River Town Box Set

by Grant C. Holland

  Rhea canted her head to one side. “But there was other bad news? I’m curious about whether there is more of a connection to Mr. Hansen than I know. The conversation made you emotional.”

  Diego pointed at a chair and said, “Can you take a few more minutes before lunch?”

  Shrugging, Rhea said, “I suppose the solitaire game can wait.” She smirked as she situated herself in the chair and pulled her skirt down over her crossed legs.

  Diego chuckled softly. She frequently calmed his emotion with witty humor. He stepped back behind his desk and lounged informally in his desk chair. “I might as well tell you. I’m sure you will find out sooner or later if anything goes my way.”

  Rhea was always eager to discuss any details of Diego’s personal life. She found her boss fascinating. The occasional conversations revealed a wealth of information. She knew most of the details about his family including the untimely deaths of his parents and his brother’s unsavory criminal connections. The details left her with the raw material to calm Diego’s emotional outbursts and stop them from threatening his professional relationships.

  He said, “Yes, I have past connections with Alan. I met him several years ago at the border between the U.S. and Mexico. We had a moment of mutual misfortune.”

  “Misfortune?”

  “We were caught behind the same car crouching out of the way of a gun battle between local drug warlords.”

  The first time Rhea heard Diego talk about gun violence, she thought he was exaggerating. She soon found out it was all true. His stories matched the news that filtered north from the drug battlegrounds in Mexico.

  Rhea no longer reacted emotionally to most of what she heard from Diego. However, something was different about the new story, and she raised her hand to her mouth. Then she pulled it down and said, “That’s awful. Were either of you hurt?”

  “Not physically. At least I don’t think so. Alan helped me out of the situation, and we spent the night together.”

  “You hung out drinking?”

  Diego shook his head. “No, we slept together. You might as well know that about me, too. It was all in the heat of the moment. One hotel room, two men.”

  Rhea took a deep breath. Something about the idea of her boss in bed with another man made her face flush. She wanted to take the next question back as soon as she asked it. She sounded shallow. “Is he handsome?”

  “I’m not in the habit of going to bed with ugly men.”

  She smirked. “I didn’t say that you were. So I guess you answered my question about hanging out at the hotel. Did you say there was bad news today?”

  Diego sighed heavily and looked down before slowly raising his head to stare into Rhea’s eyes. The corner of his mouth curled up into a self-deprecating smile as he said the word, “Rejection.”

  “You were trying to re-connect? Is that wise? What were the chances of seeing him again? Did you keep in touch?”

  “The chances were 1,000 to 1. I’m shocked. He’s single and more attractive than before. Remember, he’s potentially hiring us instead of the other way around.”

  “I suppose you’ve already thought about this but isn’t the possibility of a conflict of interest an issue? I’m sure Tar-Mor is a nest of that with all of the nepotism, but still, I think I can see his point. If that was his point.”

  “It was implied.”

  Rhea reached a placating hand across the desk and covered Diego’s with it. “I’m sorry. Rejection is never easy. Did I ever tell you about the first man I pursued after Charlie?”

  “You mean the cheater?”

  Rhea nodded. “I couldn’t bring myself to even think about dating again for the first five years after we divorced. Then I met an old high school friend by chance. We were at the same campground up in northern Minnesota. A good friend of mine had a family cabin, and next to us was a cabin with two men of approximately our age.”

  “Does this story have a point that you’re trying to make?”

  Rhea squeezed his hand. “Yes, it does, and I’m enjoying the memory, so hang in there, Mr. Flores.”

  He relaxed and pulled his hand back into his lap.

  “Anyway, it turns out they were both divorced, and Eddie was in my class in high school. It was a huge coincidence. I always admired him from afar. I found out that he felt the same. We liked each other, but we never had the guts to share our feelings.”

