Now we eat!”
“Yes,” Alec said, drawing it out. “My stomach’s been growling for at least an hour.”
“Same here,” Marcus said. “Nothing stokes my appetite like work and sun.”
Oscar showed them where to clean their tools, and Noah stayed to hose out the bucket and rinse the sweat off his arms and face. He arrived at the dining hall behind the twins, whose names he still hadn’t mastered, and Brianna as they waited to wash their hands.
“How was the painting?” he asked, noticing the splatters decorating their clothes and remembering his goal to be more outgoing. The rest of the volunteers had spent the morning painting the exterior of one of the buildings a bright yellow.
“Exciting,” Brianna laughed.
“So I see,” Noah said. “Did you get any on the walls?”
