Page 69 of A Package Deal

I shook my head. “I have to get to work right now, and if you’re a very good girl, you can come with me and check out the horses Mr. Roger has on his property.”

That got her attention. She still had the worst frown I’d ever seen on her face, but she wasn’t shouting any longer. She grunted, sounding very much like Warrick. I would have laughed if I didn’t think it would cause her to go right back into her tantrum. I stood and held out my hand. She scrunched up her lips, but finally took it, letting me lead her out of the hotel and into my waiting truck.

Georgia gave me the silent treatment all the way to Roger’s house, which was probably deserved. I’d spent most of the night dodging her limbs and chastising myself for not being able to function like an adult when it came to relationships. I wanted to hide behind my accusation and sulk in my righteousness. I did feel like he should have involved me in what was going on. But I also felt like the way I confronted him was over the top and accusatory when I could have just asked for him to be overly communicative with me in the future because of my past history.

That one line he’d said about holding on to my wounds so tightly they’d never heal had gone round and round in my head in the late-night hours. It stung. It dug talons into my heart, embedding itself there simply because there was truth behind those words. A wild accusation I could have batted away easily. But that? That was so spot on, it had my head spinning.

Savannah and Pip were standing by their vehicles when my truck bounced over the holes in Roger’s gravel drive and came to a stop. I frowned, wondering why they looked ready to spit nails.

“Stay here, baby.” I left my door open and walked over.

“I know a guy,” Pip was saying, her round face in a severe frown much like the one I’d seen on Georgia’s face just minutes earlier.

“What’s going on?”

Savannah put her hand on Pip’s arm and turned to me. “Roger says we can’t work on the barn. We’ve been fired and he has another crew coming tomorrow to finish it.”

My jaw dropped open. That little asshole. I sidestepped Savannah and marched to his door, pounding my fist against the screen door. He cracked the front door, but didn’t open the screen.

“What the hell is this I’m hearing about being fired?” I spat. We’d framed out the whole thing and had already bought all the plywood boards for the outer walls. They were scheduled to be delivered today.

“You’re making a mess of things. That won’t hold up to the first winter storm. I’ve got another crew coming to fix everything you bungled.”

Roger went to close the door, but I was quicker, snapping the screen open and wedging my steel-toe boot in the door crack.

“That barn is built to code, Roger, and you know it. You’ve shadowed me every single day. We can part ways if you want, but you owe me for the last week of work and the supplies. I’ll be sending over a bill this afternoon.”

Roger coughed. “Not gonna pay it, missy. The new crew said they’d have to start over.”

My eyes nearly fell out of my head. “Then the scammer is getting scammed himself. That frame is solid.” Alarm filled my chest. Was I about to be involved in a spat with a client? Would I have to sue to recoup my costs? Was Warrick right after all about this deadbeat? Had I pushed away his good advice just because of my stupid pride? A headache was brewing and it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning.

“Mama!” Georgia sprinted up the stairs and hugged my legs. “Can I see the horsies now?”

“Not now, baby,” I replied, feeling like today had already gone to hell.

“Why not?” she said, voice rising. I tried to push her behind me, sensing another tantrum coming.

“Who’s that?” Roger groused, pointing a bony finger through the door crack at Georgia.

“My daughter,” I said firmly, trying to get ahold of the wiggling girl. “The one who won’t have food on her plate if you try to dodge paying me.”

He huffed and rolled his weathered, beady eyes. “You’ll have your money.” And then he kicked the toe of my boot, dislodging it and slamming the door in my face.

Georgia blinked up at me, eyes wide. “He’s not nice, Mama.”

I shook my head. “No, he’s not.”

Pip and Savannah were at the bottom of the porch stairs, looking to me for answers. Sadly, I didn’t have any. Not about this situation, or about Warrick. Pip clapped her thick hands.

“Let us go to the park. I have enough food and beer for picnic.”

I grimaced. “It’s a little early for?—”

“I’m in!” Savannah hollered, clapping Pip on the back. “Let’s play hooky!”

“Yeah!” Georgia cheered, racing down the steps and joining my crew.

I surveyed their smiling faces and relented. We didn’t have another job lined up anyway. Not for two weeks since we were supposed to still be working on Roger’s barn. I’d have to place phone calls and see if we could move some projects up. Today, though, was a loss. Might as well spend it at the park with my daughter and my new friends.

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