living-dining-kitchen room. “Are you seriously cooking bacon at five a.m.?”
Ian, fully dressed in his own jeans and T-shirt, flashed a grin over his shoulder as he flipped bacon in a pan. “Can’t think of a better time.”
“Jesus, that smells good.”
“Come and get it.” He transferred some to a plate that he put on the small dinette table. “Want some juice to go with it?”
“Hell, yeah.” He sat and picked up a perfect, crisp slice of bacon and took a big bite. Oh man. That sharp/sweet, pungent, oily, crunchy experience that every human practically loved from birth. “I’d ask why you aren’t sleeping in, except I’d never want to talk you out of making bacon.”
“I figured I’d go to work with you in case you need someone to look at that suite layout.”
“Hey, thanks, but I’m not sure it’s even going to happen.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t get in the way. I have to be at work at noon, so I’ll take my own car. Might as well use it while I can.” He sounded unconvincingly cheerful.
“Did you get notice that he’s going to take the car away?”
Ian shrugged. “Kind of. I talked to Mom. She said he’s planning to stop making the payments, so I guess I better drop it off at his place so they don’t come repossess it from me.”
“The bastard. I’ll drive you tonight if you want.”
Ian just nodded and breathed.
“How’s Mom?”
“She’s better than he is, I guess, but she still acts like I brought this on myself by making crappy choices.”
“Yeah, sure. It’s good ignorance isn’t fucking hereditary.” The last bite of bacon didn’t taste quite as good. “I’ll brush my teeth and we’ll go to work.”
Ian nodded, but a lot of weight seemed to shift around on his skinny shoulders. “I’ll clean up.”
Jim put a hand on Ian’s back, and the boy stopped but didn’t turn. Jim stared at those tense shoulders. “You don’t have to work hard to impress me. I’m your brother. I love you just because.”
Ian’s head dropped forward and kind of bobbed. “Thanks, man.” The words barely got out.
“Will Anderson be okay alone?”
“Yeah. He’s settled in fine. Owns the place.”
Jim patted a couple more times, then gave Ian a moment while Jim brushed his teeth. A half hour later, they walked into the building carrying coffee they got at the drive-though. Ian perked up instantly and started examining the plans Jim had from Billy, along with the work that had already been done.
Charlie walked in a few minutes later and Jim introduced Ian, followed shortly after by Raoul.
Jim looked around the wide-open suite. “I let the demo guys go. I figured the three of us can easily finish what’s here, and then we’ll see if the owner has new instructions. If not, we can start building according to these plans.”
Ian nodded. “It’s a good, practical layout. Not totally inspired, but workable, I think.”
Jim grinned. “I neglected to mention that my brother is the next Frank Lloyd Right-on-the-Money.”
Charlie smiled. “So what would you do with this suite, Ian?”
The kid was clearly into it. “It depends on what the client specified, but based on these plans—” He grabbed a piece of extra paper from the stack of plans and sketched. “—I’d open this out so the private offices didn’t block all the light from the reception area. Maybe use some glass here.”
Jim nodded. “Glass is expensive.”
“Yeah, but you’d avoid long institutional-looking hallways this way, so it might be worth it.”
Raoul shrugged. “Looks great to me, man. Where’d you learn this shit?”
Finally, Ian looked self-conscious. “I kind of picked it up. Did an apprenticeship in an architectural firm in high school. I read a lot.”
Raoul nudged Jim. “Good to see some brains showed up in your family, Carney.”
Ian frowned. “Jim’s smarter than me. He always had to take care of himself. He’s plenty brainy—”
Raoul clapped his shoulder. “Hey,
Ian, fully dressed in his own jeans and T-shirt, flashed a grin over his shoulder as he flipped bacon in a pan. “Can’t think of a better time.”
“Jesus, that smells good.”
“Come and get it.” He transferred some to a plate that he put on the small dinette table. “Want some juice to go with it?”
“Hell, yeah.” He sat and picked up a perfect, crisp slice of bacon and took a big bite. Oh man. That sharp/sweet, pungent, oily, crunchy experience that every human practically loved from birth. “I’d ask why you aren’t sleeping in, except I’d never want to talk you out of making bacon.”
“I figured I’d go to work with you in case you need someone to look at that suite layout.”
“Hey, thanks, but I’m not sure it’s even going to happen.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t get in the way. I have to be at work at noon, so I’ll take my own car. Might as well use it while I can.” He sounded unconvincingly cheerful.
“Did you get notice that he’s going to take the car away?”
Ian shrugged. “Kind of. I talked to Mom. She said he’s planning to stop making the payments, so I guess I better drop it off at his place so they don’t come repossess it from me.”
“The bastard. I’ll drive you tonight if you want.”
Ian just nodded and breathed.
“How’s Mom?”
“She’s better than he is, I guess, but she still acts like I brought this on myself by making crappy choices.”
“Yeah, sure. It’s good ignorance isn’t fucking hereditary.” The last bite of bacon didn’t taste quite as good. “I’ll brush my teeth and we’ll go to work.”
Ian nodded, but a lot of weight seemed to shift around on his skinny shoulders. “I’ll clean up.”
Jim put a hand on Ian’s back, and the boy stopped but didn’t turn. Jim stared at those tense shoulders. “You don’t have to work hard to impress me. I’m your brother. I love you just because.”
Ian’s head dropped forward and kind of bobbed. “Thanks, man.” The words barely got out.
“Will Anderson be okay alone?”
“Yeah. He’s settled in fine. Owns the place.”
Jim patted a couple more times, then gave Ian a moment while Jim brushed his teeth. A half hour later, they walked into the building carrying coffee they got at the drive-though. Ian perked up instantly and started examining the plans Jim had from Billy, along with the work that had already been done.
Charlie walked in a few minutes later and Jim introduced Ian, followed shortly after by Raoul.
Jim looked around the wide-open suite. “I let the demo guys go. I figured the three of us can easily finish what’s here, and then we’ll see if the owner has new instructions. If not, we can start building according to these plans.”
Ian nodded. “It’s a good, practical layout. Not totally inspired, but workable, I think.”
Jim grinned. “I neglected to mention that my brother is the next Frank Lloyd Right-on-the-Money.”
Charlie smiled. “So what would you do with this suite, Ian?”
The kid was clearly into it. “It depends on what the client specified, but based on these plans—” He grabbed a piece of extra paper from the stack of plans and sketched. “—I’d open this out so the private offices didn’t block all the light from the reception area. Maybe use some glass here.”
Jim nodded. “Glass is expensive.”
“Yeah, but you’d avoid long institutional-looking hallways this way, so it might be worth it.”
Raoul shrugged. “Looks great to me, man. Where’d you learn this shit?”
Finally, Ian looked self-conscious. “I kind of picked it up. Did an apprenticeship in an architectural firm in high school. I read a lot.”
Raoul nudged Jim. “Good to see some brains showed up in your family, Carney.”
Ian frowned. “Jim’s smarter than me. He always had to take care of himself. He’s plenty brainy—”
Raoul clapped his shoulder. “Hey,
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