Disengaged (Terms of Engagement Book 3) Read online

  Disengaged

  Terms of Engagement, book 3

  by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  ©2016

  Disengaged

  Terms of Engagement, book 3

  Copyright 2016 by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in whole or in part in any manner or in any form without the written permission of the author.

  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  Dedicated to…

  Mom, my faithful proofreader, listener, and giver of valuable feedback. Becky Clements, for her proofreading skills. And to my husband Brad, for sticking through thick and thin since the day we said “I do,” in 1992.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 1

  The sun shone bright in the pale blue sky, doing just as it was forecast to do. The clouds that amassed near the distant horizon, were not. They crept up gradually, a few at a time, seemingly isolated and benign.

  As morning gave way to noon, the clouds enveloped the sun, and scattered their first snowflakes. They drifted down, dusting the pine trees that surrounded the newly constructed model homes nestled on Pine Mountain. They swirled cheerfully past the windows, reminding those who worked there that winter was on its way.

  As more clouds joined their fellows, snowflakes began falling in earnest. An icy breeze followed, rapidly cooling the earth, and swirling the snow into drifts.

  Those who worked diligently to complete their tasks by the end of the day, began to doubt the wisdom of staying until then.

  ROB DAVISON’S brown eyes were lit with satisfaction rather than concern, as he paused in the kitchen of model home C, and marked it off as complete. It was a beautiful house, well built, and within budget. The same could be said for the rest of the model homes, the cabins constructed halfway down the mountain, and the ski lodge to the west of them.

  Not bad for a twenty-six-year-old guy, and his twenty-three-year old brother. He smiled as he brushed his fingers through his dark hair, and looked around some more.

  After taking ownership of their grandfather’s company, Rob and Erik were determined to prove themselves. They maintained Davison Construction’s stellar reputation by working hard, working smart, and practicing honesty. In spite of it, Mr. Henry took a risk in hiring them for a project of such magnitude. Rob and Erik took a risk in outbidding the competition. But, they were certain they could pull it off. And now, they were well on their way to doing that. Mr. Henry would have no qualms contracting with them to complete the rest of the subdivision, and the other projects currently under his consideration.

  Rob turned at the sound of the front door as it opened and closed, and the footsteps that followed.

  “Rob! Are you in here?” Erik called.

  “In the kitchen,” Rob replied.

  Erik entered, brushing snowflakes out of his blond hair.

  “It’s freezing out there,” he commented, rubbing his hands together.

  “Really?” Rob asked in surprise. He glanced out one of the kitchen windows, and was even more surprised. “Where did this come from?”

  “The sky, would be the obvious answer,” Erik replied. “Other than that, I have none. It wasn’t in the forecast, I do know that.”

  “How’s the progress on E, and F?” Rob wondered.

  “Done, and ready for staging,” Erik replied. “How about B and D? Did Jeff and Tony pick up the granite?”

  “They tried,” Rob replied, frowning a little. “Someone else got to it first.”

  “What?” Erik’s eyebrows knit.

  “Yeah. In spite of it being a special order, and prepaid, that’s what happened. When Granite Solutions realized their mistake, they were very apologetic. They’re rushing replacements.”

  “Any chance we’ll have them before Thanksgiving?” Erik wondered.

  “That is highly unlikely,” Rob replied.

  “It’s fine though,” Erik reasoned. “It isn’t like we’re behind.”

  “We’ve got some time,” Rob agreed. “Home D is finished, other than the kitchen counters. B needs the most work, but it’s coming together. The backup generators for all six are scheduled to arrive Friday. I don’t foresee any further set-backs.”

  “It does seem strange how often this sort of thing has happened on this job,” Erik commented.

  “We’ve had glitches before,” Rob pointed out. “It just seems like a lot, because this is a bigger project.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Erik considered, then glanced at the window. “I’m not sure we’d get those counters installed today, even if we had them.”

  “What do you mean?” Rob wondered.

  “Unless this snow slacks off soon, we’ll need to call it quits for the day.”

  “It is really coming down,” Rob said, glancing out the window again. If anything, the snow appeared even heavier than it did a moment ago. “I may need my snow gear before I get to the slopes.”

  “The slopes?” Erik asked in surprise. “That’s where you’re spending Thanksgiving break?”

  “Yeah. Me and a couple of the guys.”

  “Just you and a couple of the guys?” Erik asked, raising an eyebrow. His blue eyes were measuring.

  “There’s a group of us going,” Rob replied evenly, as he gathered his coat and his notes.

  “And I suppose Meredith is one of them,” Erik said, finding it impossible to keep the disapproval from his voice.

  “We’re friends,” Rob stated, managing to seem a little less irritated than he was.

  “Really. You think she’s your friend?” Erik couldn’t help asking.

  “Yes, we’re friends,” Rob said, with a glare of annoyance. “That’s all.”

