Whistlin' Dixie (Tempered Steel Book 1) (5 page)

Jamie asked informative questions and, Brandon answered cautiously. But after a few moments, he relaxed his guard and began to give detailed answers as Jamie appeared even more intrigued with the construction business. As they passed a group of men filling one truckload of sod and the attached trailer with small bushes and decorative gravel for landscaping, Brandon was waxing on his favorite subject, architecture. Mac knew Jamie was in good hands.

“Hey, Mac, who is the new kid?” a coarse voice shouted.

Mac groaned in frustration. Jeb Hawkins, the resident bigmouth was coming over to them. Mac wouldn’t have kept the man on, but he had married Jessie Janzen, the girl Mac had first kissed beneath the oak tree near the cemetery when he was twelve. She had been a sweet shy girl and she was still a sweet shy woman. She had seven kids and worked two jobs just to make ends meet because Jeb, more often than not, drank his paycheck away. If Mac could, he would sign over the checks to Jessie but knowing her, she’d just give Jeb the money he wanted anyway.

“Jeb, this is Jamie Harris. I’ve hired him to help clean up the mess at the Stoney Creek Subdivision.”

“Harris, huh? Ain’t that the name of the boy Ben Yates picked up for trespassing over there?” He grinned evilly. “Kind of like asking a kid to guard a candy store ain’t it?”

“Or giving a drunk the keys to the liquor cabinet,” Jamie mumbled under his breath.

Mac grimaced, but Jamie had a point. The man reeked of beer and sweat.

“What did you say, boy?” Jeb stepped up threateningly.

“He said, he’s had it,” Brandon walked forward. “And I don’t blame him. It’s probably real tiring having to explain yourself all the time. Come on, Jeb, go see Chance about that fencing,” Brandon nodded to Chance and he led the man off.

“Just a word of advice, kid,” Mac leaned in. “Don’t get riled over every little thing people say around here. You won’t last a day without a fight if you do,” Mac turned to his brother. “Why don’t you get Jamie started?” Brandon nodded and led Jamie away.

Mac headed back to the office contemplating everything he learned about the Harris family this morning and how their small family had affected his peace of mind. Before he had been content with his life devoted to business; his life had been simple. But did he really want simple? A flash of Dixie’s soft mouth under his made his groin tighten. Well, he knew one particular part of him wanted some complications.

He sighed as he entered his office and encountered Dottie wearing a severe frown and looking at her watch. “Are we going to work today or have we decided to take the day off and play with our trucks?”

Mac set back his teeth. Sometimes he wondered just who was running this place. His name was on the door, but Dottie kept things in line. He acknowledged her rebuke and grabbed the messages out of her hand. He derived a small amount of satisfaction by slamming the door in her face, but she just snorted loudly and asked if he was prepared to make coffee for the next month. He couldn’t even win an argument with an old lady on his payroll, how on earth was he gonna resist Dixie?

“It’s not even noon and I need a drink,” he mumbled.

CHAPTER FOUR

The sun was setting as Dixie pulled up to the construction yard. She got out of the car, breathing in the cool night air as she listened to the sounds of the men at work. The wind felt good against her skin, although it was a chilly night. She needed the coolness as thoughts of Mac’s kisses had made her blush all day.

Dixie was about to return to her car when one of the workers approached her. “Evening, darlin’.” He gave her what he must’ve considered his devilish smile. Two rotten front teeth and a line of dried tobacco spittle had Dixie cringing back. His fetid breath assailed her as he stepped even closer.

“Hello,” Dixie return politely as she tried figure out how to get around him and into the car without appearing rude. It was quite obvious that getting out of the car was a bad idea.

“Rumor has it you’re the new school teacher?” He made it sound highly doubtful.

“Yes, I am.”

“Well, then, I guess that makes you the older sister of that boy what vandalized our homes. I wondered what Mac was up to, hiring him to clean up, but looking at you, I could see how he could be persuaded.” He smiled and sidled even closer. Dixie could smell beer on his clothes, but nothing disguised the stench of his unwashed body.

“If y’all would excuse me, I’m a bit chilled. I think I’ll return to my car,” Dixie said as calmly as she could. The urge to gag in the man’s face was becoming more and more pronounced as he advanced on her.

“Well, now, I’m sure we could figure out a way to keep you warm,” he returned as he grabbed for her hand.

“I said, no thank you.” Dixie shook her head negatively. She tried to tug out of the man’s grasp. “Please let me go.”

“Not so fast darlin’. Seeing as you’re new in town maybe I could show you some of the sights.”

“No way. Now give me back my hand or else.” She yanked harder.

He simply laughed at her efforts. “Or else
what
, little darling?”

With a flick of her wrist, she unbalanced him, using her knee to deliver a punch to his stomach, which sent him doubling over. She added a kick of her other foot to his backside, flipping him head over heels to land with a thud on his back in the dirt.

