Read What the Heart Knows: A Milford-Haven Novel - Book One for Free Online Page B

problems in the first place
.
    “You know, Jack, you act as though Sawyer Construction enjoys some sort of exemption. That’s
not
how it works.”
    As far as Jack was concerned, it was all very simple. He’d come to terms with it years ago. In the battle of idealism versus practicality, there was no question which had won.
If people don’t have jobs—and houses to live in—nothing else really matters
. “If you knew the slightest thing about how business works,” he yelled, “you wouldn’t try to implement these rules—which only serve to block badly needed pieces of development, much desired by the community at large.”
    Kevin Ransom, sitting at his desk in the main office, couldn’t help but hear the argument taking place behind hisboss’s closed door—especially as Jack’s voice continued to rise.
Well, I’m only getting his side of the conversation. But why does he have to shout at her?
    Torn between a desire to flee the premises thereby avoiding the unpleasant—and private—argument, and staying at his post, Kevin found himself too distracted to get any real work done. He considered turning on the office radio to mask the sound, but then thought that might only annoy Jack further.
    Before Jack’s arrival, there’d been a message on the office machine from one of the workers currently hired-on at the Clarke House. Burt Ostwald, or “Mole Guy”—as he and the others referred to him—was taking a sick day. He’d left a long story about having forgotten his backpack at the job site, returning for it, getting a flat tire and having to walk home. During the night, he’d caught a chill and planned to stay in bed for the day.
    Kevin had his own theory about Burt. Having heard enough rumors about the man’s propensity to drink, Kevin figured that after his long walk home he’d knocked back a few, and now suffered from a hangover. Either way, Kevin figured Jack didn’t need to hear about it—not in his present mood.
    I guess I could finish up the forms from that last job
. Paperwork was one of his least favorite aspects of working at Sawyer Construction. But because he found it difficult, it did promise to keep him too occupied to tune in any further to Jack’s latest spat with Samantha. He grabbed a stack of forms and began filling them out.
    Jack Sawyer’s chair squeaked as he swivelled to face out the window, still spattered from last year’s rainy season. With half an ear, he continued to listen as Samantha droned on.
    “Development is one thing, Jack. Ravaging the land is something else. I warned you to put a hold on this until our environmental impact study was complete.”
    “And I warned
you
what would happen if you ever tried to interfere with my business again. Let me see if I can shed a little light on rules for you. The rule, you said, was that no one was to know about us. You moved to Milford-Haven seven years ago, and I’ve obeyed your rule all this time, despite—”
    “Despite what, Jack?”
    His fist hit the well-worn desk. “Despite the fact that you continue to do everything you can to interfere with my business, every time I turn around!”
    “My goal isn’t to interfere with your business. I’m simply doing my job. Why do you insist on taking this personally?”
    “Personally? There’s nothing more personal to me than my business, and you’d understand that if you’d ever stuck with anything long enough to actually let it grow into something.”
    “That was uncalled-for, Jack, and I resent it.”
    He heard something—the merest suggestion—in her voice: filled with righteous indignation at the surface, it resonated with a deeper note that quavered with hurt.
I hate being able to read her so well after all this time. But then again, it’s something I can use
.
    After all, it was
her
fault their marriage had failed, and he saw no reason to let bygones be bygones. Having brought home his point, Jack inhaled, poised to deliver another blow. “Don’t forget that