“Shouldn’t we be working as a team?” she ventured.

  “Your version of team is telling me what to do and me doing it. By your definition, we’re a great team!” he said, voice rising. “Now, if you don’t want me charging today as a work day, I suggest you leave and let me eat my breakfast.”

  A surprised look crossed her face before she rose.

  “I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she said in a hushed tone. “Enjoy your day off.”

  She left quickly. Jake didn’t realize how angry he was until he twisted his tense body to watch her go. His gaze remained on the doorway after she left.

  “You’re a jackass, Jake,” Kitty said, dropping his plate of food in front of him. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

  She, too, stalked away, leaving him with scrambled eggs all over the table and a set of blueprints. His eyes rested on the blueprints. Madeleine was not one to leave something so important in a rush. Either he was harsher than he thought himself to be, or she left them for him to bring in later. Judging by Kitty’s reaction, the former was the case.

  Jake rubbed his face again, agitated.

  Jake’s words affected her more than she expected. She left fast and drove back to the site, upset. Upon arriving at the office and realizing she had left without the blueprints, she sent Eric to retrieve them and sat down at the desk.

  Duke panted from his position on the couch.

  She tapped a pen, staring at the nearest stack of receipts.

  She never thought of herself as bossy, or her version of team telling others what to do. The words hit home, and she could think of no other reason than because they were probably true. But what choice did she have? She had to get this job done! She needed the money too much.

  She sat back, upset. She had someone depending on her. If the project failed, she failed Mama. At the moment, she had absolutely no delusions of success, but if she pushed herself and those around her, she might not fail.

  Then why did she feel like crying? Why did Eric running off for happy hour make her feel completely isolated and alone? Why did Jake’s continuous jabs into her unhappy life bother her so much? Why did she feel like the only adult burdened by a sense of responsibility while everyone else seemed … free?

  “It’s just us, Duke,” she said. “Unless you wanna ditch or insult me, too?”

  Duke remained where he was on his couch, panting. She stared at the wall for awhile before spraying more Lysol. It was not Duke this day, but the bathroom. How long she gazed into space she didn’t know, but she was still doing it when Eric returned with a smile and the blueprints.

  “Jake invited us to a barbecue bonfire tonight,” he said. “It’s after the men are released at about eight-thirty.”

  Madeleine said nothing and opened her accounting book.

  “Maddy, you okay?”

  “Just have a lot to clean up,” she replied. “You can go tonight. I have too much to do.”

  Eric hesitated but didn’t press.

  “I brought Duke’s dog food,” he said. “Jake says to feed him about three cups a day. People food upsets his stomach.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Eric waited. Madeleine kept her eyes down.

  “I’ll just go check on things,” he said.

  “All right.”

  Her phone buzzed, and she reached for it mechanically.

  “Madeleine Winters.”

  “Hey, it’s Jake.”

  “Good morning, Jake,” she said in a flat tone. “How can I help you?”

  “I sent Duke’s food with Eric. We’re having a barbecue tonight. Kitty is excited for you to try her homemade sauces.”

  “Thank you, but I’ve got too much to do today.”

  “All right,” he said with an edge. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

  “I won’t. Eric will probably go.”

  “Have a good one.”

  “You, too.”

  She frowned at the phone. Jake had sounded even more pissed at her refusal. She couldn’t fathom what else might be bothering him about her; he’d already insulted her work ethic, personality, and shoes. There wasn’t much else she could do to draw his scorn.

  She didn’t leave the site the entire day. She snacked on granola bars and left once to refill the generator. She read the book on blueprints and worked past dark until her mind froze up then sat back finally for a break, nowhere near content with what she’d done but satisfied she could see some progress. Duke crossed to the door and pawed at it. She rose to let him out and stepped into the warm night air. It was still too warm for her, but she breathed deeply and stretched her neck and back before leaning against the railing to stare into space. Even when she tried to relax, visions of empty bank accounts danced in her mind.

