He dug out the score he’d brought with him. His wait only lasted ten minutes. A quick knock announced her arrival, and then she was in the door. She stood over him, hands on hips. “We need to talk.”
“Really? What’s up?”
“You changed the dig schedule without checking with either Dave or me, and then, to back you up, you got my dad involved. Do you have any idea how many poor decisions that makes?”
He liked the way her chest heaved in and out in her chambray shirt, as he remembered all too well the curvaceous body beneath. Cool it, boys. Playtime’s over for now. “None, as far as I’m concerned.”
“You overstepped your authority as project manager, Ned. Just like you did when you replaced the pans with preformed walls for the foundations. Project managers help things move smoothly on a job, relieve the superintendent and general contractor of that type of operational detail. They don’t make independent decisions without the knowledge of the super and GC. I know you’re the client and you tend to get impatient to get things done, but you can’t change such major items before you consult with us.”
“I consulted your father.”
“I’m in charge right now. Not my dad. You knew he couldn’t take the stress while he recovers. But did that stop you? Not only do I resent you for going over my head, but I’m furious with you for taking my father’s health so lightly.”
“C’mon, Shae. Your dad was pleased to be consulted. I didn’t do anything to upset him.”
She blinked, like a thought had just occurred to her. “You didn’t… Oh, God, you didn’t tell him you’re acting as your own project manager, did you?” Her eyes went wide, like an animal caught in a trap.
Any other time, he might have backed off the topic. But not today. “Didn’t have to. He already knew. Thought you’d told him days ago.”
“No, I didn’t.” Her voice had gone soft.
“Better watch your back, then, because someone else got to him.”
She didn’t speak at first, apparently unwilling to admit to holes in her organization. At length, she replied, “Whether he knew or not doesn’t justify going behind my back.”
“But it’s okay to go around me to get invited to my mother’s showing?”
She blinked. “Is that what this is about?”
Yeah, but he wouldn’t admit it. “No, of course not. This is about my keeping my project on schedule. Your dig-a-few-holes-then-wait-then-dig-a-few-more-holes philosophy didn’t make sense. So, I did something about it.”
“Do you recall any of our discussion after the near-disaster when you took it upon yourself to decide how the foundations would be built?”
“Of course, I do.”
She stuck a document she brought with her under his nose. “I thought you told me you wanted—needed—to cut costs. These figures show the financial impact of messing with the dig schedule.”
Explained why he hadn’t heard from her sooner. She’d been busy with her calculator.
“You upped the initial excavation costs fifty percent.”
She’d gotten too big a charge from dropping this little bomb. Time to defuse it. “If I get the subscribed houses underway as soon as possible, I can realize a return on my investment earlier than anticipated.”
She removed her hands from her hips, and her breathing seemed to stabilize. Her eyes scrunched as if to consider his reasoning. “Just how bad are your financial problems?”
He flinched. Direct shot. “Much better since we talked in my tent. I’ve found a backer to augment my finances while my other sources of income realign themselves.”
“A backer? Who?”
“Sorry, that’s private.”
“You have a partner? We’ll have to work with a second party?”
“Not to fear. You still will only have to contend with me. This is a background person who saw a great investment opportunity with this project. The party has no intention of becoming directly involved.”
No, Farley just planned to force them to use his businesses when the time came. Wait ’til she learned about that. He’d probably burned his one get-out-of-jail-free card with her father with his dig decision. He’d have to find another way to defend his further dealings with his asshole of an investor.
She attempted to stare him down, as if she dared him to tell her more about Farley. When he didn’t, she said, “I hope you’re right. This project is already unusual in so many respects, we can’t afford any more extraordinary measures.” She didn’t give him a chance to reply before she turned on her heel and rushed out the door, letting it slam behind her.
Even though she’d had the last word, he got the win. Win? Perhaps a bit optimistic, since he really had increased his costs. For the moment. Nor would he characterize Farley’s money as his salvation. There was still the piper to pay there, whatever it turned out to be.
He probably shouldn’t have involved Tim Harriman. The guy’s health was still on the line, as she’d pointed out. Had he really gone to her father in retaliation for her involvement with his mom? Or was he just spoiling for a fight? If that was the case, why? Somehow his business dealings with Shae had strayed over the line and gone into personal territory. Maybe that explained why, even though he’d won the extra digs, he felt he’d lost something in his relationship with Shae.
****
Shae flounced into their mobile office. The door slammed.
“Ned still alive?” Dave asked.
“Yes. Now it’s your turn to face the firing line.”
Dave glanced up, eyes crinkled in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“Even though Ned saw fit to tell Dad he’s been serving as his own project manager, Dad already knew.”
Dave shifted his attention to his desk.
“You told him, didn’t you?”
He drew in his lips as if he debated how to respond. “You knew I visited him almost every day. Did you think the subject would never come up? You should’ve told him yourself long ago.”
She started to reply but couldn’t. He was right. She’d excused not reporting to her dad Ned’s acting as his own project manager as protecting her father from too much stress too soon. Was that really the case? Or had she feared he would relieve her of her duties if he found out? “What did he say when you told him?”
