ScandalandSin (10 page)

So did Alesia. And look where that got
you.

That sobering realization erased any
thoughts of Emma, Griff or anyone else except Alaina and the fact that she was
Alesia’s sister. He couldn’t trust her, and Rye could never become involved
with a woman he couldn’t trust.

Kenneth peeked around the corner. “Rye,
invite the ladies in here to look at the drawings.” He switched his attention
to Alaina. “I have a rough draft. I’ll make any changes you want before
creating the final blueprints.”

Rye led the way to the large table in the
break room, where he and his father had laid out the house drawings. Emma made
a detour toward the counter where the coffeepot sat. A sound of distress came
from her throat. “There’s no coffee!”

“I’ll make another pot,” Rye said.

“I’ll do it,” Kenneth said. “Show Alaina
and her friends the drawings.”

“Actually,” Kelcey said, “I’d like to
borrow your restroom first.”

“Sure.” Rye led Kelcey to another doorway.
“To your left, turn the corner, and it’s on the right.”

With Kelcey gone, and his father and Emma
across the room, that left him alone with Alaina. She wandered over to the
table and touched the top sheet of the house drawings almost reverently. “Oh,
Rye. This is wonderful.”

“Sit down and look through all of them.”

“Can I?”

Her wide smile and bright eyes reminded him
of a child on Christmas morning. He couldn’t help smiling at her. “Sure.
They’re for your house.”

She sat and he took the chair next to her.
Her eyes grew brighter and her smile widened with each page that she turned.
“Kenneth, these are perfect. I love them.”

Full mug of coffee in hand, Kenneth came
back to the table. “These are only drafts. I can easily make changes.”

“No no, they’re perfect as is. I don’t know
what I would change.”

“Dad has this really neat 3-D program. It
almost feels real as you walk through the house. He can put in furniture,
carpeting, paint on the walls, whatever you want.”

“Sounds like fun,” Emma said before she
sipped her coffee.

“Sounds like something Kelcey would like to
play with,” Alaina said. “She loves technology stuff.” She shifted in her chair
to face Kenneth. “When can you have the actual blueprints done?”

“Probably tomorrow, but it might be
Saturday.”

Alaina clasped her hands beneath her chin
as she looked at Rye. “Can you start working Monday, like you said?”

“I’ll know for sure tomorrow. The city
council meets tonight. I’m helping install some French doors at Bella’s house
this afternoon. I’ll find out if she’s done anything about applying for the
rezoning.”

“Ohmigod, I’m so excited, I can hardly
stand it.” She picked up the house drawings. “Can I keep these?” she asked
Kenneth.

“Sure. I have everything on my computer.”

“Great.” She jumped up from her chair and
turned to Emma. “Let’s go back to the house and compare these with the rooms.”

“Not until you feed me.”

“Okay, okay, but you have to eat fast.
Where’s Kelc?”

“I’m here,” Kelcey said, walking into the
room. “What did I miss?”

“Lainy will tell you all about it while we
eat.” Emma hooked her hands around each woman’s elbow. “Let’s go.”

Alaina waved with her free hand. “Call me
when you know something, Rye.”

“Will do.”

Rye chuckled. “Quite a trio, aren’t they?”

“It feels like they took all the oxygen
with them,” Kenneth said, grinning.

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t get the chance to speak to
Kelcey, but Emma is a little spitfire. I like her almost as much as Alaina.”
Kenneth sipped his coffee, looking at Rye over the edge of the mug. “Yep, I
really like Alaina.”

Rye knew what his father was doing and he
wouldn’t let it happen. “I told you, I’m not getting involved with Alaina.”

“Now did I say a word about you getting
involved with her? I just said I like her.”

“Yeah, and the next thing you’ll be doing
is having Mom invite her to Sunday dinner.”

Kenneth grinned. “There’s an idea.”

“Dad—”

All traces of humor disappeared from
Kenneth’s face. “I want you to be happy, son.”

“I know that, Dad. But Alaina May isn’t the
woman for me.”

Chapter Eight

April 17, 1937

Our mother is much better, and Laura is
sure it’s because his personal physician helped her. He seems to be drawing her
in tighter and tighter, like a spider wrapping a trapped insect in its web.

I’m so worried my sister is going to get
caught in that web and never get out.

* * * * *

Dax greeted Rye with a huge smile.
“Mornin’, bro. Ready to start a new job?”

Rye stood in the middle of the living room
of Stevens House, blueprints spread out on a piece of plywood held up by two
sawhorses. “I’m ready, but knowing exactly where to start is a bitch.”

“Someone’s already working somewhere. I
hear a lot of noise.”

“Dusty, Jerry and Reuben are tearing off the
roof.”

“I noticed you’ve already arranged for
three Dumpsters.”

“We’ll fill them up fast. Just about
everything in this house will have to be replaced.”

Dax peered over Rye’s shoulder at the
drawings. “Do you want me to work in a room with you, or stick me somewhere
else?”

“Let’s wait for Griff. We need to know how
much electrical work he’ll have to do.”

“Is Fred coming?”

“Yeah, he’ll be here about eight-thirty. He
had to take his daughter to school this morning.”

“He’ll probably have to do as much plumbing
work as Griff will electrical.”

“Yeah.” Sighing, Rye glanced around the
room. “I don’t know why Alaina was so adamant that she buy
this
house.
She could’ve built a brand new house for less than what it’s going to cost her
to fix up this one.”

Dax followed Rye’s gaze around the room.
“Yeah, but this house has a history.”

Rye snorted. “That’s for sure.”

“I’m not talking about our family’s history
with this house. It has…character. A new house would be sterile with no emotion
to it. This house has a heart.”

