“Yeah, well, I would’ve been around if I’d known she was going to drop by. Wasn’t much for her to see yet any way.” He glanced at the lot in front of him. “So, when do we get started on this one? Whose is it anyhow?” Hadn’t studied the site map for a while.
“Your architects, Lacey Rogers and Jack Dalton. Their wedding’s coming up in a month or so.”
“Right. This project brought them together. First time I’ve ever played Cupid. Geez, that was over a year ago.”
“Understand his parents have since decided to build here also. Quite the little neighborhood you’re putting together.” Dave snuck a look at his watch. “Did you, uh, want something in particular?”
“Got a question. Why can’t we dig everything at once? That’d reduce both the down time between each new section as well as the cost to bring back the equipment for each successive dig.”
“We can only handle so many housing starts at a time, because we can only accommodate so much heavy equipment in one place. So we stagger the digs. Once we’ve framed this first group, we’ll move on to the next section while the finish carpenters move inside the first group.”
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“Shae and I have a few other projects pending. You’ve got your music, right? Or something out on the coast?”
In other words, they didn’t need him.
Dave shuffled his feet, tamped down a stray clump of mud. After a minute, like Shae, he produced some other task that required his attention and excused himself.
Ned returned to his car, but he didn’t start it. He sat there, as the message from Dave sank deeper. He wasn’t needed. Even though he was the underwriter of this entire project and he was supposedly project manager, he didn’t have a thing to do at the moment.
His fingers drummed the steering wheel. He hated this hurry-up-and-wait part of construction. Reminded him too much of recording or television production. Why couldn’t they just keep on with the excavations? It had to cost more to bring the excavating crews out to the site intermittently rather than just do everything at once. They were probably already scheduled to work someplace else the next few days. But it wouldn’t hurt to check. After all, he was the project manager.
He grabbed for his cell.
****
The next day, as Shae examined the newly dug foundations, she heard a rumbling sound in the background. Excavation equipment rolled off the carriers headed for the sites scheduled to be dug later. What the…
She sought out Dave to learn what he knew about the heavy equipment, but one of the crew told her he’d gone into town to check on a permit.
Across the way, Old Man Todd directed his crew where to lay out the stakes. She ran over to him. “What’s going on, Todd? Thought you’d finished up here for now.”
He returned an intense scowl. “Like you don’t know.”
She crossed her arms and stood legs apart. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Someone from your outfit called my assistant yesterday and insisted my whole crew return today to dig several more foundations.”
“I don’t know anything about that. Dave Hale is away from the site at the moment. But he would have told me if he’d changed the plans.” As she spoke those last words, a sudden, horrifying thought crossed her mind. The previous day, Dave had mentioned how Ned wanted to know why they couldn’t dig all the foundations at once to save money. Oh, dear God!
“Hold off for a bit. Let me check on this.”
“It’ll cost you, you know, if you cancel. We’re running on the clock.”
Like he had to remind her.
She hurried to the mobile office to call Dave. “We’ve got problems,” she told him without preliminaries. She related her recent exchange with Old Man Todd.
“You think Ned set this up?”
“If you didn’t and I didn’t, who else?”
“Maybe it’s just some misunderstanding with his schedulers?”
She told him how Todd had said someone called his assistant the day before. “I can’t believe Ned did this,” Dave said. “I thought he was just making small talk when he asked about the next lots to be dug. I had no idea he’d take it upon himself to change the schedule.”
“Yeah, well, he’s dangerous that way. Just be forewarned for the future. Our only options are to let them dig a few more foundations and then postpone the rest, or refuse service. I’m going to do some fast calculations to compare the financial implications of both options, but I can’t help but think we should call off today’s work.”
“I’m with you there. Call if I need to return and support you when you tell Todd. He’s not one to take changes to his schedule lightly.”
As if she hadn’t already experienced Todd’s wrath. She thanked Dave and hung up. Where was Ned? Probably hiding out until this latest exertion of his so-called authority blew over.
She made herself take several cleansing breaths. The first item of business was to do the cost comparisons she’d mentioned to Dave. For accuracy, they required a cool head. But once she verified her assumptions and dealt with Old Man Todd, their penny-pinching client was her next item of business.
****
“They told me I’d find you here. Are you up for company?” Ned asked Tim Harriman from the door of the sunroom in the Blackhawk Hills rehab facility. Harriman occupied a chintz-covered easy chair, stacks of paper and folders around him. Two small tables were apparently set up as his impromptu office.
The older man twisted around. “Collier? Your throat acting up again, so they ostracized you here, too?”
“Call me Ned.”
“Ned, then. Is this a visit, or was I right about you being sentenced here, too?”
Ned wandered into the room, sighted an empty chair not being utilized by the builder, and pushed it closer. “Visit. Overdue, for which I apologize.”
Harriman took a few seconds to study his visitor, his eyes narrowed, as if he waited for another shoe to fall. “How’s it going—working with my daughter?”
Loaded question. As much as he wanted to show Shae he could meddle in her family issues just as readily as she could interfere in his, he had to be truthful about how hard she’d worked on the project. “I’m reasonably happy with progress.”
