Her Best Friend Jon Read online

  "What does Mom think about all of this?"

  "You know her. She wasn’t happy that I left Texas, but after what she did, what can she say? I still have trouble talking to her."

  "It’s not good to hold a grudge. It only hurts you in the long run."

  "Mary, why don’t you move to Michigan?" Hannah suggested, her voice soft as she changed the subject abruptly. She hoped she'd conveyed how much she'd love for that to happen. "My place is small but you're always welcome here."

  "Yeah, not. I hate being cold. Best thing Mom did was to move us south. But it’s even warmer in California so thanks, but no thanks."

  "Well, you know I had to try."

  "You always do. Listen, Hannah-" Hannah closed her eyes, knowing what was coming next. Mary never talked for more than a few minutes, and it always hurt because the calls were so sporadic. Sometimes months would pass without so much as a word. Still she couldn’t help it and said,

  "Not yet. Please?"

  "Don’t make this harder than it has to be." For once, her voice sounded gentle, or what passed as gentle for her sister. "Hannah, be careful. I don’t want to see you disappointed, kid. You tend to think things are all rainbows and bunny rabbits, and they’re not."

  "That’s not true. But I do try to see the potential, and the positive side of everything. Maybe you’d be happier if you did the same." There was a long silence on the other end of the line, and Hannah feared she’d hung up. "Mary?"

  "I’m here." Another brief hesitation followed. "I know you have this fantasy going on. That everything is going to work out, and he’s going to be everything you think he is…and he’s not. No one knows that more than I do. And I don’t want you hurt."

  "You might be wrong."

  "For your sake I hope so. But I don’t think I am."

  "Maybe he’s changed."

  "Yeah. Miracles happen, right?"

  "Yes, they do. I just wish-"

  "Look, you know me. I’m opinionated. I’m also the most negative person you’ll ever know, so don’t mind me." She laughed in resignation. "Besides, you’ll do what you want, regardless of what I say. You always were a stubborn little snot.

  "Ha-ha. Look who’s talking." That wasn’t the brightest thing she could have said, given how seldom she heard from her sister. "I’m sorry, Mary. I didn’t mean that."

  "Sure you did. But that’s okay. I’m not out of your life forever, kid. I’ve just got some things I need to figure out. Get my head on straight, you know."

  "You still bartending?"

  "It’s honest work, Hannah."

  "I wasn’t judging, just asking. You’re taking care of yourself?" Silence reigned for another few seconds.

  "I’m trying, kid."

  "You’re- I know you used to have some trouble with- You know-"

  "Drugs, Hannah. You don’t have to dance around the word. Drugs. And you shouldn’t be asking questions you don’t want to know the answers to."

  "Mary-" Hannah’s heart constricted painfully.

  "I told you I had to work it out before I come back. I’m trying, I really am. It’s harder than you know."

  "I’ll keep praying for you then. I really miss having you in my life." And she did, so very much.

  "Me too, kid. Someday, I promise."

  "I know. Someday soon, I hope."

  "Well, I need to get around for work. Remember what I said, okay? Don’t get your hopes up. I don’t want to see you hurt again. You don’t remember how much you cried. I do."

  "I don’t think that I'll be upset no matter how it turns out, but I’ll keep what you’ve said in mind."

  "If it doesn't work out the way you've built it up in your head, you'll be broken again. But listen, I’ve gotta go. I’m going to be late if I stay on here much longer."

  "I love you."

