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But his voice.
His voice made it hard for her to breathe.
He sounded exactly the same as he always had. Time had done nothing to change his husky baritone. Even worse, though, was the way he looked at her when he spoke. Like he considered her precious.
The man had every reason to hate her—and maybe he did—but there was no denying he still cared. It was a blessing and a curse. A small flame, a candle burning in the window of a home she could never return to. Maybe it would be easier to live without him if the candle ever burned out. Or maybe it would extinguish whatever part of her soul that still burned for him.
Not likely. She’d probably take that to her grave.
Shaking off her melancholy, she stepped into the backyard where Xander Karras was cutting drywall. The foreman was at least a decade older than she was, but he wore it well. Silver threaded his nearly jet-black hair, and his olive skin glistened with a sheen of sweat. He didn’t have Kane’s bulk, but his muscles were clearly defined, even through his thin flannel shirt.
She waited for the high-pitched whine of the saw to cut off before she called out his name.
He visibly flinched when he heard her voice, but after their last conversation, she couldn’t blame him. The delays from this build were costing the company money, and even though none of it was his fault, he’d borne the brunt of her frustration.
She held her hands up in surrender. “I’m not here to give you a hard time. I swear.”
His tense shoulders relaxed, but only a fraction. “What can I do for you, Miss Griffin?”
“First, I want to apologize for the way I behaved the last time we spoke. None of the delays and complications on this job have been your fault.”
He finally looked her in the eye.
“It’s no excuse, but the truth is, my behavior was more about my brother’s accident than the money we’ve been losing.” She leaned against one of the pillars supporting the patio overhang. “The money’s important, but Mike means everything to me.”
“I know.” He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped his lined forehead. “We’re all worried about Mike. He’s a good man. If there is anything I can do to help while he’s getting better, all you have to do is ask.” His steady eyes spoke the truth of his words.
She took a deep breath and let it out. “Mike and I want to expand.”
“Expand,” he echoed.
“There’s a new development going up about five miles from here. Sandpiper Run.”
Xander nodded. “Yeah. A Berringer Homes project. I’ve heard of it.”
“They’re looking for another subcontractor. Their old one went under.”
“New development like Sandpiper, a lot of the houses will be on spec, and you know it takes a minimum of five months before we can turn a property around from an empty lot to a home.”
She stood up straight and closed the distance between them. “Yes, but Berringer is taking the lion’s share of the risk. The beauty of working with a developer is we get paid the same whether they sell the houses or not. As long as we do quality work and finish on time, we have a steady source of income.”
Xander swiped a half-full water bottle from the ground at his feet and unscrewed the cap. “What’s the downside?” He took a healthy swig before replacing the top.
“We’ll need to hire more men. I know it’s a particular challenge for you since you’re down two guys. Obviously, we’ll need to pay them as they work, which means I’ll need some upfront cash for payroll and for materials, but I’ve got it covered. It’s—Mike and I both respect you. We believe this is the right course for the company, but we—I—want to know what you think.”
She threaded her fingers together to keep her hands steady while he considered his answer.
Xander wasn’t the company’s only foreman. There were four others, two junior and two senior, but Xander never promised more than he could deliver, and his crew always did top notch work. The man knew this business like the back of his hand. There was no single employee she or Mike trusted more.
“It’s this or downsizing. Am I right?”
She nodded.
“I’d have to hire at least one more guy to pull my weight. I’m not sure when Will and Brick will be back at full capacity.” He paused. “I imagine you heard what happened to them.”
Her brow creased. “Perry told me about the shooting. It happened offsite, right? Do I need to be worried about any blowback at one of the work sites?”
“No.” Neither Xander’s face nor his tone belied even a hint of doubt. “Those men have never done anything but work hard for me. There’s always a place for them on my crew.” His eyes flashed, almost as if he were daring her to argue.