  Diego said, “But you’re not married now…”

  Rhea shook her head. “We decided not to rush anything, and I’m glad that we made that decision. We didn’t date until six months after meeting, and it was fun for three or four dates. Then it was over. He was fun, and he was sexy, but he wasn’t Mr. Right.”

  “And what is this supposed to tell me?” asked Diego as he drummed his fingers on the surface of the desk.

  “I was ready to marry him right then and there at the lake in northern Minnesota. I told my friend that I was. He was incredibly handsome, and I knew that I liked him all those years. Being patient and waiting has its virtues.”

  Diego leaned back in his chair. “So you suggest that I wait while someone else snatches Alan from under my nose?”

  Rhea shook her head. “I’m willing to place a bet that he finds you just as attractive. It’s just not yet the right time for him.”

  “And when will it be?”

  Rhea rose from her seat. She tugged her skirt down and said, “You will know. Relax and be patient. That’s my suggestion.”

  Diego watched Rhea leave his office. He looked at the small slit in the rear of the skirt, and he wondered how attractive it was to straight men. If she ever did find the right man, Diego knew that he would be very fortunate to have her.

  As he leaned back in his chair, Diego thought about the recent kisses with Alan. Perhaps Rhea was right about his feelings. He didn’t immediately pull back from the kisses or the hugs. If only Alan permitted his emotion to take over once in awhile.

  Diego was pleased with the conversation with Rhea. He was calm again. He was ready to pursue the business deal with Alan, and he was not giving up on his personal desires. He only needed to be patient. Alan said that he was settling into Coldbrook Bend, so that meant he was not planning to go anywhere. Diego decided to put his search for a house in Red Wing on hold until he gathered more information. His condominium would do for a few more months or even a year or two if necessary.

  7

  Parade Regulations

  Alan glanced down at the folder of materials Brody handed over. “Isn’t this a little extensive for judging six floats?”

  As he leafed through guidelines for float construction, judging, and the breaking of ties, Alan heard Brody say, “It’s tradition. I think the rules are at least thirty years old. My mom said when she was little, they had at least twenty floats from towns all over the area. They even had some from across the river in Wisconsin.”

  Alan closed the folder and asked, ‘What happened?”

  Brody shrugged. “I guess people decided they have better things to do than show off pride in their community with parades. She said every town around here had parades, and a group like the Lions Club built a float for the region and then sent it around to at least five different parades during the summer.”

  Alan nodded and looked around Brody’s Home Pro office. It was small, and it included the desks for both Brody and his secretary, Lacey. Despite being crowded, it was warmer and significantly more charming than Alan’s office. He stepped up to a file cabinet and looked at a framed photo of Brody and Dak.

  Brody said, “That was before we were a couple.”

  “Did you know each other well before you started dating?”

  “We’ve been best friends for over twenty years. He was the new kid in town, and I was the quiet kid who sat in the corner when we met.”

  Alan turned back to Brody and gazed at the confident manager of a large hardware store. “You were a quiet kid?”

  Brody grinned. “Back then, yeah. I l
ike to think I’ve been recovering ever since.”

  Alan laughed softly. “How is the store doing? I hear a lot from people about business slowing down. At Tar-Mor, they keep pushing for further flung markets that we can reach with shipping because the regional orders aren’t holding up.”

  Brody sighed and pointed to the chair across from his desk. Both men sat while Brody commented, “I hate to say that we’ve benefited from the hard times of others, but that is true in some ways.”

  “How does that work?”

  “We had a big competitor in Zephyr. In fact, they did more business than us. Their total receipts were higher than ours. The Zephyr population is nearly twice that of Coldbrook Bend. The store closed down about a year ago because they were going broke. You might have noticed the big empty box store where you exit the highway.”

  Alan nodded. “Why did they shut down? Did you undercut them with your prices?”

  Brody shook his head. “I don’t have a lot to do with prices. Home Pro gets its guidance on that from headquarters in Rochester. I can only report what I heard. We picked up a few employees when they shut down, and I’ve heard management there was a mess. Deliveries to customers were late, and sometimes they didn’t show up at all. We run a tight ship here.”

