Page 17 of Call It Home

We all raised our glasses. I appreciated all their support. Bristol was wrong. Mac was as strong as he looked, and secretly, I was worriedIwas going to be the one who needed to watch out for him, not the other way around.

* * *

“You’re going to dowhat?” Most of the crew stared at me as if I’d just announced I was going to take up being a mortician. Only Sue smiled at me. Mac kept his expression neutral.

I guessed it was too much to believe that my staff would be as supportive of me as my friends and family were. But at least now everyone knew my plan.

Tucking my hands into my lap, I repeated, “I am taking a break from here to travel to Colorado to compete onRenovation Station.”

“What the hell is that, anyway?” Dustin asked. “Is it like one of those survivor shows? Cause you ain’t gonna last a day out there.” He grinned at the rest of the guys, who snickered until they saw me glaring at them.

“It’s a home renovation show on HRTV.”

“And you’re going to leave here to play on some dumb show no one cares about? Those shows are all staged anyway.”

I folded my hands on my lap, mentally counting to ten before responding to Dustin’s comment. “Actually, Mr. Crowder, it’s one of the most talked about shows on the network, which also happens to be one of the top ten cable networks with a social media following of over twenty-five million. I believe it will bring excellent publicity to Sterling Construction.”

“So, you’re gonna go off and be some actress while we stay here and do all the work? Yeah. Sounds about right. We won’t even know you’re gone.” He added the last part as if under his breath, but it was loud enough that all of us heard him.

His words cut deep. I knew I had some ground to cover to get the guys to see me as their true leader, but I didn’t think it was that bad. I glanced at the other guys, most of whom shifted uncomfortably in their seats, either because they agreed or because they didn’t like confrontation. It was hard to tell.

“That’s enough, Dustin.” Mac’s voice sounded calm from the other side of the table, but when I looked over, I saw his jaw was clenched.

Will pointed a finger at Dustin. “You might want to remember who signs your checks and show a little more respect. You owe Ms. Allen an apology. Otherwise, I’m sure you can find the door on your own since you’ve installed enough of them.”

There was a brief moment, then a sullen, “Sorry, Ms. Allen. I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”

I knew he didn’t mean it, but I didn’t want to stir up a bigger scene. “This is an excellent marketing opportunity. As you know, we’re not getting as many job offers as we have in the past. I believe this will generate not only more jobs, but it will also elevate our reputation, allowing us to expand, as was the plan when my grandfather was still alive. That allows for better wages and more employees. If not,” I paused and gave my best sharp look at Dustin, “we’ll be cutting back, starting with anyone who doesn’t like my decisions.”

The subtle threat worked, at least for now. But was that what everyone else thought of me as well? Didn’t they know how hard I worked to secure those drying-up contracts so they’d still get paid?

“While this comes as a surprise,” Will continued, “I think this is an excellent idea and opportunity. I did a little research when Ms. Cameron first approached me about it yesterday. There were thousands of applicants. For Cameron to catch their eye and bring the spotlight to Sterling Construction, that’s something we should thank her for. I certainly know how to hold down the fort while she and Mac are away.”

“Wait. What?” Dustin couldn’t seem to help himself. “How come he gets to go?” He slapped his chest, then stuck his neck out at me with a cocky, questioning look. “I’d be good at it. And I’ve been here longer. I should go.”

I cocked my head and offered him an innocent smile. “So now you’re saying you think it’s a good idea?”

“I…I—”

“That’s what I thought. Mac has the skills I need, and he won’t be leaving anything behind that can’t do without him. The decision has been made and submitted. Now. Moving on.”

With relief, I finished the rest of the meeting. By the time they left, the guys were back to their normal kidding around.

“Will,” I called before he exited the room. “Thanks for backing me up.”

He waved a hand behind him as he left. Mac remained sitting, wearing a slightly stunned expression. “You okay, partner?”

His head tilted in my direction. “Thousands of applicants?”

“Does that surprise you?” I asked in a playful tone.

“That you were picked? No.”

“Then what?”

“That you picked me.” He rapped his knuckles on the table twice, then stood and left without any more comment.

Bristol was certainly right about him. Still waters indeed.

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