by Mitzi Kelly
She listened for a moment and then pulled out her pad to take notes. “Don’t worry about it at all, Clyde. We’ll take care of it.” She disconnected the call and then immediately tried to get in touch with one of her bosses. All of the calls she made went to voice mail, but she didn’t leave a message. Justin and Steve were still in Dallas, and Greg was probably still in his meeting.
Part of her job required her to troubleshoot. She needed to come up with a solution to Clyde’s problem. Actually, it was Tucker Construction’s problem. Clyde’s strip center was due for the final inspection this afternoon. Instead of using their regular painting contractor who was tied up on another project clear across town, Tucker Construction had called one of their backup contractors to finish up the strip center.
Normally this wouldn’t be a problem. However, the poor guy’s painting crew had failed to show this morning, and he was trying to finish it by himself. There was no way one person could complete the work by the time the inspector arrived.
It only took a moment for Ginger to make a decision. She sent a quick text message to the Tuckers saying only that she had to take care of something but would have the office phones forwarded to her cell phone. Grabbing her purse, she locked the office.
She was going to go shoot some trouble. After she made a quick detour by her house.
Chapter Sixteen
Clyde opened the door to one of the soon-to-be shops in his strip center just as she was handing the paint roller to Chris to clean. Clyde stopped in the doorway with his mouth open and his eyebrows reaching his hair line. “Ginger?”
She lifted her hand in greeting and then turned back to the young painting contractor. “Thank you for your dedication to finishing this job with all the stress you were under. I will make sure the owners of Tucker Construction are aware of your hard work. You make sure you get your invoice into the office right away, okay?”
“Thank you,” Chris said. “And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. I couldn’t have made the deadline without you. And by the way, if you ever get tired of shuffling papers, I hope you know you have a standing job at Pro-Painters. Shoot, I’ll even make you a foreman.”
She joined in his laughter. “Careful what you wish for, Chris.” She turned and walked toward Clyde, pulling a rag from the back pocket of her jeans to wipe her hands. “What a nice surprise,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t know you would be coming by.”
Clyde moved his lips, but no words came out. Finally, he shook his head. “Were you actually painting?”
“A little bit. I wanted to make sure you passed inspection. I enjoyed helping.”
“I feel terrible, young lady. I hope you don’t think I would ever expect you to physically solve problems on a jobsite.”
He really did look mortified as he slowly walked around the spacious area. Then it dawned on her. He was probably afraid she had little to no experience painting and had rushed over to slap some color on the walls to fool the inspector.
She hurried to reassure him. “My dad was a contractor, and I helped him all the time with his projects. I have been painting for years. In fact, I believe my first pacifier was in the shape of a paint brush.”
He turned to look at her. “Ginger, I don’t care if you have any experience with painting or not, which obviously you do by the perfection of this work, but to me that is not even relevant. What impresses me is you would come over here to make sure the work got finished. Do the Tuckers know you did this?”
“I left them a message,” she said truthfully. “It’s really not a big deal, Clyde. Chris was working so hard to protect the reputation of his company that there wasn’t much left to do.”
“I hate to call any woman a liar, but you’re a liar,” he said with a laugh. “I was here earlier this morning, and I know what still had to be painted. I don’t know how you and that young man accomplished all of this in just a few hours, but I’m very grateful.”
“Well, the Tuckers would have been just as disappointed as you if the inspection had to be rescheduled. Especially when painting was the only thing left to do. I know your project is already running behind schedule because the mill company had to remake your specialized doors, and having to wait for the inspector to get back out here would only have delayed it longer.”
They talked for a few more minutes before Ginger said goodbye and headed back to the office. She was uncomfortable with all the praise Clyde had heaped on her. Although she was extremely glad she had the experience to have been able to help, she didn’t think what she had done was so out of the ordinary.
Once back at the office, she reached in the backseat for the clothes she had worn to work that morning and went to the ladies’ room to change out of her jeans and T-shirt. Switching her focus from painter back to administrator, she prepared to respond to email messages. Before she even opened the internet, her stomach growled loudly. She sighed. “First things first,” she told her computer. The phone rang just as she stood.
“I’ll be out front in five minutes,” Greg said. “I’m taking you to lunch.”
She blinked and then slowly replaced the phone. She looked down at her stomach. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
****
An hour later, Ginger laid down her fork and sat back in her chair. “I think I’m going to explode,” she said with a groan. “Those enchiladas were the best I’ve ever had, but a little heavier than I’m used to for lunch.”
The restaurant specialized in Mexican fare with sombreros and colorful ponchos hanging on the contrasting pastel-colored walls, along with several paintings of small villages and desert landscapes. The place was full with customers, and the piped-in Spanish music was a little loud, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Clyde had wasted no time contacting the Tuckers to let them know what she had done that morning. When Greg picked her up for lunch, he had looked at her with those dark brown eyes and simply said, “You’re amazing.”
Both Justin and Steve had called on her cell phone during the drive to the restaurant. She was embarrassed and somewhat flustered at their effusive appreciation. She had begged Greg not to talk about it anymore. It wasn’t as though she had single-handedly saved the office from a Martian invasion—she had simply helped out in an area that she could.