“That.” She nodded with satisfaction as she dusted off her hands.

“Well, hell.” Mac came up behind her with a scowl on his face. “That was supposed to be my job.”

“Sorry.” She grinned in relief at the sight of him. “If it happens again, I’ll try to wait until you show up.”

He smiled as he looked at the man still sprawled on the ground clutching his stomach and groaning. “Get your gear and get out. You’re fired.”

“What? You can’t fire me on account of this woman.” He squinted at Mac.

“This is just the last in a long line of grievances and you know it.”

“I got a family to feed,” the portly man whined as he gained his feet and tried to look contrite.

“Not anymore. Your wife just left you I heard,” Mac stated.

Jeb glared at his former boss. “I ain’t done here. Not by a long shot!” He thundered as he grabbed his lunchbox and headed for the exit.

Mac turned to Dixie. “Don’t feel too sorry for him. You know firsthand what a jerk he is. His wife is you only reason I ever hired him in the first place.”

“Oh?” Dixie raised an eyebrow.

“She was a friend.” Mac looked around at the sizable crowd that gathered to witness the earlier scene.

“I see,” Dixie murmured. “One of your old girlfriends?”

“Actually, she was the first girl I ever kissed. I was twelve,” Mac clarified gruffly as he kicked his boot, the dust sending a fine cloud to drift over his feet.

“I understand,” Dixie smiled softly. God, he was so perfect! “Perhaps she could take her husband’s old job?”

Mac laughed. “No way in hell. “

Timber! The perfect man just crashed to the ground,
hard
. “Why not? Don’t you think a woman can work as hard as a man?”

Mac chuckled. “It has nothing to do with whether she can do the job or not. It has to do with the nature of man. No woman is going to be working with my men, side-by-side, on a daily basis. No work would get done. The men would be staring if she bent over to pick something up; flirtations, seductions, you name it. I run a business, not a bordello.”

“A bordello is a business, so there,” Dixie retorted. She was ready to hop on her soapbox and give Mac a lesson in feminism.

Jamie came around the corner with Chance and another man. She waved at him. “If that’s the problem, hire all women; we know how to get the job done.”
No way could he be this much of a chauvinist. He must be teasing me.

Mac barked with laughter. “Are you deliberately trying to drive me to the nut house? There would be so much noise from their cackling, I couldn’t keep a thought in my head.” He smiled with satisfaction.

“I could say something about that, but I’m a lady.”

“Are you two butting heads again?” Jamie asked as he swept his bangs away from his eyes. “Dixie, stop arguing with my boss and meet Brandon, Mac’s younger brother.”

Dixie acknowledged the introduction with a tight smile. Brandon was a slighter, shorter version of Mac with light blue eyes and blonde hair. It seemed every time she met a member of Mac’s family, it was in an embarrassing situation. She glanced at Chance standing a few feet away. He winked at her. Dammit, he was probably thinking the same thing.

Mac interrupted her thoughts. “Listen up, Jamie. I’m going to be picking you up in the mornings and dropping you off in the evenings.”

“You don’t have to, Mac. This incident was a silly mistake. Next time I’ll stay in the car, I promise.” Dixie sighed.

“Why? What happened?” Jamie asked with a frown.

Dixie filled him in on the earlier scene. In typical male fashion, he sided with Mac. “I think Mac’s right, Dixie. You don’t need to be here. “

“Great. You’ve only been here one day and already you picked up on his chauvinistic attitudes-no offense.” She glanced at Mac.

“None taken, I’m sure,” he chuckled, “but I insist on bringing him in.”

“That’s silly.”

“Nonetheless, I will be there tomorrow morning.”

“It’s out of your way. You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m being the boss,” he returned with a frown.

Dixie bit her lip in vexation. One minute she thought him God’s gift to womankind and the next she wanted to dump a pile of horse manure on his head. With ill grace, she gave in. After all, he was the boss. “Oh, all right.” She stomped her foot.

“All right.”

“Okay.” She glared back at him.

“Okay,” he returned it with the glare of his own.

“ Fine!” she yelled as she hopped into the car.

“Fine!” Mac barked as he stomped off for the office.

With a hand over his heart, Chance laughed. “Oh ain’t love grand.”

Brandon snorted.

“You guys are sick,” Jamie grumbled as he flung himself into the Jeep barely in time to close the door before Dixie squealed out of the parking lot.

*****

Chance followed Mac back into his office. “What in the world is wrong with you? You just fired an employee for no reason. The Union’s gonna have a field day.”

“He accosted her. I saw him,” Mac snarled.

Mac had been checking out the yard from his office window when a glimpse of blonde hair had materialized to the left of his vision. Dixie was getting out of her car. She came into full view as she moved forward to lean against the grill. Mac had stood transfixed at the sight of her.

