Face Value (Next Generation 7)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “It’s the least I can do. I know you’re squeezing me in as a favor.”

  Tucker felt as though spending time with her was more of a privilege, but he wasn’t stupid enough to admit as much… yet. “I look forward to it.”

  “Me too.”

  Chapter Five

  Lauren was waiting in the kitchen with two steaming cups of brew and a bag of chocolate croissants from her favorite coffee shop when she heard Tucker’s truck pull up. She tried to tamp down the butterflies in her stomach. She had never been excited about seeing one of her contractors. Of course, she’d never worked with someone who looked like a fitness model.

  Tucker knocked on the front door before opening it and calling out, “Hello.”

  That raspy voice instantly made her think of lazy mornings and pillow talk. Easy, girl. He’s here to quote your job, not seduce you.

  “In the kitchen,” she said, trying to sound casual. She picked up her phone and scanned her messages even though she’d just checked them. She didn’t want him to think she’d been sneaking peeks through the window, waiting for a glimpse of his truck.

  “Hey there,” he said, treating her to one of those grins that nearly stopped her heart. He looked at the large take-out cups on the old center island. “My angel.”

  The way he said that had her pulse pounding in her throat. She made a valiant effort to remember her father’s warning, but it wasn’t easy. Tucker’s allure was almost magnetic.

  Smiling, she handed him the cup. “Strong and black.” She gestured to the packets of sugar. “If you need sugar-”

  “No, I’m good, thanks.”

  Tucker was better than good. Hot and sexy were the first words that came to mind. “Did you sleep well?” She opened the bag of pastries to offer him one.

  He shook his head to decline her offer, and she set the bag on the counter.

  “Not really.” He peeled back the lid before bringing the cup to his lips. He took a long, appreciative sip and closed his eyes. “Ah, now that’s coffee.” He turned the cup to look at the logo. “Too bad it’s so far from my office.”

  “If you agree to take this job, I’d be willing to keep you in coffee for the next five weeks.”

  He lifted a dark eyebrow as his mouth twitched. “Does that include personal deliveries to my office?”

  She would do almost anything to get him to agree to the project. She hated being at a disadvantage, but she wasn’t too proud to beg for help when her professional reputation was on the line. She’d promised her buyers the house would be ready on time, and she intended to deliver, even if she had to buy a pair of overalls and pick up a paint roller to get the job done.

  “Whatever it takes.” She blushed when she realized how that statement might sound. Of course she didn’t mean she would do anything. She wouldn’t cross some lines, even in the name of business.

  “You’re so cute when you blush like that.”

  Cute? Did he just call her cute? She didn’t know if she should be flattered or offended. Beautiful, okay. But cute? Really? That’s the best he could do? “I hate it,” she said, dipping her head. “When I was a kid and the teacher called on me, I’d always turn bright red and the other kids would laugh.” Those were some of her least favorite memories, and she often wished she could conceal her embarrassment better.

  “Kids can be cruel,” he agreed, leaning his broad shoulder against the doorframe.

  She wondered what kind of challenges he faced with his own children. Despite his gruff demeanor, imagining him as a loving father was easy. Lauren couldn’t help but wonder whether she would ever see that side of him.

  Lauren glanced longingly at the chocolate croissants in the paper bag, making Tucker laugh.

  “Don’t let me stop you. Have at it.”

  She bit her lip. She didn’t hit the gym yesterday. She really shouldn’t, but they were her favorite. “Only if you’ll join me.”

  He laughed. “Will that lessen the guilt?”

  “Yes.” She handed him the bag. “Please, don’t deny me.”

  His eyes locked with hers before he reached into the bag. “Darlin’, I don’t think I could deny you anything.”

  Sexual undercurrents had been surging ever since he walked into the house, and those words sent thrill bumps up her arms. Deciding to acknowledge the pink elephant in the room, Lauren said, “You’re such a flirt.”

  Tucker smiled before sinking his teeth into the sweet confection. He closed his eyes on a low moan that had Lauren licking her lips and silently begging for mercy.

  He took his time finishing the bite before smiling. “I love women, I can’t deny that.”

  Lauren wondered how many women had been treated to his brand of loving. Not that it was any of her business. What he did on his own time and who he did it with had no bearing on the job. “I’m sure you do,” she muttered. She wished she could hit rewind when he chuckled.

  “Come on now, don’t be a hater.”

  “I’m not!” She took a bite of her pastry before she could say anything else to give him the impression she was interested in his personal life.

  He smiled at her in between bites of the croissant. The amusement in his dark eyes said it all. He knew she was attracted to him, and the feeling was mutual.

  “It was nice of you to call and check on me last night.” It was the first time in forever a man had cared enough to make sure she got home safely. Lauren had been too busy building her business to waste time with relationships, and the requisite call when she returned home was definitely boyfriend territory. That was why she’d been so surprised and secretly thrilled by his random act of concern.

  “I was thinking about you.” He leaned in to reach for a napkin.

  His shoulder grazed her arm, and she was grateful she was wearing long sleeves so he couldn’t see her goose bumps. Even the slightest touch elicited a physical reaction. If he ever put his hands on her with the intent to seduce, she would dissolve into a hot mess at his feet.

