Page 60 of Campus Crush
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d thought highly of my dad, but to watch him shamelessly flirt with another woman, knowing my mom was waiting at home, made my stomach churn.
But what was worse was the feeling of helplessness.
I couldn’t even call him out on his inappropriate behavior because I knew that would just result in me embarrassing him, and then him taking it out on me later.
And knowing my dad well, he wasn’t one to use his fists.
No, he preferred manipulation and having power over people to physical violence.
He was one to always manipulate a situation in his favor. I didn’t like constantly feeling beholden to him, but I didn’t know how to escape from under his thumb.
The door down the hall opened, and Parker Holt—whose picture I’d seen on the website—walked out with a friendly smile on his face.
But it wasn’t Parker that made my breath catch. It was the woman next to him.
Abby.
I blinked, thrown for a second. She’d mentioned an internship, but she’d never said it was here.
“Mr. Kane, pleasure to have you here,” Parker said. “I hope you don’t mind that our fabulous intern, Abby Walker, will be joining us today.”
My dad extended his hand with that same charming smirk he’d offered the receptionist. “Nice to meet you.”
I had to bite back a smile when Abby’s expression didn’t even flicker. She stayed cool and professional, not giving him an ounce more than necessary. She was good at that—holding her ground without breaking a sweat.
A flurryof pride, lust, and satisfaction swirled in my gut. It only intensified when she gave me a gentle smile as Parker led us down the hall.
In the conference room, neatly prepared folders waited at each seat. Parker gestured to the materials.
“In front of you, you’ll find an overview of the proposed mixed-use development—about fifty acres with roughly 150 residential units, some retail, and a community park. The terrain’s level, but there’s a small creek along the southern boundary.”
He turned toward Abby. “So what does that tell us, Miss Walker?”
If she was startled by the spotlight, she didn’t show it.
“It means we’ll need to assess stormwater management and any floodplain risks. We’ll also have to evaluate access to utilities and the cost of connecting to municipal lines. Those could become major factors.”
Parker beamed like a proud older brother.
And if I was honest, I was impressed too. I’d seen Abby confident before—mostly when she had been tutoring me—but this was different. Here she was sharp and self-assured. If Parker hadn’t said something, I would have thought she was an employee and not an intern.
I’d never been turned on in a meeting before, but once again, Abby was stirring up something new in me.
Something I wanted a whole lot more of.
Parker continued, “Given the site’s history, we’ll need a Phase I environmental site assessment. You’ll see it listed in your packet as ESA. That’ll tell us if there are any potential liabilities—soil issues, contamination, that kind of thing.”
“What’s involved in a Phase I ESA?” I asked.
My dad clapped me on the back like he was proud Iremembered how to form a question. “First time through this process for my son. He’ll be asking plenty of questions.”
Parker just smiled. “We love learners here. Abby, want to walk him through it?”
She nodded smoothly. “It’s a historical and regulatory review—researching past land use, checking public records, and inspecting the site to flag anything that could suggest contamination. If we find issues, then we’d need to do a Phase II—sampling, testing, deeper evaluations.”
“Any known concerns in this region?” my dad asked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Parker replied. “There’s some history of mining operations nearby—arsenic, heavy metals, that kind of thing. That’s why Abby’s also starting to work on the environmental review so we’re in compliance with the Montana Environmental Policy Act.”