  She rubbed her face.

  “Thought you might need something.”

  She looked up at Jake’s quiet voice, startled she hadn’t heard him approach. He stood at the bottom of the rickety stairs with a large, covered plate in one hand.

  “You brought me dinner?” she asked skeptically. He chuckled.

  “I can take it back,” he said.

  “No, I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just …” She drifted off.

  “We’re always at each other’s throats, so why would I bother?” he finished.

  “Something like that.”

  “Funny how two people trying to do the right thing can end up thinking they’re working against each other.”

  She sighed and opened the door to the trailer, inviting him in. The scent of barbecued meat and fixin’s made her stomach roar to life. She couldn’t help wondering when she’d last eaten real food; it felt like it was before she left back east for the stupid desert.

  He set her plate on her desk. She sat back in the familiar chair and watched him. He made no move to sit and twirled his truck keys around his index finger.

  “You need anything else?” he asked, glancing around.

  “This is more than enough. I really appreciate it, Jake,” she said. “Tell Kitty I’m sorry I couldn’t come.”

  “All right,” he said. He seemed ready to say something else, then stopped himself.

  “Have a good night, Jake.”

  He nodded without another word and left. She sensed he was frustrated again and couldn’t help feeling grateful for the loaded plate of food before her. She didn’t know if it was an apology for earlier or if Kitty made him bring her food, but she gave him the benefit of the doubt. Their tiny truce probably wouldn’t last long anyway.

  She dug into the food and opened the blueprint book once again, trying to understand a little more of Jake’s world.

  *

  Madeleine was asleep at the desk when he arrived at six the next morning. Duke uncurled from his position atop the couch and dismounted with a full body shake. The large dog wagged his tail and padded to the door. Jake let him out to use the bathroom.

  Though she didn’t move at his entrance, she snapped awake when her phone rang.

  “Madeleine Winters.” Her voice was exhausted.

  Irritated by her already, Jake let Duke back in when the dog whined and stayed only long enough to pull the blueprints off her desk. Madeleine didn’t so much as look at him; instead, she was busy scribbling numbers down on a pad of paper.

  He shook his head as he joined Toni outside.

  Toni had begun the hard work on the lobby that day. Despite his objection, Jake gave him a sketch with measurements of what to do to make the lobby round. He grabbed his hard hat and moved with Toni toward the lobby area.

  The beams of the lobby were already shaped and curved, most of them waiting to be secured and a few already in place. It was no easy feat to bend metal with the limited capabilities of the portable workshop Jake had brought in a few days ago. He inspected the work.

  “It’ll hold for a few days,” he said wryly. “Though I hope it falls on Howard’s head.”

  “We can arrange that,” Toni said. “Wouldn’t that stun city-girl?”

  “She’d have a heart attack,” Jake agreed.

  “She didn’t come last night.”

  “I know.”

  “Lily did.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Jake said with a long look at Toni. “Can’t stand either woman.”

  Toni was quiet.

  “If they were the last two women on the planet, which would you choose?” he asked philosophically.

  “Neither. I’d save Duke and run like hell from both,” Jake responded.

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  “Good to hear I have fans out here.” Madeleine’s icy voice made them both turn.

  Jake met her frigid gaze and silently cursed himself.

  “I’m going to the hotel. I’ll be on my phone.”

  She spun without another word and strode toward the cars. Duke loped ahead.

  “At least she didn’t fire us,” Toni said with a frown.

  “Not yet,” Jake added, then cursed. “That woman drives me freakin’ crazy!”

  “I think she knows that now.”

  Jake pulled off his hard hat and flung it toward the desert. He wasn’t normally so callous, impulsive, or insulting. He didn’t know what it was about Madeleine that made him crazy, or what made him feel guilty about slighting her.

  Toni watched him.

  “Five bucks says she’s calling Houston for a new contractor,” Jake muttered, settling his hands on his hips.

