Why the River Runs Read online

  Jayden nodded. “Chris would want you to work on it.”

  Tina came out of her skin. Finally, she could make the Harris homestead shine. She jumped up and threw her arms around Jayden’s neck. “Oh my God! Jayden! I’m so excited. Holy crap.” Joyful tears misted over her eyes. “Are you kidding me?”

  “I can’t breathe, honey.” Jayden chuckled and Tina let her go. “It’s for real. Chris wouldn’t want it any other way. He loved you and Duane.”

  “But how can you afford it?” Keri asked, ever the responsible one.

  “That’s what else I wanted to talk about.” She took a deep breath and Tina sat back down, her blood humming in her veins. “This stays between us, okay?”

  Tina and Keri agreed.

  “The Harris family has a trust set up. Technically, this house and all the land belongs to the family trust. Each of the boys, Bear, Chris, Sean, and Donnie, have interests in the trust and they can assign those interests. The Harrises contacted me to let me know that Christopher had an agreement with them that should anything every happen to him, I would be assigned a certain amount of the money in the trust.”

  “What are we talking?” Keri dusted crumbs off the table. “A few thousand dollars?” Her tone was speculative.

  Jayden swallowed and her eyes darted between the two of them. “Try a few million.”

  Keri said some blue words in Spanish that Tina echoed in English.

  “How the hell?” Tina grabbed at her chest. She couldn’t imagine the weight of such a sum of money.

  Jayden spread her palms out over the table. “I mean it when I say no one can know. You know how people are and the Harris family had strict instructions.”

  “Every free-loader in the county will be on your doorstop asking for handouts.” Keri rolled her eyes. “Half of them will be my family claiming to be yours.” It was already a burden the Millers had to bear. Jayden carried double weight, being born a Miller and married a Harris. With excessive money, came people who felt entitled to it or challenged to steal it.

  “And every single bachelor in the county will show up on your door with a wedding ring.” Tina nodded, understanding the predicament. Jayden just became a very wealthy widow at a young age. Not to mention, she was the bridge that linked two of the wealthiest families in Texas.

  “Bruce and Peggy were aware of Christopher’s wishes from the beginning. They said Chris applied the delay because of grieving time.” Jayden’s lips pulled back into a smile, her eyes filled with moisture. “Even in death, he’s taking care of me.”

  “They’re willingly giving you the money?” Tina asked, loving Bruce and Peggy Harris more and more every day.

  Jayden nodded, “They want me to fix the house.”

  Tina grasped at her chest, overwhelmed by the loyalty of Chris’s family towards his widow. “Jayden, that’s incredible.”

  “That’s not even the best part. The lady who owns the clothing boutique is retiring. She doesn’t want the store. Bruce and Peggy want me to buy her out. She rents the space from my parents, so it’s not like I would have to move the store. It could be mine.” Jayden’s unsure smile gleamed. “I think I can do it.”

  “Of course you can,” Tina reached out to touch her arm. “This is your dream, girl. Take it.”

  Jayden had wanted to own her own boutique since high school. She had worked retail at various places and had planned to open her own shop one day. Now Chris had given her one more gift—the ability to achieve her dreams.

  They spent the evening brainstorming about the house restoration, the clothing store, investments, and business. They joked about burying the money in the back yard or moving off to some island and living their life on the beach. It reminded her of the slumber parties they had every weekend as teenagers. Finally, it felt like a ray of sunshine had poked its’ head through the clouds. Jayden smiled and gave voice to all the dreams she’d had about owning her own clothing store. It gave Tina a sense of hope. If Jayden could overcome her pain, anything was possible.

  Since the three of them were all in the same room, they called Meg and talked to her for a while, told her about fixing up the house, and made silly faces at Noah. They tried calling Lynette, Jayden’s cousin, who had moved to Australia to study abroad, but she didn’t answer and they left her a long message. Holly, the youngest of their group of besties, lived upriver and didn’t answer, either.