“You should ask him yourself.”
So, his role as middleman only went one way. Shouldn’t surprise her. Dave had been loyal to her dad for years. Her dad had told her as much when he offered her the temporary job.
“Okay, I will. Todd should’ve cooled off by now, so I’ll leave him to you for a while.”
Although she marched off to her SUV, determined to get this straightened out with her dad, by the time she arrived at his room at Blackhawk Hills, her steps had slowed. This could be it, the day he pulled the rug out from under her. Contract renewed, it was no longer necessary to keep a Harriman at the helm. Dave could take over. Ned would be delighted.
Her dad glanced up from his magazine as she entered his room. “Just talked to you on the phone. Need more help with Old Man Todd?”
She slipped into the room’s only visitor chair. “Uh, no. Need to bail myself out of a hole I dug myself.” Couldn’t really blame either Ned or Dave for this.
That got his attention. He cocked his head.
A succession of implosions wracked her stomach as she considered his possible reaction. “It’s time—past time—to tell you Ned Collier has assumed the role of project manager.”
“Wondered when you’d get around to that minor detail.”
No explosion yet. But it was sure to come. “I didn’t tell you at first, because I didn’t want to worry you,” she attempted to explain. “Then, as time passed, I hoped it would work itself out before you heard.”
He threw the magazine aside. “Why in hell would you agree to such an asinine idea?”
“Didn’t Dave tell you why? He seems to have briefed you about everything else.”
“Don’t blame Dave.
He’s only done his job. Plus, he’s a loyal friend.”
Loyal to you. “It seemed to be the only way we could keep the contract. Ned, uh, Collier, threatened to go to one of our competitors when he learned I’d been made temporary head of the company. Despite my education, I couldn’t convince him I knew what I was doing. He’d only stay with us if he could have ongoing, direct involvement.”
He leaned back against his pillows, his eyebrows formed a V. “You had such an exaggerated opinion of your talents you thought you could override his lack of knowledge about construction?”
“I knew it wasn’t a good idea. But we needed this project to keep the company afloat.” Oh, God, she hadn’t meant to go there.
Her dad seemed to jerk. “You know about that?”
She sucked on her lower lip. “A little. Mostly it’s suspicion of what I don’t know. You’ve refused to share the company books with me, despite the fact I’m currently in charge.”
He lowered his eyes. “Yeah, uh, s’pose that wasn’t such a good idea. Just didn’t want to scare you.”
“Scare me?” Her voice rose. “Like I haven’t been frightened to death to be unaware of the company’s actual financial picture? Or to receive the opportunity of a lifetime to run the company but have little experience to draw from and a crew that questioned my every move?”
He continued to focus elsewhere. “You seem to have survived all that. So far.”
Huge admission from her father. He seemed to accept the project manager thing. Didn’t like it. Nor did she. But so far, he hadn’t canned her. So maybe she should share a little about Ned’s finances. “Did Ned, uh, Collier, explain why he wanted to be so involved with his project?
“Nope. He brought me an ice cream bar and got me to approve the extra digs and left. Why?”
She related how anticipated revenue sources from upcoming concerts and other personal appearances had dried up for Ned, at least until his throat recovered. “Ironic? Isn’t it? Your recuperation gave me the chance to step up and lead the company. And at almost the same time, Ned’s recuperation has challenged me every step of the way.”
“Already told him he was a fool to make himself project manager, but you want me to talk to him again?”
She had to laugh. Nerves. But she’d gotten this far by her own wits. She wasn’t caving now. “Thanks, but no. I’ve worked things out with him,” she bluffed. “I’m banking on his losing interest once he can sing again.” She held her breath, prayed her dad wouldn’t ask how much longer that would be, since she figured at least four more months.
“The man who visited me today didn’t appear bored with his new job. You got your hands full, kiddo. Keep on top of him.”
Been there, done that, Dad. Wasn’t such a great idea.
****
Two days later, Shae found herself back at the department store where she’d searched in vain for a dress to wear to her dinner meeting with Ned. Only this time she wasn’t alone. Two racks of dresses over, Janice Collier examined cocktail frocks.
“Given your eye and hair colors, I think you’d look good in jewel tones,” Janice told her.
“Jewel tones?”
“Blues, greens, some reds, possibly pink.”
“I thought brown.”
Janice glanced up with a start. “You’re not serious?”
Apparently not. But she liked the color. It was so no-nonsense. “Black?”
“Black’s fine. Very sophisticated. I just, uh, pictured you in something more vivid.”
Shae moved closer to prevent onlookers from hearing. “But you said black’s sophisticated. Isn’t that what you want for your showing?”
Janice nodded. “True. But most of the other women there will probably think the same thing and wear black. I want you to stand out.”
Shae’s stomach turned over. Standing out in a crowd wasn’t her thing. “Uh, Janice. I don’t know. Just my agreement to be there is a huge step for me.”
Ned’s mother patted her arm. “I appreciate your effort. But…” she raised wide, plaintive eyes in Shae’s direction, “it would please me so much if you would consider augmenting your wardrobe.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Janice flipped through several hangers that displayed a rainbow of colors. “How about this one?” She removed a blood red sheath and held it out to Shae.”
