Page 24 of Caught in the Axe
It was the way I existed in this world. Owen Hebert did things the right way, never cutting corners or missing details.
I gave every task 100 percent of my attention, and I didn’t believe in distraction.
At least I hadn’t before.
Now? This was no ordinary job, and this was no ordinary town. And Lila? She sure as shit wasn’t an ordinary employee.
“I want to trust you,” Gus said, eyeing a table near the front window. Just about every seat in the place was full now, and the line was out the door. His body was tense, and his jaw had gone rigid.
Huffing and annoyed at how little my brother thought of me if he was this angry, I gritted my teeth and said, “You can trust me.”
Only then did I realize the anger coming off him wasn’t directed at me. Discreetly, I shifted in my seat and followed his gaze to the coffee bar.
Mayor Lambert, who I’d known since I was a kid, was sipping espresso out of a tiny cup. Chief Souza and DougBaker, who owned a few car dealerships in the area, sat on stools beside him. The fourth man with them looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
He was wearing dress pants and a tie, and his hair was slicked back, which made him stick out even more than I did in a place like this. People in Lovewell were casual, sticking mostly to jeans and flannel.
“Who is that guy?” I asked my brother.
“The tall guy with the hair plugs and the chiclet teeth?” He raised one brow but shifted so he was facing me again. “Charles Huxley. He and Dad used to be friends. He was a state senator for a long time.”
Ah. I turned back to survey him again, and recognition dawned. He was tall and thin and blandly good looking for a guy in his sixties. He shifted in his seat mid-conversation, and when he noticed me, his smile faded. Jerk.
“He lives here?”
“Yeah. Ran for lieutenant governor last year and lost. Bought one of those big houses on the lake. He’s harmless, but don’t let him corner you. That guy never stops talking. Typical politician.”
It figured that these former friends of my father would be the ones judging us so harshly now.
Gus returned to his coffee and his phone, shutting me out again. My chest ached as I took him in. For the first time in a long time, I longed for things to be the way they were. At least when it came to our relationship. Back when we joked and busted each other’s balls and felt comfortable enough to be completely honest with one another.
He worked long hours, and that was when he was in the office. He often had to leave for days on end to helpour crew with cutting. These days, he wore many hats, and each of his responsibilities kept him busy. I wouldn’t get much time with him here, but I’d take advantage of what little we had.
“I need your help,” I said, finally getting him to look up from his phone. “I need you to teach me more about the business. If we’re going to make this sale happen, we’ve got to work together.”
With a wince, he took a long sip of his coffee.
As a kid, Gus had taken the divorce hard. He’d always worshipped our dad, and even after Dad treated Mom so badly, he’d struggled to see the man for who he really was.
But the battle lines had been drawn after the events of last year.
Gus and Jude were on one side, in denial and still believing that the business could be saved.
Finn and I were on the other, wanting to wash our hands of all of it and move on with our lives.
Noah had yet to bother giving us his opinion. If pushed, he would blindly support Jude but wanted nothing to do with the drama.
Cole was too self-absorbed to even participate in these conversations. He was probably sleeping off a bender right now.
“There’s only so much I can teach you in a coffee shop.”
I let out an annoyed grunt. “I know that. I just want the basics.”
“You should know the basics, asshole.” He set his cup down a little too hard. “You grew up here just like I did.”
I pushed my plate away, no longer interested in the last of my scone. It figured that he wouldn’t go easy on me.
“Here’s how I see it,” I said. “We drive out into thewilderness and we cut down trees. Then we load those trees onto trucks, drive them back to civilization, and deliver them to a sawmill, where they’re cut to fit the specifications of our customers’ orders.”
