get his way.” Brian thought of Natalia. Spencer also had his eye on the beautiful new student.
James looked at Brian. “With a dad like that, though, his life can’t be easy.”
“Mine should be so tough.” Brian strained to pull out an eighty-year-old nail.
“Come on, man, you’ve told me how great your dad is. Would you really want to trade him for Mr. Adams?”
“No way.”
“I’ve heard the way he yells at his employees, and at my dad. Imagine how Spencer gets treated.”
“Don’t go making me feel sorry for him, James.” Brian finally got the nail out.
He laughed. “I’m just saying, sometimes perfect lives aren’t as perfect as they seem.”
Footsteps approached the dining room where he and James were working.
“Finally coming in to help us, Mr. King?” Brian called out.
“Mr. King isn’t helping?” Mr. Adams walked in, his expensive business suit a stark contrast to the piles of rubble he stepped over.
James’s eyes widened. “He just stepped out, Mr. Adams. He’ll be right back.”
“My multimillion dollar home is left to the two of you?”
Mr. Adams glared at them. “I figured out who you are, by the way.” He leveled his gaze at James. “You’re lucky I didn’t have you fired.”
“For what?” James laid his crowbar down.
“For being related to Senator Perkins,” he spat. “Do you know how much money I donated to that campaign?”
“No, but I bet you do,” James muttered under his breath.
Brian bit back a laugh.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Adams’s face was inches from Brian’s. “I’ve given plenty to your dad too.”
Brian knew he was referring to his donations to the school. Amazing how people think the pastor personally benefits from gifts given to the church or school. But it would not be wise to contradict him.
“I was just telling my son this morning how much of aresponsibility it is to be an Adams, how lucky he is, how grateful he should be.”
James met Mr. Adams’s gaze. “How fortunate for him he has a father who won’t let him forget that.”
The businessman’s face turned red. “There are other demolition companies out there. I can ruin this one. Believe me. So you better watch yourself and treat your betters with respect.”
Brian waited until the man was out of earshot before saying, “As soon as we see one of our betters, we will.”
Chapter 20
A nother great night.” Brian cleaned up the trash left on the tables after the last of the ESL group members left.
Natalia tried to convince herself that she was not attracted to him. So why does my heart act like it’s going to jump out of my chest every time he looks at me ?
“So I heard you telling Victor that your mom is a broadcast journalist in Madrid.”
Natalia nodded. Brian had been trying to get her to open up more about her personal life, but she was afraid. She needed to keep their relationship as distant as possible.
“So have you gotten to meet any celebrities?”
Natalia grabbed another chair and spoke while walking to the corner. “A few.”
“Antonio Banderas?” Brian stood beside her. “I loved him in Puss in Boots .”
Natalia rolled her eyes as Brian tried to dance the tango by himself. “No. I’ve never met him. Most of the celebrities I’ve met are only famous in Spain. It’s no big deal, really.”
“Sure it is.” Brian kept stacking chairs. “So what does your dad do?”
“It’s complicated.”
“A secret agent? Like Antonio Banderas in Spy Kids ?” Brian’s eyes widened, as did his smirk. “You can’t say or he might get kidnapped, and then you’d have to go to a private island and fight crazy bad guys to free him—I’ll take your silence as confirmation.”
“What is it with you and Antonio Banderas?”
“I just love Spanish people.” He shrugged. Then his face turned that adorable shade of pink. “I mean . . . it seems like a cool country . . . bullfighting and all that manly stuff.”
Natalia found his awkwardness
James looked at Brian. “With a dad like that, though, his life can’t be easy.”
“Mine should be so tough.” Brian strained to pull out an eighty-year-old nail.
“Come on, man, you’ve told me how great your dad is. Would you really want to trade him for Mr. Adams?”
“No way.”
“I’ve heard the way he yells at his employees, and at my dad. Imagine how Spencer gets treated.”
“Don’t go making me feel sorry for him, James.” Brian finally got the nail out.
He laughed. “I’m just saying, sometimes perfect lives aren’t as perfect as they seem.”
Footsteps approached the dining room where he and James were working.
“Finally coming in to help us, Mr. King?” Brian called out.
“Mr. King isn’t helping?” Mr. Adams walked in, his expensive business suit a stark contrast to the piles of rubble he stepped over.
James’s eyes widened. “He just stepped out, Mr. Adams. He’ll be right back.”
“My multimillion dollar home is left to the two of you?”
Mr. Adams glared at them. “I figured out who you are, by the way.” He leveled his gaze at James. “You’re lucky I didn’t have you fired.”
“For what?” James laid his crowbar down.
“For being related to Senator Perkins,” he spat. “Do you know how much money I donated to that campaign?”
“No, but I bet you do,” James muttered under his breath.
Brian bit back a laugh.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Adams’s face was inches from Brian’s. “I’ve given plenty to your dad too.”
Brian knew he was referring to his donations to the school. Amazing how people think the pastor personally benefits from gifts given to the church or school. But it would not be wise to contradict him.
“I was just telling my son this morning how much of aresponsibility it is to be an Adams, how lucky he is, how grateful he should be.”
James met Mr. Adams’s gaze. “How fortunate for him he has a father who won’t let him forget that.”
The businessman’s face turned red. “There are other demolition companies out there. I can ruin this one. Believe me. So you better watch yourself and treat your betters with respect.”
Brian waited until the man was out of earshot before saying, “As soon as we see one of our betters, we will.”
Chapter 20
A nother great night.” Brian cleaned up the trash left on the tables after the last of the ESL group members left.
Natalia tried to convince herself that she was not attracted to him. So why does my heart act like it’s going to jump out of my chest every time he looks at me ?
“So I heard you telling Victor that your mom is a broadcast journalist in Madrid.”
Natalia nodded. Brian had been trying to get her to open up more about her personal life, but she was afraid. She needed to keep their relationship as distant as possible.
“So have you gotten to meet any celebrities?”
Natalia grabbed another chair and spoke while walking to the corner. “A few.”
“Antonio Banderas?” Brian stood beside her. “I loved him in Puss in Boots .”
Natalia rolled her eyes as Brian tried to dance the tango by himself. “No. I’ve never met him. Most of the celebrities I’ve met are only famous in Spain. It’s no big deal, really.”
“Sure it is.” Brian kept stacking chairs. “So what does your dad do?”
“It’s complicated.”
“A secret agent? Like Antonio Banderas in Spy Kids ?” Brian’s eyes widened, as did his smirk. “You can’t say or he might get kidnapped, and then you’d have to go to a private island and fight crazy bad guys to free him—I’ll take your silence as confirmation.”
“What is it with you and Antonio Banderas?”
“I just love Spanish people.” He shrugged. Then his face turned that adorable shade of pink. “I mean . . . it seems like a cool country . . . bullfighting and all that manly stuff.”
Natalia found his awkwardness
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