Texas Pride by Bárbara McCauley Page B

did this happen, Lucas? How could that man have seen me? No one has ever seen either of us. Well, except for Hannibal.”
    Lucas didn’t understand it, either. They’d always needed to be careful about their voices, but no one had ever seen them. Something was happening here. He felt...stronger. And Meggie was glowing brighter. Was it because of the church? Was it possible that, if the church was rebuilt, he and Meggie might be able to move on, as they should have so long ago?
    Lucas had no idea. But he prayed Jessica and Dylan would soon have that answer for him.
    * * *
    Dylan had been in Jessica’s bedroom all morning using her phone. He’d made a dozen calls to every contact he had within a six-hundred-mile radius, but he was batting zero. There were some possibilities in three weeks, but no one wanted to start a new job during the holidays.
    He paced, wondering if he should expand his radius, then gave up that idea. He could call to South America and it wouldn’t matter. The chance of finding a replacement crew before the New Year was somewhere between almost none and none.
    He sighed heavily and sat on the edge of Jessica’s bed. She’d driven into town earlier, determined to place an ad in the local paper. But he’d seen what she’d come up with the first time she used that technique, and he held little hope that this time would be any different.
    Her mattress was soft, he realized. Like she was. The scent of jasmine drifted from her pillow. His sleep had become practically nonexistent as he thought of her each night in here, dressed in silk and lace. He could still vividly see her long bare arms and legs, her smooth thighs and round breasts. He even thought of those damn red toes of hers.
    Every time she took a bath or shower, he made sure he had something to do elsewhere. The sound of the water conjured up images that nearly drove him mad.
    The persistent honk of a car horn had him jumping up guiltily. He looked out the window and saw Jessica pulling up in front of the hotel. Several young men climbed out of the bed of her truck. Another truck and a small sedan pulled alongside.
    What the hell was she up to? he wondered, and went down to meet her on the hotel steps. Her companions, five of them, fell in behind.
    â€œDylan. I want you to meet some friends of mine.” Jessica smiled brightly and turned to her entourage.
    â€œThis is Tony—” a pencil-thin redhead smiled “—Peter—” a dark-haired, dark-skinned kid nodded “Larry” a short-haired, diamond-stud-in-the-ear blonde raised his hand “—Josh—” a barrel-chested kid with curly brown hair stuck out his hand “—and Dean.”
    The last kid was tall and lanky with piercing gray eyes and black hair. He stood back from the rest, leaning against Jessica’s truck, his arms folded.
    Impatience rippled through Dylan. Here he was, facing total shutdown of the project, and Jessica was bringing company to visit. He didn’t have time for this.
    â€œYou’ll have to excuse me,” he said tightly, forcing his irritation down, “but I’ve got more phone calls to make. I’m trying to find us a crew.”
    He started to turn away, but Jessica took hold of his arm and pulled him back. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. This is your crew.”
    He stared at her blankly. “What did you say?”
    â€œThis is your new crew. Plus four more tomorrow.”
    He looked at the kids again, then back at Jessica. His first impulse was to say she must be kidding, but he knew she wasn’t. She was dead serious. “I don’t think you understand, Jessica. I need qualified men, experienced men.”
    Dylan felt the bristling among the group, especially Dean, who narrowed his eyes and pushed away from the truck.
    â€œThey are experienced, Dylan. Each of them has worked with their fathers or for someone else in the building