Forgotten Awakenings (Awakenings #2) (8 page)

“I know, which is why I didn’t tell you, Pop. You would have killed him.”

“Still might,” Carlos argued.

“Yeah, because that will help me,” Lucia scoffed. “Always wanted my father to go to prison for murder.”

“Pshh, I can get away with it,” Carlos chuckled. “I know people.”

“No, you don’t,” Lucia and Felicia said together.

“Okay, maybe I don’t,” Carlos admitted, turning serious. “You still should have come home, honey.”

Lucia ducked her head down, and Elle knew she was struggling to keep her emotions in check. “I didn’t want you to see me like that.”

“Like what, mija?” Felicia asked, placing her hand on Lucia’s shoulder, but the woman shrugged it off.

“Broken. Bruised,” she whimpered. “All I wanted was to hide and . . . just not be Lucia Flores, the screw-up. I couldn’t be her if I went running home to mommy and daddy.”

“So you came here, instead.” Though she wasn’t asking exactly, Felicia’s statement came out sounding accusatory. Almost hurt that her daughter had come running to her brother for comfort rather than letting herself find her strength in the arms of her mother.

Lucia sighed, but didn’t offer a response. Elle understood, of course. After Leo attacked her, she hadn’t wanted her parents to see her bruised and battered.

“She was ashamed,” Elle murmured, drawing the attention of everyone to her. Fidgeting with the top of her cane, she shook her head. “She told herself she had to have done something to deserve it. She smiled at the wrong person, said the wrong thing. She wasn’t good enough, and he made sure she knew it. She was embarrassed that she allowed herself to be beaten down and treated like trash, discarded like she was nothing. Because to him, she was nothing.”

Elle blinked back her tears. “But she’s so much more than nothing. She’s beautiful and smart, and she got out. She left and came to us because she knew we wouldn’t judge her.”

“And we would?” Carlos asked, the hurt in his voice evident. “Have we ever judged you, Elle?”

She shook her head. “No, but you’re her daddy, Carlos. If she’d shown up on your doorstep with bruises and a busted lip, would you have been able to stop yourself from hunting Dex down and making him pay for hurting your little girl?”

“Probably not,” he admitted. “But I would never have blamed her.”

“But you did, Pop,” Lucia argued. “I never went out with good boys, remember? Just losers. And because I don’t want to go to college like Derek did, that meant I didn’t have any direction in life. I want to sing, to be a star. That’s what I want!”

“I just want you to be happy, Lucia,” Carlos groused. “Is that so wrong?”

“Of course it’s not,” Felicia replied, placing her hand on Lucia’s elbow. “Now, we can discuss all of this when we get home.”

“Home?” Lucia asked, once more pulling away from her mother. “I’m not going back to Arizona with you.”

“Yes, you are, mija.”

“No, Ma, I’m not,” Lucia snapped. “I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“Well, you’re acting like one!” she quipped. “You can’t live with them, not with a baby coming. And you don’t have a job, no way of supporting yourself.”

“Sure she does.” As the words stumbled out of Samuel’s mouth, everyone turned and looked at him, causing his eyes to widen. “She’s working here. For me.”

“I am?” Lucia asked at the same time Felicia said, “She is?”

Samuel smiled, sheepishly. “Yeah. I mean, we can use the help. Greta’s doing the work of three people, right?” He said, turning to the older woman standing to his left.

She nodded furiously. “I could use the help. Someone to answer phones, help with the filing. My knees and back can’t do it anymore. She’s young and spry. I’ll put her to work.”

Lucia smiled. “See, Ma. I’m needed here.”

Felicia sighed.

“Ma, please. It’s time for me to grow up. San Francisco could be a new start for me, somewhere fresh!”

“Okay,” Felicia agreed with a huff. “But I will be checking on you. No more of this not talking crap. You’re my daughter, Lucia, and I won’t let you push me away. Pop and I will never stop loving you, no matter what. Understood?”

