Roz Fox - Welcome To My Family

“I have some bad news,” he said when they arrived at an open arena mounded with mud. “That last storm soaked the ground. My grader got stuck today. We won’t be able to clear this field for your ball diamond. Not for a few weeks.”

“More than one ball diamond, right?” Kat asked.

“Isn’t one enough?”

“You employ both men and women.”

“I didn’t realize ball fields were like rest rooms, where codes require his and hers.”

Kat arched a brow. “I assumed you’d want to run women’s teams and men’s teams simultaneously, like they do at Motorhill.”

Slater thrust his hands in his pants pockets and ignored her jab. “The warehouse I earmarked for your use is there.” He pointed to a flat-roofed building out in the middle of nowhere.

“I’d hoped for a more central site.”

“Look, it’s empty. Take it or leave it.”

“You’re being deliberately difficult, Mr. Kowalski,” Kat said. “People who work in the south end of the complex, which I might point out is most of your staff, couldn’t get here in time to use the facility on a regular break.” She pulled a creased map of the sprawling complex out of her pocket and unfolded it. “What about this building?” She pointed to one in the very center. “I understand it’s also empty.”

“At the moment, yes. It’s also surrounded by restricted design labs. Would you mind telling me how you knew it was vacant?”

The wary expression on his face reminded Kat of what her brother had said about Louie Kowalski maybe tapping Pop’s brain. Were they testing Motorhill’s techniques in one of those labs? Was that why Slater wanted her out of reach? Well, Kat sure wasn’t going to tell him Hazel had suggested that building. “Are you making some areas off limits to me?” she asked aggressively.

He frowned down into her eyes without answering. The low-hanging clouds suddenly started to spit rain, and Slater gripped her elbow to guide her back to the path. “I wasn’t aware until today that my new recreation specialist had so many family ties at Motorhill. I do expect loyalty from my employees.”

“Loyalty or blind obedience?” Kat asked. “There is a difference.”

“Loyalty…” A whistle blared three short blasts just then, cutting off whatever else he might have said.

“Loyalty is earned, Mr. Kowalski. I assume that whistle means it’s quitting time. Will that be all, or am I now officially on overtime?”

Slater dismissed her with a curt nod.

Kat spun and marched off toward the parking lot.

In a foul mood now, Slater strode in the opposite direction through intensifying rain. It seemed he was destined to get his suits soaked when dealing with that woman. And yet, he thought nastily, a cloudburst was minor compared to all the other things he found irritating about his newest employee. Her sassy mouth, pixie grin and legs far too long for a woman who couldn’t be over five foot two…Those complaints headed a list that ended with the fact that her name was O’Halloran.

“WHAT IN BLAZES do you think you’re doing now?” a deep voice bellowed.

Kat went rigid at a sound that had plagued her all week. Her perch at the top of a twelve-foot ladder was precarious enough without her nuisance of a boss shaking the metal frame. “Don’t come up,” she warned. “I only have one bolt connected so far. Do you want this backboard to fall?”

“To hell with the backboard! I don’t want you to fall. I’ll ask once more—what are you doing? I pay maintenance men to handle chores like this.”

Kat ignored him, drilled a second hole and inserted a long screw that would help hold the board steady.

“Well?” he demanded.

“They’re backlogged,” she said patiently. “By the time I submitted a request in triplicate and it went through the process, I’d have my teams practicing already.”

“If you don’t kill yourself first. Get down here.” His tone did not invite refusal.

The drill squealed again. Leaning away from the ladder, Kat shoved a Molly screw through the last hole, then wrenched it tight.

“Now!” Slater roared. “I want to see your feet on this floor.”

Kat rolled her eyes. “Brother,” she muttered under her breath, although she did move down a couple of steps. “Shouldn’t you be bugging a team of combustion engineers or something, instead of me?” she asked, carefully drilling two holes in succession along the bottom edge, effectively blocking out his retort.

“What’s that?” she called as she set the last two screws. “You say they’ve solved the fuel-injection problem on the Special? Wonderful!”

“I said get your carcass down here ASAP or I’m coming after you.” He placed one foot on the lowest rung.

Kat gave the board a final shake and determined it was solid. She glanced down, then deliberately dropped the small drill, guiding the cord through her hands until it dangled about six inches from the floor. “Oops,” she said as Slater dodged off the ladder. “Sorr-ee,” she called, tongue in cheek. She knew exactly how far it came to striking him. Not even close.

“Give me that thing, and be careful.” He snatched the drill at the same time, bending to unplug the cord. “You’re dangerous, Ms. O’Halloran.”

Kat pocketed the last screws and started down.

Slater began wrapping the cord around the handle, never taking his eyes from the faded denim stretched tight across her nicely rounded derriere. He held his breath, fearing the fabric might split from the rhythmic sway of her descent. As she drew closer he observed a small hole under her right back pocket. At eye level, it offered him a tantalizing glimpse of red. Silk, he thought. A shiver ricocheted through Slater’s body and slammed into his abdomen with the force of jet propulsion. It didn’t help his overloaded circuits that she took the last two steps in a single leap and landed, grinning at him over her shoulder through impish eyes.

