Wade's Way--Installment 3
Hi Readers, As we head into the weekend, I wanted to say that I hope everyone attending the Star Wars movie premiere has a great time and stays safe! These days you just never know, right? Here's the next installment of Wade's Way. I hope you enjoy it!
Wade's Way by Anne RaineyAfter a car accident leaves Bride Donner badly scarred and her boyfriend dumps her, she’s more than ready to retreat from the pain of living. When she inherits her dear grandmother’s large, old home in the country, Bride knows it’s the perfect place to do some serious soul searching. But when she hires arrogant contractor Wade Jackson to restore the regal beauty, hiding is the last thing on his mind. In fact, the dangerously sexy man proves—over and over—that it’s not just the house he has designs on. Very soon, Bride lets down her defenses and finds herself doing things...Wade’s Way.
(please be aware that these installments are freshly typed and unedited)
Part 3 Wade took the familiar path through woods behind his house. Every morning as the sun came up, he ran the five miles that would lead him to the only place he could truly think clearly. When he arrived in the clearing of trees that was a part of his property, he stopped and raised his head toward the sky. He breathed in the crisp morning air and the smell of the wildflowers blooming around him. Sweat trickled down his back as he stretched his aching muscles. He respected nature and surrounding himself with pine trees, ferns and the many creatures that took up residence on his property gave him a sense of peace deep down that he would need throughout the day.
A squirrel scurried along a branch above his head and a woodpecker meticulously began to bore a hole in a large, dead walnut tree nearby. Wade sat beneath a giant maple tree and searched in his backpack for a water bottle. He unscrewed the cap and as the fresh, cold water poured into his mouth, rehydrating him almost instantly, Wade took a few minutes to recover. He let himself enjoy the interesting show that nature had to offer.
Several minutes later, Wade’s mind was still saturated with the sounds and scents of the woods when he reached the back door to his house. A sense of pride came over him as he stepped into the kitchen. He’d built the ranch-style home himself, with his brother Garrett’s help. The large kitchen with the butcher block island and rich cherry cabinets was a thing of beauty. As was the big master bedroom. It took up the entire right end of the house. Wade liked his space. Small rooms made him feel as if he were being suffocated. Which also explained the giant shower, complete with massaging jets and a marble bench.
He strode toward the refrigerator for more water, when his brother’s voice calling his name stopped him short. “In the kitchen,” Wade yelled back, as he grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. As Garrett entered, Wade tossed one of them his way. “What brings you by?”
“Our sister,” Garrett grumbled as he took a long drink. “She’s a pain in the ass.”
Wade raised an eyebrow at his brother. Melanie and Garrett had never gotten alone. He suspected it was because the two of them were too much alike. With the exception of their appearance. Garrett was a six-foot mass of muscles with midnight black hair and an attitude. Actually Wade and Garrett resembled their dad, while Melanie was maybe five-four and as slim as a ballet dancer, thanks to her days of running track in high school and college.
“What did you do now?” Wade asked as he leaned against the counter and waited for Garrett’s tirade to begin.
“Me?” Garrett pointed back at himself. “Why do you always think it’s something I did?”
Wade chuckled. “It’s always you.” He thought of Melanie’s penchant for revenge and added, “If I were you, though, I’d watch my back.” A zing of approval shot through Wade as he thought of his spunky little sister. She could be as vicious as a lioness, but every bit as loving as he remembered their mother ever being. Melanie was the very image of their mom. It warmed his heart whenever he looked at Melanie, it was as if a part of their mother lived on. As if the cancer hadn’t taken her from them.
“She had it coming this time,” Garrett groused. “She parties too much. And she hasn’t dated a respectable guy in months.” He threw his hands in the air. “Is she ever going to take life seriously?”
“Parties?” Wade quirked an eyebrow at his brother’s censure. “Are you really one to talk?” Before Garrett could get a word in, Wade added, “Besides, you realize this is the year 2016, right? There are no laws that say Melanie has to settle down and get married.”