  “So you’re saying you were the better manager?”

  Lacey butted into the conversation from behind. “He’s far too modest. He’s the best manager in the area.”

  Brody turned his head toward Lacey. “Thank you. By the way, Lacey, could you give us a few moments of privacy? We’ll wrap up here in about fifteen minutes.”

  Lacey stood up from her desk. “Of course!” She blushed as she said, “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but you are far too modest, Mr. Sexton. You’re the reason we’re flourishing.”

  As the door closed behind Lacey, Brody leaned forward toward Alan and asked, “How are things going for you? Do you feel well settled in now? It’s been, what, almost three months?”

  Alan nodded. “Right at three months. Settled in, though? I’m not completely sure. It feels like there is a new surprise around almost every corner.”

  “Surprise? Coldbrook Bend is a pretty sleepy place. How many surprises can there be?”

  Alan rubbed his hands on his jeans and said, “I ran into someone I didn’t expect to see.”

  “Someone you know?”

  “It feels like both times meeting him have been extraordinary coincidences. He runs a trucking company here in eastern Iowa.”

  Brody shook his head. “I don’t believe in coincidence. If you meet twice like that, there’s a reason. Don’t you agree?”

  “I suppose so, and that’s what worries me. We have a business relationship that can be mutually beneficial, but our personal connection would get in the way.”

  “Then you’ve decided what to do. What’s his name? Is it someone I know?”

  “Diego Flores. He lives in Red Wing. His company is M-Trak.”

  Brody rubbed his chin. “Diego…no, I don’t recall the name, but I have seen his trucks. They must be relatively new. Most of our shipping agreements were already set when I took over here at Home Pro.”

  “Yes, I think they are new and hungry. Probably less than five years here. Diego is hungry, too.”

  “For you?”

  With a nervous laugh, Alan said, “Yes, he asked me out, and I said no.”

  “I do think you’re making a wise decision separating the business and the personal. Are you sure you chose the right one?”

  The question made Alan uncomfortable. It was easier to reject Diego’s advances if he assumed that he was making the right choice. Brody’s simple question challenged his assumption. Alan wasn’t sure how the alternative choice would work. It would mean rejecting a good deal for Tar-Mor and potentially jeopardizing his new job.

  “I don’t know if I have a choice.”

  “Because of business concerns?” asked Brody.

  Alan nodded. “He’s giving me a great deal. Diego is expanding his business base, and I’m saving Tar-Mor a significant sum of money.”

  Brody reached a hand halfway across his desk. “Then I have some advice for you.”

  Alan exhaled. “I can use all of the good advice I can get.”

  “Don’t look into his eyes.”

  Alan tilted his head to one side. “Don’t look into his eyes? Isn’t it kind of hard to do business without looking at him.”

  “I think you know what I mean. Don’t stare into those eyes. That’s what happened with Dak. I finally looked into those blue eyes in a way I’d never done before.”

  Alan thought about Diego’s dark brown eyes. They were full of fire and lust. He noticed it first in Mexico. It hadn’t changed in all those years. He saw it again when they met at Auntie Erin’s house.

  “But that was a good thing.”

  Brody nodded. “I was making the right choice. I should have made that choice many years earlier, but I think it was the right time. Maybe now isn’t the right time with Diego, but it might be later.”

  “Perhaps…” said Alan. He stood up from his seat. “I should get going.” He opened the folder again and quickly leafed through it. “Thank you for asking me about the parade. This looks like fun.”

  Alan stepped toward the door while Brody stood and joined him. Brody reached out for a hug. As he wrapped Alan warmly in his long arms, Alan understood why everyone loved Brody. He was kind, genuine, and confident. Alan didn’t want to leave, but he had to get back to Tar-Mor.

