McCabe shook his head, swiftly vetoing that suggestion. “That won’t be necessary,” he reassured her. “You’re here. You should do it.”
Happy that much was settled, Amanda was ready to move on, too. She returned his easy smile. “Then how about you show me everything you want done so I can get started.”
* * *
JUSTIN SPENT THE next half hour showing Amanda the bunkhouse they were converting for the opening of the Laramie Boys Ranch. It would house the first group of eight boys and two house parents. There were cabinets to install in the bathrooms. Trim and doors to put on. Bookshelves and built-in locker-style armoires to be constructed in each of the five bedrooms.
Amanda paused next to the mangled drywall and damaged utility cabinet in the mudroom. She brushed splinters of wood from the plumbing hookup for the washer. “What happened here?”
Motioning for the dogs to stay back, well out of harm’s way, Justin grabbed a trash bag. “I tried to put the cabinet up myself and it fell off the wall, taking the drywall with it.”
Amanda dropped the shards of splintered wood and ripped-up drywall into the bag. Justin knelt to help her gather debris.
“Can you fix it?” He wasn’t used to screwing up. Failing in front of a highly competent woman made it even worse.
“Yes.” Amanda dusted off her hands and took out her measuring tape.
Justin watched as she set down her notebook and measured the damaged back of the cupboard. “No need to order a new cabinet?”
Nodding, she jotted down a set of numbers.
When she had finished looking around, Justin asked, “What’s your best estimate?”
Amanda raked her teeth across her lush lower lip as she consulted the list she had made. “You said you wanted hardwood flooring installed throughout?”
“Except for the bathrooms. Those are going to have ceramic tile.”
“The target date?”
“August first.”
“Which gives us a little under four weeks.” She tilted her head slightly to one side, her hair brushing the curve of her shoulder. “That’s an ambitious schedule.”
“Is it doable?”
“That all depends. Are you willing to have me work weekends and some evenings, too?”
Until more donations or grants came in, things were really tight. “We don’t have the budget for overtime pay,” he admitted.
Understanding lit her eyes. “I’ll just charge you the regular rate, then.”
He paused, tempted to accept yet not wanting to take advantage. “Sure?”
She tucked her notebook under her arm and headed for the open front door. She stepped outside, the sunshine illuminating her shapely legs. “Consider it my donation for your cause. Which, by the way, is a good one.”
Justin fell into step beside her as they continued toward her truck. “You think so?”
She tossed him an admiring glance. “Troubled kids need a place to go.” A hint of a smile curved her lips. “If that can happen in a beautiful setting like this, more power to you.”
“Thanks.” Not everyone was on board with his idea for the ranch. It helped to know she was.
The dogs raced forward, suddenly on full alert. A split second later, a car motor purred in the distance. Two vehicles appeared, the second one a black-and-white Laramie County sheriff’s car.
“Another lost tourist?” Amanda joked, her glance roving over him once again. “This one with a police escort?”
Justin shook his head, hoping it wasn’t more bad news. “Mitzy Martin. She’s the social worker tapped to work with the ranch. She’s also on the board of directors. The sheriff’s deputy is my brother Colt McCabe. He’s in charge of community outreach for the department. I have no idea who the teenage boy with her is....”
Amanda backed up. “Well, obviously you don’t need me for whatever this is.” Giving the other visitors a cursory wave, she walked to the truck, his dogs trailing behind her, and began unloading her tools.
The teenage boy stayed put as Mitzy and Colt got out of their cars. Both radiated concern as they approached. “We have a favor to ask,” Mitzy told him.
Justin looked at the sullen teen slouched in the passenger seat of Mitzy’s car, arms crossed militantly in front of him. Pale and thin, he wore a black T-shirt with a skull on the front. His dark ash-blond hair was on the long side. “What’s up?”
Mitzy shot him an imploring look. “We need a place for Lamar Atkins to stay during the day for the rest of the summer.”
Understandable, but... “The ranch isn’t open yet.”
Colt inclined his head toward the unfinished bunkhouse. “It looks like you could use a lot of help getting it ready.”
That much was certainly true, particularly in the bunkhouse. Justin paused, wanting to make sure he knew what they were expecting him to provide. “You want me to pay him?”
Mitzy shook her head. “Help him work off his community service hours.”
“For...?” Justin prompted.
His brother frowned. “Repeated truancy. He’s supposed to be in summer school now, but he keeps skipping, and the judge gave him one hour of community service for every hour of class he’s skipped. Which amounts to two hundred and thirty-six hours.”
Justin muttered a compassionate oath. That was going to take a while to work off.
“If you take Lamar on, and he sticks with the program, he’ll be finished with his community service commitment before school starts in the fall,” Mitzy urged. “And hopefully will learn something in the process.”
Justin looked at the kid. He had his earphones in, his eyes closed. Justin turned back to Mitzy and Colt. Both had also felt the call to help others. Although his brother was now happily married and father to a little boy, Mitzy was as single as Justin was, with as little time for her social life as he. All three of them took to heart the fate of those in need. “Where are the boy’s parents?”
