Page 42 of Glass & Groundwork
“I’m honored it’s me that you’ve chosen to share it with.”Jasper lifted his eyes to meet my gaze with a look of sincerity. “Thank you for caring, Gio.”
I reached up and tugged on the end of one of his long curls that hung around his face. “I do care, Jasper, and I’m so proud of you.”
Jasper pushed up on his toes, smashing his mouth into mine. It wasn’t a probing, heated kiss, but one that was filled with gratitude. I could practically feel it pouring out of him.
When he parted, lowering back down until his feet were flat on the floor, he had tears welling up in his eyes. “That might be the first time someone has said that to me.”
My heart ached for him. I wanted to draw him in my arms and hold tight, never letting go. I wanted to smother him with all the praise he deserved. And I wanted to throttle his parents for never recognizing what an incredible person their son was.
“Let’s load up, so we can get back, and you can show Daddy what you can do.” The word came out unintentionally, and I froze, realizing what I’d said. Jasper had been using it more often and I had to admit it had been growing on me. I never imagined myself as aDaddy, but damn, if it didn’t sound good coming out of his mouth.
Jasper’s eyes sparked and he grinned wickedly. “Ha! You like it. I thought so.”
I felt my cheeks burn hot. “I don’t…notlike it.”
His beautiful laugh echoed around the storage unit and he slid a hand up my chest, making my skin warm beneath my shirt. Jasper leaned in close, whispering in my ear. “I’m going to getsohot for you,Daddy.”
I swallowed audibly as my brain shut off completely. “You… are?”
“Yup. As soon as we get this torch set up. It fires at about thirty-six hundred degrees.” He patted my chest and gave me a wink before directing me to one of the crates, and pulling me out of my paralysis. Damn. He could go from sweet to hot to playful in a matter of seconds and I was ready to buy unlimited tickets to this delightful rollercoaster ride. I looked at the ring on my hand.I wonder how many this would get me?
Jasper
Iwas bouncing on my feet, anxiously awaiting the install. The concrete had set and I might have danced around a little to celebrate the new floor. Gio watched me with a look of adoration that made me feel all gooey. I was really glad that he was here for this big moment. When we were in my storage, I perused through the smaller glass rods, picking out a few colors to start off with. I’d do a big haul when I had all of my shelving in place here, but until then I would keep most of them in storage, where I knew they wouldn’t get banged around.
George’s team had mounted the torch and connected the propane and oxygen tanks to it, and were now installing the desktop kiln. I had a much bigger one that would have its own space in the barn, but this one would do for smaller projects. Itwas a crucial piece. Without a kiln to lower the temperature of the glass gradually, it would shatter.
“Hey, Papa, how’s it going?” Yahir popped his head through the door.
“Great. I think they’re just about done,” Gio responded. He was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the barn, trying to keep out of the way, while still curiously watching the setup.
“Are you busy? Do you want to stay while I try it out?” I asked, wanting to include the young man.
“You don’t mind?” His brows rose with a hopeful expression.
“Not at all.”
“I think that’s it. You’re all hooked up and ready. The switch on the wall there will turn on the vent hood for just this area. Why don’t you take a look?” George stepped back and admired his work.
Beautiful. It looked beautiful. Well, okay, it looked industrial. The slate black backer board covered the wall and the desk. They were thin, cement boards that would be able to withstand the heat of the torch and any stray molten glass.
Seeing the work space come together, I was hit with a wave of emotion. Gio crossed the room to stand behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders. I leaned back against him as I took in the sight.
“It looks great,” he said, low enough for only me to hear it.
“It does.” I gave a nod and sniffed back the tears that wanted to escape. Stepping away from Gio, I shook George’s hand. “Thank you. Thank you so much. This is incredible.”
George smiled, looking pleased. “If you’re happy with that, I can’t wait until we get to finish and show you the rest.”
“Soon. I should be able to get the rest soon, I promise.” This would be it until I got to my trust fund. But at that moment, Ididn’t care. What was before me felt like a huge accomplishment already.
“I think we’ll leave you to it. Let me know as soon as you’re ready to proceed. It’s been great working with you, Mr. Maldonado.” George and his team packed up and were gone. For the first time I was in a space that felt like it was mine, even if it was only half-done.
Yahir approached carefully, assessing the intimidating equipment. “Are you going to turn it on?”
“Fuck, yes, I am!” I replied with enthusiasm.
“Cool,” Yahir said with a look of wonder.
