Robby (Cooper Construction Book 3) Read online

  ROBBY

  COOPER CONSTRUCTION SERIES

  BOOK 3

  By Jen Davis

  ROBBY

  Copyright © 2019 by Jen Davis.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: May 2019

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-601-7

  ISBN-10: 1-64034-601-5

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To everyone still struggling to love themselves.

  You are beautiful just the way you are.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  Chapter TWO

  Chapter THREE

  Chapter FOUR

  Chapter FIVE

  Chapter SIX

  Chapter SEVEN

  Chapter EIGHT

  Chapter NINE

  Chapter TEN

  Chapter ELEVEN

  Chapter TWELVE

  Chapter THIRTEEN

  Chapter FOURTEEN

  Chapter FIFTEEN

  Chapter SIXTEEN

  Chapter SEVENTEEN

  Chapter EIGHTEEN

  Chapter NINETEEN

  Chapter TWENTY

  Chapter TWENTY-ONE

  Chapter TWENTY-TWO

  Chapter TWENTY-THREE

  Chapter TWENTY-FOUR

  Chapter TWENTY-FIVE

  Chapter TWENTY-SIX

  Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN

  Chapter TWENTY-EIGHT

  Chapter TWENTY-NINE

  Chapter THIRTY

  Epilogue

  CHAPTER ONE

  Robby

  The smell of fresh pepperoni pizza mingled with the new-construction scents of drywall and sawdust as Robby set the delivery boxes onto the just-installed island in the nearly finished kitchen area. The countertops wouldn’t come in for a couple of days, so a piece of heavy plywood served as a flat surface in the meantime.

  His buddy, Kane, sniffed out the food first. “Hot damn. What did we do to deserve this?” Pizza was usually a treat reserved for the beginning or end of a build, not a random weekday lunch.

  Robby grinned. “You can thank your wife for this one. Something about it being your birthday?” He tore open the top box and held it up. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  With a careless shrug, Kane plucked a piece from the offered pie. “Birthdays were never really a big deal in my family.”

  Brick, Robby’s best friend and surrogate older brother, pulled out two pieces at once and folded them together with his big hands. “Not sure I’d advertise being born on April Fools’ Day either.” He winked as he took an enormous bite.

  “Whatever. You’re just jealous because my lady takes such good care of me.” Kane punctuated the pronouncement with his own hefty bite, the movement pulling the shiny scar taut across his cheek.

  “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. Not only does my beautiful wife take care of me, she’s looking out for your dumb ass too. She’s cooking a big dinner again, and she wants to make a birthday party out of it.”

  Kane stopped chewing and swallowed, shuffling his feet.

  “What?” Robby laughed. “Haven’t you ever had a birthday party before?”

  Brick gave Kane an appraising look. “I don’t think he has,” he murmured. He flashed a small smile. “Can’t say I’ve ever had one either, but Olivia’s real big on celebrating. First time we ever met was at a birthday party she threw for Will.”

  Robby let Brick’s words sink in. “You guys have never had birthday parties?” No matter how bad his final memories of home were, his childhood had been full of laughter and love.

  A birthday never passed unremarked in the Jordan home. His mom had always said each of her children was a miracle worthy of rejoicing. Of course, those were the days before his father kicked him out. But still, the idea no one had ever celebrated the birth of his friends…it was all kinds of wrong.

  The strange thing was, neither Brick nor Kane seemed bothered by it. Kane shrugged. “Don’t sweat it, brother. We just didn’t do things like that.” He paused. “Well, we did stuff for my dad, but for Dad it was different. I guess it’s hard to miss something you’ve never had.”

  Robby instantly saw the statement for the lie it was. He’d never had a real relationship, and he sure as heck missed having one.

  John didn’t count. If the man had ever loved him, he would have never…No. He wasn’t going there.

  Still, he understood what made Kane want to ignore the hurt, so he didn’t call him out for the fib. “Maybe you didn’t celebrate with your old family, but this year, things will be different. I, for one, am very happy you were born, and I’m going to be at this dinner with bells on.” He turned to Brick. “Who else will be there?”

  “I was just going to invite the guys from the crew. I already texted Will, Cy, and Evan. They’re coming. Xander can’t make it; he’s got something at his kid’s school. Which leaves Matt.” Brick kept his voice free of any inflection.

  Kane wasn’t quite so considerate. “Matt, huh?”

  Robby scrunched up his face. “Stop teasing me over my stupid crush. I’m more than aware he doesn’t feel the same way.”

  “C’mon, Robby.” Brick wiped his mouth with the bandana he always carried in his back pocket. “You can’t control how someone else feels.”

  Kane rolled his eyes. “Yeah, if you’re gonna feel stupid, maybe it should be because you’ve convinced yourself you’re in love with a man you barely even know.”

