Ellie’s brows pulled together thoughtfully. “Why does that name sound familiar?”
“She’s part of the Halliday Hospitality family and apparently something of a wild child in her youth.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Right around the time I was here before there was a lot of talk about the press hounding her and a picture in the paper of her kissing your brother.”
“That’s right.”
She nodded. “I met with Dr. McKnight, and he couldn’t have been sweeter to me. Dr. Stone, too. We had several conversations about their expectations and suggestions for the clinic expansion before I drew up the plans.”
“By the way, he’s engaged now.”
“Who?”
“My brother, Ben. To Camille Halliday.”
“That’s really nice.” She smiled, then turned her attention to the laptop. “Now, I brought my own copy of the building plans, but I see y’all have the blueprints tacked on the wall—”
“Do you have a place to stay?” The question was nothing more than curiosity, he told himself.
“I’m sorry?”
“You couldn’t get a room at the lodge, so where are you going to live while you’re here?”
“Actually, Dr. Stone helped me out with that.”
Apparently Adam had succumbed to Blackwater Lake’s philosophy of neighbors helping each other out. The family practice doc had relocated last summer and rented an upstairs apartment from Jill Beck, a local woman. “What did Adam do?”
“He suggested I rent his old place, since he and Jill are engaged and living together downstairs.”
“And?”
“Jill agreed to a short-term lease, something she doesn’t normally do. But I guess she made an exception for me.”
“You and Jill must have hit it off.”
“We did. She even invited me to the wedding, since it’s going to be right there on their property by the lake where I’ll be living.” A smile lit up her face like the town square at Christmas. “C.J.’s actually the one who insisted I had to come to the ceremony, because he’s wearing a tuxedo. That little guy of hers is just as cute as can be.”
“The kid is something else.”
“Anyway,” she continued, “I was relieved to find something, and the silver lining is that it’s more homey than a hotel.”
“It has great views of the lake and mountains.” Right now Alex had no complaints about his view. Ellie Hart sure did brighten up a drab, boxy, portable construction trailer.
“A definite plus. But now...” Her tone turned regretful. “Y’all have been so nice, but I need to make up for bein’ late on my first day. It’s not the way to make a good impression. Time for me to get to work.”
She’d made an impression all right. Time would tell whether or not it was good. And as testy as he’d been about her tardiness, he couldn’t believe he was going to say this. “Look, if you need time to settle and unpack, take it.”
“That’s really sweet, but...” She shook her head. “There’s a lot to do, and the foundation’s being poured tomorrow. I need to check the fittings for the bearing walls and go over the next phase of the project.”
“I already did that. So, unless you want changes—but I can’t see why—the plans are good,” he said. “Really good.”
“Thank you for sayin’ so.” She allowed herself a small smile. “But I don’t want to leave anything to chance.”
“I respect that.” He waited for her to respond, but she focused on her computer.
Finally she looked up. “Was there something else?”
“Just one thing.” He folded his arms over his chest. The guy who’d been told he could charm the bloomers off a man-hating spinster had been sucked in by her charm, because he couldn’t believe he was going to say this, either. “You were a couple of hours late through no fault of your own. It’s okay to cut yourself some slack.”
“All due respect, that’s not how I see it.” She met his gaze. “I’m a woman in a traditionally male occupation.”
“If you’re worried about gender bias, don’t be.”
“Y’all are a man, and you can’t really understand why I have to earn respect.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “It’s my responsibility to plan, design and oversee the construction of the clinic to make sure it’s functional, safe, economical and environmentally friendly. It has to meet the needs of the people who work there and everyone who uses it.”
“In my opinion, you left nothing to chance.”
Alex had studied in detail the final construction plans, and he was impressed with her attention to local and state building codes, zoning laws and fire regulations.
“It never hurts to check and double-check. If alterations need to be made, the sooner the better. Otherwise the project could go over time and over budget. And everyone will be checking and watching just a little closer because I’m a woman.”
That was why he was checking her out, and it was no consolation that he hated himself for it. Obviously she wouldn’t want to hear that. So, he tried to put himself in her shoes, which wasn’t easy since they were four-inch heels.
“I see where you’re coming from, Ellie, but I’ve been in the building business for twenty years. Fetching, carrying and learning the trade while I was in high school. In college they actually let me use tools,” he added, gratified when his self-deprecation earned a smile. “Eventually I started my own company in Southern California.”
“I thought you lived here in Blackwater Lake,” she said.
“I do. About two years ago I opened a branch of the business here.”
“Why?” She seemed genuinely interested.
To answer her fully would require him to reveal details about his personal life, and that was something he wasn’t prepared to do.
“This town is a diamond in the rough. Word is spreading outside of Montana that it will be the next Aspen or Vail. It has a lot to offer recreationally during the winter and summer. Clean air and water make it an ideal place for a vacation home or settling in for retirement. There’s going to be a building boom, and I wanted in on that.”
“So y’all are ambitious and career-oriented.”
“Yes.” Partly because he no longer had a family, and work kept him too busy to think about all he’d lost.
“Good. I feel the same way.”
He nodded his approval. “Already we have something in common.”
“I’m tickled y’all understand where I’m comin’ from.”
“I do. It’s nice to know we’re both on the same page.” And there was one more thing. “How about a drink tonight after work at—”
She held up a hand. “I need to stop y’all right there.”
Maybe if he explained. “It’s a McKnight Construction custom to buy the architect a drink on the first day of a new job. For luck. Call me superstitious.”
The corners of her mouth curved up, showing off dimples and the delicate shape of her lips. But the smile didn’t make her eyes sparkle this time. “I’m goin’ out on a limb here and say that y’all don’t often work with a female architect.”
“You’d