She’d let her hair down from the tight little bun she’d won this morning. The wind was blowing little wisps across her cheek. She had brushed a finger to dislodge the wayward locks and Mac stifled a groan. She didn’t even realize what a seductive pose she made. He noted she wasn’t wearing her coat as the wind whipped up again. Her blouse and tight skirt molded her figure. She leaned back against the Jeep front, stretching, completely oblivious to him. Mac had uttered a curse and turned away before he completely lost what little self control he had.

As Mac had turned away from the window, he had seen one of the crew approaching her. He recognized Jeb Hawkins. Jeb said something to Dixie and she had shaken her head. Jeb made a grab for her hand. Mac had seen red.

“According to at least ten eyewitnesses, all he did was grab her hand and if that’s illegal, then 90% of the boys over twelve are guilty. Now tell me what this is really all about,” Chance inquired.

“Nothing. I’m fine,” Mac growled as he threw papers into his briefcase. It seemed that the very walls were crowding on him. Damn, he didn’t need this now. He needed to be concentrating on rebuilding the town and luring new businesses along the riverfront.

“Sure and I’m celibate,” Chance returned sarcastically.

Mac slumped down in the chair near his desk. “Look, the girl and her brother are new in town. I’m just being nice, warning off the lechers. She’s a good kid and she doesn’t need that kind of trouble.”

“Seems to me she can take care of herself. And since when do you care if some lecherous old man tries a line on a pretty girl? I’d be tempted to try one on her myself if you hadn’t staked first claim.”

Chance’s reference to the lecherous old man made Mac wince. It was too close to the truth for his peace of mind. “She’s too young for you.” Mac scowled and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Hell, she’s too young for me.”

After Jamie’s revelation, he’d spent the day feeling like an old man panting after a young girl. Well, at least he had found out before he made a complete fool of himself.

“Is that your problem? Geez, I thought it was something important. If she’s an adult and you’re an adult, what difference does a few years make?”

“Try fourteen years. She’s only twenty-one. I got that straight from her brother.”

“But I thought she was a teacher here in town? That doesn’t add up.”

“Her grandfather taught her and Jamie at home. She graduated at sixteen, went to college and received her degree by the time she was twenty. That’s why she’s working as a kindergarten teacher here in town.”

“I still don’t see the problem. She’s smart, funny, downright beautiful, and with the way you two were going at it here in the office, I’d say she’s more than attracted to you. Why are you stalling?”

“She’s young and she’s been sheltered. I’m probably her first taste of passion; it’s just a phase. I’m sure once she gets more experience, she’ll see it was just chemistry.” But as he envisioned someone else touching her, kissing those sweet pink lips, feeling her tremble with desire, Mac frowned and turned toward the window.

“If she lacks experience, I’m sure you could teach her a few things.”

Mac turned around in an instant and scowled at his brother. “She’s not that kind and you know it. She’s the marrying kind. Even you can see that. I’m not going there right now, so let’s just drop the subject and go get a beer.”

*****

That evening as she prepared dinner, Dixie tried to turn her thoughts away from Mac by asking Jamie about his day, but that proved to be the wrong tactic. All he could talk about was Mac. “It was great,” he enthused. “I met Mac’s brothers. There are six of them, all younger than Mac.”

“Brandon’s number four and in charge of most of the architectural operations. He took me on a tour of the place. They really know what they are doing. It’s a shame someone’s trying to sabotage their hard work.” Jamie had the grace to blush, no doubt remembering that was how he had met the Coalson brothers in the first place. “We talked about what’s been going on with the houses. I’m almost finished with one cleanup job. Mac says if I prove to be a hard worker, I can continue working with them this summer before college.”

“Great. College is expensive, especially if you plan to go away,” Dixie said softly as she dished up their supper. The thought of her brother leaving made her a bit teary-eyed, but she knew when the time came, she would let him go just as Grandpa Harris had let her go. But no doubt about it, she was going to be lonely.

“Ugh, what is that stuff?” Jamie grimaced as she laid a plate of steaming vegetable goo on the table.

“It’s Polish sausage garbanzo bean casserole. It was on Pinterest. It has plenty of carbohydrates and it’s supposed to be good for you.”

“No one in their right mind would eat this stuff,” Jamie retorted as he spit into a napkin.

Dixie had to agree that this wasn’t the best tasting casserole she’d ever made. “It’s probably an acquired taste.”

“So is monkey brains, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to eat it.” Jamie took a big swallow of iced tea.

“Well we shouldn’t waste food,” Dixie murmured although the casserole seemed to be multiplying in her mouth.

“If it’s this or nothing, I think I’ll starve,” Jamie declared as he pushed his plate to the middle of the table.

Dixie gave in. It was really awful. “There’s a frozen pizza in the freezer.”

Jamie pushed back his chair and grabbed both plates. “Great! You get it out and I’ll feed the rest of this to the dog.”