  “Yeah, and? This project is doomed anyway. If we escape before it falls on its face, we walk away without that on your uncle’s reputation.”

  Jake drew a deep breath. “I know,” he said, calming.

  “Projects don’t normally affect you like this,” Toni said. “Somethin’ else on your mind?”

  “Let’s just get started,” Jake muttered, and strode to their workspace.

  Toni was quiet until they had reached their area.

  “I’d take Madeleine.”

  “What?” Jake glanced at him and set down the blueprints.

  “If it were the end of the world, and I had a choice, I’d take Madeleine.”

  “You’re welcome to her,” Jake said. “Why?”

  “She’s bright, honest, dedicated, and probably loyal. Wouldn’t sleep around like Lily.”

  “If you were the only two at the end of the earth, she couldn’t sleep around anyway,” Jake pointed out.

  “Yeah, well, Madeleine has spirit. Lily couldn’t think for herself if she tried, and she really doesn’t have that spark.”

  Jake absorbed Toni’s words, secretly agreeing. “We’ve got a few looooooong days of work ahead of us,” he said.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Madeleine made an effort to remain in the trailer and away from anywhere Jake would be. He was the first man she had ever not dated to earn the title of Bastard. She sent Eric with messages for him, ignored his two attempts to call, and went so far as to rename Duke with a more fitting name: Princess.

  The next few days passed as a blur. She worked harder and longer to find a way to stretch the funding, to find more funding, to organize Mr. Howard’s visit, and to make things work. She found herself forgetting to eat and getting up from the desk only to refill the generator or let Duke out.

  She pulled out of the haze after an accidental long nap on the tenth morning of their journey to the desert. Eric tapped on the door and entered wearing jeans, a Javier and Sons Construction T-shirt, and boots.

  She glared at him from her position behind the desk. He tipped the rim of his cowboy hat and offered a smile.

  “You’re late,” she stated in a hard tone. “And inappropriately dressed.”

  “Maddy, I’ve destroyed two pairs of very expensive dress shoes and two pairs of suit pants. Jake suggested I— ”

  “Fine. Princess needs to go out.”

  Eric beamed a smile, looking rested and relaxed in his new gear.

  She felt grimy and grisly in the suit she had slept in. She was running short of suits and had neglected to pick up those at the dry cleaners for two days. She needed a decent shower after three days of the trickle in the office’s bathroom, and she wanted nothing more than to sit down at a diner somewhere for a decent meal.

  But it was a mere three days until Mr. Howard visited. She had toured the emerging lobby with astonishment and satisfaction; it seemed to be coming along very quickly. At the rate they were building, she wondered why it would take four months to complete the remainder of the building.

  Ah, and it was the remainder of the building that bothered her. Nigel wanted the project to look as complete as possible, but there was no way to hide the fact that there was nothing but beams everywhere else. She strained to think of an alternative and was about to start pacing for the fourth time that morning when the door opened.

  “Eric, my dry cleaning is— ”

  And she stopped, staring in surprise at the well-dressed man before her.

  Nigel’s deputy, the man who dumped her and took her job, stood in the doorway. Mark Branson was tall and athletic and wore his suit like a king wore his robe. His hair was brown, his eyes bright green, and his aristocratic features as hard as granite. He looked around with distaste. A leather briefcase was tucked beneath one arm, a bottle of water in his other hand.

  “Mark!”

  “Madge.”

  Despite how she had once fawned over the man before her, she had always hated his nickname for her.

  “This is an interesting set-up,” he said, and entered. Duke bounded into the office behind him and began to snarl.

  “Friend!” Madeleine and Eric cried at once.

  The dog sat.

  “Quite a set-up,” Mark reiterated.

  Eric looked at Madeleine in surprise.

  “You’re three days early,” she said uneasily. “Or has Mr. Howard’s schedule changed?”

  Mark gave a smile that had at one time wiped her off her feet.

