Page 15 of The Swap Masquerade

“Thanks. You got a hold of it for a second? I need to screw it in.”

“No problem.” He flashed me a friendly grin.

Grabbing a nearby ladder, I scooted it over next to him and climbed up the first two steps so I could reach. I couldn’t help but notice the impressive muscles bunching under the sleeves of his sweatshirt as he held the beam up as if it weighed nothing. Pulling the electric screwdriver from my belt, I worked quickly, making sure the beam was level before tightening the screws and securing it in place.

I nodded at him as I climbed back down. “Thank you. Those guns of yours are going to come in handy around here.”

Elliott laughed as he pretended to flex his muscles. The sound of it made me smile. “I see Cassie gave you a tool belt. What does she have you doing today?”

“She told me to come help out with whatever you’re working on.”

“Wow! First day in, I kind of expected her to take it a little easier on you guys. Maybe some painting or cleaning up the site.”

Elliott smiled shyly. “She probably would have, but I told her I know my way around tools already.”

“I’m glad to have the help. These beams weigh a ton and I still have about a dozen to cut and install. Fred was supposed to work with me, but he got called over to answer a question about the roofing material.” I jerked my chin in the direction of the older man with the long ponytail that reached the base of his spine. Fred had worked construction his entire life and was often the one people came to when they had a question.

Elliott spread his arms out at his sides. “Well, I’m here to help so whatever you need.”

“Good, let’s see how many of these beams we can get through before lunch.”

We set to work, taking turns measuring and cutting each beam then Elliott would lift them above as his head as I secured them. We made small talk as we worked, and I had to admit, we made a great team. “You actually do know your way around tools,” I observed.

One eyebrow arched above his sunglasses. “You sound surprised.”

I shrugged. “Honestly? I am. Not because I don’t think you’re capable, but because I don’t know many kids your age who would have spent enough time working with power tools to be as comfortable with them as you.”

Together, we lifted another beam and laid it across the set of sawhorses we’d been using to cut on. Hooking his tape measure onto the end of the wood, he walked it down the length and marked the cut line with a pencil then slid the pencil behind his ear. “I grew up around them,” he explained as he double checked his measurements. “My dad is handy. He’s always fixing things around the fire station where he works and doing things at our house like remodeling the kitchen. I was always his helper. He’s the reason I decided to become an architecture major. He taught me everything I know.”

I thought I detected a hint of sadness in his voice, but I didn’t know him well enough to be sure. “That’s a terrific field to go into. One of my best friends is an architect. He’s got a creative mind and a great eye for detail, but he’s clueless when it comes to using tools. You are certainly good at it though. No wonder you chose Habitat for your project.” I made a quick cut with the saw then looked up at him, noticing how red his face looked. “Do you want to go get a cold drink? There’s a cooler in the tent with water and soda.”

“Um…yeah. Thanks. You want anything?”

“Water would be great.” I took a few more measurements while he was gone and then he came back, holding two ice cold bottles of water. Condensation dripped down the sides as he handed one to me. “Thanks.”

I observed him as he unscrewed the cap on his water bottle and took a long drink. So far, he’d been a surprise. A pleasant one. He wasn’t at all like some of the college athletes I’d had in class who were cocky and self-absorbed. Many of them enjoyed their elite status a little too much, using their popularity and social standing within the college to skate by in their classes. From what I could tell about Elliott, however, he was friendly, intelligent, and not at all afraid of some hard work.

We spent the rest of the day working side by side. He told me more about some of the projects he’d worked on with his dad, and I described a few of the other Habitat homes I’d helped build. He was funny and easy to talk to, not stiff like some students tended to get around a teacher, but more like someone I’d known for a long time. By the time we finally stopped for the day, my cheeks were sore from smiling.

Chapter 6

GAVIN

My fingers flew over the keyboard as I hurriedly responded to an email that couldn’t wait. When I was finished, I hit send then shut down my computer. Anything else that needed my attention would have to wait until the following week. I was officially off the clock.

With my satchel in hand, I headed for the door and swung it open. Terrance stood on the other side. His eyes went wide when he saw me, and he clutched a hand to his chest. “Oh, my God! You scared me. I was just about to knock.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was getting ready to leave. Did you need something?”

His frightened face turned incredulous. “You’re leaving? Already? But it’s only five o’clock.”

“Yes, well, I have plans tonight.” I glanced down at my watch as if to emphasize the fact that I was in a hurry.

Terrance smiled. “That’s great. I mean, not that you don’t have a life or anything because of course, you do. It’s just that you’re always working so hard, and you stay way later than anyone else and…”

I chuckled as I held a hand up, stopping him as he started to ramble. “I get it. I can’t remember the last time I left work on time either, but here we are. Anyway, I really do need to get going if I don’t want to be late. Was there something you needed from me first?”

“No. Nothing that can’t wait until Monday. I promise. You get out of here and have a great time.” I laughed again as he ushered me out of my office and shut the door behind me, like he was afraid I might change my mind and go back inside.

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