by Cara Adams
Just as she reached the top, there was a booming crack, as if a thunderstorm was directly over her head, and Violet was drenched in water. The ceiling dropped down in pieces all around her and water, harder than any rainstorm, pelted over her, soaking her to the skin in a heartbeat. Violet found herself sitting on her ass, the force of the water racing her down the stairs and dumping her at the bottom in the midst of a growing flood.
She picked herself up and staggered through the swimming pool that had been her living room ten seconds ago to open the front door and let the water out. Then she gripped the handrail of the stairs and pushed her way against the tide to find out what faucet needed turning off. Once again, she’d just reached the top when a loud voice said, “Are you crazy, woman? What the fuck are you doing?”
She lost her grip on the handrail in her surprise, and once again splashed down to land on her ass and be swept down the stairs. The water wasn’t pouring out as fast now, and it was just like riding a waterslide at the fun park. She landed at the bottom of the stairs, laughing hard. “Oh, my god, what a ride.”
Two brawny arms hauled her to her feet and held her tight. “Are you injured?”
She looked up into the tanned face and brown eyes of the bossy builder. “I’m fine. That was the most amazing waterslide I’ve ever ridden in my life. There seems to be a problem upstairs.”
“No kidding. What the fuck were you doing? I told you to stay out of the house.”
Violet pulled away from him. “I only came in because I heard a faucet dripping. I didn’t make it upstairs to turn it off before the ceiling fell in.”
“The ceiling fell in?”
“Are you okay?”
Violet turned to look at the doorway. The second voice was her yummy cowboy. He was ankle deep in water but staring at her. Suddenly Violet realized she was soaking wet and fast getting really cold.
“I’m sure you two will figure out what the problem is. I’ll be out in the barn getting dried and changed. Then I’ll feed the horses.” Walking carefully because her boots were full of water, Violet headed out the back to the barn. Thank god I brought several changes of clothes with me.
* * * *
“Who the hell are you?”
“What the fuck is going on here?” asked Raff almost at the same time.
It’d been almost two years since he’d walked out on his high-powered job in New York, but Raff still remembered how to close his lips tightly and keep glaring at another man until he received the answer he required. He supposed it was like riding a bicycle. A skill once learned that was never forgotten.
The other man was maybe six two and bulky with it. He had thick thighs, muscular arms and—Raff drew in a deep breath. Hell, the man was a fucking shape-shifter. A wolf.
Raff ignored the water swirling around his ankles and draining out the front door. He crossed his arms, kept his weight evenly spread on both feet, and waited.
The big man stretched out a beefy arm to shake his hand. “Darcy Nelson. Nelson’s Building and Home Maintenance. Old man Cambrisi hired me and my crew to fix this place up for his granddaughter.”
Raff grinned and shook the hand offered to him. “Raphael Allsop. I’m to come each day to feed and groom the horses. If you need a hand to sort out whatever went wrong upstairs, I’m happy to help. I don’t need to be anywhere for a while yet.”
Actually, he didn’t need to be anywhere at all today. Now that Pedro and Princess had left the horse shelter and no new horses had arrived there, his hours had been cut back to three days a week. Which meant he wasn’t going to be able to pay his rent. He wondered if he could sleep rough in the barn here if he got thrown out of his room.
“Yeah, let’s do that before the rest of the ceiling comes down.”
Raff followed the wolf up the stairs, dodging chunks of wood and drywall as he went. At the top of the stairs was a veritable mountain of drywall and plaster and god only knew what else underneath a hole in the ceiling which exposed a big metal cylinder still trickling water.
“Is that the hot water unit? What’s it doing there? What kind of an idiot would put one at the top of the stairs?” asked Raff.
“Yeah. Good question. Although, in old houses like these, I’ve seen some strange things, I’ve got to tell you. Not a hot water unit over the stairs before, though.”
