Maddy's Oasis Read Free Page B

nieces to elite private schools and buy them all their
first houses. The rest he saved.
    Jake didn't know how much his uncle had
hidden away, but he knew it was more than enough for Javier to
retire in luxury. Javier had no intention of retiring. Instead, he
remained actively involved in the construction projects.
    "Why the hell did you agree?" Jake asked,
perplexed. He motioned to his notes. "This is a disaster. The
building needs to come down and start over, there's probably no
funding, it's in the middle of your dear cousin Carlos Cortez's
smuggling route … and the idiot they put in charge ... Damn."
    "Instinct."
    For once, he wanted his uncle to explain his
infamous instinct. There were many projects he’d had a lukewarm
feeling about that ended up as his uncle predicted-- successful.
Javier's instinct had never been wrong before, yet this project
already gave Jake a headache.
    "She didn’t seem like an idiot," Javier
said.
    "Well, she is," Jake
responded. Irritated, he rose and withdrew his dinner from the
oven. "Typical city-girl, self-absorbed, controlling, no common
sense or respect, demanding this and that … I dated enough of them
to know, tio. "
    "You didn't have any luck dating girls from
here, either."
    "Guess it's not my forte. I
don't have my tio's charm."
    Javier chuckled. Jake sat down to wolf down
his sister's latest creation: some sort of spicy meatloaf. Kitty's
food was always good, even if he didn't recognize all the spices
she used from the weed garden Javier built her or what kind of
animal it came from.
    "You're sure you want us working on this
one?" he asked.
    "Pretty sure," Javier said in his slow drawl.
"Can't be that bad."
    "All righty, then. I'll do my best," Jake
said.
    "Good kid. Life ain't so hard."
    Jake wasn't so sure but cleaned up and made
his lunch for the next day. He wondered what city-girl would say
when he told her the cost.
     
    “Five million just to get things back on
track?”
    He'd heard rumors from his usual financiers
and suspected funding would be a problem, but seeing the assistant
to a billionaire pale at the paltry number confirmed his instinct.
Her striking green eyes grew larger, amplified by the dark teal
suit she wore this day. He hadn't seen her on her feet yet, but he
knew she'd be wearing inappropriate shoes.
    The women from back east were predictable
like that.
    “How long will it take you to finish?” she
asked.
    He studied the heart-shaped face with its
button nose and large eyes, smooth skin, and tanned complexion. Her
gaze was steady and direct; even Javier had commented on it. Javier
liked a man-- or woman-- unafraid to look him in the eye.
    “Nine months to complete our portion of the
work.”
    At this, the city-girl looked ill.
    “That’s too long.”
    “With more men and money, it’ll be less,” he
said with a shrug.
    “More than the thirty million?”
    He nodded.
    “Jesus,” she murmured. “How much and how many
men?”
    “Another crew, maybe two, depending on when
you want it done,” he responded.
    “I need to-- ”
    Her phone rang and cut her off. She looked
down, muttering, “Excuse me.”
    “I’ll be out there,” he said as he rose. The
city-girl waved a hand in confirmation without looking up.
    “Good morning, Jake.” Her assistant, Eric,
beamed a smile as he opened the door.
    “Mornin’,” Jake responded.
    “How’s it going?”
    “Fine.”
    “Great, that’s great!” Eric said with fake
enthusiasm.
    Jake ignored his attempt to enter and pushed
by him, agitated. Toni, a leathery man twenty years Jake’s senior,
gave a knowing grin from his position leaning against the rickety
stairs.
    “They may not have to fire us,” Jake said
with a shake of his head. “At this rate, I’m about two straws from
walking away.”
    “The money’ll be good,” Toni countered.
    “If there's money,” Jake replied. They started toward the building
and made it a few dozen feet away before he heard the trailer door
slam open.
    “Jake,