“Okay.” She walked into the living room again.
He grabbed his jacket off the couch and threw it on. “So long, Sierra. I’ll be in touch.”
Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door and bolted down the stairs. As he slid into his car, he glanced up at her apartment. She stood at the window, watching him.
He held her gaze for a long moment, longing and regret and fear roiling inside him. Then he raised one hand to her, closed the car door and turned on the engine. Without looking back, he roared out of town.
SIX HOURS LATER, NICK was sitting in his attorney’s office. Joe McCormick leaned back in his chair and frowned. “What’s going on, Boone, that couldn’t wait until Monday? I had to cancel dinner with a gorgeous brunette to meet with you.”
“I need you to set up a trust fund, as well as a document giving up all custody rights. And I’ll need a separate document outlining support payments.”
His attorney shot upright. “Custody? Support? You have a kid?”
“Not yet. She’s pregnant.”
“You knocked up one of your babes?”
“She’s not a babe,” Nick said sharply. His hand tightened into a fist, but because Joe was one of his oldest friends, he forced himself to open his hand. Staring out the window at the skyscrapers surrounding the Loop building, he added, “And she’s not mine, either.”
“Tell me what’s going on, Nick.”
He used as few words as possible to sketch out the situation. When he was finished, Joe said, “So let me get this straight. One of the women who works for you is pregnant after a one-night stand. You’re going to dump a shitload of money onto her and the kid, sign away custody and never see her or the kid again.”
“In a nutshell.”
Joe tapped his pen on the table. “Did she ask for that much money? Did she tell you she didn’t want you in the kid’s life?”
“No.” Nick stood up and paced to the window. “She thinks we can do the whole family thing—a cozy little unit with a mommy and daddy and happily ever after.” God. The only thing he knew about being a parent was fear. Resentment. Hatred.
Loss.
“So this is all you. You don’t want anything to do with her and the kid.”
He couldn’t have a kid. Any child of his would probably grow up as screwed up as he was. No, this baby would be far better off with Sierra and some nice, uncomplicated guy. A man who could give the kid what it needed. Who could give Sierra what she needed.
A man who believed there was such a thing as happily ever after.
Nick stared out the window, but all he saw was Sierra’s expression when he’d said he had to leave. Pain. Regret. Sorrow. He remembered how she’d felt as she’d held on to him—the hard bump at her waist, the softness of the rest of her. The tears that had dripped onto his sweater.
He thought he’d escaped the cage she was weaving around him, but it had only followed him back to Chicago.
“Nick?”
He heard pity in his friend’s voice, and clenched his teeth. “Just set up the trust and the rest of it. Send the documents to me when they’re ready, and I’ll have my accountant handle the money end of things.” He took a deep breath. “I can’t give her what she wants. This will have to do.”
SIERRA HAD HAD TROUBLE focusing in the ten days since Nick left, but Mark’s words pushed everything else from her mind. “Tell me I didn’t hear you right, Mark.”
“I wish I could,” he said. “But it’s true. There’s a problem with the framing wood. It’s at least two grades below what we ordered.”
“I looked at those two-by-fours myself,” she said, pushing away from the desk. “Every damn bundle of them. They were exactly what we ordered.”
“Come take a look.”
Her boots echoed on the plywood floors as she strode through the house. Mark’s brother was working with the carpenters, and nodded at her as she walked by. “Hey, Sierra.”
“How’s it going, Kyle?” she said automatically as she scanned the studs that had already been nailed into place.
“Good. It’s all good.” He aimed his nail gun at a stud and pulled the trigger.
“This looks fine,” she said to Mark.
“Look back here.” He led her to the far corner of the house and pointed at a pile of two-by-fours on the floor. Mark pulled off the top studs, and the ones below were full of knots. Some were crooked. “This is crap wood,” he said.
Sierra nudged a pile with her toe. The lengths beneath the top boards were just as bad. “What the hell is going on?”