“And obviously our sister uses that fact to her full advantage,” he argued. “She’s annoying.”
“What happened? Did you two run into each other at the same nightclub again?” Wade asked. It’d happened before and Garrett hadn’t liked seeing his sister flirt and dance. It’d put a damper on his own intentions of finding a woman to take to his bed.
“Why do I bother telling you these things?” He asked, “All you do is take her side.” Garrett sat up straighter, as if indignant all of a sudden.
“Christ, Garrett, you are way too old fashioned. Melanie is never going to fit into the mold you’ve created for her. Nor should she. She’s independent and always has been. I’m proud of her and you should be too.”
Garrett heaved a heavy sigh. “I am proud of her. I just wish she’d meet a nice guy and get married. Maybe have kids. She’d be a great mom. And I want to be an uncle.”
"Maybe she will, but in her own time.” Wade said as he tossed his water bottle into the trash. “What else did you want to talk about. I know you didn’t just come here to complain about Melanie.”
“I’ve met our nemesis,” Garrett admitted as he rolled his eyes. “And he’s every bit as annoying as we imagined.”
Wade straightened abruptly. The only person Garrett could be referring to was Dane Bridges—the new man in town taking all remodeling business. He’d arrived six months ago and ever since, Dane had been outbidding Wade and Garrett’s Building and Remodeling left and right. He was getting jobs done faster and charging less. Wade’s business was seriously hurting because of it.
“In what way did you meet him?” Wade asked, worried Garrett had let his temper get the best of him.
Garrett left his seat and walked to the fridge. He took out a yogurt and said, “As I said, I was at a bar last night checking out the ladies when I heard a few men talking. They were talking about doing some work on their house, adding a two-car garage. I stepped up and offered our services, but of course they were already talking with another company. Right about then Dane with his dyed hair and fake smile walks up and introduces himself.” Garrett rolled his eyes. “He had no idea who I was. The dipshit even handed me a business card.”
“Garrett, what did you do?” Wade’s stomach sank. He had a sneaking suspicion Garrett hadn’t walked away graciously.
“I told him my name and explained that he’d been stealing jobs from us by offering outrageously low prices.”
Wade had to grit his teeth. “And?”
“He laughed. Actually laughed.” Garrett cursed. “I told him to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine and left.”
His hopes rose. Maybe Garrett had turned the other cheek. Miracles have been known to happen. “That’s it? You didn’t hit him or anything?”
“Nope.” He smiled as if proud of his self-control. “I was the picture of civility.”
Wade snorted. “Oh, I’ll just bet.” He rubbed one calloused palm over his face and wondered if Garrett knew how easily things could’ve gone bad. Their business was on shaky ground, the very last thing they needed was some sort scandal.
Garrett sat down at the table and looked over at him as he started in on the yogurt. “Wade, this guy is killing our business. What are we going to do?”
Wade sighed. “I don’t know. If we don’t get a big job soon, something to keep us afloat a while longer, we might have to call it quits.”
“We can’t compete with the sheer size of his operation.” His brows drew together. “There’s got to be something we can do.”
“Uh, yeah, we need a friggin’ miracle.” Wade replied, feeling his peaceful mood vanish into thin air.
“I have been hearing some rumors surrounding Dane and his not-so-amazing business skills” Garrett said as he finished off the last of his yogurt and got up to toss it in the trash.
“What sort of rumors?”
“Stuff like Dane using second rate material. Also, some of the men that work for him aren’t’ exactly legal.”
“So he pays them less,” Wade surmised.
Garrett nodded. “Yep. That must be how he’s keeping his bids so low.”
Wade hated guys like Dane. Using shitty material and hiring illegals to get the job done cheap and fast was as underhanded as it gets. “Of course, none of that helps us now,” he said, feeling his worries grow by leaps and bounds. When he noticed Garrett’s troubled expression, he added, “Look, we can stay afloat a little longer. In the meantime, we need to pray something comes our way.”
"Damn straight," Garrett replied. "Let's just hope God's in a listening mood."
