Kyle

“Damn, man. Forget the coffee, it’s almost time for lunch,” Drew blurts out over the Bluetooth.

I mentally flip off my best friend and boss, owner of WilliamSon Construction. I’m more than just the lead foreman. Hell, he’s asked me time and time again if I want to be partners, but this job, it’s just that: a job that keeps me busy during the day. My personal projects, well, they get worked on during the night.

“Blame your wife,” I fire back as I drive down the rock road of our new remodel. “Her, and Niki’s sister.”

“What’s Aubrey have to do with this?” I know curiosity is getting the best of him. “Oh, and stay away from Niki’s sister. Niki texted Aubrey to have her text me to remind you to stay away. What’s up with that?”

“Aubrey’s fault for that new protein drink. Let’s just say my wait time at Java Talk was a little longer than expected.” I know he knows what I’m talking about. Ever since she found out she was pregnant with their son, she has been on this healthy kick making Drew drink these healthy shakes and since I gave him hell, he had her send a case to my house too. Not cool, bro.

“Say no more.” He cracks up on the other end of the line. “But what about Niki’s sister?”

“I ran into her at Java Talk.” I recall the before and after. “Something happened and she freaked out. Niki came over and thought it was me, but before I could say too much, she ran to the bathroom and didn’t come back out. But don’t worry. Niki informed me that was her sister and to keep my hands off.”

“Good. Then consider this talk my warning.” His laughter fades. “I’m serious, Lewis.”

“I’m pulling in. Send those twerps down to get their girly lattes.” I press end, ignoring his “warning.” Truth be told, something about that girl intrigues me.

Putting my truck into park, I open the door and hop down, looking around for Lee and the rest of the guys to show up, but none of them come. Thanks, Drew. I may have gotten stuck getting their coffee for the week because of one little hazing prank, but I’ll be damned if I hand deliver each and every one.

Heading to the back of the truck, I open up the steel toolbox and pull out my belt, along with my safety equipment.

Grabbing a box of nails, I throw on my hardhat and head to find Drew to get the rundown.

“Hey, Lewis, it’s about time you got here.” He looks around. “Where’s the coffee?”

“Out in the truck. I only have so many hands, man. They can get it—”

Before I can finish, Drew brings his fingers to his lips, letting out a whistle, signaling for the crew to take a break.

“Hey, boss.” Lee is the first to enter. “Where’s the—”

“Out in the truck,” I cut him off.

Lee is an eager employee. Always the first one here and ready to work, volunteering on the weekends to prep the site. Drew really lucked out in finding him, but sometimes I like to give him a hard time and it doesn’t sit well with Drew. So, that is how I ended up buying six-dollar coffees for Lee and his crew for a whole week.

“Got it.” He walks past me, hardhat off.

“Hey, Lee? Where’s your hat?” I call after him.

“On the second level,” he shouts back.

“Hat stays on till you get in your truck. You got it? I have one in the back.”

“Got it, boss.” He opens the truck, grabs the hat, puts it on and comes back with the coffee. The others come running out to grab theirs.

“Man…” Drew walks up behind me and places his hand on my shoulder. “Take it easy. The crew know all about safety. They have watched the videos. They’re good.” He gives me a little pat. “I promise.”

Exhaling a breath I didn’t know I was holding, I begin to apologize, but the buzzing of my phone interrupts my train of thought.

The phone blinks: Mom Calling

“Hey Mom,” I sigh into the phone.

“That’s no way to greet your momma.” She chuckles. “Hard day at work?”

“Actually, it just started.”

“Is everything okay?” She sounds concerned.

“Yeah, it is.” I walk down the steps and take a seat on one. “Listen, Mom, I know why you’re calling and I’ll be there.”

“Oh good. I was so afraid you wouldn’t show. Jimmy misses having you come around,” she says of my stepdad, who has been nothing but a great father to me and my stepbrother Jack.

My father, William “Woody” Lewis, died after an accident at work. He was helping unload some wood at his lumber yard but the employee using the forklift didn’t see him and smacked him in the head with a lift full of two by fours. He was knocked unconscious, and died later at the hospital from an epidural hematoma and swelling in his brain. My mom was the one who had to make the decision to pull the plug. They could have kept him on machines, but he was basically braindead. Any hope of having a life, gone. They said if he would have been wearing his hardhat, he would have survived.

My mom, Brenda, ended up in grief counseling a year later, where she met Jimmy Bennett, whose wife died of stage 4 breast cancer around the same time my dad died.

“I know Mom. I’ll be there. Listen, I have to go. Drew needs help measuring something.”

“Okay, son. Make sure everyone is wearing a hardhat.”

Standing up, I look around and see the crew is following orders, even Lee.

“Always. Love you,” I reassure her.

“You too.”

I press end and stuff the phone in my back pocket.

“I’m curious, what do you need to help me measure?” Drew comes out of nowhere.

“Nothing. Just needed to get off the phone. My mom was hounding me about the party again.” I stride past him, to the white board. “Where we at?”

“Didn’t sound like she was hounding you.”

“OK, so I didn’t really give her the chance. I gave her what she wanted before she even asked.”

“I see.” Drew pulls out his phone and smiles. “Aubrey is showing the girls how to make tacos tonight if you want to come over for dinner.”

“Sounds like a family night.” I want more than anything to say yes, to experience what Drew gets every single day, but it’s not in the cards for me. “I’ll pass. Plus, I have to help at the lumber yard when I leave here.”

When my dad died, he left the business to my mom until I turned of age. My dad had a staff that had been with him for years, and I didn’t want to take that away from them. So, I help when needed.

“Maybe another time.” He punches out a text to Aubrey.

“Yeah, maybe another time…” I trail off, trying to push back the thoughts of what could have been.