  Before Alan exited, Brody said, “I’ll be in touch soon. We should have dinner again. Dak is learning how to cook on the grill out back. Maybe you can stop over for dinner on the deck now that the weather is getting warm.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  As he made his way through Home Pro, Alan marveled at the clean, orderly condition of the store. The employees he saw all had smiles on their faces. Lacey was speaking with one of the checkers, and she waved as Alan passed by. The store spoke volumes about the quality of Brody’s management.

  Just after Alan slid into the front seat of his car and pulled the door shut, his cell phone rang. Elaine was calling. “I don’t want to interrupt anything Mr. Hansen, but I thought you might want to know that we’ve received the full proposal from M-Trak already.”

  “Already?” asked Alan dumbfounded. “It’s just been two days.”

  “And it’s a big stack of papers. It looks like they were up all night putting this together.”

  “Thank you. I’ll be there within twenty minutes. I’m in Coldbrook Bend. M-Trak wants the job. That much is clear.”

  As he drove back to Zephyr, Alan thought about Diego’s efforts to endear himself using both his business and his personal charms. Before he could stop the drift of his thoughts, he remembered the word, “Dreams,” tattooed at Diego’s collarbone. He thought about unbuttoning Diego’s crisp dress shirt and spreading it open to view the artwork on the bronze canvas of Diego’s body.

  Alan jumped when the car behind him honked. The light turned green, and he failed to react. Alan was holding up traffic. He pounded the steering wheel, chased Diego from his thoughts, and pulled into the intersection.

  8

  Safe

  Rhea was full of apologies as she entered Diego’s office. She hung her head and said, “I should have known not to forward that call. He insisted that he knew you, but it all sounded suspicious.”

  Diego looked up from his computer, and he held up a hand. “It’s not your fault. It’s not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last.”

  “What did he say?”

  A scornful gaze filled Diego’s face. “He said that he was watching, and he wouldn’t let Latinos take over his state. That’s my interpretation. He used his own choice words and profanity.”

  “Did he make any specific threats?”

  “I suppose it depends on what you consider specific. He didn’t talk about picking up a gun and firing it, but he said that he wo
uld dispose of M-Trak and me if I insisted on being bigger than my boots.”

  “Is it okay if I sit?” asked Rhea.

  “Please do.” He watched as an expression of concern filled Rhea’s face. It was the same one he saw when Rhea’s daughter called after her granddaughter’s meningitis diagnosis. It was a serious family scare, but the little girl recovered quickly.

  “Can I make an observation, Mr. Flores?”

  “Can I stop you?” asked Diego with a small laugh. “Yes, of course, you can. It will likely be a wise one, too.”

  “I don’t mean to say anything negative about the people from your part of the world…”

  “You mean Mexicans?”

  “Is it okay if I use the term Latino. I’ve heard many people around here are from Central America, too.”

  The care Rhea exhibited in her speech amused Diego. He already trusted her, and he knew that any misstatement would be accidental. He nodded and said, “Latino works fine if any label is needed at all.”

  “I wanted to say you are very different from most other Latino people in this area. That’s neither good nor bad, but it is an observation. I suspect the caller realizes that.”

  “Different in what way?” Diego stared at his bronze-colored hand. “Is it because of my tattoos?”

  “How much did you pay to start M-Trak?” asked Rhea.

  Diego leaned back. He delicately rubbed the luxurious leather covering the arm of his desk chair. “Ahh, I see what you mean. It’s the money difference. Yes, I invested nearly a million American dollars to start the company. It enabled me to retire my visa. Immigration officials don’t dare come after me.”

  “I’m guessing for some that makes you more threatening.”

  Diego chuckled softly. “The Mexican that risks his life to struggle through the barren wilds of south Texas and then takes a job no gringo wants that barely offers subsistence pay is mere chattel to the corporate farms and packing plants. Yes, I understand that. A proud man with financial resources is a different animal altogether.”