It was no wonder his brother was such a hit
with the ladies. He had a poet’s soul. “You spout off drivel like that to your
dates?”

Dax flashed Rye a wide grin. “Works every
time.”

Rory and Paul came in the front door, tool
belts around their waists and lunch boxes in their hands. Rye pointed the way
to the dining room so his workers could put away their lunches. He’d arrived
almost an hour ago with enough cleaning supplies to make a spot for his men to
take their breaks without having to sit in filth. He’d also brought two card
tables with folding chairs, a small microwave, a coffee pot and colorful
plastic mugs, and a huge ice chest full of bottled water and other cold drinks.
Coleman Construction didn’t furnish the workers’ lunches, but Rye always made sure
there was plenty on hand to drink.

The rest of Coleman’s crew arrived shortly
after Rory and Paul. As soon as Griff and Fred arrived, Rye could call everyone
together to discuss who would do what and where.

Rye returned to studying the blueprints and
making notes on his legal pad. A movement in the doorway leading to the hall
caught his attention. He looked to his right to see Alaina walking toward him.
She wore jeans so faded, they should’ve gone into a rag bag a long time ago.
Her loose navy T-shirt hung to mid-thigh, a red kerchief covered her hair. Her
eyelashes had been thickened with mascara, but he couldn’t see evidence of any
other makeup. She carried a large plastic container and a matching smaller one.

“Hi,” she said, smiling. “I’ll put my stuff
in the kitchen and get started.”

“Get started with what?”

“Whatever you want me to do. I’m here to
work.”

When he’d called Alaina Friday to tell her
the city council had approved the rezoning and his company would start work
Monday as planned, Rye never imagined she would show up today. He had assumed
she’d do some minor painting when it was time for that, but there wouldn’t be
any need for painting for several weeks. “What?”

“I told you I’m going to work right
alongside your men.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you meant
now
.
There’s nothing for you to do.”

“Hey, I can lift a hammer just like you. I
may be a woman, but I’m strong. I can tote and carry and do…stuff.”

“Alaina—”

“I brought cookies.” She lifted the large
plastic container in her hands. “Emma baked last night. I have chocolate chip,
oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten Emma’s
peanut butter cookies. She would’ve made snickerdoodles too, but ran out of
time. They’re my favorite.”

“Alaina, I haven’t talked to my men yet
about who will be working where.”

“I waved to the guys on the roof and told
them about the cookies.”

“Who has cookies?” Dax asked, walking up
behind Alaina.

“I do.” She turned and smiled at Dax. “My
housemate baked last night.” She opened the lid so he could peek inside.

“I think I’m in love. Is your housemate
single?”

“She is.”

“Hot damn,” Dax said as he snitched one of
the oatmeal raisin cookies.

Rye frowned. “Could we get back to
business, Dax?”

“Don’t mind him,” Dax said to Alaina. “He’s
always grumpy when we start a new job. I’m Dax, Rye’s younger brother.”

“Alaina May.”

“I’ll show you where to put your stuff.”

“Thanks.” She glanced at Rye over her
shoulder as she followed Dax out of the room. He could see the satisfaction in
her eyes that she’d gotten her way.

It appeared Alaina was staying, whether Rye
wanted her to or not.

A moment after Alaina and Dax disappeared,
Griff walked into the room. Rye winced. His youngest brother had lost more
weight. He would be nothing but skin and bones if he didn’t start eating. Rye
had ordered a cheeseburger and fries for Griff when he met with his brothers
and father at Boot Scootin’ last week. Griff had taken three bites and pushed
away the plate. He’d finished his beer and ordered another one, yet Rye knew
Griff needed to eat solid food.

He understood his brother’s grief and
wanted to help him, but didn’t know how. Nothing he or his family had done had
snapped Griff out of his I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-happens-to-me attitude.

“Hey, bro,” Rye said.

Griff nodded in greeting.

“How’s it going at the mayor’s house?”

“Good. That’s why I’m here. I have to pick
up some supplies in Stephenville. Thought I’d check if you need me to pick up
anything for this job too.”

“I haven’t made a list yet. But if you want
to take the blueprints and my notes and wander around, you can get whatever you
need for the electrical stuff. Or at least a start of what you’ll need.”

“Okay.”

Paperwork in hand, Griff turned to leave
the room. He almost ran into Alaina as she came back in, coffee mug in hand. He
quickly stepped back to keep the hot liquid from splashing on his chest.

“I’m so sorry!” Alaina said.

“My fault. I wasn’t watching where I was
going.”

“Alaina, this is my brother Griff. Griff,
Alaina May, the woman who bought this house.”

He dipped his head in greeting, yet didn’t
smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too. I’m sorry again about the
coffee.”

“No problem.” He glanced back at Rye and
gestured with the paperwork. “I’ll bring this back to you in a few minutes.”

“We’ll have our meeting as soon as Fred
gets here.”

Griff waved again with the paperwork before
leaving the living room. Alaina watched him go, a frown on her face.

“What’s wrong?” Rye asked.

“He seems…sad. Is he okay?”

Rye didn’t feel it was his place to talk to
Alaina about Griff losing his wife. “Yeah, he’s fine.”

She didn’t look convinced. “He’s a lot
thinner than you and Dax.”

Rye was saved from thinking of an
explanation about Griff when Fred came into the room. Now that his entire crew
had arrived, they could all sit down and discuss a work schedule.

“Alaina, do me a favor and round up all the
guys and tell them to meet me in the dining room.”

“Sure.”

She set her mug on the piece of plywood and
strode from the room. Rye glanced at Fred in time to see his gaze fastened on
Alaina’s ass. Jealousy surged through his body so quickly, it almost stole his
breath. No one had the right to look at Alaina but him.