“I forgot it at home. I’ll have to run over there and get it.” I shook my head. I didn’t have an extra minute to eat lunch, let alone drive all the way home.
“I can do it,” she offered. “I’ll go grab it for you. You seem to have a lot to do in here.”
“Mr. Quinn?” Lucy’s voice came through the speakers. “It’s Jillian Simmons on the line for you from Grady Enterprises.”
“Hang on, Lucy.” I looked to Sam. “Yeah, can you go get it? Kari will be home. Just tell her it’s on the chair in my office. She’ll grab it for you. I gotta take this call about the bid tomorrow.”
“See how much easier things are when you have a personal assistant?” she laughed.
I smiled back at her. “Thanks, Sam.” Once she was out the door, I turned back to the phone. “Go ahead, Lucy.”
My phone lit up. “Max Quinn.”
“Hey, Max. It’s Jillian at Grady.”
Jillian’s husband, Wade, had been friends with Cane’s dad back in the day. They specialized in moving large quantities of soil. Since taking over Alexander Industries, Cane and I had worked with them a couple of times successfully. We just didn’t move that much dirt on our normal jobs. As soon as I saw the number on this one, I called them.
“How are you?” I asked, picking up a pen to make some notes.
“I’m good, thank you. I hope this bid is treating you well.”
I whistled through my teeth. “It’s going alright, but I need a good number to move this dirt. There’s probably 100,000 CY of earth to move around on this one.”
“That’s a lot. Any chance of the quantities running over?”
“There is, actually. If things go the way I think they will, there’ll be a large overrun in the third phase. It’ll have to be negotiated in a change order and they’ll have to agree to a number because the last phase won’t be able to be done without the third being complete. It could be very profitable for you,” I pointed out.
“They aren’t releasing anymore plans and specs. You don’t happen to have an extra set, do you?”
I smiled. “I can have a set made for you. Want me to have them delivered this afternoon?”
“I’m actually heading that way in a little bit. I’ll drop by in a few hours and pick them up, if that’s okay? It’ll just make things easier because Wade is out on a jobsite today. But just letting you know, if it looks good, he might want to meet with you tonight and just go over a few things.”
“Sounds good, Jillian. I appreciate it.”
“See you in a bit, Max.”
KARI
The sun was shining through the windows and my spirits were high. As soon as Max left for the office, I got a surge of energy. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to sleep, I jumped in the shower and then into some yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I slipped on my running shoes and headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and my keys. As I started to open the door to the refrigerator, I saw a new sticky note on the front, covering the ‘unsure’ one I had posted there.
I giggled and scribbled on a new note and posted it.
I jumped in the car and went to Target. I put my earbuds in and bopped around the store. I grabbed the essentials, but also made sure to pick up Max’s favorites: Solo cups, Dove dark chocolate pieces, sugar for his tea, and Cheddar Sour Cream potato chips.
I made my way through the book section and grabbed a couple of paperbacks and a really cute picture to hang in the kitchen that said “Kiss the Cook.”
I couldn’t help but feel giddy. As much as I didn’t know if moving in and taking that next step with Max was the right decision logically, it felt right. Nothing had ever felt more right, actually. I just needed to keep my cool and remember the proverbial lines in the sand. I couldn’t get too used to living together. I needed to be prepared for the moment I’d have to leave, keep that little bit of my heart held back.
I loaded up my car and jetted home. I purchased everything to make him chicken and noodles for dinner. I was pretty sure I could do it without Fern’s instructions.
I rounded the corner towards the house and saw a car parked in the driveway. The car was vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place it. Confused, I pulled in beside it and walked to the front door, my phone in my hand.
Surely a thief or murderer doesn’t pull in the driveway at noon, right?
I turned the door handle and it popped right open. I unlocked my phone and walked in and looked around nervously. I heard a noise from the top of the stairs and looked up to see someone coming out of our bedroom. I screamed and walked backwards as the figure came into view.
“Kari! It’s me!” A set of blonde curls came bouncing down the staircase.
Samantha.
I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beating spastically.
What’s she doing in my house?
I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi,” she said, smiling widely, “Max sent me over here to get a spec book.”
“Why didn’t he call me?”