Greg took a sip of iced tea. “I wanted you to eat something substantial for lunch today. We’ve got more windows to do this evening. That is, if you still feel like it. We could always skip the work tonight.”
“Of course, I feel like it. We’ve been making good progress. Keep feeding me like this, and I’ll replace every board on your house.”
“Well, just to make sure you aren’t planning to wimp out on me, I’ll whet your appetite and tell you I’m grilling steaks tonight. Work first, though. I don’t pay in advance.”
“What? No pizza?” she asked, shaking her head in mock disappointment.
“Not tonight. I’m starting to have dreams of little pepperoni aliens chasing me around a huge vat of pizza dough.”
“Well, we’ll just have to settle for steaks, then.”
“By the way, if you get to my house before I do, just make yourself at home on the front porch. I have to drop some granite samples off at the Huffman’s house. They’re getting ready to start their kitchen remodel.”
Her smile was warm. “I really like Miriam and Mabel. Miriam has called the office a couple of times for Justin. She’s quite a handful.” She didn’t tell him that each time the older woman had called, she had inquired about the status of Ginger’s relationship with Greg.
“That she is. I sometimes think they continue to do remodeling projects just to have young men traipsing through their home.”
“Did you know Clyde wants them to open a bakery in one of the stores in his new strip center?”
He raised an eyebrow. “No, I didn’t, but that’s a wonderful idea. Those two women love to bake, and they are actually social animals. It would be a perfect arrangement.”
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br /> “I thought so, too. Clyde seemed pretty excited about the idea.”
“Well, look who’s here,” he said.
She turned her head, following his gaze. On the far side of the restaurant, Gerald was just getting up from a table in the corner, and he wasn’t alone. A very attractive young woman rose with him and took his hand as they made their way to the door. Ginger cocked her head to get a better look. “So that’s Julia,” she murmured with interest.
“Julia?”
“Gerald’s friend. He met her downtown at the city permit office. From his too-casual remarks, I knew he was attracted to her. I’ve been encouraging him to do something about it.”
“But I thought—well, never mind what I thought. So Gerald has a girlfriend. I can’t wait to talk to him about it.”
“You better not tease him,” she scolded.
“Me? Never.” He grinned and motioned for their waitress. His mood seemed to turn almost jovial, and she noticed he left a higher than normal tip.
Greg had several jobsites he needed to check on, so he dropped Ginger off at the office, stating he probably wouldn’t make it back in today. “I’ll see you this evening, though. Remember to come hungry.”
“That may be hard to do,” she muttered as she unlocked the office door.
****
Ginger sat on the steps at Greg’s house, enjoying the late afternoon sun. She had taken a little better care with her appearance today in case she saw Ricci and John Nicholson again, but it didn’t appear as if anybody was home next door. She checked the time on her cell phone. Greg would probably be here any minute. And as if on cue, he pulled into the driveway and jumped out of his truck. “What are you smiling about?” he called out as he reached into his back seat for the sack of groceries.
“None of your business,” she replied. “A girl has to have some secrets, you know.”
“But not you,” he countered. “You’re the most open and honest female I know.”
“Ah, flattery will get you everything,” she said as she stood. “I bet you’re going to ask me to cut the lumber today, aren’t you?”
He flicked the tip of her ball cap as he drew beside her on the steps. “Actually, it’s too late to start working on the house, and we need a break from working anyway. I was going to ask you to open the cans of green beans I bought.”
“I’ve already told you I don’t cook.”
He started to reply when her cell phone rang. Automatically, she glanced at the screen. Her lips tightened. She should have known better.
“It’s that guy in California, isn’t it? Todd what’s-his-name.”
She shrugged and started to drop the phone in her pocket, but he was too quick.
He took the phone from her hand and flipped it open. “Hello?”
Ginger gasped. What is he doing?
“No, you’ve reached the right number. This is Ginger’s phone. But my wife is busy right now. Can I take a message?”
Her mouth dropped open, but Greg ignored her. His voice was firm and smooth, his expression unreadable. He held the phone for a moment longer before closing it and giving it back to her. “No message, I guess. I doubt if Todd will be calling you again, but just in case I’m blocking his number. You can thank me later, but first things first. You can put these groceries up while I change clothes.”
Speechless, she stared at his back while he unlocked the front door. She tried to interpret what she was feeling. Anger he had intruded on a personal matter? Annoyance? But she wasn’t feeling any of those emotions. She was actually amused…and slightly flattered he would take matters into his own hands like that.
****
She turned on the radio in the kitchen and hummed along to the music while putting the finishing touches to the garden salad she had prepared. The green beans simmered on the stove, requiring only a stir now and then. The domestic scene wasn’t lost on her, but she tried not to think about it too much.
