I could hear the sounds of sir
ens off in the distance, and it made me thankful I hadn’t told Hailey yet. If she knew someone had gotten hurt making this house for us, it would forever taint this expedition. I wiped at the blood trickling down the man’s head with an alcohol wipe as the ambulance grew closer and closer, and then I backed up once the emergency crew came barging through the front door.
There was nothing more I could do here except help Foreman Jack get everything back on track, and then I needed to run through somewhere and get Hailey and me some lunch.
She was expecting food, and I needed to make sure my mind was settled before I got home.
Chapter 10
Hailey
I was just coming downstairs when I heard Bryan’s truck pull up. I made my way into the kitchen and poured myself some chocolate milk. I had been craving it all night, and my mouth was watering just thinking about it, but the moment Bryan walked through the door, my attention was turned elsewhere.
Bryan had blood on his fingertips.
I set the mug of chocolate milk down and went waddling for him. He looked down at his hands and sighed as he held the bag of food in front of him. I ran my hand down his arm to feel for any injuries, the air silent between us as I studied him.
“What happened?” I asked. “Did you get hurt?”
I took in the blood underneath his fingernails as my knees grew weak.
“Just an accident at the foundation site,” Bryan said. “Nothing serious.”
“You have blood under your fingernails. I’d say that’s serious.”
“Someone fell off a ladder,” he said.
“A ladder while pouring foundation?” I asked.
“Foundation work wasn’t the only thing being done today. It was just the biggest thing.”
That didn’t seem right. I’d been with Bryan long enough to know how basic construction worked. Unless there were other projects he went to check up on today, ladders weren’t necessary while pouring concrete. I looked up at him and gave him a quizzical look as I led him into the kitchen. I turned on the warm water and went to clean off his hands, but he yanked them from me and did it himself.
“I’m just trying to help you,” I said.
“You don’t have to clean someone else’s blood off me. I’ve got it,” Bryan said.
“Why won’t you just tell me what happened?” I asked.
“I just did. Someone slipped off a ladder and fell. The ladder came down on them and split their head open. It’s fine.”
“But I thought you were going to a concrete pouring,” I said.
“And like I said, Hailey. The concrete pouring wasn’t the only thing happening today.”
“So it was a jobsite that’s already partially developed?” I asked.
“Hailey, it’s been a very trying morning. Can we just drop it?”
I knew he was hiding something from me, but I knew it was wise not to push it. He was already annoyed and on edge with one of his workers apparently getting hurt, and I wanted us to enjoy our Sunday together. Whatever he had picked up for food smelled wonderful, and I was ready to dig into it as I reached for my chocolate milk.
But before I could get my hand around it, Bryan knocked it over with his elbow.
“Bryan, look out!” I said.
The mug dropped to the floor and shattered into a million pieces. Chocolate milk was sprayed everywhere, and I could feel tears rising to my eyes. What in the world was I crying about? It was just some milk. I could clean up the mess and pour another mug.
It wasn’t a big deal.