Defined By Deceit

His father’s eyebrows rose almost into his hairline, and Shane knew he had him. Anytime money could be saved on labor, his father loved it.

“Well he sounds like some guy. Huh, Big Daddy?” His mom smiled. She added more rum sauce to her bread pudding, encouraging Shane to keep talking.

“Mom, Ms. Pat gushes over everything he does. He really has her house coming along. Making all the repairs she’s been needing.”

“That ole good for nothing son of hers still making excuses?” his dad grunted.

“Of course.”

Shane continued to win his parents over while he told them about how hard Llew worked, and how well the bidding and plans were going on the current and future sites. By the end of the evening, he was exhausted and ready to leave.

“I’d like to come by the site before we head out this weekend. Take a look around,” his father said, walking him to the door.

“I got everything under control Big Daddy. I don’t need you to come in overruling my decisions.” Shane stood his ground.

“I’m not coming in to overrule anything. It’s your company now, Shane. I just miss the sound sometimes, son.”

Shane noticed the thoughtful expression on his father’s face, knowing he couldn’t refuse him. It probably wasn’t easy for a man like his father to not have a specific purpose when he woke every morning. Shane didn’t think days filled with long breakfasts, afternoons of golf at the country club, and evenings of sailing were all that bad. He could sure live like that for a while instead of waking at five a.m. every day and getting to the daily grind.

“Missing hard work and manual labor, that’s just crazy.” Shane smiled before adding, “Sure, Dad. Why don’t come by on Thursday?”

His dad patted him on the back, opening the large double doors of their large Kerr lakeside home.

“But if you give my guys a hard time… especially Llew, I’ll forbid you from stepping foot on my site again. It’ll be so long, you won’t know a tractor from a trailer, old man.” Shane laughed, taking a few jabs at his father’s midsection to show he was kidding him.

His father grabbed him, ruffling his hair like he used to when he was kid. “You forbidding Big Daddy? You the one that’s crazy, boy.”

Shane jumped out of his father’s hold, springing down the steps from the large, wraparound porch. He felt so much lighter now that his parents knew the truth. They may still be hesitant about Llew but once they met him, they’d be able to see it – see his man’s goodness just like he could.

Chapter Thirty

The week went by quickly, quicker than Llew wanted it to. Shane said his father was coming by the site that afternoon and to say Llew was nervous would be a gross understatement. He’d worn his work pants that didn’t have any holes in them and a blue flannel shirt. He made sure to trim his beard so he didn’t look as rugged as usual. He was glad the guys had warmed up to him some, especially since he’d proven himself on the job. They knew he wasn’t just a guy with no experience who had weaseled his way into a position via the boss’ pants. He’d even eaten lunch with a couple of the guys this week instead of going off to sit by himself with Shane’s iPod playing in his ears.

“Llew do you wanna check with the boss and see if he wants us to go ahead and pour this concrete today or if he wants to wait until tomorrow morning?” One of the cement masons yelled over the engines of the tractors digging up the soil a few feet away.

Shane and Jack were in the trailer and it’d become kind of the consensus on the new site this past week that when someone had a question, they came to Llew since he seemed to know most of the answers. Llew looked at his watch. It was a couple hours before quitting time. “Go ahead and pour, Rick. We got time.”

The man gave him the thumbs up, trusting Llew’s judgment, and began directing the truck to back up to the large slab. He had been watching them for a few minutes when Jessie ran up to him, out of breath. “Llewellyn. You need to come to the office, now.”

Llew looked at her, wondering why the hell she was on the site in those heels and no hard hat. He yanked his off his head and put it on hers, smashing down her ponytail, and almost completely covering her forehead. “Jess are you crazy? You can’t be out here like this. Does Shane know you’re out here?” he said, while half-dragging her away from all the machines, piles of cement blocks, suspended boards and raised scaffolding. Way too dangerous a place for a lady or a man for that matter; not dressed properly. Shane would lose his permit right quick if a zoning officer drove up at that moment.