Have a great weekend, Anne Rainey A Touch of Amber-- February 2016! http://annerainey.com
Wade's Way by Anne RaineyAfter a car accident leaves Bride Donner badly scarred and her boyfriend dumps her, she’s more than ready to retreat from the pain of living. When she inherits her dear grandmother’s large, old home in the country, Bride knows it’s the perfect place to do some serious soul searching. But when she hires arrogant contractor Wade Jackson to restore the regal beauty, hiding is the last thing on his mind. In fact, the dangerously sexy man proves—over and over—that it’s not just the house he has designs on. Very soon, Bride lets down her defenses and finds herself doing things...Wade’s Way.(please be aware that these installments are freshly typed and unedited)
Part 3 Wade took the familiar path through woods behind his house. Every morning as the sun came up, he ran the five miles that would lead him to the only place he could truly think clearly. When he arrived in the clearing of trees that was a part of his property, he stopped and raised his head toward the sky. He breathed in the crisp morning air and the smell of the wildflowers blooming around him. Sweat trickled down his back as he stretched his aching muscles. He respected nature and surrounding himself with pine trees, ferns and the many creatures that took up residence on his property gave him a sense of peace deep down that he would need throughout the day.
A squirrel scurried along a branch above his head and a woodpecker meticulously began to bore a hole in a large, dead walnut tree nearby. Wade sat beneath a giant maple tree and searched in his backpack for a water bottle. He unscrewed the cap and as the fresh, cold water poured into his mouth, rehydrating him almost instantly, Wade took a few minutes to recover. He let himself enjoy the interesting show that nature had to offer.
Several minutes later, Wade’s mind was still saturated with the sounds and scents of the woods when he reached the back door to his house. A sense of pride came over him as he stepped into the kitchen. He’d built the ranch-style home himself, with his brother Garrett’s help. The large kitchen with the butcher block island and rich cherry cabinets was a thing of beauty. As was the big master bedroom. It took up the entire right end of the house. Wade liked his space. Small rooms made him feel as if he were being suffocated. Which also explained the giant shower, complete with massaging jets and a marble bench.
He strode toward the refrigerator for more water, when his brother’s voice calling his name stopped him short. “In the kitchen,” Wade yelled back, as he grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge. As Garrett entered, Wade tossed one of them his way. “What brings you by?”
“Our sister,” Garrett grumbled as he took a long drink. “She’s a pain in the ass.”
Wade raised an eyebrow at his brother. Melanie and Garrett had never gotten alone. He suspected it was because the two of them were too much alike. With the exception of their appearance. Garrett was a six-foot mass of muscles with midnight black hair and an attitude. Actually Wade and Garrett resembled their dad, while Melanie was maybe five-four and as slim as a ballet dancer, thanks to her days of running track in high school and college.
“What did you do now?” Wade asked as he leaned against the counter and waited for Garrett’s tirade to begin.
“Me?” Garrett pointed back at himself. “Why do you always think it’s something I did?”
Wade chuckled. “It’s always you.” He thought of Melanie’s penchant for revenge and added, “If I were you, though, I’d watch my back.” A zing of approval shot through Wade as he thought of his spunky little sister. She could be as vicious as a lioness, but every bit as loving as he remembered their mother ever being. Melanie was the very image of their mom. It warmed his heart whenever he looked at Melanie, it was as if a part of their mother lived on. As if the cancer hadn’t taken her from them.
“She had it coming this time,” Garrett groused. “She parties too much. And she hasn’t dated a respectable guy in months.” He threw his hands in the air. “Is she ever going to take life seriously?”
“Parties?” Wade quirked an eyebrow at his brother’s censure. “Are you really one to talk?” Before Garrett could get a word in, Wade added, “Besides, you realize this is the year 2016, right? There are no laws that say Melanie has to settle down and get married.”
“And obviously our sister uses that fact to her full advantage,” he argued. “She’s annoying.”