  “I’m going to show up on Holly’s doorstep and drag her ass back to Riverview.” Tina flopped down on the couch as Jayden started the movie.

  “She’s got to come home. Seriously. Now she’s just avoiding us.” Keri brought over a bag of popcorn and a package of candy.

  “We need to get in the car and go up there one weekend. Just show up and kidnap her.”

  “I’m in.” Tina raised her hand. Holly had her reasons for leaving Riverview after the death of one of their friends, but tonight had made it clear that their group of friends was healing and Holly needed to be a part of that.

  Tina grabbed a pillow and settled in to the couch with the girls to watched their movie. They talked through most of it, but at least Jayden had pushed play.

  TWO WEEKS LATER, TINA couldn’t avoid Bo any longer. It had been easy, sending him to Gary’s painting crew given her time to build up the defenses needed to be around him. She worked with Terry on the other house, didn’t have to see Bo much, and only had to hear about what a great job he was doing.

  Three days in, Tina had gone over to check his work after hours. The clean lines and smoothness of his work impressed her.

  But the paint job for that house was completed. Now he moved to working on the same house as Terry’s crew, where she’d been hiding from Bo.

  It took less than two days in the new house for him to find his rhythm. He meshed into the flow of men, catching on to the order, the who-did-what and where he was needed to finish out the house. Cabinets were hung, walls were textured, countertops installed, lighting fixtures were wired in, and trim was nailed up.

  Tina came in on one of their final painting days to find Bo on a ladder cutting in trim work. She watched for a moment as his steady hands glided the brush over the strip of crown molding, not getting a drop of white on the walls or ceiling. She didn’t speak until he’d brought the bush down for more paint.

  “Nice job. Not many people have the patience for trim out. None of my guys have steady enough hands. We usually have to tape everything off.

  He shrugged those wide shoulders calling her attention to the way his body moved under his white tank top. “Just takes concentration.”

  One foot was lifted to the upper rung of the ladder, showcasing the curve of his ass. It was a very nice view from the ground. Tina turned her face away. Lusting over a crew member had caused her trouble in the past. She had to keep that in mind.

  “I’m heading out. I have a restoration job to bid. If you need anything, holler at Terry.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  He never turned around, never took his focus off his work. A trait she could admire, if she hadn’t wanted him to look at her.

  Stupid. She shook her head and walked out of the room.

  The entire drive she thought about his focus, his shoulders and the tattoos that she wanted to explore, the way he always had the same stoic expression on his sexy face. Bo was like a rooted tree, nothing moved him. He showed up on time, never complained, worked his ass off, and was respectful to the other crewman. He’d taken his first paycheck with appreciation, staring at it for a second before turning his gaze to hers. Those mysterious hazel eyes drew her in and held her captive. Damn, he was hot.

  And completely in the not on your life list.

  The house she went to look at was a beautifully decaying Victorian. It needed a lot of work and she practically danced in her seat when she pulled up in the driveway. An older couple met her on the front walkway and described all the work they wanted done to restore their house.

  “I grew up here,” the woman said
fondly. “We’ve lived with our daughter for about ten years and now we want to come home and live in this house. But it’s falling down.”

  “No problem.” Tina smiled. “I have a soft spot for restoring old houses. Why don’t we go inside and you can show me around, let me know what you’re thinking?”

  The Raglands were adorable people. They held hands like newlyweds, but they’d been married over thirty years. Mrs. Ragland gave her the grand tour, complete with stories from her childhood. Tina ate it up, became acquainted with the house, the memory of what it once was, and the vision of what it could be again. She touched the walls, stroked spindles of the staircase and glided her hand over the dusty railing with affection. The walls had stories, they held the memories and spirits of people who lived here. All they needed was a little love and devotion to bring them back to life.

  “I have to say, Miss Foster.” Mr. Ragland grinned. “You seem taken with our home.”