“Red?”
“This darker tone will look great with your hair and pale skin.”
With auburn hair, she’d rarely, if ever, worn red. Okay, she’d try it on, although she’d never worn anything as flashy in her life. She scanned her other options. “As long as I can try on this one as well.” Her choice was navy blue.
Twenty minutes later, while Janice studied her from a chair near the three-way mirror outside the dressing rooms, Shae pirouetted for the older woman to see her from all sides. “Okay. You win. The navy was nice. But this one,” she twisted around to see the back, “makes me look sensational. I’ve never felt so, uh—”
“Hot?”
In the mirror in front of her, Shae saw her cheeks color. Not quite the same shade as the dress, but to hear Ned’s mother echo her thoughts out loud threw her. Again, she wondered if the woman suspected she and Ned had been intimate. “Well, yes.”
“Congratulations, then. It’s about time you experienced that feeling.”
“What makes you think it’s so new?”
“Your face. You’re glowing, like this is all a big surprise.”
Shae glanced once more in the mirror to check Janice’s statement. “I’ve, uh, never known what clothes to wear. My mother died when I was a little girl, and I don’t have any female relatives.”
“Surely you had girlfriends?”
Girlfriends? “I was kind of a loner. I certainly wasn’t part of a group of girls who lived for shopping at the mall.”
Janice eyed her as if about to say something more, but quickly shifted her attention to another clothing rack. “Maybe I should take some of my own advice. Buy myself something new for this affair.”
“What do you usually wear?”
“I have one outfit I bring out for every event, a fancier version of my hippie costume.”
“Costume?”
Janice removed a long black velvet hostess skirt from the rack. “You don’t think I actually mean to look like a refugee from the seventies, do you? I’ve played a part all these years.” She swayed her hips enough to swirl her skirt and checked her image in a nearby mirror. “When my husband was alive, I was the behind-the-scenes person at the gallery. He was the gregarious one. After his death, when I was on my own, I adopted this modern-day hippie persona. Thought it would appeal to patrons.”
More than likely, the costume had provided something for her to hide behind while she greeted customers. “The get-up must have worked. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Serenity.”
Janice continued to inspect her reflection. “Maybe it’s time for a change.”
“You could keep the lines, you know, long skirt like that one, and an overblouse but swankier fabrics.”
Janice screwed up her eyes. “Hmmm. I see what you mean.”
After another half hour, they’d selected the black velvet skirt and a silver lamé top for Janice and strappy heels for both of them. And, of course, the red number. As they carried their bags to Shae’s SUV, her cell rang. She gazed at the caller ID and frowned. “Gotta take this. My dad.”
They climbed inside the vehicle, where Shae answered her call. “What’s up, Dad? Uh-huh. No. That’s all the permits until next week. No, I can’t think of anything else at the moment, but I’ll check with Dave. Okay. Bye.” Her dad had done enough for a few days.
“That was short and sweet.”
“Short, yes. Sweet, not so much. I knew this would happen as soon as Dad got the least bit re-involved with the company.” She explained how she’d kept her dad from leaving the rehab facility by giving him some actual work to do. “It’s like I’m pull
ing a loose string on a sweater. The more I yank, the faster the sweater unwinds. The more I give my dad to work on, the more he wants. He can’t overdo. That’s what started his problems in the first place. Then Ned got involved.”
“Ned?”
Shouldn’t go there. “He went to my dad about something he’d already done without consulting me. He knew I’d never approve it. My dad probably wouldn’t have stood for it either, if he’d been back in the saddle. But I think he was so excited to have someone come to him for help, he went soft and let Ned get by with it.”
“Ned can be a bit, uh, driven at times. He’s the one who decided I need a new house to retire in, you know.”
Her dad had told her some of the story of Ned’s “hush-hush” project when he first approached the architectural firm that came up with the design concept. He’d insisted on anonymity, because he hadn’t wanted his mother to know what he was up to until it was a done deal. Even though she’d gotten wind of his plans anyhow before he told her, apparently even Janice wasn’t safe from Ned’s take-charge tactics.
“Why did you give in to him?”
Janice seemed to run the question through her mind. She didn’t reply at once. “He agreed to build his own home in Sullivan’s Creek if I accepted his gift.”
“Has he always been so, uh, strong-minded?”
Janice didn’t answer. Instead, she asked a question of her own. “Has the subject of his broken engagements ever come up?”
“Yes. Briefly.”
“Both fiancées took advantage of him. Different reasons, but they each disappointed him in their own way. So he doesn’t like to have his opinion challenged. Especially by a woman.” She turned to Shae. “I’m explaining. Not defending.” She stopped, as if to consider her next words. “I’m not suggesting you’ve done that, though. In fact, I applaud you for not letting him walk all over you.”
Although he had, and now she had to be constantly on guard. She really liked this woman. Before she had a chance to say as much, Janice added, “While we’re on the subject of hard-headed men, what if I visit your dad and get him interested in painting?”
Tough Enough to Tango Page 19