came down, I had everything ready but the eggs, and they were beaten and ready to dump into the skillet.
“I feel like I should apologize again about Nora,” she said as I poured the eggs in.
“Not necessary. I’m also not certain you should make her apologize to me. Just let me meet her as if it never happened. I want her to eventually like me. I realize it might be a while, but I’d like to give her a chance.” Possibly long after she reached adulthood, but I hoped I could win her over before then.
Chapter Eleven
Frost
The following days were packed full, and the weekend job proved to be a challenge, but I’d known it would be. We finished it at four in the morning, Monday morning. Five hours before the absolute deadline that would’ve cost us money. I don’t like cutting it that close.
I stopped long enough Saturday night to take Cheyenne to dinner, but then I’d gone back to the site and worked a good part of the night, along with my crew. I’d grabbed a few hours of sleep, gone to church, and returned to oversee the men and the work.
I slept until nearly noon Monday. It wasn’t enough, but it was all I could afford, since I had a one o’clock meeting I couldn’t miss. We had crews working overtime on a couple of jobs, so I worked late Monday, and then had to be at an early meeting at the retirement center Tuesday morning. The list of attendees included the owners, the architects, the design firm, and the plumbing, electrical, medical equipment supply, and painting subcontractors.
Yes, that meant Gil would be there. It would be the first time we’d been around each other since he found out I was fucking his ex-wife.
I led the architects and designers on a walkthrough of the building, and we ended up in the dining hall after the tour. I’d had our people put a piece of plywood on some sawhorses and secure it, and we’d brought folding chairs in for everyone. Blueprints were spread out on the temporary table, and a large battery pack underneath was available for anyone who needed to plug their device in.
The meeting went as one would expect. The designer bitched about the placement of a stripe in the main hallway, Gil backed up the placement by showing how it was rendered in the blueprints and elevation drawings. The medical equipment people worked with the electrician and plumbers to make sure they didn’t get in each other’s way. Lots of minutia was decided on.
And then everyone left except Gil and my foreman.
I nodded for my foreman to leave. He’s a tiger shifter, and I’m certain he picked up on Gil’s intentions, but I had this.
Gil was still seated, so I pulled a chair away from the table in case I needed to jump up. I casually sat, stretched my feet out, and leaned back.
He’d stayed when everyone else left. I’d let him get started.
“What are your intentions?” he asked. The muscles at his temples flexed. I could almost sense the hackles raised on the back of his neck, despite the fact he didn’t have them in human form.
I remained relaxed. Cool. Slow pulse. Steady breathing. “Sounds like I need to ask what yours are. Ex-husbands don’t usually get to grill the new man in their ex-wife’s bed.”
Apparently, the asshole was just looking for a fight. I mean, sure, I was in-your-face with my response, but I didn’t say anything he didn’t already know, and I wasn’t personally insulting.
But he came over the table, a right hook rocketing towards my face as he landed.
I didn’t even stand. I caught his fist, kicked his knee as his weight landed on it, and then took us both to the floor with my knee in his gut. It knocked the wind out of him, and he started to change, but then recovered and stayed human.
“Don’t make me take those kids’ dad from them.” My hand went to his throat and I pressed against his trachea enough to get his attention. He gagged and choked. I let up so he could hear me, but kept enough pressure to control him. My inner sadist wanted to push until he turned colors, until the tiny blood vessels in his eyes burst and turned the white parts red, but I reined him in. Today was about showing a measured response. Cheyenne would be okay with me defending myself, but not with me torturing