  "Love you, too, kid."

  ~~~~~

  "You okay?" Chris asked, walking toward the little trailer they hauled from worksite to worksite.

  It was barely big enough for the two desks, filing cabinet, drafting table, and miniscule bathroom it housed but it served its purpose, though Jon hadn’t been inside it in a few weeks.

  When Scotty's bone marrow transplant had been scheduled this past summer, everyone had gone out of their way to be careful around him, Harry, and Chris. They hadn't wanted to take a chance on his catching something, and until his immune system was strong enough to handle everyday kinds of germs, they would continue to keep the modular as germ free as they could. No way did they want to risk Chris accidentally exposing him to something, especially a mold called aspergillus. It was a vicious thing and could make that little boy seriously sick. Maybe even kill him – and it tended to be found in construction sites.

  So after having the office professionally cleaned, the only ones allowed in it were Chris and Hannah. Everyone was doing their part to make sure the little guy lived a long and healthy life after his long and miserable battle with Leukemia.

  "I’m fine." Jon recognized the lie as soon as the words left his mouth. Judging by Chris’s raised brows, he did, too. Shrugging, he said, "I’m worried about Cal. He looked really bad yesterday."

  "Yeah, I know. Can you believe Kelly?" He was glad he wasn’t the only one infuriated by Kelly’s announcement at the dinner following the funeral.

  "No I can’t. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but-" Jon still wanted to shake him and demand to know what he thought he was doing.

  A professor at the local college, Kelly O’Hara had put in for a year-long sabbatical. A year he intended to spend in Florida – and he would be leaving the first of next week.

  "I can understand how losing his wife would make him go a little off the deep end," Chris continued, shaking his head, "but you’d think he’d consider Cal in making a decision like this."

  "I know. It’s got to be like losing both of his parents in the space of a week."

  "I wanted to haul off and slug him. They should be sticking close together right now, not having one of them taking off across the country. What kind of father would do that?" Muttering to himself, Chris headed for the trailer, and Jon couldn’t suppress a grin as he continued past on his way to the house he was helping with today.

  It wasn’t all that long ago that Chris would probably have helped Kelly pack his bags, but Harry and Scotty had settled him right down, a fact that all the guys teased him about relentlessly. Not that Chris minded. He was completely devoted to his new wife and son, and readily admitted that he’d been a jerk about Harry working for them. He also felt a little smug about the fact that she was currently a stay-at-home mom, even if it was by necessity.

  Jon knew he hoped she’d want to keep that job though. The thought of her shingling a roof had freaked him out before, but since their small wedding, it gave him nightmares. Truth be told, now that she was 'family,' he wasn't terribly thrilled at the thought of her climbing ladders either.

  He fastened his tool belt around his waist as he turned the corner, now half a block from the house. He could see some of the guys hauling insulation inside and picked his pace up, his breath billowing out before him in clouds of steam. Not that he was in a huge hurry, but just two more and they'd be caught up.

  Thanks to problems with permits a few weeks ago, they were really busting their butts to get back on schedule. By now they should have been working in completely enclosed shells that were halfway warm. As it was, part of the crew was still busy putting the rest of the windows in, while the rest were tackling this job with him. They’d get it all done though, no matter how much they had to pay out in overtime. There was a first for everything, but there would never be a first for a missed deadline. Not if he had any say in the matter. And he did. That was one of the perks of being a boss.

  ~~~~~

  "Hey, Ed," Chris said, lifting his cell phone to his ear. In a move probably meant to avoid distractions, he spun his chair around so the computer screen wasn’t right in his
face. Hannah bit her lip to keep from smiling, even though his back was to her and he couldn't see it anyway.

  While Chris did his best to continue to be a productive member of the business, there simply wasn’t enough to keep him busy in the trailer. She could tell it was driving him nuts, but he would do anything in his power to keep Scotty safe, and so they both went along with the pretense that he was going over important company files when, in fact, he was usually playing one computer game or another.

  At first she’d been afraid her job might be in jeopardy, which would really throw a wrench into her plans, but Chris assured her early on that her job was secure. He hadn’t campaigned for a secretary for so long only to lose her now. Besides, as soon as Scotty’s doctors gave him the green light, he’d be back out on the site doing what he loved most – and when that day came, he didn’t want to have to find a replacement for her.

