Read Online At Risk of Being a Fool by Jeanette Cottrell - Free Book Online Page A

Danny said. “If anyone can, he will. It’ll be tough, though. He lost three fingers on his right hand, and his right eye too. Gonna be a lot of scars, mess up his good looks. It could have been a hell of a lot worse. You know pipe bombs, the blast goes every which way. The worst of it went the other way, took a chunk out of the truck. Bryce was damned lucky. Old Bryce, I still can’t believe it. He says he’ll be back on the job, but I don’t know.” Danny looked bleak. Jeanie followed his thought without effort. Construction work with half a hand, and one eye. “He’ll be in rehab for a long time.”
    “Rehab?” said Rosalie, frowning. “Like, for drugs?”
    “Physical therapy, and like that. He’s got to learn to do stuff all over again, because his hand won’t work right.”
    “Oh,” said Rosalie, uncomprehending.
    “But you’re still working, right?” said Quinto. “So I can come back!”
    “Well, that’s why I came. I’m having a little trouble, going to have to work on the new foreman a little. After the pipe bomb, he’s a little nervous about mentorship.”
    “But I wouldn’t. Hurt a guy? I never, you just ask anybody.”
    “I know, I know. I been telling him. What I figure is, give me the rest of the week, and then show up Monday, same job site. You stick close to me, buddy, you hear? Don’t give him any grief.”
    Quinto nodded energetically. “Like always. He’ll see. Mr. Wogan, he didn’t like me much either, but he seen it, I’m a worker. When I get out, first thing I’m doing is get a job on construction with you.”
    “Lotsa jobs around, Quinto,” said Ricardo. “Come up to Portland , back home, I’ll get you in at the store. Better job.” He looked at Danny apologetically. “Air conditioning, you know. Besides the kid’s an artist. He could use it in advertising or something.”
    “Couldn’t have said it better. There’s lots of opportunities out there for a guy with Quinto’s spunk,” said Danny. He slapped his thighs. “Well, I’ll be getting along now. Just thought I’d drop by. Glad to have caught you, Ricky. Bye Quinto, Dillon. Good-bye, Mackie.” The door thumped closed behind him.
    “Well,” said Mackie. “That’s good news, Quinto. Monday, it is! I’ll let Mr. Maldonado know. How about Jeanie and I back off for a bit? We’ve got paperwork and phone calls to catch up on. That okay with you guys?”
    Mackie retreated to the office, and Jeanie sat next to the office doorway, in visual range but out of earshot of quiet voices. Mackie dialed Maldonado’s number from memory. Jeanie looked through student essays, keeping half an eye on Brynna and Sorrel. Estelle Torrez, reflected Jeanie, would have had a fit. Who knew what they were arranging between them? Something despicable, naturally.
    Sorrel didn’t have much to say, but she was listening. She’d been pale for several days, though it was hard to tell under all the makeup. Stress, probably. Quinto, though, was exuberant, barely able to confine himself to one section of the room.
    You couldn’t program emotional growth, just accelerate it a tad, here and there. So many rehabilitative efforts tried to make sows’ ears into silk purses. And what happened, the moment the pressure let up? There’d be a bunch of pigs, running everywhere, tearing up the city, and everyone would be surprised. Jeanie grinned to herself at the foolish analogy.
    “Excuse me, er ... Jeanie?”
    Jeanie looked up, startled. Ricardo Cervantes stood next to her, running his hand over his styled black hair.
    “Hey, can I talk to you and Mackie for a bit?”
    “Of course. Mackie?” She followed Ricardo to the office, and stood in the doorway.
    “What’s up, Ricky?” Mackie set down the phone.
    Ricardo sat on the desk, one foot cocked up against the table leg. “Well, it’s nothing, really. It’s just, jeez.” He sighed and shrugged. “Look, I wanted to tell you, one of the guys in our old gang, Matt Houston, he got