Kathleen worked for a few minutes longer. Then an idea occurred to her. If the party was going to be a sort of new life celebration, she’d give Julio and his wife a little something for the baby. She went online to look up a number. She’d been able to get most of the wedding preparation money back, but the deposit for the wedding photos was non-refundable. She might be able to get the services transferred to someone else if they had a branch here. It wasn’t as though she was going to have her own portrait taken. She found the number and spoke with the representative. She was put on hold for a while, then the man came back on and said it was possible. She asked for a gift certificate to be emailed to her for half the amount, with a list of what it would cover.
She hung up and immediately realized she was dismantling yet another wedding arrangement. A twinge of pain clouded her eyes with tears. Why couldn’t she get past this? She quickly brushed them away. She was tempted to call Cal and back out of the date. She could mail the gift certificate later.
But it would be the coward’s way out.
Her brothers wouldn’t give up when they met with heartache. Zach’s girl had dropped him while he was deployed, and he’d moved on.
She could do it, too.
Kathleen threw herself back into work to get the whole issue of men and dating and broken hearts off her mind.
She set up her AutoCAD program parameters and began the work on the lower levels of the structure. She didn’t realize it was time to quit until Edward got up and dragged his jacket off the back of his chair to leave.
Her date with Cal loomed, and her nerves jingled. She had a fresh blouse in the car to go along with her skirt, proof against the hazards of drawing with ink and the habits drummed into her during her college courses. She’d go get the blouse and change. Freshen up a bit. She carefully saved the project and closed out her program.
Paul Warren sauntered in and started toward her. A feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. If he was trying to change her impression of him, it wasn’t working.
She casually wandered over to Hillary’s cubicle.
“Hello, ladies. I was wondering if you’d like to go out for a drink.”
Hillary looked up and Kathleen caught the cautious hope in her expression. Kathleen rushed to say, “Thank you for the invitation, Paul, but I have a baby celebration I’m going to with a friend. But I’m sure Hillary would like to go for a drink to unwind.”
To his credit, Paul never missed a beat. “Hillary? It will give us some time to celebrate the success of the breezeway. The clients are raving about it.”
“Good, I’m glad.” She settled back in her chair. “I could use a glass of wine.”
“Another time, Kathleen?” he asked.
“Sure.” She kept it casual but uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. “You two have a good evening.” She stepped over to her printer to get the two sheets of paper she’d printed from her email and put them an envelope.
“I didn’t think there were that many people you knew here in San Diego. You said you’d just moved here two weeks ago. Do you really have a date, or are you avoiding me?” Paul asked.
What the hell? It was none of his damn business.
Kathleen drew a breath to try and ease the anxious beat of her heart. “Yes, I really have a date. This is a gift certificate I purchased on line for the happy parents, if you’d like proof.” She held out the paper.
He eyed the paper and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. “No, I believe you. I just don’t want first impressions to cause an issue between us, Kathleen.”
The passive-aggressive bullshit in his demeanor set off nervous alarms. “I don’t have an issue.” She added a mental yet. “Having a comfortable relationship with my coworkers is important to me. But I’m not really comfortable with anything else.”
“With me, you mean?”
“Yes. Since you’re technically a boss here.”
“I see.” His expression shifted to a more neutral one. “I understand. But when you’ve done well on a project, I’ll feel slighted if you don’t allow me to buy you a drink to celebrate.”
Hillary came around the dividing wall to join them.
Kathleen nodded. “That will be fine. You two have a good night.” She retrieved her purse from her desk and the lightweight jacket she’d worn to work. She couldn’t wait to escape to her car.
It was while she sat in her vehicle and tried to quit shaking that the anger surged. Had she misread Warren? Had he really tried to intimidate her? The passive-aggressive thing threw her, and she waffled back and forth, which further amped up her anger.
She’d have to give it some time and see if he came back for another pass. And if he did, she wasn’t going to put up with his shit, whether or not it cost her this job.
Chapter 4
‡
Cal sat at the coffee shop window closest to the parking lot. He should have asked her what kind of car she drove. He’d been so worked up just talking to her on the phone, his mind had been a sieve. Hell, he hadn’t been able to even remember Julio’s address, and he’d been there at least twenty times.
He ran a palm over his jaw. He could work two hundred feet in the air, but he couldn’t call a woman and ask her out without turning into an idiot. What the fuck was wrong with him?
A dark blue Honda pulled up and parked.
Kathleen got out of the vehicle and looped her purse over her shoulder. Her cherry red blouse enhanced her pale skin and dark hair. Her black skirt hit modestly just above her knee, but hugged her hips and made her waist look tiny by comparison. Hector had called her a hot mama. Oh yeah, she was hot.
Cal rose and ambled to the front door before she made it across the parking lot. When she saw him holding the door open, her expression, a little anxious, changed to relief. When she smiled, he noticed her red lipstick matched her top perfectly. Her mouth looked ripe for kissing and more.
In an instant his body responded, and he smiled. “Glad you made it,” he said.
“I had a delay at work and was worried I’d be late.”