“What happened? Did you two run into each other at the same nightclub again?” Wade asked. It’d happened before and Garrett hadn’t liked seeing his sister flirt and dance. It’d put a damper on his own intentions of finding a woman to take to his bed.
“Why do I bother telling you these things?” He asked, “All you do is take her side.” Garrett sat up straighter, as if indignant all of a sudden.
“Christ, Garrett, you are way too old fashioned. Melanie is never going to fit into the mold you’ve created for her. Nor should she. She’s independent and always has been. I’m proud of her and you should be too.”
Garrett heaved a heavy sigh. “I am proud of her. I just wish she’d meet a nice guy and get married. Maybe have kids. She’d be a great mom. And I want to be an uncle.”
"Maybe she will, but in her own time.” Wade said as he tossed his water bottle into the trash. “What else did you want to talk about. I know you didn’t just come here to complain about Melanie.”
“I’ve met our nemesis,” Garrett admitted as he rolled his eyes. “And he’s every bit as annoying as we imagined.”
Wade straightened abruptly. The only person Garrett could be referring to was Dane Bridges—the new man in town taking all remodeling business. He’d arrived six months ago and ever since, Dane had been outbidding Wade and Garrett’s Building and Remodeling left and right. He was getting jobs done faster and charging less. Wade’s business was seriously hurting because of it.
“In what way did you meet him?” Wade asked, worried Garrett had let his temper get the best of him.
Garrett left his seat and walked to the fridge. He took out a yogurt and said, “As I said, I was at a bar last night checking out the ladies when I heard a few men talking. They were talking about doing some work on their house, adding a two-car garage. I stepped up and offered our services, but of course they were already talking with another company. Right about then Dane with his dyed hair and fake smile walks up and introduces himself.” Garrett rolled his eyes. “He had no idea who I was. The dipshit even handed me a business card.”
“Garrett, what did you do?” Wade’s stomach sank. He had a sneaking suspicion Garrett hadn’t walked away graciously.
“I told him my name and explained that he’d been stealing jobs from us by offering outrageously low prices.”
Wade had to grit his teeth. “And?”
“He laughed. Actually laughed.” Garrett cursed. “I told him to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine and left.”
His hopes rose. Maybe Garrett had turned the other cheek. Miracles have been known to happen. “That’s it? You didn’t hit him or anything?”
“Nope.” He smiled as if proud of his self-control. “I was the picture of civility.”
Wade snorted. “Oh, I’ll just bet.” He rubbed one calloused palm over his face and wondered if Garrett knew how easily things could’ve gone bad. Their business was on shaky ground, the very last thing they needed was some sort scandal.
Garrett sat down at the table and looked over at him as he started in on the yogurt. “Wade, this guy is killing our business. What are we going to do?”
Wade sighed. “I don’t know. If we don’t get a big job soon, something to keep us afloat a while longer, we might have to call it quits.”
“We can’t compete with the sheer size of his operation.” His brows drew together. “There’s got to be something we can do.”
“Uh, yeah, we need a friggin’ miracle.” Wade replied, feeling his peaceful mood vanish into thin air.
“I have been hearing some rumors surrounding Dane and his not-so-amazing business skills” Garrett said as he finished off the last of his yogurt and got up to toss it in the trash.
“What sort of rumors?”
“Stuff like Dane using second rate material. Also, some of the men that work for him aren’t’ exactly legal.”
“So he pays them less,” Wade surmised.
Garrett nodded. “Yep. That must be how he’s keeping his bids so low.”
Wade hated guys like Dane. Using shitty material and hiring illegals to get the job done cheap and fast was as underhanded as it gets. “Of course, none of that helps us now,” he said, feeling his worries grow by leaps and bounds. When he noticed Garrett’s troubled expression, he added, “Look, we can stay afloat a little longer. In the meantime, we need to pray something comes our way.”
"Damn straight," Garrett replied. "Let's just hope God's in a listening mood."
Have a great weekend, Anne Rainey A Touch of Amber-- February 2016! http://annerainey.com
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