The now repainted yard furniture, which lay scattered about the area, was exactly what the site needed and gave the workers a sense of their own space outside the project itself. So much of the last few days had been arranging and managing and planning, getting everyone up to speed on the schedule and plans.
There had been a method to her madness, from where she’d parked her house (the future location of an expansive concessions stand for the sanctuary and education center) to where the eating spot would be (situated close to the playground) and the fenced-in temporary storage containers parked on what would become the main parking lot. She liked to see as much open space around a project as possible, but particularly on this job. Jo was so used to being crammed in among cement and city streets that she was taking every advantage of enjoying the natural setting.
Standing at the end of the lunch line, she half-listened to the conversations around her and assessed the team’s progress. She shifted, pressed a hand against the small of her back as the tables were filled and food was consumed. By the time she got to the truck’s window, she was ready to order ten of the darn things.
“Hey, it’s the boss lady.” The young woman beaming down at her was impossible not to like at first glance. The wide friendly smile on a round face framed with springy black curls haphazardly tied back seemed permanently on display. “I was beginning to think you didn’t really exist. You want the lunch special?”
“Please. You’re Alethea, right?”
“Sure am.” Her voice echoed kindness and confidence as she turned to work on the order. “Xander said to let you know he’d be back this weekend. He’ll touch base with you as soon as he catches up at home.”
Jo reminded herself of the connection. Xander, the project architect, was Alethea’s older brother. The cook popped back into view, quickly got Jed’s and the last two orders going, and returned to the window.
“Love the new setup,” Alethea said. “Makes me feel like it’s my own special parking place.”
“Well, in a way it is. It’s great of you to come up here every day.”
“I do the breakfast thing down by the beach. I catch a lot of people who don’t have time to hang out at the diner.” She pointed to the group of people heading up the hill. “Knowing I’m here most days brings people by to check up on the project, too.”
Jo noticed, and she couldn’t help but worry about their safety. Construction zones weren’t the best place for people to hang out, but if it kept interest focused on the sanctuary, it couldn’t be a bad thing, right?
“Why don’t you grab a table and I’ll bring your lunch out to you,” Alethea offered.
Normally she wouldn’t have accepted the special treatment, but standing in the surprisingly warm sun for as long as she had left her anxious to sit. “Do you have a...water.” She chuckled as Alethea shot out a hand holding a frosty dripping bottle. “Thanks.”
“Give me a few and I’ll be right out. Hi!” She greeted the approaching group of visitors. “Menu’s right down there and we’ve got the special...”
Jo wandered over to one of the few empty tables, an old metal set with an umbrella that had been spray-painted a neon blue. Once she sat down, she noticed Alethea had added her own touches of a plastic utensil caddy that also held paper straws, napkins, salt, pepper and other condiments. Jo cracked open the bottle of water just as Jed joined her.
“So what is it we can get a jump on?” she asked him as he got settled. She had to admit, his steaming pita piled high with thinly shaved meat, red onions, tomato and drizzled with a white sauce had her hoping Alethea would deliver her lunch quickly.
“Always on the clock,” Jed teased. “I was taking another look at the plans for the nature trail.”
“The one that’ll track around the main structure and go by the cliffs?”
Jed bit into his lunch, nodded. “I’m not convinced that survey’s right. I believe we should take the line back another ten feet from the edge. Just to be safe.”
Recalling the plans, Jo considered the request. “How many more trees would have to come down?” If she remembered correctly, the removal of healthy trees had been a major point of contention among the residents and had earned its own council meeting so everyone could have their say. The last thing she wanted was to rile tempers in the town.
“I talked it over with one of our guys, Kenny, who works part time for a tree service. He thinks we could get those ten feet by removing only four of the largest trees. We’d have to be surgical about it, and it would take some deft maneuvering in the area, but in the long run, it’s a good solution.”