Slater grappled with his self-control. “Did you know you have a hole in those jeans?”

“Hey, don’t break the drill cord, Kowalski.” She ripped the drill out of his hands and loosened the cord, missing the way his jaw tightened.

“The boards look great, don’t they?” She tilted her head back and surveyed her handiwork. “You play basketball?”

Having forced himself to concentrate on the short, feathery haircut, which he had the worst urge to touch, Slater was slower to track her gaze to the boards. “Which brings up another point,” he said. “I don’t recall having authorized the purchase of any equipment.”

Kat laughed, a pleasant ripple echoing from the rafters in the big empty warehouse. “You didn’t. They were donated.”

“Donated? By whom?”

Bending, Kat returned the drill to its case. “Actually, if you must know, I midnight-requisitioned one from my folks’ courtyard. No one uses it since my brothers moved out. Spud Mallory came by while I was dismantling it and said I could have the one attached to his garage. His boys are grown, too.”

“Are we talking Spud Mallory as in the cigar-smoking gambler who fleeces my father weekly in those ridiculous poker games?”

“My Pop and Spud played poker for years,” she said angrily, “and never bet a dime until Louie came on the scene and upped the ante.”

Slater loosely bracketed his hips with his hands. “I told you not to call my father Louie. And how did you come by the preposterous notion that it was his idea to play for money? Especially as he’s so incredibly inept that he always loses.”

“A lot you know.” Kat matched his stance. “Spud told me Louie always wins.”

Slater digested this tidbit. Stepping back, he massaged his neck and worried his upper lip with his bottom teeth. “I’m getting my information from our housekeeper. Helen’s like family. Why would she lie?”

“Why would Spud? He’s known me since I was in diapers.”

“Maybe he’s protecting your dad. How did the subject come up?”

Kat stared at him for several seconds before she turned and gave her attention to collapsing the ladder. It wouldn’t do to let him know her family was worried.

He stepped up to help. “There’s a possibility I’m right, isn’t there? You’re not sure of your facts, are you? Furthermore, I don’t think you’re any happier about the situation than I am.”

Kat’s fingers curled around the cool metal of the ladder. “You’ve got that right. My pop didn’t do any wacky things before he met yours. I intend to find out exactly what’s going on.” She grabbed the drill case, shouldered the ladder and started for the door.

“How do you plan to get at the truth?” Hurrying to catch up, Slater relieved her of both items. Outside, he fell into step beside her.

“Spud’s garage has an attic, which is accessible from a huge hawthorn tree. My brothers and the Mallory boys used to sneak up there to drink beer. I’ll just check out their next poker party myself.”

“Tell me when and where.”

“I prefer to go alone,” Kat informed him primly. “I’ll let you know what I discover.”

“What makes you think I’d believe your version any more than I believe Mallory’s?”

Kat yanked the ladder from his hands, and the drill. Her eyes glittered. “Would it surprise you to hear that I don’t give a tinker’s damn what you think? Why don’t you go play with your cars, and take Louie with you?” Having vented the frustration he caused simply by hanging around, Kat stalked off toward Maintenance.

Three young men dashed from the maintenance building. They vied good-naturedly for the right to help Kat. The minute they spied Slater, all three stopped dead.

Conscious of his position, Slater clamped down the urge to order them back to work. He should be the one to help her, dammit. Then again, she probably wouldn’t welcome his help. She barely tolerated him in her vicinity. Resigned to this circumstance, Slater gave his men curt nods and strode with purpose into an adjacent lab—as if his intent had been to visit his engineers all along.

Kathleen O’Halloran annoyed him. What did he care that she had big eyes and wore red silk beneath those tomboy clothes? And just what the hell made her think he needed her permission to check out that poker party? He was perfectly capable of finding Spud Mallory’s house on his own.

THE WEEK WAS EXHAUSTING for Kat. All day Friday, she dreamed of doing nothing more strenuous than going home to soak in a hot bathtub. Tuesday, she’d set up teams and started basketball practice, calling on dormant muscles in the process. Then, because the weather hadn’t improved and the rain kept them inside, she also borrowed her brothers’ old boxing gloves and set up a ring at one end of the warehouse.

Kat had no doubt the men were testing her when they demanded instruction in using the gloves. She had little choice but to comply. It was one of the few times Kowalski hadn’t shown up to bug her from the sidelines. Too bad. She was a fair boxer and wouldn’t have minded going a few rounds with him. Especially after Wednesday, when a group of women apparently complained to him that she was doing more for the men. He jumped right on that accusation with both feet, insisting she provide something for the women pronto.

A volleyball net was the one piece of equipment he’d authorized her to buy. But there wasn’t one to be found in Flintridge. Kat had scrounged the neighborhood for another donation. After finding one, she spent late nights mending it, installing it and working out schedules fair to everyone.