The builder went back outside, presumably to his truck, and came back with a stepladder and a tool box. Raff spent most of the next hour passing things to him and holding things. Finally the wolf packed up his tools and picked up his ladder. “That’ll do it for now, but that unit has to go.”
“Hell yes. The woman was laughing about the water this time, but once she’s got a nice rug on the floor and her walls all painted she might not be so happy if it happens again.”
“She could have been killed. Why couldn’t she stay outside like she promised?”
“Have you ever known a woman to do what she was told to?” Raff asked.
The wolf laughed. “No, I guess not. Women in my community tend to be strong minded.”
“I’d better go feed and groom the horses.” Raff turned to go and then remembered he was only semi-employed and would soon be homeless. “If you need a laborer, I’m looking for more work. I’m not a builder, or a carpenter, but I’m used to hard work and I’m pretty useful with a hammer or paint brush.”
“Ms. Cambrisi is pushing for this renovation to be done fast. I might need another worker at times. Give me your number so I can contact you.”
Raff told him and then said, “I’ll be here each morning for the horses anyway. If you discover you could use more help, just ask.” The builder gave him a piercing look, but simply nodded, so Raff walked out the open front door and around the back to the field where Pedro and Princess were standing. There was no sign of his beautiful woman, so likely she’d gotten changed and left long ago. She had a job. Well, he did, too. These patient, gentle horses.
* * * *
Darcy was still holding his cell phone, so he tapped the speed dial for his right-hand man, Jason.
“Yo, boss man. Hammer and Cam are both off sick today. How soon can you get here?”
“Damn. I was hoping you could go get the generator and the big fan and bring them to me. There’s been a leak at the Cambrisi job. I need to dry out the woodwork.”
“Sorry, boss, but I’m already down two men.”
“Just do your best. I’ll come and get it myself.”
Darcy eyed the mess. Before he could even think about drying out the stairs, which were all wood, he’d have to get the debris and water swept out and cleaned up. That’d likely take him an hour. Another hour to fetch the generator and big blower and then half an hour to ensure it was all working. He’d be lucky if he got to the worksite before lunch time.
He gripped his cell phone more tightly. The cleanup here wasn’t complicated. Anyone could do it. Like the cowboy. If he hadn’t left already.
Darcy raced through the house and out the back door. The cowboy was in the field brushing one of the horses. He slowed down to a walk and made his way across to the fence, staying outside the gate.
The cowboy looked up at him and smiled. “This is Princess. She’s a beautiful, gentle animal.”
The horse snorted as if embarrassed at the introduction. Darcy couldn’t help smiling. “If you say so. All I know is that one end bites and the other end kicks and to groom them I brush from bite to kick.”
The other horse rubbed its head on the cowboy’s hip. “Yes, Pedro, you’re beautiful, too.”
This time Darcy laughed out loud. “How long until you finish with the horses? And how much time have you got available today?”
A slow smile spread over the man’s face. “Does that mean you have some work I can do? That’d be great. I don’t have a shift at all today. I can work as long as you need me.”
“It’ll only be a couple of hours.” The other man’s smile faded a little, but he still looked pleased. “I have to go back t
o base and pick up my generator and the big blower to dry out the woodwork from the staircase. If you could sweep out all the water and bag up all the trash while I’m collecting the generator, that’d be great and save me a lot of time.”
“Sure, I can do that. Likely there’s a shovel and a broom in the barn. Maybe even a trash bin to put the broken drywall in.”
“Do you mind looking for the tools now? I’ll leave you mine if there aren’t any here, but I need to get moving. Will the horses object if you stop in the middle of caring for them?”
“Oh, I’ve finished their grooming. I was just chatting to them so they don’t get lonely. They’re used to having people around them at the shelter.”
He climbed over the gate and walked beside Darcy to the barn. They unearthed a broom, a shovel, and even a roll of thick black trash bags.
