Page 29 of Second Chances
Chapter 15
Megan’s hands shookas she pulled open the heavy door to the job site. Armed with a checklist from Charlotte, she proceeded to check in with each of the guys on the job site. With the exception of one – Josh. She didn’t know where he was, but every time the door opened, she felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. She kept glancing around the site, expecting to see his familiar plaid jacket, but there was no sign of him.
“Are we ready for the electrical inspector?” she asked Freddie, the electrician.
“You betcha,” he grinned at her. She couldn’t help but smile back, the electrician looked like a young Clint Eastwood. “And who arranges that inspection?” she asked.
“I’ll do it for you,” he said, pulling out a clipboard.
“Oh, that’s not necessary, just give me his contact info.”
“You’re looking at him,” Freddie proceeded to theatrically sign the bottom of an official-looking form. He ripped off the perforated sheet and handed it to Megan. “At your service, m’lady.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re inspecting your own work?”
“Ha,” Freddie cackled. “Josh told me you weren’t up to speed with the way we do things here.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” Megan could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “Speaking of Josh, where is he?”
“Oh, well, you know that fancy designer of yours? The one that keeps changing her mind about the layout?”
“Sarah.” Megan nodded. She had sympathized with the framers after they’d had to reconfigure the interior walls for the third time. Sarah was one of the top designers in the city and had only been to the job site once. Now that Megan was on the ground, the big city players didn’t have to show their faces and Megan wondered if they were taking advantage of her, or if this was the status quo.
“Yeah, Sarah. Well, she sent over some drawing for the tables and bench seats, and Josh has been working on those at his house. Once the drywallers get finished in here, this place will come together in a flash.”
“A flash. I thought that didn’t happen in Chance Rapids.” Megan elbowed Freddie.
“Well, I guess the crew likes their new boss.” Freddie took off his tool belt and sat down on a sawhorse. He looked up at her and gave her a wink.
Freddie was cute, and definitely had one of the best bodies she had seen in years, his shoulders and firm pecs filling out his tight thermal shirt, but he had an air of cockiness and was a little too smooth for her. She had the feeling that the man in front of her could get any woman into his bed, and she had no desire to be one of his conquests.
“So, now we’re just waiting on the drywallers,” Megan stated, hoping that she sounded confident.
“Yeah,” Freddie drawled. “I hope that you’ve got all the appliances on their way. You never know when an avalanche is going to stop anything, or anyone, from getting to town.”
“Or out,” Megan replied. The realization of just how isolated she was in Chance Rapids suddenly falling heavily on her shoulders. How long could she keep pretending to me someone else? When would she overstay her welcome at Charlotte’s?
Freddie opened the back door, pulled a beer out of the snowbank and cracked it open. He held the can out to Megan, “Beer?”
“It’s two in the afternoon,” Megan held up her hands in front of her. “Aren’t you at work?”
“It doesn’t matter what time it is. I’m done for the day. So is everyone else.” Freddie gestured around the room and Megan noticed that the rest of the workers had left.
“Do you have staff all lined up for the opening?” Freddie asked and took a swig of his beer.
“Almost,” Megan lied. She made a mental note to talk to Charlotte about the next steps. The project was moving along a lot faster than she had anticipated. A mid-December opening date, coinciding with the opening of the ski resort, wasn’t out of the question. “Hey, where does Josh live? I want to check in on those tables,” her voice wavered.
Freddie smiled at her. “Checking up on those tables, huh?”
“Yes,” Megan snapped at Freddie, her eyes flashing.
“Whoa, Nelly.” Freddie grinned, a little less confidently this time. “He’s on Bristlecone St. Head down the main street and take a left at the gas station, that’s Bristlecone. Josh’s place is on the left. You can’t miss it. He’s got a picket fence.”
“Josh has a white picket fence?” Megan stood up and brushed the sawdust off her jeans.
“Hahaha.” Freddie laughed. “White picket. Fence. No.” He managed to spit out between laughter. “It’s number 88. You’ll see what I mean.”
Megan was intrigued. “Thanks, Freddie.”