“No worries. Even if you were, this will be a casual get-together. People will be coming and going for most of the evening.” He rested a hand against the small of her back as he guided her to the table he’d claimed. His heart rate spiked just touching her. She smelled like summer, coconut or vanilla. Good enough to eat. His throat thickened and he swallowed. After getting her settled in one of the plastic seats, he asked what she’d like to drink.
“I’d love a hot chai tea.”
He went to the counter and placed their orders. He set the sealed cup and a small plastic container with a lemon wedge in front of her.
He didn’t want coffee or tea, so got a cup of hot chocolate instead. She eyed the whipped cream poking out of the top of his cup and smiled when he tugged a spoon out of his shirt pocket and offered it to her. “I’ll share.”
“It looks tempting, but no.”
Not as tempting as she was. “When did you move to San Diego?” He had to get his mind on something else.
“Two weeks ago. I drove out for a job interview and got it. I’m staying with my brother, Zach, until I find a place to live.”
“And what does he do?”
“He’s in the Navy. A medic, among other things.” She popped the lid off her steaming tea and put in some lemon and a packet of sweetener.
Noticing her hands were shaking, he laid a hand over hers. “Let me put the lid back on for you,” he offered. Was she nervous about the date or something else? “Is something wrong?”
“Just an upset at work earlier. I’ll relax in a minute.”
“You had nerves of steel Monday. Want to share what it is that’s upset you?”
“Just a personality clash at work.” She changed the subject abruptly. “What branch of the service were you in?” she asked as he popped the plastic cover on and set it in front of her again.
He let it go, since she seemed to want to avoid talki
ng about it. “I was a corporal in the Marines.” He skimmed the whip cream off the top of his cup and put a spoonful in his mouth. The creamy sweetness of it dissolved on his tongue. She’d taste just as sweet.
She was silent a moment. “I’m sorry you had to give it up.” He read regret in her expression.
Had she found out about his leg? Had Warren told her? “I had an option to stay in. I could have even been deployed back into combat in a support position, but I chose not to. I was concerned I might not be as good as I needed to be. I couldn’t put any of my guys at risk. But you don’t ever stop being a Marine.”
“Zach has that same mindset. In fact, most of the men in my family do. Mark’s a first sergeant in the Marines, Jason’s a sergeant major in the Army, and my father and oldest brother Michael are cops back home.
“How many brothers and sisters in all?”
“Eight brothers, no sisters.”
“Eight?” It took him a moment to wrap his head around that. “I bet every one of them is protective as hell of you.”
She nodded. “Yes, pretty much.”
“Where’s home?” he asked.
“Boston.”
“I thought I heard a hint of Massachusetts in your accent.”
“And I thought I heard the south in yours.”
“The great state of Texas.”
“Oh, the hat tip with the hard hat. I knew it reminded me of something. You know, in westerns, when a man tips his hat to the ladies.”
“Yeah, some of us still do that.”
“That’s nice.” Her smile softened, and he groaned inwardly.
“I’ve never been to Texas. I’ve only been here to San Diego once before. I’ve been so busy with school, I haven’t had time to do much of anything but study and work. And…” she trailed off.
He took a sip of the hot chocolate. “And,” he urged.
“Look for a job.” She looked away, her green eyes shadowed.
She’d been going to say something else. What had it been? She seemed an open book, but everyone had secrets. With such strong ties to home and family, why would she relocate so far away from them? Was she running from something, or someone?
“What about your family?” she asked.
“One younger brother, Douglas. My dad’s a contractor and runs his own company. My mother does the bookkeeping. They build residential projects and flip houses.”
“So you learned the ropes from your dad.”
“Yeah, partly. I worked commercial sites right out of high school. It seemed natural to go back to it after I got out of the service. Are you through with that?” he pointed to the tea.
She nodded and pushed the cup toward him. The black bruises on her wrist caught his attention. He drew away the cup and cupped her hand in his. “Julio did that when he latched onto you, didn’t he?”
“It’s nothing. It’s barely sore anymore.”
The small talk they’d exchanged, though it helped him to get to know her, didn’t come close to cutting to the heart of what kind of person she was the way these bruises did. “Thank you for helping me save him. I didn’t know how long I’d be able to hold on with just one hand.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed, and her voice was husky as she said, “You’re welcome.”
He rose to toss the empty containers into the trash. “We should probably go. I’d like to introduce you to Jessica and Julio before the mob arrives.” It was natural to offer her his hand. When she took it, he noticed her fingers were stained black with ink.
She started to jerk her hand back, her cheeks red. “It’s the hazards of being an architect. My Rapidograph leaked, and I couldn’t get it off.”
Cal smiled and bent his head to kiss her fingertips. “Just a sign of good, hard work, nothing to be embarrassed about. On the other hand, be grateful I rushed home and took a shower.”
Her laughter broke the serious mood they’d fallen into.
*
Cal was a charmer. When he kissed her fingertips, she’d felt that small caress all the way to her…. She wasn’t going to think about that. He’d gone out of his way to make her feel relaxed and safe. So safe, she’d agreed for him to drive her to the party and moved her car back into employee parking at the office. As they passed the third street corner with a group of teenagers standing around smoking and eyeing every car that passed, she acknowledged she’d made the right decision.