  “I just wanted to make sure you got home safely. I’ve seen too many people leave bars after a few drinks and get behind the wheel.” He wiped his mouth and hands before tossing the napkin into the empty bag and reclaiming his coffee cup. “Not that I think J.T. would let you do that. He seems protective.”

  Lauren popped the last bite of pastry into her mouth before responding. “My father can be a little over the top sometimes, but his heart’s in the right place. He’s just looking out for me.” Even if she did long to tell him to back off every other day.

  “You can’t fault a guy for loving his daughter.”

  She melted a little. Any man who adored his children as much as Tucker clearly did couldn’t be the menace everyone claimed he was. Could he? “I’ve seen pictures of your kids. Amanda has them hanging behind her work station. They’re adorable.” Gorgeous was a more accurate description. Those kids were definitely blessed with good genes.

  “Thanks.” He grinned. “I’m lucky. They’re pretty cool kids. I’m just grateful they don’t seem to mind hanging out with their old man. A lot of kids their age would rather do anything else.”

  Lauren had so many questions about his kids and his personal life. What happened to end his marriage? How did he end up in jail? Was it true what people said about his temper? But those questions had no place at a business meeting. She knew he had to get to work, so she asked, “Would you like to take a tour of the house now?”

  “Lead the way.”

  He stepped out of the doorway to allow her to pass through. When he fell into step behind her, she practically felt his hot breath tickling her neck. Would it be too obvious if she freed her hair from the ponytail holder?

  “This is the great room,” she said, leading the way to a casual sitting area off the foyer. “I fell in love with the natural fireplace and built-ins. The buyers felt the same way.”

  He walked further into the room, bending to inspect the tall baseboard molding and looking up to view the wood crown moldin
g. He ran his hand over the built-in cabinets running the length of one wall. “Jesus, there’s a lot of wood in this house.”

  Uh oh, he hadn’t even seen the library or the master bedroom yet. “That’s one of the things I loved about the house.”

  “I agree, it’s great.” He sighed before running a hand over his hair. “But it’s in really rough shape, Lauren. Some of it can be salvaged, you know, repaired, stripped, and re-stained, but you’re gonna start from scratch with a lot of these pieces. For that, you need a master craftsman. Nobody on any of my crews can do this kind of work.”

  “Oh.” She’d hired Phil because he was one of the few men who could complete the job to her satisfaction. Now what would she do?

  “Show me the rest of the house.”

  She didn’t see the point, if he didn’t feel confident his team could complete the work, but since he’d taken time out of his busy schedule to come, she felt obliged. “Sure, follow me.”

  They walked through the rest of the house in silence. He stopped to make notes, take measurements, and inspect some things. She didn’t know why he was going to all the trouble if he’d already decided the job was outside of their realm of expertise. Unless he knew someone else who might be able to help her and intended to pass on his findings. She could only hope.

  When they returned to the kitchen, he pointed at the empty space where the overhead cabinets would be. “What did you have in mind for these?”

  “Dark wood, in keeping with the wood in the rest of the house. Ornate trim, fancy embellishments on the door and drawer fronts.” She knew it was a tall order, but when she’d described her vision to the buyers, they’d loved the idea, so she couldn’t back out.

  “Man.” Tucker set his tablet and measuring tape on the island and rubbed his hands over his face. “I don’t know what to tell you. Like I said, my guys can’t do this kind of work.”

  She tried to keep the panic out of her voice when she asked, “And you don’t know anyone who can?”

  “Yeah, I know one person. Me.”

  She held her breath as she waited for him to continue.

  “But I don’t have the time to do hands-on work anymore. I’m busy managing half a dozen projects. I usually work from seven until five or six, and I spend every weekend with my kids. That doesn’t allow a lot of time for…” He sliced his hand through the air. “This kind of job.”

  “I understand,” she said quietly. His company clearly had more work than it could handle. There was no reason for him to take on her job and add to the burden, especially if he would have to do so much of the work himself.

  “I know you’re in a bind, and I’d really like to help you out, but…”

  “It’s okay.” She faked a smile. “You don’t owe me an explanation. I’ll figure something out.” She offered her hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice the tremor. “Thank you for your time, Tucker.” There was no room for tears in their business. She had to put on a brave face if she wanted the men she worked with to take her seriously. Everyone knew everyone else in their business, and if she earned the respect of one contractor, it paved the way on future jobs.

  He shook her hand. “I’ll make some calls when I get back to the office, see if a buddy with another company might be able to help you out.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she said quickly. She didn’t want him to feel guilty. The house was her problem, not his. “I’ll work it out on my own.”

  “A lot of guys in this business owe me. I don’t mind calling in some favors to help you out on this one.”

  She was touched by his kindness, but she didn’t want anyone to bail her out. “Thanks, but I’d rather handle this on my own.”

  “If you say so.” He sighed. “Good luck, Lauren.”

  ***

  Tucker had a hundred things to do, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything. Lauren kept creeping into his thoughts. That look of disappointment when he told her he couldn’t help her nearly gutted him. He felt the same way when he had to tell his daughter she was too young to go to sleep-away camp, and she’d cried and sulked the entire weekend.