  Hannah kept her eyes on her monitor, though she couldn’t have told anyone what was actually on it, as she listened to Chris’s end of the conversation. Nothing important, just another Saturday night get-together with most of the gang. From the sounds of it, Detective Ed Winslow was trying to talk Chris into getting Linda, Scotty’s nurse, to babysit so he and Harry could come.

  "I’ll run it by my wife, but I wouldn't hold my breath, Ed. It's only been a week, and I don't think we'd be able to pry Harry away from the hospital with a crowbar." He paused. "No. If she doesn't think it's a good idea, I'll be keeping her company. Yeah, I know. Totally worth it. And we'll be able to make up for lost time in a year or so." When he hung up, Hannah slapped her hand over the mouse so it wouldn't look like she'd been eavesdropping.

  "Everything all right?" she asked, as though she weren’t well aware that it was.

  "What? Oh. Yeah. That was just Ed. Sam and Holly are having the bonfire this week. I guess they’re threatening to kidnap us if we don’t show up of our own free will," he said, flashing a grin her way, then frowning. It was such an endearing expression that she just wanted to hug him – but she stayed put. She'd bet he was thinking about another night spent at the hospital. He didn't do 'cooped up' well, which made the lengths he was willing to go to for his wife and son truly amazing. It was hard not to admire a man like that.

  One thing about working for C&J Construction was that she needed to keep herself in check. Not that she’d ever be tempted to flirt with Chris. Married men were and always would be off limits, but there was no denying that both of them were beyond handsome.

  When they’d first hired her, Chris had worn his light brown hair kind of long and shaggy, and along with a perpetual day's growth of beard, he'd had a rugged, mountain man look about him. Now, though he didn't wear it much shorter, he was keeping it trimmed, but the whiskers were still there. Harry had confided in her at the company Christmas party that she encouraged him to use the razor sparingly, and she couldn't blame her a bit. There was just something about a man with a five o'clock shadow that was appealing.

  Jon, on the other hand, seemed to have an air of mystery about him. Hannah couldn't quite put her finger on, but there was something, and it just added to the whole package. His hair was quite a bit darker, nearly black, and he wore it fairly short. He, too, seemed to favor the scruffy look, and sometimes he was so sexy he literally took her breath away, especially when he wore one particular blue flannel shirt. If circumstances were different, she might be tempted to flirt with him and see where it led. But her reasons for being here didn't include daydreaming about handsome men.

  "I imagine they’re missing all of you," she murmured, opening an email from one of their suppliers. "Tony, over at Benton’s, just let us know that the siding is in. He says they can deliver it this afternoon if we want."

  "Darned right we want. Tell him we'll be looking for the truck. And tell him thanks for putting a rush on it. We might get the rest of the houses covered before the end of the month after all."

  "Will do. Give me just a second here," she murmured, clicking on reply and typing a short response. "There. It's sent. We should hear back from him in a few minutes."

  Chris went back to his game, while she started doing some actual work, after making a quick call to Jon to let him know about the siding. He was at least as happy as Chris, and told her to work up a new schedule – with plenty of overtime.

  Fortunately the stone and brick facades had been finished for a couple of weeks, so they could be back on schedule sooner than they'd planned. It seemed this project, jinxed for what felt like forever with all of the setbacks and delays, might finally be back on track.

  It was just too bad they were in the middle of a snowy, cold snap. She hated to think of the crew working outside in weather so cold it chilled her to the bone just walking from the modular to her car, but she loved it. Her first winter in Michigan was definitely a shock, though a very pleasant one. Every time it snowed, she found herself glued to a window because it almost mesmerized her. It was so different than the little she’d seen while growing up in Texas that she was in the minority. Most everyone who was used to it couldn't wait for spring, but in her opinion, winter could stick around as long as it wanted.

  "Hey, what are you doing Saturday night?" Chris asked suddenly, looking up from his game.

  "Probably reading. Why? Want me to babysit?" She'd grown quite attached to Scotty over the past months and wouldn't mind at all.