  “No, Madge. Nigel thought you might need help making preparations and sent me on ahead.”

  He set down the water and held out a hand. Madeleine moved forward and accepted it, leaning in for a kiss on the cheek.

  A knock at the door made them both turn.

  “Yo,” Toni said, eyeing Mark. “Any word on those new prints?”

  “I have them with me,” Mark said, and popped open his briefcase. “I’m sorry if their delay caused any inconvenience.”

  “Yeah.” Toni’s gaze was less than friendly. He accepted the blueprints and left.

  “How many men are here?” Mark asked.

  “Forty-three, a foreman, and the site lead,” Madeleine answered. “Mark, I don’t really need you here. I’m handling things.”

  “I’ve heard,” he said, unimpressed. “Judith called me yesterday regarding your second funding increase. You look well, Madge. I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to see you in the city.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured. “Congrats on the promotion.”

  “It should have been you,” he said gallantly.

  “I’m too honest,” she answered in the same tone.

  Mark gave a faint smile, his eyes shifting to Eric.

  “You’re acclimating well,” he said. “Nice boots.”

  “Jake showed me a great place to buy them north of the border,” Eric answered. “I’d be happy to show you.”

  “I’d like that,” Mark responded. “I see Madge hasn’t adjusted yet to the Texas dress.”

  His gaze fell to the accounting book on the desk.

  “Eric, why don’t you show Mark around while I clean up a bit?” she said quickly. “Mark, I believe you’ll be surprised at the rate Jake’s men work.”

  “A tour sounds great,” Mark agreed. He set his briefcase on the desk and looked her over again before joining Eric at the door.

  Madeleine watched them go, barely restraining herself before the door closed. She snatched up her BlackBerry and dialed one of the few people she trusted in the office.

  “Dotty, it’s me.”

  “Good morning, Maddy!” Dotty sang out.

  “Mark’s here.”

  “I thought I heard he was coming out early,” Dotty said in a quieter tone. “He’s supposed to provide Nigel with a full report of everything. There are some issues with your requests for funding, and Nigel’s concerned with the lack of progress.”

  “So Mark is here to put me on course or rat me out to Nigel?” Madeleine asked.

  “The latter, dear. Mark is Nigel’s right hand man for a reason, and it wasn’t because he wanted to piss you off by bringing your boyfriend into the office. Mark’s folks are loaded and influential.”

  “Ex-boyfriend,” she corrected. “I bet Nigel is laughing himself silly right now.”

  “Probably so.”

  “Any more surprises I should know about?”

  “I’ll keep my ears open. You keep your hands off Mark. You know how charming he can be when he wants,” Dotty warned.

  “Not a problem,” Madeleine said. “Can’t forgive the man who left you at the altar.”

  “I should hope not.”

  “Thanks, Dotty.”

  Madeleine eyed the reeking bathroom. With Mark there, she didn’t dare leave long enough even for a shower. She tucked her accounting books away beneath the seat cushion to keep them out of immediate reach. Resigned, she held her nose and entered the tiny bathroom.

  She’d barely bathed and changed when Eric brought Mark back, and she prepared herself to waste her time entertaining a man she despised.

  *

  “Here come the prissy twins,” Toni warned.

  Jake tossed his gear into the back of the truck and his hard hat onto the driver’s seat. He slung one arm over the door frame and waited, watching the two approach. Madeleine stumbled more than once but refused Mark’s arm both times, instead distancing herself more from him.

  “Eric said they were engaged at one time,” Toni said in a low voice.

  “Really?” Jake glanced at him. “Bet we can get the story out of him with a couple shots of tequila.”

  “He’s so easy it’s barely a challenge,” Toni agreed. Then, looking at Mark, he remarked, “That city-boy’s suit cost as much as your truck.”

  “Yeah,” Jake said. He could see why any woman would be attracted to Mark. It irritated him that someone who had been so intimate with Madeleine had followed her all the way into the desert.

 

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