Gratefully Darcy hurried back to his truck and headed to his base which was a warehouse on the northern fringe of town. Fortunately he could cut across on side roads and avoid having to enter town at all. He hoped Raff was a reasonable worker. He’d been fine for the short time they’d worked together this morning, but that was no guarantee of workmanship. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers and it wasn’t that hard to clean up fallen lumber and drywall.
* * * *
Raff took the broom, shovel, and trash bags to the top of the stairs and then shook his head. Shoveling broken bits of ceiling into the trash bags would be stupid because they were all heavy and wet. The sun was shining brightly outside. It’d be much better to dry the stuff out some first. He went back to the barn. He was sure he’d seen a wheelbarrow when he and Darcy were looking for the tools.
He walked past a folding camp bed with a thermal sleeping bag on it and a bulging duffle bag on the ground beside it. He was a little surprised that was all Ms. Cambrisi had with her, but maybe her other things were in the trunk of her car.
He lined up the wheelbarrow at the foot of the staircase and dropped chunks of drywall, ceiling tile, plaster, lumber, and a mass of other stuff into it then emptied it out on the front stoop, spreading everything out so it could dry in the sun.
By the time Darcy returned Raff had stripped off his sweater and shirt and was giving the living room floor a final sweep. A row of filled trash bags were on one side of the stoop, with the last of the mess in a pile still drying beside them.
He helped Darcy set up the generator then bagged the last of the trash.
“You’ve done a good job. It was smart to dry everything out a bit first. Why don’t you follow me to the job site? It’ll be lunchtime when we arrive, and then you can work for me this afternoon as well. They’re two men down today and struggling to meet their deadlines.”
“Thank you. I’d like that.” Not that he’d be eating lunch. Breakfast and lunch were distant memories these days. A filling nighttime meal was all he could afford right now. Even Starbucks coffee was beyond his means, although he kept telling himself water was a hell of a lot healthier anyway.
The men on the worksite were friendly and helpful but Raff was happy to do the unskilled tasks. All he cared about was that he was getting paid for working. Besides, it wasn’t like he was an expert in this type of activity. He’d been an expert at his old job. Four years to get his degree. Two years for professional certification and recognition. Another year at the bottom of the pile, and then eighteen-hour days and seven-day weeks to be making good money.
Only to wake up one morning and realize that he was more than thirty years old and hadn’t dated a woman for so long he couldn’t even remember the last one’s name. His friends—who he hadn’t spoken to in months—all had wives, girlfriends, kids, and he had nothing. Just a career that had sucked the soul out of him, and now he was merely an empty shell of a man. He had no interests, no hobbies, and no genuine friends anymore. He’d emailed his resignation to the managing director and had walked out of his office, out of his apartment, and out of his life, taking nothing with him.
Raff had headed south and west working as a cowboy in Arkansas and Texas, before swinging north again through Missouri and Indiana. He’d needed those long days full of nothing to restore his peace of mind. No pressure, no bustle, no city lights, no loud noise. He’d enjoyed the friendship of other men as they rode horses and rounded up cattle.
Working with horses had been the first job he’d ever had, as the stable boy for a riding school. He’d worked weekends all through high school and college. It was like going back to his roots. Back before he’d gotten off track in the search for money.
Right now, however, a little money would be good. Hopefully what he’d earn today would prevent him being thrown out of his tiny one-room apartment for another week.
It was almost the end of the day and they were cleaning up and putting things away. This was one large apartment being made into two smaller ones. It was a matter of adding a new kitchen and bathroom, and a separate entry for the second dwelling.
“No, no, it’s not your fault. You can’t help it. Stay in bed. Drink chicken soup. I’ll see you on Monday.”
Raff looked across at Darcy, who was frowning at his cell phone. That was probably one of the men he was replacing. It sounded like the man really was ill. Surreptitiously Raff crossed his fingers, hoping he might get a little more work. Another day’s wages would really help him.
“That was Hammer. Cam and Hammer both have the flu. I hope to god they didn’t give it to anyone else around here,” said Darcy.