Mitzy’s expression tightened. “Long gone. Fed up with trying to deal with his defiance, they severed their parental rights and turned him over to the state last March. The court placed him with a foster family in Laramie, but both foster parents work during the day, and they can’t be around to constantly monitor Lamar.” She paused. “He seems to like them, and they feel the same way about him, but they just can’t keep him in summer school.”
Justin squinted. “What happens if this doesn’t work out?”
“Given that Lamar was already on his last chance when I picked him up?” Colt exhaled slowly. “He’ll be labeled incorrigible and put in a juvenile detention center.”
Which meant an awful lot was at stake. Justin had seen enough kids spiral downward. He didn’t want to be personally responsible for the ill-fated future of another. “I want to help.” Wanted to give the kid a safe place to be during the day.
Mitzy regarded him with confidence. “We figured you would.”
“But...” Justin cast a glance over at Amanda, who was lifting toolboxes and a power saw out of the bed of her truck. “I’d feel a lot better about it if the place was finished and the live-in counselors were here.”
“You still want to be named ranch director by the board?” Colt asked. “Instead of just chief financial officer?”
Justin sighed, frustration growing. “You both know I do.”
Mitzy pushed, sage as ever. “This is your chance to prove yourself worthy of the job.”
Justin knew Mitzy and Colt were right. This was a prime opportunity to advance his career in the direction he wanted it to go, as well as a chance to help a kid in need. So the situation wasn’t perfect. They’d manage. “When do you want to start?”
The duo smiled their thanks. “First thing tomorrow morning,” Mitzy said.
* * *
“SO YOU’RE GOIN
G to personally supervise Lamar?” Amanda asked in shock after Justin filled her in an hour later.
To his aggravation, she seemed to think he couldn’t—shouldn’t—do it. “Why does that surprise you?” Justin was more than a little irked to find her among the naysayers who were constantly doubting him.
Amanda surveyed the area surrounding her temporary home site. “From the way you were talking earlier as you showed me around, I had the impression you were more of a numbers guy.”
Being good at something didn’t mean it was the right fit, career-wise. Justin wished he could make people understand that. He followed her back to the trailer. “I studied business and accounting in college.”
Amanda chocked the tires so the trailer wouldn’t roll. Finished, she stood. “What practical experience have you had working with troubled kids?”
Not enough; he’d found out the hard way. But that, too, was about to change.
“I worked at a nonprofit that helped at-risk teens.” He helped her unhitch the trailer.
Amanda undid the safety chains. “And did what exactly?”
“Initially, I was the CFO.” Justin pitched in and took care of the sway bars. “Eventually, I coordinated services for the kids, too.”
“But someone else did the actual counseling and evaluating,” Amanda guessed.
Justin nodded. “Which was quite extensive, given how complicated some of their situations were.”
Her expression pensive, Amanda unlocked the hitch. “I’m sure it was.”
“But?”
Amanda got into her truck to drive it out from under the hitch. “Facilitating services for an at-risk kid is not the same as actually getting through to him or her.” She stepped back out of the cab and headed toward him, her long legs eating up the expanse of yard.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time Justin had heard that particular argument. “I can do this.” He knew it in his gut. All he needed was a chance.
She gave him a skeptical look, then took out a carpenter’s level to check the floor of the trailer. As she moved, the hem of her denim skirt slid up her thighs. “From what you’ve just told me, Lamar sounds like a tough case.” Finding it okay, she stood with a smile. “Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t seem like someone who knows much about defying the system.”
Justin couldn’t deny that was true. He’d gone through life without getting into trouble with authority once. That didn’t mean he couldn’t help those who had.
He was beginning to feel a little irked. “So?”
“Where’s the common ground that will allow you and Lamar to establish any kind of rapport?”
“He’ll respond to time and attention.”
Amanda shook her head. “You think his foster parents haven’t been giving him that?”
“Obviously, Lamar needs even more than what he’s been getting,” Justin countered. “Which is where I come in.”
Amanda activated the trailer’s solar panels. “Want my advice?”
“No, but I expect you’re going to give it anyway.”
Their eyes met. “Leave the life lessons to the social workers. They’ve had lots of practice and they’re good at it.”
She went inside the trailer and returned with a rolled-up awning, which he helped her set up.
“Work on getting this ranch finished and ready for the first eight boys. If Lamar can help you do that, fine, it’ll be a good deal for both of you.” With the awning finally attached, she brushed dust off her hands. “But accept the possibility that the kid might not want to be here tomorrow any more than he apparently wanted to be here today.”
“And if that happens?” he prompted, intrigued despite himself by her perspective on the situation.
Her voice dropped a companionable notch. “If he doesn’t want to help out, don’t force it, because the only way it will ever work is if this is his choice. Not someone else’s.”
Justin studied her closely. “What makes you such an expert on all this?” As compared to, say—me?
A hint of sadness haunted her eyes. “Because I lived it. For a good part of my teenage years I hated everyone and everything.”