She placed the salad in the refrigerator and poured herself another glass of wine from the bottle Greg had brought home. She leaned against the counter and looked out through the screen door where she could see him standing on the back patio in front of the grill, a beer in one hand and barbecue tongs in the other. Barefoot, in a sleeveless T-shirt and ragged cutoffs, he really was adorable…in a breathtakingly handsome sort of way. His back was to her, and she took a moment to relish the way he looked with his broad shoulders, lean hips, and long, muscular legs.
The sun was beginning to set, and shades of a luminous pink and purple haze settled low on the early evening sky. The porch light cast a soft glow on the patio, creating a refuge from the approaching darkness. A dull pain settled in Ginger’s chest as she realized how temporary this close friendship was. Eventually, Greg would move on. He would find someone who he loved, someone who could offer him her heart and body free and clear. His future partner wouldn’t have the same hang-ups Ginger did.
A slow waltz started to play, and she closed her eyes, gently swaying to the romantic music. She would cherish this time with Greg for as long as she could, not harboring any illusions they had any chance for a permanent relationship. For now, she would be content to just enjoy time spent with this man whom she admired and respected.
The mouthwatering smell of the steaks was stronger now, and she knew Greg had come inside. Embarrassed, she opened her eyes. She started to make a flippant remark when the words stuck in her throat. He was standing just inside the doorway, staring at her as if he’d just seen an apparition. He didn’t say a word as the music swirled softly around them.
Nervous, she clasped her hands together. “No, I haven’t had too much to drink,” she said with an impish smile. “I happen to really like this song.”
He stood silent for a moment longer. Then, still without uttering a word, he walked over and set the platter of steaks on the counter. He was so close she had to tilt her head up to look at him. He reached for her hands and pulled her away from the counter. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she was afraid to breathe.
He was acting strange, but she wasn’t afraid of him. She was afraid of herself. This was why she seldom listened to country music. It made her all mushy inside.
He looked down into her eyes, and a small smile crossed his face. He pulled her into his arms, still holding her right hand. Suddenly, to her surprise, they were dancing. He expertly guided her around the kitchen to the strains of the sentimental waltz, and her gaze flew to his in amazement. She would never have thought he was such an amazing dancer. Add one more thing to his list of talents.
She started to relax as the music swirled around them. It had been ages since she’d been dancing, and she lost herself in the emotion of the song and the feel of his strong arms around her. She tried to ignore the shock of electricity that shot through her every time her bare legs brushed against his as he twirled her around and around, her steps perfectly matching his. With a sigh, she lowered her head to his shoulder and gave herself over to the magic of the moment.
She could have continued dancing with him all night, and it thrilled her to know he must be feeling the same way because soon they were dancing to the romantic beat of the local weather report. She couldn’t help it. She started giggling, and then Greg’s chest shook as he joined in her laughter. He swung her around one more time, pulled her tight against him, and lowered his head to capture her lips in a fast, hard kiss. “I’ve worked up an appetite,” he said with a grin. “Let’s eat.”
He released her and grabbed the platter of steaks. With a shaky hand, she reached over to the countertop to steady herself. She had worked up an appetite, too.
****
She was as happy the next morning as she had been the previous night. Humming softly to a tune in her head, she tidied up her desk in preparation to start the updates on cost estimates. Suddenly she stopped. The melody that wouldn’t get off her mind was the same soft, romantic song she had danced to with Greg in his kitchen. Don’t go there, she warned hersel
f firmly. She shook her head, took a deep breath, and started humming Led Zeppelin’s Born to Be Wild.
Loudly.
The phone rang before she started the second verse. It was Clyde, and after thanking her for the hundredth time for her help with his inspection, he asked if she would schedule a meeting between him and the Tuckers to go over the final details of his contract before officially closing it out, and to discuss his next project. After a few more minutes, Ginger replaced the receiver with a sense of well-being. And she was still smiling ten minutes later when Greg walked through the door carrying a large pizza.
“You look like the cat that swallowed the canary,” he said.
“As a matter of fact, I am feeling pretty darn good.”
“Well then, follow me into the break room and tell me what has you so happy while we eat lunch. By my estimation, you haven’t had pizza in over twenty-four hours, and I want to stave off any withdrawal symptoms. You won’t be worth a flip working on my house this evening if you’ve got the shakes.”
“Aren’t you the considerate one,” she drawled.
He grabbed two sodas from the full-size refrigerator in the corner of the room and plopped one down in front of her. She reached for a slice of pizza and told him about Clyde’s request for a meeting. “He also told me he’s about ninety-nine percent sure Mabel and Miriam will be leasing one of his stores. He sounded like a teenager who has just discovered girls don’t have cooties after all. I bet, with Mabel’s help, it won’t be long before Clyde asks Miriam for a date.”
“It’s about time. Those two have been dancing around each other for a while now. I’m sure they would have a great time going out together.” He took a bite. “At least they’re going about it the good old-fashioned way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they’ll be having their first date without first spending the night together.”
She choked, and the cold liquid spread down her chin and across the front of her favorite white blouse. Grabbing a napkin, she tried to blot up the spill. “Low blow,” she said, her eyes narrowing. She couldn’t stop the smile that belied her anger, though.