He hesitated at the mention of her deceased father, then pointed to the difference in measurements. “These rafters are short by two inches. It’ll throw off the entire roof.”
Standing close enough that their arms brushed, she scrutinized the blueprints. She’d tied her hair back in the usual ponytail, but a few silky-looking strands had escaped and a light wind blew them across her face. The urge to tuck them behind her ear was as unwelcome as it was sudden.
“Are you sure your field measure is correct?” Her brow creased as she tucked the hair back. “I double checked the measurements myself.”
His irritation spiked at her doubt. “I suggest you triple check them.”
She drew herself up straight as a board. “I suggest you go back to what you’re supposed to be doing and quit doing my job.”
Her quiet order jolted him. Shit. He’d forgotten himself. Lips pressed together in a tight seam, he turned and strode across the plywood floor of the house. Over the next ten minutes, Justin did his job, careful to avoid watching her re-measure.
Would he have to reveal his identity and fire her? Given the circumstances of the company right now, and the way he’d been distracted by her presence over the past couple days, not to mention Granddad, it might be for the best.
“You were right.”
Justin spun around. Loud enough for everyone in the general vicinity to hear it over the noise of the boom truck, Marley’s husky admission came as a complete surprise. She met his gaze without flinching, even though he read in her eyes how much she hated being wrong.
“The rafters were ordered off previous blueprints, before we adjusted for the extra insulation the owner insisted we put on the outside wall.”
A rookie mistake, even if it was an honest one. Unfortunately, because of the size of the house, it would now cost Hunter Construction thousands of dollars in new lumber.
Marley turned away as the boom began to lower a rafter for a different section of the roof. Justin glanced up the ladder where Nate used a rope to guide it into place, then his gaze returned to her retreating back.
“You realize you’ll need to reorder the entire set of rafters for that section,” he called.
She spun around. “I’m not a complete idiot. I’ll have you know—”
A snap reverberated in the air and Justin saw the boom arm jerk. The ominous sound of the steel cable slipping unrestrained through the iron hook reached his ears as the rafter fell straight toward Marley.
He lunged forward. Hooked an arm around her waist and dove to the side. The crack of splintering wood accompanied their bone-jarring impact with the ground. Justin lay dazed for a moment, until Marley’s soft curves registered beneath him. No blinding pain—and he was still breathing. So was she.
Or at least she tried to. His weight on the landing had knocked the wind out of her. Voices surrounded them and hands grabbed his arms. He shook them off, concentrating on shifting his weight from Marley. She stared up at him with wide eyes as she sucked oxygen into her lungs.
“You okay?” His gruff voice barely rose above a whisper.
She nodded, but her lashes drifted shut.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Her arms and legs moved. “I’m okay.” The unsteady words preceeded another deep breath. She blinked a few times and looked at the men surrounding them. Dismay flooded her expression. “I need to get up.”
A slight tremor shook her body. Knowing she’d need a moment to compose herself, he cautioned, “Easy. Take your time.”
Furious fire sparked in her green eyes. “Let me up,” she demanded.
Okay, then, screw composure. He took hold of her hand and elbow and hauled her to her feet. She swayed a bit with his release, and her hand reached to steady herself, making contact with his bare arm. A second later, she snatched it away and stiffened her spine.
Nate pushed through the others and grabbed her close. “Thank God, Mar.”
“I’m fine, Nate.”
“You didn’t see what I saw.” He held her at arm’s length. “If he’d been a split second slower…”
The care and concern in Nate’s expression amazed Justin. So far he’d seen the guy give his sister nothing but grief.
Chuck clapped Justin on the shoulder. “You okay, man? I can’t believe how fast you moved.”
That drew some of the attention off Marley, but Justin didn’t want the recognition of what he’d done. Either one of them could’ve been killed. Just the thought of it turned his stomach. Memory of another accident threatened to surface, but he forced it away and focused on the present.