Now, that was hard to imagine. She seemed so content and comfortable with herself. Sensing he could learn something from her, Justin asked, “What changed?”
For a moment, Amanda went very still, seeming a million miles away. “Me. I finally realized I had a choice to either continue on as I was, which was a pretty miserable existence, or approach life differently. The point is, Justin, you can’t help someone who doesn’t want to help himself.” She sighed. “From what I saw, it didn’t look to me like Lamar is there yet.”
He grimaced at the truth of her words. “I know he’s not.”
Another beat of silence. “Then?” she pressed.
I’m not risking another tragedy. It’s as simple and complicated as that.
Justin stepped closer, vowing, “I’m going to help Lamar whether he wants me to or not.” He paused to take her in, appreciating both her beauty and her strength. “I’d like it if you were on board with that. If you’re not,” he paused and shot her a laser-sharp look, “I’d appreciate it if you would keep your feelings to yourself.”
Chapter Two
“I’d rather work with her.” Lamar pointed at Amanda, soon after arriving the following day.
Justin motioned Lamar back to the stacks of paper he had been trying to organize. Some were for state licensing and registration, others were for federal, state and private grants. The biggest—a quarter-million-dollar endowment from the Lone Star United Foundation—was due by the end of July. In addition to that, there were more fund-raising solicitations to send, thank-you letters to write, a tight budget to manage and local building regulations to comply with.
Justin had figured the teen would show up with an attitude, but he wasn’t going to let him dictate how things were done. “Not an option.”
Lamar slouched in his chair, a scowl on his young face. “How come?”
“Because Amanda’s not in charge of you,” he reminded the boy mildly. “I am.”
The teen returned his glance to the window. “That wood she’s carrying looks heavy.”
Heavy enough to require the sleek muscles of her gorgeous shoulders and upper arms, Justin noticed appreciatively. What it did for her legs wasn’t bad, either.
Justin dragged his glance away from the statuesque beauty in the sleeveless red T-shirt, denim coverall shorts and sturdy work boots. “If Amanda needed our help, she would’ve asked for it.”
“Sure about that? I mean, isn’t this place supposed to be about turning kids into well-mannered guys? What kind of Texas gentleman lets a lady hoist all that stuff by herself—even if she is a carpenter by trade?”
Good question. And one meant to make Justin bend to Lamar’s strategy. “Nice try.”
The kid held his palms aloft. “Hey! I’m just saying...”
Justin eyed the paperwork still needing attention. “Did you get how to use the scanner? Or do I need to explain it again?”
Lamar turned back to the desk with a huff. “I’m not good at this computer stuff.”
Which was an understatement and a half, Justin soon found out. In the next thirty minutes, Lamar managed to accidentally shut down the operating system, re-enter a single document three times and delete two files Justin had initially scanned as examples. The only thing worse than his own mounting frustration was the fact that his young charge seemed equally annoyed at his own ineptitude.
“So maybe office work isn’t your thing,” Justin said finally, ready to admit that all this assignment had done so far was cost both of them precious time and patience.
Lamar looked wistfully out the window at the vast blue horizon and dazzling sunshine. “Sure you don�
�t want me to go out and at least offer to give Miss Amanda a hand? She still has quite a bit to unload.”
The goal was to get Lamar doing something constructive on his very first day, so Mitzy could report back to her superiors that things were going well.
Figuring it would be okay if they both assisted Amanda, Justin stood. “All right. Let’s go ask.”
Justin and Lamar walked out of the lodge. By the time they reached the pickup truck that Amanda had parked just in front of the door, she had re-emerged from the bunkhouse. She looked from one to the other. Sweat beaded her face, neck and chest. “What’s up?” she asked, blotting the moisture on her forehead with one gloved hand.
Justin turned his attention away from the pretty color in her cheeks and the radiant depths of her eyes. “We thought we’d give you a hand with the unloading,” he explained.
Amanda stiffened. “That’s okay. I’ve got it.”
Lamar gave the pretty carpenter a pleading look. “If you don’t let me help, he’s going to make me go back to the computer—and I’ve already messed things up in there pretty bad.”
Amanda had no problem turning Justin down.
Lamar, it seemed, was another matter entirely.
She sized up the teenager. “The bunkhouse air-conditioning isn’t installed yet. My guess is, even with all the doors and windows open for maximum airflow, it’s about a hundred degrees inside. Add physical exertion to that, and it’s going to be a workout and a half,” she warned.
The tall, lanky teen was evidently unconcerned with the hard physical labor ahead of him, so long as he got out of any more office work. “Okay with me,” Lamar said cheerfully.
Justin smiled and offered, “I can help, too.”
Amanda frowned. “That’s okay...you don’t have to. Lamar and I can handle it.”
Justin didn’t like feeling expendable.
But if this was what it took to get Lamar to realize he could actually enjoy being out here on the ranch, Justin figured he could spare him for one day. “Let me know when Lamar’s work for you is finished,” he told Amanda briskly. “I’ll take it from there.”
The Long, Hot Texas Summer Page 2