If it meant making the nature path safer, Jed was right. It would be worth it. “Show me the area after we eat, walk me through the options and we’ll go from there. I want Kenny there, too.”
“Can do.” Jed nodded. “I’m also going to pull the last of the fencing out of storage and haul it up here so we can fence off the cement work when we’re done.”
“You are reading my mind,” Jo said. “Does Flutterby Wheels really draw this big a crowd every day?”
“Today’s kind of slow to be honest,” Jed said. “Alethea will move on to other locations if business slows too much. Oh, hey, Alethea. We were just talking about you.” He toasted her with his sandwich. “Excellent as always.”
“Sorry yours took so long.” She set Jo’s gyro in front of her. “Just got a call from Jason. As soon as my last few orders are done, I’m heading to the inn. Need to cover at the restaurant for a few hours.”
“Everything okay?” Jed asked.
“Oh, yeah. Abby’s taking David in for his first round of baby photos and Jason wants to go. I keep telling Jason it might be time to hire more help, both in the restaurant and in the truck. Or maybe add another truck.” Alethea narrowed her eyes as if considering. “Maybe I need to work up a business plan. Guess I shouldn’t have dropped out of college so early.”
“There are good online tutorials you could take,” Jo suggested.
“But the good ones cost money.” Alethea grimaced. “I’m saving up everything I can for my own place. Living with my brother and his wife has been good, but I’d like my independence again.”
Jo took a healthy bite of her lunch, and after her brain processed the incredible tastes exploding in her mouth, she held up a finger. “I could walk you through the basics for a business plan. Would only take a couple of hours.”
“Seriously?” Alethea’s blue eyes brightened. “Oh, wow, that would be awesome. I thought about asking Calliope, but she’s got so much going on. Gotta check my schedule. I’ll let you know as soon as I can. Thanks!”
“Sure.” Jo was smiling as she checked her buzzing cell phone. “Excuse me. I’ve been waiting for this call. Hi, Dr. Miakoda. Thanks for getting back to me.”
“Sorry it took me so long, Jo,” replied Dr. Cheyenne Miakoda, the OB who Leah and Ozzy had recommended. “I had a last-minute cancellation and thought I’d get you squeezed into the schedule.”
“Oh, um. Okay.” She mentally went through her calendar. “I figured you’d want to wait for my medical records to arrive.”
“They got here this morning and I’ve already read through them.” Her tone didn’t give anything away, but Jo did feel a bit apprehensive and even nervous. “How’s three sound?”
“Today?” She looked at Jed, who was chatting with Alethea. She still had a lot of work to do, and while everything had been running smoothly... “I’m not sure I can get away on such short notice.”
“Sure you can.” Dr. Miakoda’s voice was gentle and firm. “You’ve already missed two prenatal appointments, Jo. Given your medical history, it’s best if we get you caught up as soon as possible.”
Jo winced. “All right.” She rubbed her forehead wearily. “I’ll be there at three.”
“Excellent. And come with a full bladder. We’re going to need to run
some tests.”
“No problem on that front,” Jo joked. “It’s always full.” She disconnected and attempted to swallow the worry.
“Everything okay?” Jed asked.
“Fine. I’ll need to take a few hours this afternoon. Baby appointment.” She’d become well enough acquainted with the town in the last few days to know where she was going.
“No problem,” Jed assured her. “You finish lunch and we’ll do that walk through to assess the trail. Everything’s been going great, and if something does happen, you’ll be the first to hear about it.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“SPARKY, YOU ARE not a dog. Get off the darned truck already.” Ozzy held the fire hose in his hands and watched the soap cascade off the side of the bright red paneling. The jet-black cat with big yellow eyes merely blinked at him and leaned down to bat away droplets of water. “How did nature come up with that menace?” he asked his boss. Co-chief Roman Salazar had just rounded the corner. “Cats are supposed to hate water. Can we retrain him?”