“Yeah, Ma, I understand.” Lucia wrapped her arms around her mother and father. “I’m sorry.”

“So are we,” Carlos said, kissing the top of her head. “But if I get my hands on that son-of-a-bitch, I’ll kill him. That’s a promise.”

Somehow Elle didn’t doubt one bit that Carlos would keep his word, which made her wonder about her own father. Would James Reid fight to the death to protect her?

Eight

Elle sat nervously in the conference room with Sadie, Derek, Callum, and to her surprise, Samuel. After hearing about her plans to present new blueprints to Wes and Amanda Anderson, he’d insisted on sitting in on the meeting. Elle wanted to believe that he was just curious about what she’d come up with to meet the couples wants and needs, but a part of her wondered if Samuel didn’t have a different agenda all together. Perhaps he just didn’t trust her any more.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door to the conference room opened and Greta led Wes and Amanda Anderson into the room. The Andersons were a charming couple. Both had attended UCLA on basketball scholarships, but had retired during their senior year due to injuries. They’d met in rehab, from what they told Elle, and had fallen passionately in love at first sight.

They’d been married for almost five years and were hoping to adopt their first child in the next year.

“It’s nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson.” Elle offered them her hand as she stood up.

“Please, we’ve asked you to call us Wes and Amanda.” Wes wrapped his fingers around her hand, giving her a friendly smile. “We insist.”

“Okay, sorry. I will try to remember.” Elle gave in with a laugh. “Please have a seat.”

“Thank you,” Amanda chirped, brushing her long, silky blonde hair over her shoulder before gracefully sitting in the chair across from Sadie. It was hard to believe the five-foot-eight woman was once considered one of the best college basketball players in the country before blowing out her knee.

“We’re excited to see what you’ve created for us,” Amanda added, smiling. “We were concerned that we’d have to take our business elsewhere.” She paused as she looked at Callum and Derek. “Not because you didn’t try. It’s just that this house will be where we raise our family, and we want it perfect.”

“We understand,” Callum said. “Which is why we think Elle is the right person for you. She’s . . . Well, she’s amazing.”

Elle felt her cheeks warm as everyone turned their attention to her. She tightened her grip on her cane as she walked to the far end of the table, where her presentation boards had been set up.

“As I told you when we met a couple weeks back, I believe that a person’s home is an extension of themselves, a reflection of who they are or want to be, at least. With that in mind, this is what I propose for you.”

Elle turned and flipped the boards around, before picking up her pointer and pressing the tip against the first board. “In order to optimize the land you’ve already selected, and still give you everything you want, I suggest that we create a multi-story building. On the first floor, you’d have your living room, dining room, and kitchen. By opting for an open-area concept, each room flows into the next with ease. This gives you the space to enjoy each other, without being cramped by walls. Also, as you start adding onto your family, it will make it easier to keep your eyes on your little ones. Now, I’ve added a small nook off the kitchen that will serve as your laundry room. With built-in storage, you should be able to really utilize the space well. There is also a half-bath attached to the laundry room. A set of French doors will give you access to a beautiful patio and fenced in yard so your little ones will be able to play in the back. When the time comes, you’d have plenty room to add a trampoline or a pool, if you want.

“Moving upstairs, you’ll find all four bedrooms and two additional bathrooms. The master bath will have his and her closets, a Jacuzzi tub, and walk-in shower, as well as two sinks. The other bathroom, which will be located across from the other three bedrooms, will have a large tub, which can easily be converted into a shower if needed.

“Now, the three bedrooms are all a bit smaller than you wanted, but in order to keep in line with the zoning requirements for the size of your land, I needed to make the adjustments here,” Elle explained.

Pausing, she turned her attention back to Wes and Amanda. “Because I know you hope to have a big family one day, I’ve added something special for you. An additional third floor.” Reaching over, she turned the third board. “Think of this space as a bonus room: a playroom for the kids, an office for the two of you. Anything you want, really. With lots of windows, you’ll be able to take advantage the natural sunlight, but not worry about people being able to see inside. We’ll include an intercom system and cameras over the front and back doors, to add a bit of safety.”

