Free Twist of Fate by Barbara Witek Page A

everyone else beat feet as well. There were more important things in life than work.
    Over the years, he’d worked hard to earn the respect and business of the surrounding communities. The quality of his work spoke for itself, and he’d begun to develop a good-sized waiting list for proposals and preliminary drawings. There were a few big projects he’d recently bid on which had the potential to propel his company to a whole new level.
    While grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler, Sam saw his foreman, Luke, walk by, carrying a two-by-four. The man took a quick look in Sam’s direction then shook his head. A minute later Luke returned.
    “Scotty, Pete, you’ve got to see this.” The burly man pointed at Sam.
    “Not again,” Pete groaned over the sound of machinery.
    “Hey, Luke, you sure he’s the same guy?” Scotty scratched his curly red head from under his hard hat as he poked Sam in the shoulder.
    Luke took a wary step toward Sam. A curious look flashed in his grey eyes. “Don’t know.”
    Sam hadn’t seen his men this relaxed in a long time. He decided to play along and let them have their fun. “What is it now, guys? I gave you more money last month. I suppose now you want time off?”
    Scotty rubbed his whiskered jaw. “Nope.” He looked back at Luke. “I don’t think this is the same Warden.”
    “Damn good look-alike. I didn’t know Sam had a twin brother,” Pete piped in, snapping off his yellow hard hat.
    “Huh?” Sam crossed his arms, trying to hold back his laughter. “Spill it, what do you want?”
    “Well, ya see,” Luke began as he circled around Sam, “we’re trying to figure out who or what has plastered that idiotic smile on your face every time we see you.”
    “Gotta be a woman.” Pete eyed Sam up and down.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sam coughed and looked away because the amusement was too hard to hide.
    “Yeah, right. Where you hiding her? Is she in the trailer?” Pete stepped away, and Sam grabbed the sleeve of his work coat.
    “C’mon, there’s no one in the trailer.” He still couldn’t help the smile, which apparently didn’t help his case.
    Scotty slapped his palm on his dusty thigh. “You were right, Pete, it is a woman.”
    “How many times you getting it? She’s gotta be damn good to keep you looking like this all the time.” Pete grinned, showing a couple missing teeth.
    “Does she have a sister?” Scotty elbowed Pete and snorted.
    “I’m not getting anything, and there is no woman,” Sam retorted, attempting to sound stern. He had to keep Kate’s existence a secret. He trusted his crew, but he couldn’t risk her safety, or theirs, if things turned as bad as he thought.
    “Yup.” Luke shifted his chew from one cheek to the other. “That would explain all the smiling and that ‘light in the shoes’ walk you’ve had lately.”
    Sam smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Give it up, fellas, would you?”
    “There’s a reason why we call you Warden. If you don’t bark a few orders or fire someone soon, we’ll have to change that name.” Pete moved to stand by Luke and Scotty.
    “Oh really, to what?” Sam cocked a brow at a mock attempt at enlisting a challenge.
    “Princess,” the three men said in unison as they performed their best curtsies. They looked ridiculous with tool belts and hard hats as they twirled around. Sam let out a hearty laugh as they skipped away like three overgrown fairies.
    “We still want that time off,” they called.
    “You get time off when the mall job is done. Now get back to work, you clowns,” Sam yelled between bursts of laughter.
    The ring of the trailer phone brought his attention back to the job at hand. He’d given Kate his cell phone number, explaining to her it was the easiest way to reach him when he was out in the field. You couldn’t pay him enough to sit inside all day. He liked to be hands-on with his crew. He’d usually let the machine get it, but