  “I am.” Tina, half-dazed, was already planning and figuring costs in her mind. “I love this house. I love most older homes, but this house—you have history. It makes it so personal, so real and intimate to work on.” She turned to them. “I’ll get you a formal estimate, but I really hope you let me work on this house.”

  The Ragland’s exchanged a smile. “We’ll review the estimate, if it’s reasonable, you’ve got the job. The other man who came out didn’t care at all about what this place means to us. You…get it.”

  Excitement filled her until she was about to bubble over. She smiled wide and full as her lips would let her. “Really? I’m thrilled. Oh, I can’t wait.” Being the business woman she was, she filled out her paperwork, taking pictures of the house, and gathered the information she needed to put together a formal plan of construction.

  Victory filled her by the time she left. Building new houses was profitable, and there was a flow to the job. But older homes? They were what she loved most. Feeling happy and light, she called Trey out of habit.

  “Hey,” he answered, distracted. “What’s up?”

  “I just scored a complete restoration. I’m so excited. This house is 1920’s Victorian, it’s two stories—”

  “Tina, that’s great, sweetheart. Do you mind telling me about it tonight over dinner? I’m swamped right now.” He rifled through some papers and stapled something. “I can bring something over if you want?”

  “Oh.” Her balloon deflated. Trey always dropped what he was doing to talk to her. Why was it the one time she wanted to share a piece of herself, he wasn’t receptive? “Of course.”

  “I’ll call you when I get home. Is that okay?”

  “Sure, okay.”

  She hung up, wishing Keri or Jayden could understand her fixation with houses. They would listen, but not really appreciate the joy she felt. Jayden was into fashion and while she would’ve mustered up some enthusiasm, it wasn’t the same. Keri, a realtor, would’ve been more inclined, but Tina didn’t want to bother her.

  At least Dad will care.

  Instead of heading straight home, she decided to check on the progress of a current project close by. Only one truck remained on site. The rest of the guys had left, but Bo’s rusty, red and white Ford remained—with the hood up.

  His rear end hung out of the engine compartment. He dislodged himself when she pulled next to him.

  “Glad I came by. That looks like trouble.” Tina smiled, but it faltered when their eyes met.

  Something about Bo’s direct stare caused her insides to melt. Her stomach did flips and heat pooled in her belly like always.

  Only his flared nostrils gave away that anything was wrong with him. “Damn thing won’t start. Sat in a field too long. Now that I’m using it every day, shit keeps breaking.”

  “You need a ride? A tow? A hand?”

  “You know engines, too?” One brow bowed up, his skepticism obvious in the down-turned set of his lips.

  Ah, he does have more than one expression!

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” She kicked out her hip.

  Bo nodded, wiped his grease covered hands on his jeans. “Really?”

  Tina narrowed her eyes. “What’s she sound like when she starts?”

  “Clanking around. She overheated on the way here.” He sighed and stepped aside as Tina bent down to the ground and ran a finger through the liquid pooled under his truck.

  She sniffed her fingers. Hmm. She went to the driver’s side. “Mind?”

  He shook his head, slightly amused, if she read him right. It only took her turning over the engine for a moment before she switched it off. “Busted head gasket, sounds like. You’re leaking, overheating, clanking.”

  Bo nodded, chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Yup. That’s what I figured. I’ll have to remove the heads. You know a shop I can take ’em to?”

  “Ray’s.” Tina took out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Charlie-Ray? Hey there, stranger. Tina Foster.”

  “Howdy, Miss Foster.” They exchanged the typical pleasantries and checked on each other’s families. “That pretty new truck of yours can’t have anything wrong with it. What can I do for ya?”

  “I need a favor for a friend of mine. He’s going to need some head work, too.” She prattled off the address and thanked him in advance before she hung up.

  Bo leaned against the truck and rubbed his eyes. “T, I don’t really have, I mean, I can’t uh…”

  “No worries.” She shrugged.

  “Tina.” His jaws clenched when he pinned her with his stare again. “No.”