Elle shifted her attention between the two, waiting for them to say something, but when they just sat there, she said, “If this isn’t what you were looking for, I can figure something else out. I just wanted to give you as much space as I could. We could do a basement instead of the third floor, for example. And we can add some built-in shelving to help with storage —”

“It’s perfect,” Amanda murmured, leaning forward and bringing her hand up to her mouth. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so emotional, but it’s . . . Well, it’s perfect. Exactly what we were looking for.”

“Really?” Elle asked with a smile.

“Absolutely,” she said, standing up and walking around the table to where she was standing. “I love the layout on the first floor. What were you thinking about for flooring?”

“Oh, well, Sadie has been working on some ideas for the décor,” Elle said, gesturing to Sadie, who stood up and walked over to them.

“With the natural lighting we’ll have due to the design plans, I think we should consider a nice stone flooring throughout the first floor. Easy clean-up, and if we go a somewhat neutral color, like grey or beige, we can integrate your furniture. I would suggest a light beige on the walls with a slate texture. For the kitchen, you can’t go wrong with stainless steel. Easy to clean and looks amazing in an open area like this.

“For the second floor, I suggest using carpet in all the bedrooms, but use the same stone flooring in the bathrooms and the hallway. For the master bedroom, I would do a rich brown on the walls, and add some accent colors in the bedding and curtains.

“Now, for the bonus room, I would suggest stain resistant carpeting, because with children, there will be lots of spills, but I don’t think you want the stone flooring in there. You want something soft and comfortable. This will be your family space, a private getaway. I would like to add some built-in storage, like Elle suggested, along the north wall so you can put some baskets inside. It will keep the kids toys from collecting everywhere. We can also hang a television on the east wall; put a sectional couch around it. On the South wall, I would suggest we build a nice small desk that can be closed when you’re not on it.”

“Wow,” Wes chuckled as he joined them. “You’ve thought of everything.”

“Well, that’s my job,” Sadie told him with a smile. “Colors are subject to change, of course, but Elle and I have run the numbers and believe we can get this done well-under budget. We’ve contacted the Asciari Brothers, who said they’ll have a team available as soon as we get the plans submitted and approved.”

“How long do you think it will take once construction starts?” Wes asked, his forehead furrowing.

“Once the city has signed off on everything, the Asciari Brothers gave me a time frame of three to six months, barring any unforeseeable circumstances, of course,” Elle said.

“And these Asciari Brothers are good?” Amanda asked. “They’re trustworthy? I don’t want to sound like a negative nelly, but we’re putting everything we have into this house.”

“They’ve never let me down before,” Elle told them. “They’re who I would use if I were building a house for myself.”

“Well, that’s good enough for us,” Amanda said, softly. “Where do we sign?”

“You don’t want to think about this?” Elle asked.

“No,” Wes said, answering for his wife. “Amanda and I are tired of renting. We’re tired of putting our future on hold while waiting for the perfect house to be built. We agreed that when we came in here today that if we didn’t love what you proposed, we’d give up the dream of building and just buy one of a million houses we’ve looked at over the last few years. But we love what you’ve done for us. So, we’ll sign off on the plans today.”

Once Wes and Amanda had signed all the paperwork, Elle led them to the elevator. “I’ll get these submitted immediately. Thank you again for this opportunity.”

“You’re welcome, I guess. Though, after the work you did for Gabriel Alvarez, we were anxious to see what you’d do for our account,” Wes said.

“You know Mr. Alvarez?” Elle asked, confused.

Wes smiled sheepishly. “Back when I was in college, he gave me my first job. In fact, he backed my company financially when I branched out on my own. He was the person who recommended this firm when we decided to build our house.”