  Erik rubbed his forehead as he considered saying more, then decided against it. Apparently, the look he gave his older brother, said as much as words. Maybe more. Rob looked both irritable, and defensive. He also looked done.

  “I’m heading over to B, and see what I can get done before I take off,” Rob informed his brother.

  “I’m sending home Pete’s crew, then I’ll be over,” Erik replied evenly. He turned and left. Grabbing his coat, Rob did the same.

  SAMANTHA DAVISON carefully arranged pillar candles amongst the Christmas lights and greenery on model A’s living room mantle.

  “Looks good,” she heard Jenna, her co-worker, say.

  Samantha brushed back her dark, chin-length hair, as she took a step away from the mantle and studied it critically.

  “It does, doesn’t it,” she replied with satisfaction. “What do you think, are we about done here? Have you che
cked out the rest of the house?”

  “It’s all but finished,” Jenna replied, picking up a box of ornaments on her way to the artificial Fraser fir.

  Samantha gave her watch a satisfied glance.

  “Good. Then we’ll move on to the next one. At this rate, we should be able to get B and C finished before Thanksgiving break.”

  “We should. Should, being the operative word. As far as I know, next door is still waiting on cabinet installation,” Jenna informed her.

  “Hm. Then we’ll skip B, and move on to C,” Samantha decided.

  Jenna cast an apprehensive glance in the direction of the picture window beside the tree she decorated.

  “We’re more likely to be finished for the week, than we are to get anything else finished by Wednesday. Have you looked outside lately?”

  Samantha set aside the box of candles, and joined her friend.

  On the other side of the window, the world was blanketed in white. Snow continued to fall as if shoveled from the sky, whirling erratically in the stiff breeze. Concern filled Samantha’s brown eyes.

  “If this keeps up much longer, we’ll need to send everyone home,” she declared. “In fact, go ahead and do that. I have a feeling I’ll be cutting out early today, too.”

  “I hope the weather is better on the way home,” Jenna said in concern.

  “It will be,” Samantha replied. “I doubt the snow will follow us very far down the mountain, certainly not as far as Ocotillo. I don’t remember ever having snow there before Thanksgiving. Plus, there’s a huge difference in elevation, and there’s none expected in today’s forecast.”

  “There was none expected here, either,” Jenna pointed out. She gathered up tags, wrappings, and empty boxes, and put them back in the shopping bag.

  “No, there wasn’t,” Samantha acknowledged, with another glance out the window. The snow was a beautiful backdrop for the Christmas tree, but it would make a lousy driving companion. “Tell everyone they’re done for the day. That means you, too. I’m sure no one will mind an early start to their Thanksgiving holiday.”

  “How right you are,” Jenna replied, as she took one last look around the room. “I assume you’re coming too?”

  “I’ll finish trimming the tree, then I’ll be right behind you,” Samantha answered, and Jenna left to do as bidden.

  ROB took stock of the snow-covered cars parked in front of model home A, as he walked from C to B. He wondered at the number, then remembered the design firm was scheduled to stage today. He glanced up at the heavily falling snow and back at the cars parked there, and decided a rescheduling was in order.

  Rob continued past B, and up the steps of A. Opening the door, he stepped out of the cold, and into warmth. He took a deep breath of the cinnamon and vanilla scented air, and looked around in satisfaction as he stomped the snow off his boots, and brushed it out of his dark hair. He heard the distant sound of voices drifting down the stairs.

  Through the arched doorway to the left of the entry, Rob caught a glimpse of the sitting room. He removed his coat and hung it on the rack by the door, then paused on his way to the stairs, and glanced inside.

  The polished, hardwood floor was occupied by a large, multi-color area rug. The walls were painted a warm shade of wine, emphasizing its wine-colored tones. The wood trimmed, taupe chenille couch and two chairs, were arranged around the fireplace in an inviting semicircle. A plaid blanket in deep green, tan, ivory, and mulberry, lay draped over the back of the couch. Landscape prints adorned the walls, along with three candle sconces.

  The mantle was covered in artificial pine boughs, Christmas lights, and candles. A Christmas tree, complete with twinkling lights, glimmered in front of the large picture window. A girl stood there with her back to him, hanging ornaments.

  “It looks great in here,” Rob said approvingly, with another apprehensive glance at the falling snow.

  Samantha’s eyes dilated and her cheeks flushed. She managed not to drop the ornament in her hand as she prayed for strength, and turned to face him.

  Rob’s brown eyes widened in surprise and his own face flushed, as emotions of every kind flooded him. They stood, staring at one another for several long seconds. Finally he blinked, and all traces of warmth vanished from his eyes.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked evenly.

  Samantha sighed quietly, as she slowly reached for another glass ball.

  “I’m decorating.”

  “You’re with Art by Design?”

  “I’m design lead for this project,” she replied.

  Rob rubbed his forehead as if he felt a headache coming on.