“Kyle,” Mark yelled. “Get over here.”
The younger man set down his nail gun and hurried over. “What’s up?”
“You supervised the delivery of this wood. It’s not what we ordered.”
Kyle frowned. “It looked fine to me.”
“Did you undo any of the bundles and check inside?” He scowled at his brother. “Does this look like premium, kiln-dried wood?”
“The outside stuff was fine. Sorry, I should have opened them up.” Kyle hurried back to work before Mark could say anything else.
“He’s right, Mark,” Sierra said, laying her hand on the contractor’s sleeve. “I did the same thing. I looked at every bundle, and the outside pieces were all good. Someone deliberately hid the cheap stuff on the inside.”
Mark kicked at the pile of wood and sent a few lengths spinning. “Yeah. That didn’t happen accidentally.”
“The plywood must have been deliberate, too,” Sierra said. “Someone is substituting cheaper product and pocketing the difference.” It happened at construction sites, but usually on bigger jobs, where it was easier to hide sub-spec material.
“Okay, we’re going to get to the bottom of this. It’s been wood both times, so it has to be one of the carpenters.”
“We have to look at the lumberyard, too,” Sierra pointed out. “The person putting together the order or loading it could be doing it.”
“Vern claims none of his guys are involved.”
“I’m guessing he’s wrong,” Sierra said flatly. “How long is this going to set us back?”
“Depends if any of this crap has been nailed into place yet.”
“Let’s find out.” Sierra kicked aside a board in front of her and began checking every stud as the carpenters watched uneasily. Kyle and a couple of the others kept an eye on her and Mark, at the same time texting on their cell phones.
“Kyle! Jake! Chris! We’re not paying you to play with your toys,” Sierra called. “All of you, start checking every stud.”
An hour later, they’d found that only a dozen inferior studs had been nailed into place. Sierra turned to the six carpenters. “I want to know who is responsible for this.”
Silence. No one moved. No one looked at her, either. “We’ll get to the bottom of it,” she warned. “And when we do, the person who’s been switching products will be arrested. If you want us to cut you any breaks, you can talk to me. I’ll see what I can do for you.”
Mark had disappeared into the trailer while she talked to the carpenters. As she was walking back, he emerged.
“Here are the specs for the wood. The purchase order clearly calls for the premium studs.” He handed her the sheet as he held the door open for her.
She glanced at it, then crushed it in her fist. “Maybe we need to find a different lumberyard.”
“Maybe we do.” He grabbed her hand and removed the paper, but didn’t let her go as he reread it. “I called Walker and told him there was a problem. They’re coming over.”
She yanked her hand away. “God, Mark, couldn’t you have given me a little warning? An hour or two to pull it together?”
“You know that’s not the way it works. The sooner we address this, the sooner we deal with it and move forward.”
She sank into her chair, knowing he was right. She’d been off balance since the scene with Nick. They’d had a fight, he’d run away and clearly he’d made his choice. Eventuall
y she’d get used to him not being part of their lives. She alternated between rage and grief, and her hormones had made her disgustingly weepy. Too emotional about everything.
She took a deep, shaky breath. This was her job. People in construction didn’t do emotion. If there was a problem, you fixed it. You didn’t sit around and whine about it.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “You’re right. I apologize.” She moved to the window and looked at the piles of wood on the ground, the carpenters standing around. Not working. “This is my first solo project, and I screwed up.” This was a major problem. Maybe big enough to make Walker believe she wasn’t up to it.
Mark stepped behind her and touched her arm. Reading her mind, he said, “He’s not going to fire you. You’re doing fine—you’re the most organized architect I’ve worked with. We’ll figure this out.”
His hand lingered a moment too long, and she knew it wasn’t an accident. She’d noticed the expression on his face when she caught him watching her, and she knew he was interested. She wished she could be interested back.
Mark was a good man. He was funny, smart, and good at his job. And very easy on the eyes. But there was no spark for her. Not even a tiny one.