“Reasonably? That your way of saying things could be better?”
Heart attack or not, the guy’s mind hadn’t been impaired. “I’m an impatient guy. I tend to have several balls in the air at once to keep me occupied. I find the construction business full of waiting periods.”
“You sound a lot like me, young man. My doctors have kept me in this prison for my own good. I’m bored out of my mind. So, tell me, why are you really here?”
“Brought you something.” Ned reached inside his windbreaker and removed a paper sack. “Don’t want to be accused of being an enabler but thought you might have grown tired of the food here.” He handed the sack over to Harriman.
“Bribe?”
“Definitely. But can you resist triple chocolate ripple ice cream? It’s just a bar. Didn’t think you’d have your own fridge to stow away a pint.”
Harriman reached inside and pulled out the ice cream treat. “Where’s yours?”
“Ate it on the way.”
The older man pulled away the paper and licked the top of the bar. “Good stuff. You must want something really bad.”
Ned settled into his chair, leaned forward. “Are you aware that I’m serving as Sullivan’s Creek’s project manager?”
Harriman momentarily ceased his attack on his ice cream bar. A sort of growl emerged from his throat. “Found out recently. They keep shielding me from information they think will send me over the top again. Not crazy about the idea.” He looked directly at Ned. “You’re a fool, you know? You may have gained more control of the project, but it’ll cost you the expertise and experience a professional project manager would have brought to the table.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“That’s beside the point now. What’s on your mind?”
“I changed the date for the second round of excavations yesterday. Moved it up to today. Couldn’t let things just sit there while we waited for the first holes to settle.”
Harriman raised a hand to halt Ned’s discourse. “Let me get this straight. You used your position as project manager to call our sub and tell them we’d changed the dig date for the next section?”
“Right.”
“You did this on your own without the approval by my daughter or Dave Hale? You didn’t even consult them?”
“Correct as well.”
Harriman shook his head. “So, you’re here on this courtesy call to convince me to cover your behind with her?”
The old guy could sure cut to the chase. “I can protect my own ass, but I thought I’d better check my facts before I went to the boards to defend it.”
“You are one hell of a fool, Collier, going behind my daughter’s back like that. She may be new at running my company, but she knows her stuff. Plus, she’s got Dave Hale keeping her on track. I hope she read you the riot act. I certainly would have, if it weren’t for this fool ticker.”
“That what you’re doing now?”
“I’m certainly not congratulating you on your good sense. You want to check your facts? Okay, by preempting the dig schedule you’d better be prepared to add more crew, which is gonna cost. All so you won’t have to sit around and twiddle your thumbs for a few days. What’s the payoff for the added expense?”
Ned relaxed. He’d anticipated such an outburst, although milder than what he’d observed when he’d worked directly with Harriman. Was the guy on tranquilizers? “The sooner these subscribed houses are finished and the owners take possession, the sooner we’ll get our money. I’m betting I can absorb these added costs down the line, if we put the extra effort in now.”
Harriman eyed him. “You’ve bet a lot on that assumption, boy. Not just your own money, but the reputation of my company as well as the livelihoods of my people.”
“I’m well aware of that, Tim. To put my butt on the line is one thing, but I won’t do that to you and your folks. I may not be able to perform right now, sing at least, but I have some new ventures that should help me underwrite the additional costs.”
The other man studied him, as if to decide whether to believe him. At length, he said, “You’re fortunate I’m bored out of my mind and hankering to be involved in real matters concerning my company. Not just kid stuff reviewing contracts. If you’re prepared to pay for this, then I’ll back you up. This time. Only this time. Don’t undercut my daughter again..”
Ned couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “Uh, great.”
Harriman looked at his watch. “It’s just ten. By now, Todd and his crew will have arrived—grousing all the way, I’d guess—unloaded their equipment, and begun to dig. I’ll call my old pal and tell him you have my approval. “
His exit cue. Harriman was letting him get by with this. Shae would be so pissed.
“Time to return to the scene of the crime.” He stood and made ready to leave.
Behind him, Harriman called, “Hey, I like this ice cream. Next time, save yours so you can eat it with me.” A beat went by. “And next time, just come to visit. I like checkers.”
****
“Hey, Shae, baby.”
“Dad? Did you get your phone back?” Surely someone at Blackhawk Hills would have let her know her dad could communicate with the outside world again. No one mentioned it when she was there the day before.
“Not to panic, Sarge. The General, otherwise known as Cheryl Park, let me use hers for this call. And the other I just made.”
He’d made another call? She cringed.
“Had an interesting visit with our client a while ago. He wanted me to know he’d moved up the dig schedule and why.”
Her mouth went dry. She could barely get her next words out. “Ned came to see you?”
“It’s not like we’re strangers. We worked for months on the infrastructure.”
“I, uh, just learned about the schedule change this morning, when Old Man Todd showed up. I’ve, uh, been going over estimates of the increased costs this change will cause. I was about to go find him and cancel.”
“Don’t.”
“No. Why?”
