Page 71 of Hold

Liam stopped at the first one; Jake hung back, but Liam could feel him craning his neck around him. “Hi,” he said, smiling at the woman who had looked up from her computer and taken off her glasses when he came in. “I’m from Pat the Plumber? For the Winter Hill multifamily?”

“Oh yeah,” she said, smiling back at him. “How are ya? I’m Mary-Ann. I’m the CM on that sucker.”

Liam introduced himself, and they shook hands. Her age was anywhere between thirty and fifty, and she was dressed like him—jeans and a company T-shirt. Her short brown hair was almost hidden under a Sox cap.

“I know your father,” she said. Her accent was thicker even than his—not anRin sight. She regarded him with gray eyes that were assessing but not unwelcoming. “And who’s this?” she asked, turning the assessing look on Jake.

“This is my…”Assistant? Apprentice? Summer help?“This is Jake. He’s helping me out this summer.”

“Nice to meet you, Jake.” Liam saw the boy’s arm wobble from the shoulder as Mary-Ann gave it a good firm shake. “You know your way around a set of blueprints?”

Jake looked a little panicky, so Liam answered for him. “He will in a little while.”

“Good.” Mary-Ann stood and walked them into a room in the back, which held racks of plans and high shelves filled with rolls of paper.

“Have you been here long?” Liam asked. He’d thought he would know all the construction managers.

“Coupla years.” She was at the shelves, pulling out a set of prints. “I heard you’d left the business. You’re back?”

“Just for the summer.”

“How ’bout you, Jake? Pat scare you off plumbing yet?” She winked at Jake, who gave her an uncertain smile. She didn’t seem to need an answer but held the plans out to Liam. “Only got so many of these; when can you get them back to me?”

“Tomorrow, first thing.”

“Good.” She shook hands again. “Tell your dad I said hi.”

“I will.”

They were almost out of the office, and Liam later believed he could tell Jake’s breathing was easier, when Sean came in.

“Hello there!” he sang as he saw Liam, walking toward him with his hand outstretched. Then he saw Jake.

“Jakey?” Sean said. His hand dropped to his side.

Jake had gone white again. When he didn’t answer, Sean closed the gap and said, “Sure and look how big you are! How old are you now?” His florid cheeks seemed to be turning even redder.

“Fifteen,” Jake said through what sounded like gritted teeth.

“Jaysus, you’ve grown about a foot!” Sean went on in a forced jovial tone that made Liam wince. He’d never seen Sean out of his element before.

“Yeah, well,” Jake muttered, his icy-blue eyes now focused on Sean. His mother’s spirit, Liam thought. “That’s what happens when you don’t see someone for two years.”

Sean gave a half laugh and made a big show of hoisting the sports bag he was carrying on his shoulder. “Well, you know, son, I…” He looked around the room. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were now watching them. “Why don’t we go into my office?”

He began to lead the way, but Jake wasn’t moving. “No, thanks. Let’s go, Liam.”

Sean’s eyes widened as he looked to Liam. “Liam?” he stammered. Liam could tell he had no ability to comprehend why his cousin’s child was in his office and in the company of a man he knew only through work.

“Yeah,” Jake snapped, walking to the staircase door. “My boss.”

“What? Why—I thought you were here to see your father.”

“Nope.” Jake left it at that, but the bite in his voice was clear to everyone.

Liam didn’t think he was going to help matters any, but he said, “We’re picking up plans for the Winter Hill job.”

“Oh.” Sean had trouble switching from family to work. “Oh… okay. Jakey’s working for you?”