She wasn’t sure why. He was the kind of guy any woman would want.
She turned to face him. “This isn’t a good idea,” she said gently. “I like you, Mark, but not that way.” She forced a smile. “And I come with way too much baggage.” She smoothed her shirt over her belly.
“I don’t mind your baggage.”
If she had to get pregnant, why couldn’t it have been with someone like Mark? An uncomplicated, nice guy. Someone who’d make a great father.
“Sorry, Mark. It’s not going to happen.”
He stepped back, and she’d begun to edge away when the door to the trailer opened, bringing in warm, lake-scented air. Jen walked in, then froze. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all,” Sierra said, although her neck burned. “Mark and I were just discussing our problem.”
“Really?” she murmured, her gaze snapping from Sierra to Mark. “I hope it’s not serious.”
“I’m afraid it might be.” Flustered, Sierra smoothed the wrinkled purchase order and handed it to her. Walker followed his wife into the trailer and peered over her shoulder. With four people and all the desks, the work space was way too small.
“Someone is stealing from us,” Sierra said. “The outside layer of two-by-fours was what the specs call for. The rest was much cheaper wood.”
“How the hell did this happen?” Walker asked.
“It’s either someone here, or someone at the lumberyard,” Sierra answered. “Maybe both, working together. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
After they looked at the defective wood, Walker drew her away from the others. “How long is this going to delay the house? Jen is going nuts in that tiny place.” He glanced over her shoulder. “She told me you know about…our news. She needs to have this house done so she has time to get everything ready.” He glanced again at his wife and smiled. He didn’t look like a hard-nosed businessman. He looked like a man deeply in love.
“I can give her anything she wants,” he added. “I’d give her the world, if she’d let me. But the only thing she asked for is a bigger house.” He gazed at Sierra, and the businessman was back. “You need to make this happen. Figure out who’s stealing from me and have them arrested.”
“I will.”
Walker was watching his wife again, and a tiny stab of jealousy pierced Sierra. She hoped someday a man would look at her the way Walker looked at Jen. As if she was everything to him.
“Fast,” he added, jerking her attention back to him.
“As fast as I can.”
He nodded. “I hope so.”
As they said goodbye, Jen looked from Sierra to Mark again. “We’ll talk to you soon,” she said.
Sierra and Mark watched the SUV drive away, leaving a plume of dust in its wake. Then the contractor sighed. “He’s got a reputation in the business world. He’s tough. And when he wants something, he takes no prisoners.”
“Then we better get busy.”
TWO DAYS LATER, THEY hadn’t made any progress. Everyone at the lumberyard had denied being involved. None of the carpenters came to her. They’d gotten new studs and the framing was continuing, but knowing that someone was sabotaging her project put Sierra on edge.
As she was ordering the plywood for the outside of the house, she heard the rumble of a large vehicle approaching. She leaned over to peer out the window, and her stomach clenched when she saw that it was Walker.
He was here to find out if they’d learned who was doing this. Sierra had expected him to give them another day or two, and she rifled through the papers on her messy desk to locate the list of things she’d already done. She found it just as Walker came through the door.
“Hi, Sierra. I’ve brought in someone to help you,” he said. “This problem is setting back our finish date, and we need more eyes on the site. From now on, he’s part of the team. I hope you can work together.”
“I’ve never had a problem working with anyone,” she said.
“Good. Let’s not make this the first time.”
A car door slammed outside, and Walker glanced over his shoulder. “Hope you didn’t hurt your suspension on the ruts,” he said to the person walking up the steps.
“I’m going to have to get an SUV,” a familiar voice said, then Nick appeared in the doorway. “Hello, Sierra.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“NICK.” HER HEART BANGED against her sternum and her chest was too tight. The papers she held trembled, and she set them on the desk. “What are you doing here?”