Distracted by the drive, she’d almost put aside Paul Warren’s attempts to intimidate behind her. Something in one of the teenagers’ sullen expressions brought it all back.
Why was Warren asking her out for drinks anyway? She’d already made it plain she wasn’t interested. Or was he persisting to try and reverse the impression he’d given her that first day? His pushiness increased her anxiety about their working relationship and Cal’s situation. She couldn’t deny that the project manager was manipulative and determined.
But how was she supposed to warn Cal about the guy without compromising her own situation? She couldn’t afford to lose the job. She’d put in hours every summer, and an entire semester to complete her internship, all working toward her licensing test. She could be finished with the requirements in eighteen months if she worked hard. But in order to take the test, she had to be employed in her field.
“When Jessica and Julio decide to celebrate, they do it in a big way,” Cal said as they pulled up behind a long line of vehicles parked on the street.
She’d made the right decision in coming with him. She didn’t know the area, and with all the twists and turns they’d taken, she’d have had difficulty finding her way back to the main road. And had she gotten lost—she shivered. “Their neighbors won’t mind you parking here?”
He shook his head. “They’ll all be at the party.” He got out and came around to open her door.
She enjoyed his old school manners. It was a long way from the casual treatment she’d accepted from Lee. She’d had some time to think about a lot of things since the breakup, and Lee’s infidelity wasn’t the only thing she could live without. He’d taken advantage of and diminished her self-worth in more ways than she could count.
When Cal helped her out of the car, she looped her hand through his arm and earned a smile. “These friends of yours seem very popular.”
“This neighborhood is very close. They all seem to pitch in when there’s an illness in the family, a new baby, that kind of thing.”
“And when there’s a party?”
“Then, too.”
They loped up the sidewalk, Cal’s long legs eating up the distance much more easily than hers. What did it say about her when she couldn’t keep up with a man with only one normal leg? She was relieved when he slowed his pace to a stroll. The sound of mariachi music rocked straight ahead.
Cal guided her around the side of the house to a gate. The backyard was strung high with plastic lanterns already lit. Tables of every size were positioned around the perimeter of the yard and covered with brightly colored plastic tablecloths. Three large tables filled with food stretched along the side of the concrete patio, and people were already mingling.
Julio rushed to meet them as soon as they entered the yard. His round face was a far healthier color than the last time she’d seen him. Julio gripped Cal’s hand and bumped shoulders with him. “Bienvenida, mi amigo.”
“Gracias, Julio. Estamos contentos de estar aquí,” Cal replied. “You remember Kathleen O’Connor.”
Julio tilted his head. “I will never forget her. Gracias, señorita.”
“You’re welcome.”
“What is it you do for Wiley?” he asked.
“I’m an architect. Monday was my first day on the job in Wiley’s drafting department. I was just checking out some of the sites with Mr. Warren to get a scope of what they do.”
“It was a lucky day for me.”
“Congratulations on the baby. I brought something for you and your wife.” She withdrew the envelope from her bag and handed it
to him. “It’s a gift certificate for your first round of baby pictures, or your wife when she starts to show. You can call the number on there and arrange the time.”
Surprise blanked Julio’s features. “This is very generous of you.”
“You’ll want pictures of everything.”
“Gracias.”
“You’re welcome.”
A petite woman about her own height joined them. Her pale skin and blonde hair were in direct contrast to Julio’s dark good looks. Julio was quick to introduce Kathleen to his wife Jessica.
“I’m so glad you could join us,” Jessica said, she bypassed the handshake and hugged Kathleen. “Thank you for helping Julio on Monday.” Her eyes looked suspiciously shiny as she drew back.
“It was mostly Cal, I just acted as added ballast.”
“She brought us a gift certificate for the baby,” Julio said, handing Jessica the envelope.
“How sweet of you. Thank you.” She clutched the envelope against her chest. “Cal, you know everyone. Be sure to introduce her.” She winked at Kathleen. “And don’t let him be shy about getting up and dancing. I’m going to make sure to find a song you can do a Texas two-step to.”
“I’d like more than one date, Jess. If I step on Kathleen’s toes all night, that might be a deal breaker,” Cal said.
Jessica shot him a wry look. “If you can walk iron twenty stories off the ground, you can dance with a girl without stepping on her toes.”
Cal gave her an aw-shucks smile. “I can give it a shot.”
“Good. There’s enough food for an army over there. Everyone in the neighborhood brought a dish. I’m going to go put this somewhere safe right now.” She waved the envelope.
Cal guided Kathleen around the yard and introduced her to some of the crew and their wives. They were friendly enough, but the moment they learned she was an architect for the company, their attitudes shifted, which was a shame, since she could have used a few friends. She’d left them all behind in Boston.
It really was a family party. Some of the kids were running through the crowd and others playing in a large tree house balanced in the one big tree in the yard.
Breaking Boundaries (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 5) Page 5