“He was?” Samuel asked, sounding as shocked as Elle was to hear that little tidbit. Gabriel had been a difficult man to work with, and she knew he’d pulled more than one project from Samuel over the years.

Wes nodded. “Though, we were starting to wonder if he was right.” He shifted his eyes to Callum and Derek. “It’s not that your work wasn’t great, just not what we wanted.”

“Of course.” Callum waved him off. “We understand. But why’d you stay with us for so long?”

Wes grinned wider. “We didn’t want to start the process over. We’d already invested so much time with you. Going with someone else felt like we were cheating on you, I guess. Anyway, a few months ago, I was talking with Gabriel, just catching up, and was telling him about our situation. He recommended that we ask Elle to design our house. Said she had an uncanny ability to look past the structure and find the home. Didn’t really understand what he meant until today.”

“Oh, wow, um, thank you,” Elle mumbled, feeling her cheeks warm.

“Well, we need to get going, but we look forward to hearing from you soon,” Amanda said, placing her hand on Wes’s arm and tilting her head toward the elevator. “Thanks again, Elle.”

“You’re welcome.”

She waited until the couple had stepped into the elevator and the doors had closed before she turned to Greta, who had been watching and listening to their conversation with a smile. “Lucia still scanning invoices?”

“Yes. Though, she’s gotten a lot done; all of yours and half of Samuel’s. She’s a hard worker. I think she’ll be a good asset to this place.”

“Good, glad to hear it.” When Elle turned and looked at Derek, Callum, Sadie, and Samuel, she found them smirking at her. “What?”

“Nothing,” they said together before turning and heading to their offices.

Elle rolled her eyes as she walked down to the file room, where she found Lucia halfway through a box of Samuel’s invoices. “Having fun?”

“A blast,” she scoffed, but she had a grin on her face. “It’s not too bad. A bit boring, but I can handle it.”

“Glad to hear it. Feel like trying your hand at something new?” Elle asked.

“I guess,” she replied, timidly.

“It’s not hard.” Elle held out the manila folder that contained the paperwork for the Anderson’s new house. “I need you to scan these into my account and then email copies to Michael Warren from the legal department, John Garrett from accounting, and Samuel. You can find their email addresses in my contact list. CC me in the email, that way I can make sure it goes through, and they can’t claim it was never sent. Then file them under pending permits.”

“Um, okay,” she murmured, taking the folder from Elle. “Sounds easy enough.”

“When you’re done with that, go see Greta. She’ll get you set up with everything you need to be a full-time employee.”

“You’re seriously giving me a job here?” Lucia asked, her eyes wide.

“Of course we are. You heard Samuel; we need all the help we can get.” Elle pushed off the doorjamb. “Don’t overthink it, hon; this isn’t charity, it’s just a second chance.”

“I’ll try not to. Thanks for, you know, everything. I know you’re only doing this because of Derek, but —”

“Whoa, hold on a sec. I love Derek, Lucia. I love him more than I can even express, but I’m not doing any of this for him. I’m helping you because I love you, too. You’re family, and I take care of my family. Got it?”

Lucia’s lips trembled as she nodded.

“Good. Now get back to work.”

—FA—

Just before six, Elle pulled her car up in front of Gold Rush and looked at the girl sitting in the passenger seat. Sadie’s back was still sore from running to alert them to Carlos and Felicia’s arrival at their office, so Callum had driven her car, leaving Derek to drive his truck. And since Elle had brought her car in with Lucia that morning, the two of them drove to the restaurant together.

Lucia had been quiet ever since they left the office to meet her parents for dinner — at Felicia’s insistence, of course. Elle understood that she was worried about her daughter, but she was pushing too hard. Lucia was trying. Why wasn’t that enough?

“Well,” Elle said, ending the silence and causing Lucia to look over at her. “You ready?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “Are you?”

Elle shifted her eyes to the front door. “Not sure.”

“We could leave,” Lucia suggested. “Make a run for the border.”