  The sound of voices and laughter drifted down the stairs. They grew louder as the rest of the design team descended, and passed by on their way out.

  Jenna poked her head in the doorway of the sitting room, her eyebrows rising in surprise at the sight of Rob. She shot Samantha a concerned look. Her friend looked back at her silently.

  “Hi, I’m… Jenna,” she said uncertainly, not because she was uncertain of her own name, but because of the tension that filled the room.

  “I’m Rob Davison. Contractor for this development,” he said in response. Jenna looked alarmed, and shot her friend another look. The glance Rob gave Samantha was icy. “And I see that my reputation precedes me. Lock up when you leave. I suggest you do it soon, while you still can.”

  With a pointed look at the snow falling outside the window, Rob turned on his heel and left, grabbing his coat on the way out. He didn’t bother to put it on, he was too upset to care about the cold

  For about half a second. Then, the icy wind changed his mind. He put on his coat and pulled up the hood, as he trudged across the lot toward model home B.

  She looked at him like she was afraid, and it made him angry. He never hurt her. He wasn’t the one who threw things, either! He could tell her co-worker a thing or two, if he wanted to. His heart felt wounded all over again. He hated the feelings that flooded him, but anger soon crowded them out.

  He stomped up the steps of model home B, and shut the door firmly behind him. The sound of a nail gun and the buzz of an electric saw came from the back of the house, and he headed that direction. He walked purposefully down the hall to the combination kitchen and family room, removing his coat as he did so.

  The guy with the nail gun looked up from the trim he held in place, and wondered at the grim look on Rob’s face. The other guy set aside the saw, and wondered the same thing.

  “Have you looked out the window lately?” Rob asked, and they did so. Their eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “No way,” nail gun guy said. “The forecast called for clear skies!”

  “Mother nature had other plans,” Rob replied. “We’re cutting out early today. Erik’s telling the rest of the guys. Weather permitting, we’ll see you Friday.”

  “Great!” saw guy said enthusiastically. He pulled off the safety goggles and lay them on the floor beside the saw, then grabbed his coat and lunchbox.

  “Thanks Rob, see you then,” nail gun guy said. He wasted no time setting aside the power tool in his hand, and swiftly gathered his own belongings.

  Their footsteps faded down the hall, and the front door closed behind them.

  Rob was free to scowl once more.

  He tossed his coat over the cutout that would hold the breakfast bar, whenever the granite reorder came in, and grabbed a pair of safety goggles. He took off his wedding band and put it in his pocket for safe keeping, then wondered why he bothered keeping it at all.

  ERIK pulled up his collar and shoved his hands in his pockets, then started back down the road toward model home B. He watched the taillights of Pete’s SUV as it disappeared around the bend. It held the turn without difficulty, which wasn’t too surprising, considering how warm it was yesterday. Considering how cold it was now, tomorrow morning would be a different story. Taking that turn would be about as easy as trying to navigate a vehicle on a downhill skating rink.

&n
bsp; Behind him, he heard a second vehicle approaching. He moved to the side of the road, and watched as it passed by. He didn’t recognize the dark SUV, the guy driving it, or his passenger. As hard as it was snowing, Erik wouldn’t trust his judgment if asked to pick them out of a lineup. He’d have no hesitation however, swearing on a Bible that they didn’t work for him and Rob. And that meant they didn’t belong here.

  Erik considered that as he pulled up his collar again, and crossed the lot to model B.

  ROB heard the front door slam, and the stomping of feet. He scowled again as he picked up the pencil, and referred to the sheet of paper in his hand.

  Erik followed the trail of light down the hall to the kitchen. He saw Rob glaring fiercely at the trim in front of him as he marked it, then double-checked the angle.

  “What did it ever do to you?” Erik inquired. “Or are you in sudden need of bifocals?”

  Rob looked up and frowned irritably.

  “No, I don’t need bifocals. What are you talking about?”

  “The look on your face.”

  “Exactly how do I look?” Rob asked evenly.

  “I don’t know, exactly. But you don’t look good,” was Erik’s verdict.

  “Thank you. I feel so much better,” Rob retorted politely.

  “You’re welcome,” Erik replied. He wondered if his older brother was still irritated at him. He hoped so. The voice of reason was never well tolerated, but since Rob had so little of his own in some areas, Erik felt compelled to fill the gap.

  “Unless you have further insults to impart, I’m getting back to this,” Rob informed him.

  “Are you planning to stay?” Erik wondered, looking out the window. Rob looked too.

  “No, but I’m not leaving before I have to. There’s work to be done.”

  “Alright. I was in the middle of installing light fixtures, so I’ll get back to it. Do me a favor and don’t switch on the upstairs breakers.”

  “I’ll try and remember,” Rob said dryly. He switched on the saw, and Erik headed up the stairs.

  SAMANTHA brushed back her hair and let out a deep breath. Jenna’s eyes were wide with concern as she looked back at her.