  “Hey, boss man.” His long-time friend and foreman, Will, sauntered into Tucker’s office and folded his big frame into the guest chair. “I wanted to talk to you about the Dunham job. We’ve got problems.”

  Tucker scowled. “I’ve got my own problems. Can’t this wait?”

  Will chuckled. “What’s wrong? Is the ex-wife giving you grief again?”

  Tucker and Will had been friends since high school. Will knew better than anyone how often Amanda pushed his buttons. “No, it’s not her this time.”

  Will tipped his battered baseball cap back and smiled. “What is it then? That little…” He snapped his fingers. “What the hell’s her name again?”

  “Tonya.” Tucker didn’t even want to think about her on top of everything else. His head might explode. “Nah, I cut her loose last night, but that’s not what this is about.” He released a gusty sigh, tipped his head back, and covered his face with his hands. “There’s this job…”

  “Which one?”

  “I got called on to quote it yesterday. It’s a century home remodel, so lots of woodworking.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “She’s only got five weeks to complete the project, and someone needs to build out the kitchen and tackle three major built-ins.”

  Will crossed his steel-toed boot over his knee. “Why the tight timeline?”

  “She’s an investor. The house has already been sold, and there’s a penalty if she’s late.”

  “Sounds like she’s got a problem. How’d she end up in this mess?”

  “Phil West was handling the project, but he broke his arm and had to bail. Did you hear anything about that?”

  “No.” Will popped a stick of gum in his mouth before offering one to Tucker.

  Phil wasn’t the brightest guy Tucker had ever met, but he was a master craftsman. Tucker had to admire that. “Well, that puts him out of commission for a long while. It sounds like the rest of his crew started looking for work elsewhere until he’s back at it.” That’s the way it was in the construction business. Guys were only loyal as long as you signed their pay checks.

  “So, that leaves his clients out in cold, huh?”

  The only client Tucker cared about was Lauren. “Yeah. I could pull a guy off each of my crews to help her out, but I don’t know how the hell I’m gonna clone myself.”

  “Why would you want to?” Will shrugged. “We’ve got more work than we can handle right now. Hell, we’re already booked into next year.”

  Thanks to some of Tucker’s spec houses getting favorable attention from local realtors, he was in high demand. Construction was all about word of mouth, and as long as the word on the street was good, his company was in the enviable position of having to turn down new projects.

  “I know, but…” How could Tucker explain he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he left Lauren high and dry, knowing how important the project was to her?

  “But what?” Will pointed at him. “There’s something you’re not telling me. I want to hear it. Now.”

  “This girl is…”

  “Hot?”

  Tucker couldn’t help but smile. Leave it to his friend to cut to the chase. “Yeah, but that’s not all. I like her. I’d like to help her out if we could.”

  “Yeah, but can we? I guess that’s the question, right?”

  Tucker mentally ran through his schedule for the tenth time. He couldn’t sacrifice site visits or the time he spent with architects or engineers. His paperwork had to get done… The only time he could work on her house was after hours. He’d have a few hours a day, at best. And it would mean working like a dog for the next five weeks. Was he really willing to do that just to make Lauren happy?

  Yes, he was.

  “Okay, get out of here,” Tucker said. “I’m gonna call her.”

  “You’re really gonna take this job with everythi
ng else we’ve got going on?” Will asked, fisting his hands and cracking his knuckles. “Man, that’s just stupid.”

  “Nobody asked for your opinion. Get out.”

  Will sighed as he got to his feet. “Fine, but I hope she’s worth all the trouble.”

  Just seeing the smile on her face when Tucker said yes would be worth it.

  Her phone rang a few times before she picked up, sounding frazzled. “Hello.”

  “Lauren, it’s Tucker. Can you stop by my office? I’d like to talk to you.” No way was he going to miss out on the chance to see her face when he delivered the good news.

  “Um sure, what’s up?”

  “I’ll tell you when you get here.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

  Chapter Six

  A middle-aged woman scowled at her computer screen as Lauren walked into Tucker’s office. She barely looked up when she heard the door. “Can I help you?”

  “I’m here to see Tucker.”

  She shifted her eyes without taking her attention off the screen. “Is he expecting you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Fine.” She waved her hand in the air. “Go on in.”

  “Thank you.” Lauren took a deep breath before tapping on the door. When Tucker left the house that morning, she’d had no reason to believe she’d see him again. Though she would never admit it, that thought had left her feeling strangely dejected.

  “Come in.”

  She stood in the doorway, and he treated her to the same reception his assistant had given her. “Um, if you’re busy, I can come back.”

  Tucker looked up from his computer, a smile splitting his handsome face. “Hey! No, come on in, Lauren. It’s good to see you. Close the door, have a seat.”

  He appeared to have straightened up his office since she visited yesterday. “I know you’re busy,” she said, sitting on the edge of the guest seat across from him. She didn’t want to take up any more of his time. “Why did you want to see me?”

  “I was thinking about your little problem,” he said, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair as he clasped his hands.