Before I knew it, we were in the yard, Tyler cutting while I worked on adding in the cut-in detailing. As the day progressed, the heat intensified, and eventually, I was sweating and covered in sawdust. It was weirdly comforting, being back at work and knowing I was making progress on an important project. Still, I couldn’t help but steal glances in Micah’s direction every chance I got, admiring his steady presence on set and how efficiently he worked. Every now and then, I caught him looking at me, and we both averted our gazes the moment they met, my face heating every single time.Be cool.It was becoming my mantra.
Lunchtime rolled around and I found my way to the foreman’s trailer again, where Jake and Max were chatting and eating. The cool air of the trailer was a welcome reprieve from the Virginia heat and humidity, and I closed the door behind me quickly so as not to let too much air out. Jake was smiling and chuckling quietly as Max talked, moving his hands and sounding excited about something, but I couldn’t quite catch what. Seeing them together, comfortable and casual and happy, just being themselves, beingtogether, made my stomach ache for a reason I couldn’t quite identify.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said. “Mind if I eat in here?”
Max grinned widely. “Be our guest.”
“I won’t crash the party,” I said. “I can just sit over there.” I gestured to the other end of the room, where a second desk and a couple of chairs sat. Why was I being so awkward? Why did Ifeel so out of place on the job site, especially around these two? It gnawed at me as I passed them and made my way to the far desk.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Max protested. “Join us.” When I hesitated, he persisted. “Seriously. You don’t need to eat alone. We’re not having a private conversation or anything.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, a little embarrassed that I was crashing their private lunchtime. I took a seat in the spare chair in front of Jake’s desk and placed my lunch—in a reusable bag, I’d packed a couple of deli meat sandwiches and a bottle of water—in front of me.
“No sweat,” Max said. “I was just telling Jake how glad we are to have you back. Tyler’s great, don’t get me wrong, but it’ll be good to have both carpenters on set. Less pressure on him. Besides, he’s terrible at hitting his mark. Micah is constantly complaining that he has to rearrange things to accommodate.” At the mention of Micah, my stomach fluttered and my cheeks heated again. Wordlessly, Max tilted his head to the side a little, giving me a look I couldn’t interpret.
“Yeah,” I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck, desperate to change the subject away from Micah before I said anything stupid. “So…”
As I was trying to figure out what to say next, someone knocked at the trailer door.
“Come in,” Jake called, and a moment later, the door swung open, hot summer air rushing in. Tyler stood on the top step, looking uncomfortable, with a tall, muscular guy standing behind him, someone I’d never seen before. The guy had a thick manila envelope in one hand.
“Um…” Tyler shifted from one foot to the other as he spoke. “We have a visitor.” He gestured to the person behind him and the guy stepped inside the trailer. Tyler shut the door behind him, noises from outside dampened. It was weirdly quiet for a moment, Jake sizing up the visitor.
After a moment, Jake frowned and stood, brushing his hands off on his jeans before stepping out from behind the desk. “I’m Jake. Can I help you?”
“I hope so. I’m looking for Micah Pollard.”
My stomach fluttered at the mention of Micah, but I stayed silent, anxiety creeping in and settling over my shoulders like a weighted blanket.
Jake’s brow furrowed. “What can I do for you?”
The guy gave Jake a hard look, and when he spoke, it was insistent. “Is Micah here?”
Jake’s tone was firm, final, leaving no room for discussion. “I’m the foreman of this job site, and this is Max, the producer. Whatever you need, we can help you with it. We don’t allow visitors on site. Safety reasons. I’m sure you understand.”
“I’m just looking to talk to Micah.”
God, I thought.This guy is persistent. Whoishe and what does he want with Micah?
“Sorry.” Jake shook his head.
A tense moment passed. The air conditioner shuddered off, leaving the room eerily silent. Eventually, the stranger exhaled sharply through his nose. “I’m Phillip. Will you at least let him know I stopped by?”
The door to the trailer opened then, Micah on the other side. He spoke as he stepped inside, sounding like he was on autopilot. “Hey, boss, I—Phillip? What the fuck are you doing here?”
Chapter 18 - Micah
Iblinked a few times, not sure I could believe what I was seeing. Phillip gave me a smile I could tell was fake, predatory, the kind he used to give me before he tried to manipulate me into doing something he wanted, something he knew I’d hate.
“Hey, babe.”
My stomach turned sour. “Don’t call me that.”
“But—” He took a step in my direction, reaching out for me.
I stepped back, away from him. “Don’t.” An anxious lump formed in my throat and I swallowed hard, glancing around at the rest of the people in the trailer. When my gaze landed on Asher, ice washed over me. I took a slow breath. “What are you doing here?”
“I came all this way just to see you.”