Roman, who stood a good three inches taller than Ozzy and could have given a pantheon of gods a run for their money, grinned up at the furball and shrugged. “That cat and my wife were made for each other. He’s started dive-bombing us in the shower now.” His smile faded. “Come to think of it, maybe you’re right. Menace is definitely the right word. Frankie was asking how’d the call go at Well Springs.”
“Straightforward. Panic attack,” Ozzy said. “I let Jasper take the lead. He’s going to do fine on his EMT exams.”
“Great.” Roman gave an approving nod. “Thanks for taking an extra twelve today. Callahan’ll be on next shift. Volunteer sheet is full, so your schedule won’t change after all. I’ve got to run my mom into town for big box shopping, but Frankie’ll be here, Jasper, too. You’ve got the next two days off.”
“Great.” It was definitely good news considering his plans for Friday afternoon. Luck was clearly on his side. Now all he had to do was stop feeling guilty for not using this extra time to respond to the many thumbs-up he’d been getting on his dating app.
After his disastrous movie night with Shelly, who had apparently bragged to everyone within hearing distance about how well their date had supposedly gone, he’d been putting off any more social interactions.
His reluctance to respond had absolutely nothing to do with his increasing fondness for a construction supervisor with a penchant for his mother’s baking, he told himself. Or the surprise he had planned for her.
“We still doing the water-rescue training next week?”
“Five a.m. Tuesday morning. Rain or shine,” Roman added, knowing Ozzy’s penchant for praying for a rain delay. “Four-mile swim followed by a two-mile run. Timed. Be ready for it because you know Frankie’s going to make you suffer if you fail.” His boss chuckled.
Oh, he knew. Roman might be a walking example of testosterone and pinup-calendar-inspiring goodlooks, but his wife—Ozzy’s other boss—wielded her own special talent when it came to motivating her team. Expectations weren’t merely high, they were hovering in the stratosphere. There were times Ozzy appreciated the challenge. But there were other times when...
“Hey, you hear about Luke and Holly’s barbecue?” Roman asked. “Are you planning on going?”
“As long as there are no emergencies,” Ozzy said. “Have to. I’ve got a water fight title to defend.” Simon Saxon and Charlie Bradley had already emailed him to make sure he was coming and had informed him that Simon had applied his special brand of knowledge to their neon plastic weaponry. The idea of Simon souping up water guns was only one of the worries keeping Ozzy up at night.
Getting Charlie’s bike finished and presentable was another. His free weekend should help with that.
“And don’t forget, you’ve got the extra day off next week.”
“I’d meant to talk to you about that. I probably won’t need the extra day—”
“Doesn’t have to do with need or want, Oz. Those days give us the flexibility to keep everyone on a fair rotation of shifts. One of us goes off and it screws everything else up.” Roman leaned his shoulder against the truck, crossed his arms. The second he made contact with the vehicle, Sparky the cat slid his front paws down until he could drop securely onto Roman’s shoulder. “What’s going on? Why are you fighting days off?”
“I just like to work,” Ozzy said. “I know you and Frankie took a big chance taking me on here.”
“Only chance we took was ticking Sheriff Saxon off,” Roman half-joked. When Ozzy didn’t laugh, he cleared his throat. “You’ve proven yourself, Oz. More than you needed to. We know we can rely on you.”
Ozzy hoped that was true. He wasn’t entirely sure where this crisis of confidence was coming from, but he needed to get over it and fast. He had a lot of people relying on him—from his co-workers straight to Jo, whether she acknowledged it or not.
“It’s not like we’re giving you special days off, Oz,” Roman continued.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning we aren’t purposely scheduling you more free time than you’re due. Take advantage of the extra day. Heaven knows I plan to.” He smacked Ozzy on the arm, then plucked Sparky off his shoulder and carried him to the SUV. “There must be something you want to do,” he called out the window as he started up the car. “Something fun and unexpected. Just do it.”