  She narrowed her eyes and turned to meet him head on. “You want to know what bugs me about men? They never ask for help. Like it’s some sort of damn sin. Bugs the piss out of me. You’re not going to bug the piss out of me, are you, Galloway?”

  Bo let out a heavy breath, closed his eyes and the muscles in his jaws working. “No, ma’am.”

  “Good. Because after these last couple weeks of your help around here, it’s the least I can do. Besides, you have to get your ass to work somehow.”

  “I’m not a charity case.” He spat out with more than a little bitterness in his tone.

  “Damn straight, you’re not. You’re going to work every dollar of it off.” Tina held out her hand and met his hazel gaze.

  The moment his hand slipped into hers, the air around them sparked. His eyes widened a fraction and she gasped, but neither let go. Was he as caught under the force of electricity crackling between them as she?

  Tina pulled away first, unable to stand the magnetic draw. She knew nothing about Bo. He was virtually a stranger. He didn’t even have a Facebook profile for heaven’s sake. Physical attraction this strong couldn’t be healthy.

  “How’d your appointment go?” he asked, retrieving a couple bottles of water from the cooler in the back of his truck.

  “Good. Good. I think, no, I know we got the job.” Thrilled to have someone—anyone—to talk about the house with, Tina gushed over how challenging and fun this restoration would be. Bo listened, asked questions, even high-fived her when she explained how the Raglands didn’t flinch when she called out numbers. “I’m so excited. Working on old houses like that.”

  “It’s like fixing history.” Bo gazed down at his boots, which now sported the signs of hard work: scuffs, paint, and dirt.

  “Yes! Exactly.” Their eyes met again and he smiled. A tingle went up her spine. “You get it.”

  “Yeah, I get it. It’s cool that you’re so pumped over the job.”

  “Well, my excitement guarantees your paycheck, I guess.” Tina joked and took a swig of her water as the tow truck pulled up.

  Her phone rang just as they reached the mechanic’s shop. She’d followed the tow truck knowing Bo would need a ride home. He sat quiet in her passenger seat, an awkward silence settling over them.

  “Hi, Trey.”

  “Hi, sweetheart. I am so, so sorry about earlier. Please forgive me. It’s usually not that crazy around the office but—”

  �
��It’s fine.”

  “No, it’s not. You’re my girlfriend and you should always be first.”

  “Uh…not really.” She took a deep breath, reigning in the rebellious feminist inside who hated weak men. “It all worked out. Something came up. Maybe this weekend?”

  “Absolutely. Anything you want. I’m sorry, really.”

  She stifled a groan. “Okay. I’ll call you.”

  “I’ll be waiting, sweetheart.”

  Trey hung up and Tina stared at her phone, not understanding why he suddenly raked on her nerves so much. “I hate being called sweetheart.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  Tina pinched the bridge of her nose. “No—uh, yeah, I guess he…is.” Before he could open a can of worms, she slid out of her truck and went into Ray’s machine shop. “Justin,” she called out to the only guy left working at this time of day.

  “Tina!” Justin hugged her tight and smiled brightly. “Holy crap, Bo Galloway?”

  The two men shook hands and Tina tried to understand how Justin remembered him from high school and she didn’t. Justin was a grade behind her, which would’ve made him two grades behind Bo.

  “Tina, this guy was like the freaking Karate Kid, I’m not joking.” He slapped Bo on the back. “You still into martial arts?”

  “A bit, yeah.” Bo nodded.

  “Of course you are, look at you. Man, I bet you can whip some ass.” Justin laughed and did some horrible karate impressions. Bo shrugged, grinning as if the compliment embarrassed him. “Well, either way, with those guns, I want to stay on your good side. What can I help you with?”

  Bo made it clear that he was capable of taking out the heads and replacing them, but since the truck was already sitting there, Tina insisted on allowing Justin to do it. That earned her a deep scowl from Bo.