have every intention of steering clear of the trailer, even if that means hiding out in the cabin.
I turn down the path and stop short when I spot Grant, Steven, and Brad walking toward me. Steven and Brad are wearing hard, angry expressions, but it’s Grant who captures my full attention as he leans over and spits blood into the grass.
Oh shit.
His mouth is puffed up like he’s just eaten something he’s allergic to. The lower half of his jaw is red and starting to bruise.
When he sees me, I expect the same treatment from this morning, but instead, his eyes widen in fear.
What the heck happened while I was at lunch!?
I stand stock-still, but they continue walking until we’re only separated by a few feet. Then Steven nudges Grant forward with a shove.
He shoots the older man a searing glare over his shoulder and then straightens his shirt before coming to stand in front of me. For a few tense seconds, our eyes lock and I can feel his disdain for me pluming off him. Then he speaks and his tone is sharply clipped. “I’d like to apologize for what I insinuated this morning. I realize I was wrong about you.”
My jaw drops.
His gaze flicks over my shoulder, out onto the path behind me, as he continues. It’s clear he’d rather be eating dirt than apologizing to me right now. “I thought I was being funny, but my partners have pointed out that I was wrong.”
“Say the rest,” Brad adds with an unyielding tone.
“From this day forward, I won’t talk to you—”
“Or,” Steven goads.
“Or so much as look at you if it’s not directly related to Lockwood Construction business.”
It’s obvious he’s repeating words that were drilled into him, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that Ethan was behind his swollen lip.
My stomach knots with tension. “It’s fine.”
“It’s really not,” Steven insists, eyeing me gently. “He could have gotten this company into a hell of a lot of trouble if you’d decided to press harassment charges.”
My gaze flicks back to Grant and I realize we’re even now. He won’t press charges against Ethan for a busted lip and I won’t report him to HR—or worse, the media.
Grant glances down at me and frowns. “For what it’s worth, this morning was more about getting under Ethan’s skin than yours. He and I have always had a tenuous relationship. I realize now I took it too far.”
I nod as Steven and Brad come up behind him, clapping him on the shoulder and pushing him forward brusquely. I step out of their way and watch as they disappear down the path.
When I make it to the cabin, I find Ethan sitting on the top stair, waiting for me.
He’s fuming.
Chapter 30
Ethan
Boots crunching along the gravel path tug me out of my angry reverie. I look up just in time to watch Taylor make her way to the bottom of the stairs and stop on a dime. She’s chewing her bottom lip. Her brown eyes are filled with guilt and she’s got one arm wrapped around her stomach, her hand clutching her other elbow.
She looks like she’s the one at fault for the events that transpired this morning, and I won’t allow it.
“I suppose I should apologize for Grant. He’s always been an ass, but this morning he went too far.”
“You punched him?”
I flex my hand, surprised my knuckles don’t ache. “Just once. I’ll have you know, I’ve been wanting to do that for quite a while.”
She doesn’t let my smirk soothe her worries. “I really hate that guy.”
“Truth be told, we all do. I doubt he’ll be with Lockwood much longer.”
Her eyes widen. “Hopefully not because of today?”
Of course she feels bad for him, a man who doesn’t deserve an ounce of her pity. She doesn’t know what he said to me after lunch, while we were surveying the cabin sites for phase two of construction. If she knew what Grant had called her…if she knew he asked me to pass her along to him when I was finished…
“Believe me, he doesn’t deserve your pity.”
She rocks back on her heels and looks away. “God, this has been a horrible morning.”
“Because of Grant?”
“Yes, and…” She shakes her head and sighs, long and heavy. “I found out the crew knows about us.”
I arch a brow. Is that such a terrible thing?
“Max sort of guessed it this morning, and I didn’t want to lie.”
“Good. I’d rather they know.”
Her gaze flies back to me. “Of