“Kids love water,” she said. “Why not give them something fun?” The swimming pool was already designed for kid play, complete with slides and shallow ends. Katie wanted more. She’d spent part of her weekend over at Universal City Walk. Pulsating water shot up from jets and kids of all ages squealed and splashed in the fountain. Although Savannah was entirely too young to enjoy the water, it wasn’t difficult picturing her there when she became a toddler.
“There’s a big difference in setting up a fountain and what you have in mind. Have you run this past Dean?”
“Not yet. I wanted to get an idea of cost first.”
“How big are you thinking?”
They talked about the space needed and Steve opened a notebook and jotted down a few things.
He was laughing over her shoulder when the door to the small trailer opened and Jo said hello to Dean.
Katie had hoped that Dean wouldn’t be around during this brief meeting with Steve. She knew he would scrutinize her ideas. Her budget was hers, however, and she wouldn’t let him talk her out of the fountain.
“Hey, Steve.”
The men shook hands and Katelyn glanced at Dean before covering the plans she and Steve were looking over. Although she wasn’t watching him, Dean dominated the small space and the pine scent of his skin floated toward her.
“I’m going to check on the convention rooms before I leave.” She’d only just arrived, but Savannah had her first doctor’s appointment at ten.
“I’ll get back to you on the quote,” Steve told her.
Dean squinted. “What quote?”
Katie offered a smile and pushed away from the desk. “A redesign for the courtyard fountain.” More like a redo, but Dean didn’t need to know that until she could figure out a way to work it into her budget. His budget.
“Redesign?”
“Yeah, no biggie.” Katie brushed off the discussion and moved around the men in the small space.
The weight of Dean’s stare followed her as she placed her hard hat on and opened the door to the trailer.
“By the way, Katie, I talked to Jack. He and Jessie will be back next week.”
She stalled. Her heart did a full stop in her chest before she turned toward Dean. “I thought they were going back to Houston.”
“They are…well, Jessie and Danny anyway. Jack will be here for a few days before returning to Texas.”
She refrained from blowing out a breath. Jessie would want to visit Monica, but Jack would probably stay at the hotel. Which would work to her advantage. She would tell her brother that she was staying with a friend and avoid the constant running between both spaces.
“Are they having a good time?”
“He sounded relaxed.”
“Good.” Hopefully he’d be in his own marital bliss and not notice anything out of sorts with her.
“I’ll check in tomorrow. Bye, Dean, Steve…Jo.”
Dean smiled, Steve waved, and Jo grunted behind her computer monitor.
Outside the trailer, the dry heat wrapped around her. The path to the main site had several pieces of plywood covering the ground. A rare thunderstorm had come through the day before, wetting the dirt and making the site a mess. Katelyn was busy shoving papers under her arm and didn’t notice the warp in the wood below her feet. Her heel found the swollen board and caught. Her tight mini kept her from catching herself and before she knew it, she landed flat on her ass, mud all over her skirt, and her ankle screaming in protest.
She sat there for a moment, stunned that she was sitting on the ground. The papers she was attempting to hold were scattered at her feet. Luckily, no one saw her tumble.
With as much dignity as she could muster, she pushed herself up, ignored her throbbing ankle, and picked up her papers.
Dirt rode high on her thigh and ruined the hem of her silk skirt. Even the hard hat sat in a puddle of mud.
“OK, Grace,” she chastised herself.
After wiggling her shoe back on her foot, she attempted to stand. Attempted being the key word.
“Dammit.”
Pain shot up her leg and nearly had her on the ground a second time. She bit her lip and took another step.
Not so bad. Not good…but not bad.
She made it to her car but decided the trip was all she could take in four-inch heels. The convention hall would have to wait.
Dean’s voice and words followed her back to Monica’s apartment. “You’re defying gravity in those shoes…This is a construction site, not a dance floor.” He’d been harping at her daily to get out of her shoes and she had refused.
By the time she managed to pull into the parking spot at Monica’s, her ankle was twice the size it should have been and ibuprofen wasn’t going to cut it for the pain. She gave up on the shoes and carried them with one hand when she walked in the door.
Mrs. Hoyt clicked her tongue the moment she saw Katie limping. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I’m OK.”
Mrs. Hoyt was the perfect plump grandmother who lived to take care of people. “You need ice.” She was already at the freezer by the time Katie set her purse on the counter. Once she managed to sit, a sigh of relief left her lips.
“Damn, shit…” she cursed under her breath. The last thing she needed was a stupid turned ankle to slow her pace, and God knew she hated being wrong.
It killed her that Dean had known this would happen…eventually.
Mrs. Hoyt returned with the ice and gently placed it on Katie’s swollen ankle.