His blue eyes were flat. Cold. “Barnes hired me to help you out. He said you were having a theft problem.”
“Mark and I are handling it.” She looked at Walker and struggled to maintain her composure as her anger threatened to boil over. She was a professional. She would act like one. “Walker, why didn’t you ask for an update before hiring…someone else?” She hated the catch in her voice, hated that she was revealing her agitation. But she couldn’t work with Nick. Couldn’t spend hours with him in this tiny trailer. She’d accepted that he wasn’t going to be part of her life, or her baby’s, and now she just wanted to forget about him.
“You’ve had two incidents, and I don’t want another one. We need more people keeping an eye on things. Jen suggested Nick, and I agreed.” Walker’s tone of voice said there would be no discussion. He’d already told her he would give his wife anything she asked for.
Why would Jen have suggested Nick? And why had he agreed? He didn’t have time to take on this job. Sierra’s hand tightened on the papers. “Mark and I will make sure nothing else happens.”
Walker shrugged. “With Boone here, we’ll be more sure, won’t we?”
She focused on Walker, rather than her anger. “I’m going to personally inspect every piece of material that comes onto this job site. You don’t have to spend money on another architect.” She swallowed once, then again. Coldness had crept into her voice, and she couldn’t allow that. Couldn’t let Walker see how upset she was.
“Money isn’t a problem,” Walker said. “I’m sorry if I’ve insulted you, Sierra. But bottom line, I don’t really care. This is the deal. Take it or leave it.”
Either she accepted Nick and agreed to work with him, or Walker would fire her. She stared blindly at her messy desk. “I’ll think about it.”
“Let me know what you decide,” he said. He walked out of the trailer and closed the door behind him.
Silence echoed in the too-warm room. The only sound was the relentless pounding of waves. There had been a storm last night, and the lake was still restless.
Nick hadn’t moved any closer. He stayed by the door, watching her. She didn’t look at him, but felt his gaze sliding over her, as intimate as a touch.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to
face him. “Why did you do this? Why did you take the job? You knew you’d have to work with me.”
He pushed away from the door and walked over to examine their bulletin board. “Barnes didn’t give me a choice.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
He was standing with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His back was rigid, his shoulders tense. He looked as if he wanted to hit something.
“What could he possibly hold over your head?” Sierra asked.
He spun around. His teeth were clenched and a muscle jumped in his jaw. “You, Sierra. He threatened me with you. If I didn’t agree to this, he said he’d fire you. Since you seem so set on the happy little family idea, I assumed you’d figured out a way to get me up here.”
It took a moment for his words to sink in. Then another hot wave of anger swept over her. “You think I asked him to do this? That I wanted you here?”
“Why else would he do it? You don’t need me on this job, and I told him so. You’re perfectly capable of solving any problem that comes up. He didn’t pay any attention—he’d already made up his mind.”
“Not because of me,” she said, hearing her voice rise and not caring. “You’re the last person I would have asked him to hire. After that weekend, do you really think I want you around?”
“Of course I do. What else was I supposed to think? You want me involved with the kid. You grilled me about my family. You wanted to analyze my feelings. I could feel the walls closing in.”
She’d tried to go beyond the superficial, and he’d freaked out. He didn’t want any kind of intimacy with her. Sadness for herself, for Nick, for her child churned with anger at his assumptions. “Nick, you insisted on coming to the ultrasound. You’re the one who wanted to stick around.”
“Because that’s what you wanted.”
“No, it’s not. I told you I don’t want my baby to have a resentful father. I only wanted you around if that was your choice. When you left so suddenly and didn’t call, it wasn’t hard to figure out that you’d made your decision.” She took a deep breath and tried to steady herself. “And that was okay. I don’t want someone unreliable in my life. I’m glad I found out now that I can’t count on you.” She would be, anyway, as soon as she stopped being so hormonal and stupidly emotional. “I wanted to forget about you, Nick. So why would I ask Walker to bring you back?”
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