  "No. I appreciate the offer, but Ed knew when he asked, and I knew when I said I'd run it by Harry that we wouldn't be going. It's way too early in the game to leave Scotty. But you ought to go. You don’t get out enough, and the girls were asking about you when they went out last week."

  "I don’t know. It’s one thing when it’s at your house, but I think Sam and Holly will have a big enough crowd without me showing up."

  "Ha! Want me to call Holly?"

  "Jeez, no!" Hannah exclaimed, feeling her face turn red. She shuddered to think of Holly’s reaction. It would sound like she was trying to finagle an invitation, and that would be humiliating. "I usually try to catch up on my reading on weekends, so don’t worry about it."

  "C’mon. I thought you enjoyed spending time with everyone."

  "I do, but-"

  "But what?" Hannah rolled her eyes and scrolled through a few more emails. "But… You're just pretending and hate us all?" She glanced up at him and before she could stop herself, she stuck her tongue out at him. Chris just laughed. "Then why?" She sighed deeply.

  "I appreciate everyone trying to be so nice to me but – I hate feeling like I'm crashing all of your parties."

  "Are you kidding me?" he asked, snorting his disgust. "If we didn't like you, we wouldn't ask you. How many of the guys on the crew do you ever see at any of our houses? None, that's how many. We like you. The girls all love you. So-" Hang on just a minute.

  She watched him pick up his cell phone and felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. Somehow she just knew he wasn't making a business call.

  "Hey, Holly. Hannah's looking at her mouse like she's about to lob it at my head or something, so I need to make this quick."

  "Chris," she muttered, her voice low, but the threat was obvious. She did pick up the computer mouse, but he knew she wasn't going to throw it, though he did brace himself when she brought it back behind her head like she might.

  "There's no way Harry and I are going to be able to make it Saturday night. No, it's just way too soon. Anyway, I told Hannah she'd be more than welcome to go, but I don't think she believes me."

  "Chris!" she muttered, scowling at her boss. He winked at her, grinning like a kid who just got away with something.

  "That’s what I told her, but you can tell her yourself." He got up and rounded his desk, looking pointedly at her hand. She sat the mouse down, shaking her head hard. Chris just ignored her. "That way she can get it straight from the horse’s mouth. No, I did not call you a horse. Here. You talk to her. Yeah, love you guys, too."

  With that, he hel
d the phone out and, not even trying to lower his voice, said, "Told you so."

  "You're incorrigible," she whispered, putting the phone up to her ear. She could hear Holly chuckling on the other end. With a sigh she said, "Hey, Holly."

  "Hi, Hannah. And yes. I agree with you. Our Chris is definitely incorrigible. But in this case, I'm glad. I don't know why you think you wouldn't be welcome here because you are. We would love to have you. Please say yes? I'll be so offended if you don't."

  And so Hannah said yes, watching as Chris stood before her desk, a smug smile on his face. She couldn't be too mad at him though. It sure beat sitting home alone. Again. And it would give her a chance to get a little closer without anyone questioning her motives.

  ~~~~~

  Jon hunched his shoulders forward under the hot spray of the shower, and was thankful that the house came with an almost endless supply of hot water. The way his body felt tonight, he might just empty the heater of every drop.

  In their haste to get all of the homes in the subdivision sided, they’d worked until nearly nine. When the sun had set low enough in the sky so that it was difficult to see what they were doing, and then disappeared entirely, they used the flood lights usually reserved to work inside during the winter months. They lit up the area so well that he and every single one of their employees kept going until exhaustion demanded they stop.

  The guys knew as well as he did how much nicer it would be as the month progressed and slid into February, that the siding would help keep the frigid cold out when they moved indoors. No one wanted to risk frostbite, or try to use a saw or nail gun with half-frozen fingers. And no matter how much heat the kerosene heaters put out, without that siding, the brisk winds would find any little crack and crevice.

  Finally, when the water started to cool, he turned the faucet off, dried himself quickly, and pulled on a pair of ragged navy sweats and a white tee shirt, before heading down to the kitchen.