“I told Collier it was okay.”
“You what?”
“Since Todd was already on the scene, no point to waste their time or ours.”
Had she heard him correctly? “Old Man Todd will detonate when I tell him to go ahead and dig.”
“Todd already knows. That was the other call I made. Thought I could spare you the inevitable diatribes. Everything’s all set. And thanks for those permits. I’m almost done with them. Can’t wait for your next assignment.”
She hung up and shook her head. Her dad had sounded more alive than he had in weeks. Well, of course, he’d been delighted to intervene and steal her thunder. Was this the beginning of the end? Her dad was starting to reclaim his job.
And who’d helped him reach that point? None other than her favorite client. Less than two days ago, they’d made hot, passionate love in her bed. Now, she wanted to kill him, with her words if nothing else.
Chapter Eighteen
Ned had found the one way he could end-run her by going to her father. So much for cost comparisons, now that her dad had given Old Man Todd the green light.
The sound of heavy breathing reverberated through the small office. Surprise, it was her. Two disembodied hands shook like an earthquake had hit the trailer. Her also.
She erupted from the seat, unable to remain in her chair; her pad of figures flew to the floor in her rush. Her arm swiped across the desk and sent the contents all directions. Felt good. She tried to pace but bumped into a filing cabinet, sure to cause a bruise on her rear. That didn’t feel so good, but who cared? No one would see her naked butt for a while anyhow. If ever.
She was about to blow. Time to get out of here.
Before she got to the door, though, Dave opened it first. As he caught sight of her, he stepped back. “You don’t look so good. Did you get into it with Todd?”
“No chance.”
“Ned?”
“Nope. Dad. Can you believe it?”
Dave stared at her. He pulled the door tight behind him and leaned against it. He noted the clutter. “Maybe I should come back after you’ve finished redecorating.” He didn’t wait for an answer before he retrieved the items strewn over the floor and placed them on her desk.
“How could he do this, Dave?”
“Your dad or our client?”
She slammed the back of her chair. “Both. Dad was probably so anxious to remind us he’s still in charge, he agreed to something he would’ve laughed down otherwise.”
“And Ned?”
She shook her head. “Who knows? There’s more behind his control issues than he’s let on. But that’s no excuse to cut us out of major decisions.”
“Agreed. But how about you give yourself time to, uh, cool down before you have it out with him?”
“I have every right to be angry. So do you.”
“True, but Ned’s not a sub you can rebuke whenever he doesn’t deliver. He’s our client. If we continue to attack his actions, he might decide to be his own general contractor, whether it’s a wise move or not.”
Shae froze in place. Such a possibility hadn’t occurred to her. “No, surely he’s not that foolhardy?” Even with the possibility of his going it alone facing her, she had to set him straight. She grabbed her calculations and charged toward the door.
“Where you goin’?”
“To visit Ned.”
Dave slid in front of her. “You sure you want to see him now?”
She pulled back her shoulders. “No time like the present, while these numbers are fresh in my mind.”
Dave didn’t budge. “What numbers?”
“Those that compare of our way of di
gging versus his.”
“They support our way, right?”
“Of course. Never any doubt.” She attempted to slip around him.
“I’d like to see them first.”
Since when had Dave gotten this involved in the numbers? Since he’d decided to be her one-man think-better-of-it squad to help her calm down. Bless his heart, but damn, she didn’t want to cool her jets. Ned Collier deserved every bit of wrath she still felt. “I know what you’re doing. I’ll share these with you later. Right now, I have to see our client.”
Dave pursed his lips, as if to decide whether to stand his ground. “Count to a hundred first. Okay?”
“Ten.”
He frowned. “All right, ten.”
She did as he asked. “Nine…ten. Happy now?”
He nodded, though he still didn’t appear particularly supportive.
To placate him, she said, “Maybe you could stop by and see Dad on your way home tonight? Make sure he’s okay? Don’t bring up this situation unless he mentions it. He’s probably done cartwheels in the corridors, or the heart patient equivalent of them, delighted to out-maneuver us. But I want to be sure he’s okay.”
“Sure. I’ll be happy to talk with Ned, too, if you’ll let me.”
The guy didn’t give up readily. “Thanks, but I’ll deal with him.”
****
Ned couldn’t believe his luck in convincing Tim Harriman to go along with the schedule change. Should’ve thought to appeal to the old man sooner. Instead, he’d stuck by Shae, despite her inexperience. Then she’d used his mother to get to him.
She wouldn’t take this turn of events lightly. She’d feel honor-bound to ream him up one side and down the other, just to make sure he understood the significance of his actions. Since he couldn’t escape her ire, might as well determine the setting for his tongue-lashing. His RV, of course. His territory.
Once he reached the project site, it didn’t take long to notice the heavy excavation equipment was still there. He went directly to his mobile office to await the inevitable confrontation and flopped on the couch across from the banquette, so she’d have to stand. She’d really be frosted when she was forced to look down on his relaxed frame. The thought appealed more than it should have. Not very professional, but a hell of a lot of fun.
Tough Enough to Tango Page 18
