Free The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans Page B

overhead each day his crew sat idle. Another contractor, also caught in Kier’s manufactured shortage, informed him of Kier’s purchase. As humiliating as it was, Grimes went to Kier to ask him to sell him some of his drywall. Kier not only refused, but berated Grimes for his poor planning, calling him a “donkey among thoroughbreds.”
    As his losses grew, Grimes was forced to lay off his workers and to eventually abandon the project altogether at a huge financial loss, forcing his company into bankruptcy. Also lost was his reputation. With such a public failure, no one would work with Grimes Construction again.
    The development was awarded to Kier, who not only capitalized on Grimes’s completed work, but raised his price to complete the job, forcing the investors to pay nearly 20 percent more than his original bid. Kier bought himself a villa in Palm Springs to celebrate the project’s completion.
    Pouring salt on the wound, Kier named the back road leading to the development’s garbage Dumpsters “Grimes Street.”
    At the height of his success, Grimes had built himself an eight-thousand-square-foot home on the east bench of the valley. Kier had driven by it with Sara. She gasped when she saw it. Though Kier wouldn’t admit it, he was also impressed. It was a beautiful French château-style house impeccably landscaped with cobblestone walks, statuary, and potted kumquat trees lining the front walk. Kier could only assume that the home was lost with everything else. The house Kier now sat in front of was a far stretch from what he’d seen before. This place was small and badly in need of repair; ironic, Kier thought, for a homebuilder.
    What do you say to a man you’ve destroyed? Kier wondered. How could he make things right? As he considered his dilemma he had an idea. Kier’s company could use the talents of a building contractor as skilled as Grimes. He could offer him a top-level position, eventually even stock options. And even better, the extra 20 percent Kier had made from the sabotaged project would more than cover the cost of hiring Grimes. He suddenly felt good about the meeting; they’d work something out. Who knows, he thought, by afternoon they might be laughing and swapping stories .
    Kier climbed out of his car, walked to the gate in the chain link fence, and let himself in. The walk leading up to the front porch had not been shoveled. The curtains in the front windows were drawn and the only indications that there waslife inside the house were the paw prints in the snow of a large dog leading to and from the front door.
    Kier trudged through the snow and climbed three steps to the porch. There were two pairs of skis leaning against the house. Kier pushed the doorbell. He didn’t hear anything so he rapped on the door with the back of his hand. His knock was answered by the low, menacing growl of a dog that soon erupted into fierce barking. A minute later the doorknob turned. A pretty teenage girl with short brown hair that perfectly framed her face opened the door. She wore ear buds that ran down her shirt. She positioned herself between the excited dog and the narrow slot between the door and the doorjamb. With the door open the dog barked even more fiercely.
    â€œIs this the Grimes residence?”
    She pulled a white earbud from her ear. “Sorry, what?”
    â€œDo the Grimeses live here?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIs your father here?”
    The girl, still struggling with the dog, grimaced. “Yeah, but he’s watching TV.”
    The dog pushed its nose past the girl. It was a large black and brown German shepherd, its teeth bared. Kier watched somewhat anxiously as the small young woman strained to push the dog back. “Stop it, Samson. Sit! Sit!”
    â€œDo you think I could speak with him?” Kier asked.
    â€œI think so. I’ll see.” She reached back for the dog, then stepped back from the door, pulling