“Right.” Ozzy nodded and returned to hosing off the engine, meanwhile, Roman drove off. Funny that the only thing he really wanted to do was head up to the construction site and check in on Jo. He wasn’t looking for an argument, though. He needed another reason to visit her, something he could actually get by her without raising her suspicions. But nothing leapt to mind except...
The station alarm blared, quickly followed by the booming voice over the speaker system. First thing Ozzy did was check his watch, just as he’d been trained to do. Three fifteen. Frankie and Jasper popped out of nowhere and sprinted for their lockers and gear.
His stomach clutched as he heard the location blare over the intercom. It was the construction site.
“Not again.” He cast a cautious eye to Frankie, who had been one of the first on the scene when the structure collapsed back in March. “Details?” he called as he yanked his gear free and threw it on. The engine was moving while he was pulling the passenger door shut.
“Nothing yet.” Frankie dragged the steering wheel to the right and hit the sirens as she gunned the vehicle down the hill. “Check in with dispatch, see if they can put you through to someone on-site. Jasper?”
“Chief?”
“You stick close to me, you hear? You watch, you listen, you learn and you don’t get creative.” She glanced up at him in the rearview mirror. “I mean it this time.”
“Understood, Chief.”
Ozzy couldn’t blame Frankie. Two weeks ago, Jasper had attempted to rescue a young woman who had been trapped in her car after an accident with a big rig that was leaking fuel. While Roman and Ozzy had assessed the situation with the EMTs, Jasper had taken it upon himself to get her out on his own. In the end, it had turned out all right, but it did erode a lot of the trust the probie had built up with the team. They needed to move, to think, to function as one, despite the overwhelming desire to help. Those extra moments could have made the rescue less harrowing and less stressful on everyone. Jasper had learned his lesson, which had come with a three-day suspension and a full eight hours of retraining on group dynamics.
As they roared through town and sped past the shoreline, Ozzy tapped on the keys of the onboard computer and attempted to access more information on the scene. Twice he nearly pulled out his cell to call Jo, just to make certain she was all right, but she’d have been the first to remind him that she wasn’t his personal concern.
His heart was still hammering as they reached the site. He dropped out of the truck and beelined for Jed standi
ng at the entrance to the hollowed-out section of trees leading to the cliff edge.
“Talk to me, Jed,” Frankie ordered.
“Kenny Vogelman.” Jed led them through the trees and to the edge of the cliffs. “He was guiding one of the excavators through the treeline in order for us to do some removing. Darn machine’s brakes went out and the driver couldn’t stop. Kenny dived and rolled out of the way but went right over the edge. Then he just dropped.” Jed’s face was ash gray, but he was maintaining control. “Lucky a ledge caught him. We tried to get a rope down to him, but he’s kind of out of it.”
“Driver okay?”
Jed nodded. “Seriously shaken, though. He managed to steer away from the edge and into the trees before he cut the engine.”
“He didn’t panic,” Ozzy muttered to Frankie, who agreed.
“Give me a few to assess the situation.” Frankie patted his arm, then gave orders for the rest of the construction crew to step back. She turned to Ozzy. “Have Jasper call for an EMT backup with transport to the hospital. We’ll probably need the stretcher and a neck brace to be safe if there’s a delay with the ambulance. Jed, I want you and your crew to remain back, all right? We’ve got this.”
“He just dropped.” Jed shook his head. “One second he was there and the next—”
“I can hear him!” One of the other men shouted as he pushed off his knees. “He’s mad, but he’s okay.”
“All right. My turn.” Frankie moved in and sank to her knees, crawled forward until she was peering over the ledge. Her long red hair was tied into a tight ponytail and glinted against the afternoon sun. She shouted down, and Ozzy heard a response despite the ocean wind.
“Where’s Jo?” Ozzy asked Jed.
“Doctor’s appointment.” Jed shook his head. “I told her nothing was going to happen. This was all my idea. I know this wasn’t on the schedule today, but I thought we could get a jump—”
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