Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“I didn’t graduate high school. I dropped out.”
The woman held her gaze and arched an eyebrow. “And? Are you saying that makes you less? That a woman who didn’t complete school isn’t worth a damn? Before you answer that, let me tell you, I didn’t even go to school. I was home taking care of my sick mother. When I married Joel, I learned how to run the farm but I ain’t never had any book learning in an official capacity. My name and face are all over this part of the country and if I have your help, perhaps we will spread them across the whole country. Are you going to tell me that I don’t deserve that because I didn’t graduate high school?”
“No.”
“Good answer. Let’s eat and talk salary.”
How is this my life?
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m sorry, son. Given that display in front of the motel and the one again with your fiancée, I am just not confident in your ability to keep this center safe.”
Linc swallowed his disappointment. This was on him. No one else but himself.
“And I read an article that said you weren’t even engaged. Is that true?” Mrs. Stevenson watched him like a hawk.
This woman had no right to question what he and Emma had.
“We were pretending.” He licked his lips. “At first.”
He wasn’t lying about that. He meant all of it and he’d spent a long-ass time finding that perfect ring for her. The one that she had left on the desktop before she’d walked out of his life.
“And then?” Mr. Stevenson watched him.
Frustration at the tipping point, Linc rose to his feet. “What are you looking for, Mr. Stevenson? Since I first approached you, you’ve been on a see-saw about this. Wanting me to jump through all these hoops. Even doubting that I was the one who drafted up the proposal, like I’m less capable because I played sports or because of my skin color—not sure which. I have a duty to the children I built this place for. Did I lie to you? Yes about my fiancée, because quite honestly, I don’t see what the fuck it matters if I’m married or not. Emma helped me out because that’s the kind of person she is. You don’t want in, fine. Leave. I owe you no more explanations and I have a contractor ready to start breaking ground for the hockey rink. Miss Yander will show you both out.” He got to the door and looked at the two watching him. “You should probably look at your own wife and the fact she tried multiple times to get me into bed before you start judging the relationship between myself and Emma.”
With two pats on the doorframe, he walked out and headed outside to where the contractor stood. He had a hard time containing his shock. This was Nashua Brothers Construction. Nashua was Abenaki for Two. Steven and Martin Ogden ran the business. He’d known of the company but it wasn’t one of the large names that would typically be pulled in for a job of this magnitude. The fact they were waiting for him was simply because Emma was insistent on giving more back to the community. With her support backing them, he’d given their proposal a second look and hadn’t argued when she’d opted to choose them.
Steven was the one waiting, hat in hand, beside the truck pulling the trailer with the bulldozer. Behind him were other vehicles with more machinery just waiting to be unloaded and used.
“Hi, Linc.”
He held out his hand. “Steven.”
“Thank you,” he said with a nod. “For giving us a shot. When your Emma approached us about how much it would be to do the work, we didn’t think we would be in the running. She’s a shrewd businesswoman, that’s for sure.”
His heart wrenched. She was something.
“And she was right,” Steven continued. “When it gets out that we did the hockey rink for Franklin Conner’s community center, we will be sought after. So, again, thank you for not just writing us off when we gave that first amount. This is good for the tribe and the family.”
He didn’t have as much to do with this side of his family as he would have liked but he loved Emma more for bringing in his heritage to this, even in this manner.
“Glad to have you on board. Get to work and let me know if there is anything you need from me.”
“I’d love a chance to say hi to Emma, if that’s okay.”
Bitterness twisted his gut. “She’s not in today. I can get a message to her.”
His smile never slipped. “No problem. I’ll give her a call this evening. I spoke with her this morning to finalize a few things and she said she wouldn’t be in. I forgot until this moment.”