takes the blasted thing
home.”
Eric nodded and sat on a couch, gingerly
touching his head.
“The coffee here is horrible,” she said.
“I’ll bring you some good stuff. Why don't you go help Jake while
I'm gone and make sure they're doing what they're supposed to
be?”
He grimaced in response. Her phone rang, and
she tucked her earpiece in place. She placed the papers in her
briefcase, waved to him, and started out the door as she answered
the phone. Duke followed, pushing by her as he trotted down the
stairs.
“Ms. Winters, this is Deputy Miguel Fuentes.
How are you today?”
“Great,” she responded. “Is this about last
night?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jake asked me to give you a call
this morning.”
“Thanks. I’ll be by your office in precisely
an hour and a half. On what street are you located?”
Call waiting beeped, and Madeleine glanced at
the number. It was Dotty.
“Look, I’ll call when I’m in town,” she said,
then switched to Dotty's call. "Talk to me, Dotty!"
Duke trotted after her. She opened the door
to her rental, and the dog bolted into the car. She looked over her
shoulder. Jake was not in sight, and she was late enough as it was
without waiting for him to claim his dog. Duke walked around the
backseat twice before settling behind the passenger’s seat and
rubbing his wet nose around the closed window.
Dotty was already talking. Madeleine tried to
pay attention as she rolled down the rear window and started the
car.
" … patch the finance department through?"
Dotty asked.
"Right now?" Madeleine asked, unable to keep
the dismay out of her voice. She waited for the AC to cool off,
irritated by the heat. "I don't need worse news."
"Rumor has it your dear ex-fiancé Mark
ordered an audit."
"Oh, dear god. I can't find what Alex did
with the money-- there's no way I can explain it to the finance
department!"
"I'll hold them off. You sound beat already.
Can you come up with some story for them in an hour or two?" Dotty
asked.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it. I gotta get going.
Will take me a while to get to town," she said.
"Take care, Maddy."
She smiled, thankful to have one ally in the
office. She wasn't surprised Mark was acting like the cad he was;
he'd know just how to make her look bad enough in their boss's eyes
to make sure she never moved up in the organization. She watched
Eric make his way to Jake and pulled out with another look at the
massive dog in the backseat.
* * *
“This’ll help my hangover?” Eric frowned.
“Yeah,” Toni responded. “It’ll sweat the
alcohol right outta you.”
Half-listening, Jake smiled as he continued
to stack the scattered stones into neat piles on top of wooden
pallets. He and Toni, among others, had long since stripped down to
their jeans and boots under the hot sun. Jake was sweating heavily,
but it felt good to get his body moving after a night of
drinking.
Eric removed his suit coat and carefully
folded it before placing it on a waist-high stack of stones on one
of the pallets. He unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt, rolled
them, and planted his hands on his hips.
“Great, guys,” he said with some of his
previous enthusiasm. “What do I do?”
“You see those rocks?” Jake asked,
straightening.
Several pallets of previously stacked stones
had been scattered over about a hundred square yards by the
vandals. They couldn't move the stones out of the way of the heavy
equipment until they were on the pallets.
“Pick ’em up and stack ’em there,” Jake
instructed, pointing to the pallets.
Eric slapped his hands together in
anticipation and started forward. He hefted the first one while
Jake and Toni watched.
“Use your legs, or you’ll end up with a sore
back,” Toni called.
Eric waved a hand but continued to lift the
next two rocks incorrectly. Jake met Toni’s gaze and shook his head
in wry amusement.
“Never thought I’d meet a man who’s never
done some sort of manual labor,” Toni said. “That kid is
home.”
Eric nodded and sat on a couch, gingerly
touching his head.
“The coffee here is horrible,” she said.
“I’ll bring you some good stuff. Why don't you go help Jake while
I'm gone and make sure they're doing what they're supposed to
be?”
He grimaced in response. Her phone rang, and
she tucked her earpiece in place. She placed the papers in her
briefcase, waved to him, and started out the door as she answered
the phone. Duke followed, pushing by her as he trotted down the
stairs.
“Ms. Winters, this is Deputy Miguel Fuentes.
How are you today?”
“Great,” she responded. “Is this about last
night?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jake asked me to give you a call
this morning.”
“Thanks. I’ll be by your office in precisely
an hour and a half. On what street are you located?”
Call waiting beeped, and Madeleine glanced at
the number. It was Dotty.
“Look, I’ll call when I’m in town,” she said,
then switched to Dotty's call. "Talk to me, Dotty!"
Duke trotted after her. She opened the door
to her rental, and the dog bolted into the car. She looked over her
shoulder. Jake was not in sight, and she was late enough as it was
without waiting for him to claim his dog. Duke walked around the
backseat twice before settling behind the passenger’s seat and
rubbing his wet nose around the closed window.
Dotty was already talking. Madeleine tried to
pay attention as she rolled down the rear window and started the
car.
" … patch the finance department through?"
Dotty asked.
"Right now?" Madeleine asked, unable to keep
the dismay out of her voice. She waited for the AC to cool off,
irritated by the heat. "I don't need worse news."
"Rumor has it your dear ex-fiancé Mark
ordered an audit."
"Oh, dear god. I can't find what Alex did
with the money-- there's no way I can explain it to the finance
department!"
"I'll hold them off. You sound beat already.
Can you come up with some story for them in an hour or two?" Dotty
asked.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it. I gotta get going.
Will take me a while to get to town," she said.
"Take care, Maddy."
She smiled, thankful to have one ally in the
office. She wasn't surprised Mark was acting like the cad he was;
he'd know just how to make her look bad enough in their boss's eyes
to make sure she never moved up in the organization. She watched
Eric make his way to Jake and pulled out with another look at the
massive dog in the backseat.
* * *
“This’ll help my hangover?” Eric frowned.
“Yeah,” Toni responded. “It’ll sweat the
alcohol right outta you.”
Half-listening, Jake smiled as he continued
to stack the scattered stones into neat piles on top of wooden
pallets. He and Toni, among others, had long since stripped down to
their jeans and boots under the hot sun. Jake was sweating heavily,
but it felt good to get his body moving after a night of
drinking.
Eric removed his suit coat and carefully
folded it before placing it on a waist-high stack of stones on one
of the pallets. He unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt, rolled
them, and planted his hands on his hips.
“Great, guys,” he said with some of his
previous enthusiasm. “What do I do?”
“You see those rocks?” Jake asked,
straightening.
Several pallets of previously stacked stones
had been scattered over about a hundred square yards by the
vandals. They couldn't move the stones out of the way of the heavy
equipment until they were on the pallets.
“Pick ’em up and stack ’em there,” Jake
instructed, pointing to the pallets.
Eric slapped his hands together in
anticipation and started forward. He hefted the first one while
Jake and Toni watched.
“Use your legs, or you’ll end up with a sore
back,” Toni called.
Eric waved a hand but continued to lift the
next two rocks incorrectly. Jake met Toni’s gaze and shook his head
in wry amusement.
“Never thought I’d meet a man who’s never
done some sort of manual labor,” Toni said. “That kid is
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