Jason stared at him, coughed, and grasped his chest. Everyone else laughed.
Darcy turned to Raff. “What hours do you work at that animal shelter, Raff? Can you come back again tomorrow?”
“I’m three days a week, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. But they promised to call me in if some more new horses arrived.”
“What time do you have to feed Cambrisi’s horses? What time can you get here every day for the rest of the week?”
“I’ll arrive at whatever time you want me. I’ll make sure I’ve fed and groomed Pedro and Princess before then.”
“No need to groom the poor things in the dark. We start at eight, but if you could be here at nine, that’ll be good enough.”
Raff felt a huge weight fall off his shoulders. “Thank you. I’ll be here.”
* * * *
Two weeks later Violet was sitting on the stoop, staring up into the early morning sky. The stars out here were so bright. Every night she left the barn door open so she could go to sleep staring at the beautiful display they made against the black backdrop of the sky. She had to confess she was getting a little tired of not having a bathroom. Showering at work was all very well, but she’d had to visit a Laundromat several times, and go back home to switch out her clothing a couple of times as well.
She hadn’t seen the horseman or any of the workmen at all, but she knew they’d been here. A huge heater thingy had been in the house drying out the stairs and the upstairs hallway, and then it’d disappeared. Piles of lumber and rolls of electrical wiring were lying in her great room. The horses were well cared for, sometimes wearing their blankets on the colder days, so she knew all was well there as well.
Today was the big day. The work was officially going to start today. The kitchen and bathrooms were to be treated to new pipes and all the electrical outlets and wiring was to be checked as well. The builder had said his entire team would be arriving today. Although likely that wouldn’t be until she’d left for work, but she was still excited about it. It was finally real.
Violet was just about to stand up and say good-bye to the horses when headlamps appeared in her driveway and an old truck bumped down the track. That was something else that needed to happen. The driveway was going to be graded and covered with new gravel. When the truck stopped, she recognized it as one of the ones she’d passed as she’d left for work the day the ceiling had fallen in. Damn that’d been fun sliding down the stairs. There was something she needed to tell the builder about that. An idea that episode had given he
r.
Her horse manager climbed out of his truck and headed into the barn, returning soon with the feed for the horses. Next he switched out their water, making it all fresh. Violet hadn’t even thought of that. She’d thought the rain would make their drinking water clean, but apparently it needed changing. Then he began by brushing Princess and finally Pedro. As he was finishing, she walked across to the gate.
“Either you’re early today or I’m late.”
It took her a moment to recall his name. Her grandfather had told her. Rafael. That was it. Damn he was good looking. His hair was way too long and blond, and his eyes were dark brown. His face appeared weather beaten and his hands were darkly tanned, too, likely from working outdoors. She guessed him at six foot to her five eight.
“The builders are starting work here today so I wanted to spend time with Pedro and Princess to make sure the noise wasn’t going to worry them. They’ll have become used to the silence out here.”
“Do you think they won’t like the sounds of the machines and tools?” Violet stroked Princess’s nose. Damn I’m a bad mother. I hadn’t even thought of that.
“It’s a big field. They can go up the other end if the noise worries them,” he said.
“That’s true.” Violet realized it was full light already. “I need to go to work. It’s been nice meeting with you.”
And for the first time since she’d moved out to her farm, Violet wished she didn’t need to take the time to shower and dress for work. She’d much have preferred spending those minutes talking to Raphael.
* * * *
Violet didn’t have to work. She could have lived the life of a celebrity on the income from her trust account. Well, except that her grandfather would never have permitted her to do that. But she didn’t want to anyway. Grandpop Cambrisi still had an interest in his many business affairs at eighty-five, even though he’d handed them all over to the younger generation one by one, ten to fifteen years previously. But all his many nieces and nephews knew that the old man read the business reports and if they started moving in directions he didn’t understand or didn’t approve of, they’d be summoned to his house to explain themselves very quickly.