She pointed at the pizza box. “Black olives and mushrooms are at the top of the list, but I’ll eat about any kind. I also like Italian food of any shape, with lasagna heading that list. What’s yours?”
“My brother’s step-mama, Mary Jane—you met her at the wedding—makes a mean pot of chili, but I also like fried chicken and all the trimmings that we get pretty often on Sunday after church. Do you cook?”
“Yes, sir. I make a mean sandwich and am a pro at heating up canned soup.”
“What kind of sandwich?” Knox flashed a brilliant grin.
“You name it, I can build it, and I don’t even need a how-to book. What about you?”
“My mother insisted all three of us guys learn to cook,” he answered. “I can teach you if we get serious.”
“Ain’t damn likely,” she said. “Enough of the learning about each other. Let’s watch a movie, and then you can go back to your own trailer.”
Chapter 2
On Thursday morning, the first rays of sun created an orange reflection in the lake’s still waters and turned the black blobs around the edges into willow trees. But Lottie couldn’t appreciate the beauty, not when butterflies the size of buzzards fluttered in her stomach as she walked beside Knox on the way to the rec hall for breakfast. Jack always had pizza delivered on the night they arrived, and pastry, juice, and coffee the next morning. After that, everyone was on their own unless someone cooked up enough to feed the whole crew as a treat.
To get her mind off talking to her uncle, she let her thoughts race ahead for six weeks. Either she would be breaking up with Knox at that time, or Jack would talk him into traveling with them to El Paso. If they split up, then she would be too distraught for another boyfriend for several months. On the other hand, if they decided to have a long-distance pretend relationship, that might help for a few more months. As long as Jack was good with the situation, she didn’t really care which way it went.
Knox pushed open the door into the rec room and held it for her.
“You are a good imitation boyfriend,” she whispered.
“I do my best,” he told her.
Jack waved from the back of the room. “The early bird gets the choice of the pastries. There’s half a dozen maple doughnuts, and I hid one in the kitchen just in case you were late.”
“We need to talk to you,” Lottie blurted out.
Jack eyed them both carefully, laid down the chocolate doughnut in his hand, and took a couple of steps forward. “That sounds ominous. Do we have another harassment issue?”
“No,” Lottie said, “nothing like that, and I’m hoping to avoid any future problems. But…”
Knox took a blueberry-filled doughnut from the box. “Lottie and I are dating. If there’s a company rule against that kind of thing, I’ll go on back home.”
“Well, hot damn!” Jack raced across the room and hugged Lottie. “This is the best news I’ve had in forever.” When he released her, he stuck out a hand toward Knox. “I thought Gabe was yanking me around last night when he told me that y’all were a couple. Figured it was an April Fool’s joke.”
“You’re not mad?” Lottie asked. “We’ve kept things under wraps for a little while, but now that we’re working together, we wanted to get it out in the open.”
“Hell, no!” Jack said. “This solves all kinds of problems. The single guys might flirt a little, but they’ll back off if they know you are dating Knox. You might get some flak aboutbeing a gold digger but dust any remarks about that off your shoulder and do your work.”
“Gold digger?” Lottie asked.
“I’ll leave that explanation to Knox.” Jack chuckled. “I see the others coming this way, so you better hurry up and grab whatever you want from the pastries. It amazes me how much Eddie can eat and still look like a beanpole.”
Gabe waved as he came inside. “Good mornin’. Y’all ready to go to work?”
Lottie removed two maple doughnuts from the box and put them on a paper plate. “Y’all think you can keep up with me?”
“Girl, you want to back up that brag?” Steven asked.
She poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Knox. “It’s not a brag. It’s a fact. Wewillhave the first house framed and be ready to start on number two when the next crew arrives.”
“Without Walter?” Gabe asked.
“Hey, now, I’m not chopped liver. I can measure sixteen inches for the studs without even taking off my shoes,” Knox protested. “You’d better scarf down a dozen doughnuts each if you plan to keep up with me and Lottie. We’ll have all the sill plates down before y’all get the first wall ready to put up.”
“So, y’all are working as a team?” Eddie asked, already on his second bear-claw pastry.