  Pfft. What did Kane know about how he felt? Robby looked to Brick for some backup, but the big man wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  “Look,” Kane softened his voice, “I’m not trying to bust your balls, but really, what do you know about the guy? What makes him laugh? Is this his dream job? What did he want to be growing up? Hell, do you even know his kid’s name?” He sighed. “I get it. He lights your fire. I’m just saying, maybe get to know him before you decide he’s the man who hung the moon.”

  Robby wracked his brain, hoping to find the answers to any of Kane’s questions. Surely, he knew the little boy’s name.

  Nope.

  He had to know something about Matt.

  Quiet. Kind of shy. Lean and muscular with dark brown skin Robby had dreamed countless times of touching. His black hair was neat and trimmed tight to his scalp, and it was just one of a dozen ways he always looked put together. Always clean shaven, always in khakis and a polo shirt. About the same age as Robby, the guy looked like he belonged more on a college campus than a construction site.

  So, the sum total of Robby’s knowledge: Matt was reserved…and hot.

  Apparently, Kane knew what he was talking about.

  “Guess I’m pretty shallow.” Robby winced.

  Before his friends could answer, the man in question came in from where he had been working in the master bedroom and swiped a slice of the pizza. He drifted to the corner of the room before he took a bite.

  Brick cleared his throat. “We’re, uh, having a little party at my house tonight for Kane’s birthday if you want to come.”

 
Matt kept chewing, his eyes trained on the floor.

  “Matt?”

  The man’s head shot up with a confused expression that was almost comical. “You’re talking to me?”

  To Brick’s credit, the big man didn’t laugh at Matt’s confusion. “Yeah, man. It’ll be fun. My wife is making fettucine. Come reap the benefits of her pasta of the week.”

  As they waited for an answer, Matt seemed to shrink a little under the weight of their attention. He bit into his slice of pizza without answering.

  There’s no time like the present.

  Robby took a step toward him. “There won’t be anyone there you don’t know. Besides,” he grinned, “I’ll need someone to talk to while these two are making cow eyes at their wives.”

  Brick must have been slouching because, somehow, he seemed to stand taller than his normal six-feet-and-change. “I’ve never made cow eyes in my life!” he sputtered at the same time Kane scowled and muttered something unflattering about Robby’s anatomy.

  A hint of a smile flickered across Matt’s handsome face, but he didn’t say anything.

  “You don’t even have to talk much,” Robby coaxed. “And Liv’s a good cook, so at least you’ll get a nice meal out of the bargain.”

  Brick elbowed Kane in the side. “And birthday boy here can convince himself there are people in the world who don’t think he’s a complete asshole. At least for one night.”

  The glower on Kane’s face gave way to a slack jaw. “What the fuck, brother? If this is what birthdays mean to you guys, I’ll take a pass.”

  It was impossible not to laugh at his outrage. Even Matt chuckled. As the laughter died out, he nodded. “Okay. Sure. I’ll be there. It’s the house on Burgundy Street we finished last year, right?”

  “Seven o’clock.” Robby beamed.

  Kane didn’t share his enthusiasm. “I hate to break up this love-fest,” he groused. “But none of us are going anywhere unless we finish up here for the day.” He muttered under his breath about birthdays being bullshit as he stalked out into the garage, signaling everyone it was time to get back to work.

  ***

  Every time Robby stepped into Brick and Liv’s house, he felt a ripple of pride. Not for anything he’d done necessarily, but for the amazing craftsmanship put into building the place.

  It was a Cooper Construction original, built by his own crew. Well, technically, Xander’s crew, but same difference. No one had any idea when they were building that Brick would eventually buy the place.

  The investment had helped the company at a time it really needed it.

  Now, whenever he walked into the living room, he remembered sharing a pizza with the guys during the sheet rock process. Or in the kitchen, the time Xander, the foreman, remembered his birthday and gave him one of those birthday cards that played a little song when he opened it. This was also the build where he and Brick had become friends.

  Brick’s wife, Liv, welcomed him inside after he rang the bell with his elbow. “Robby! I’m so glad you could make it. Here, give me one of those.” She took one of the two bottles of wine he carried and ushered him inside. “Leave the other one there on the table. Jonathan is with Kane in the garage.”

  He smiled at her use of Brick’s given name and left the wine where she’d indicated before seeking out his friends. He thought he’d find them playing darts with the board on the garage wall. Instead, they were side by side, staring at a small square of paper in Kane’s hand.

  “—the size of an avocado right now. I still can’t believe it’s real.” The former biker glanced up as Robby entered the room, a shell-shocked expression on his angular face. Just a hint of a beard shadowed his jaw these days. His once-long dark hair now barely touched his collar, but it was a tousled mess, like he’d been running his hands through it a dozen times or maybe tugging it out at the roots.

  Brick, on the other hand, was all smiles. He slapped Kane on the back, then rose to his feet. “Kane here’s gonna be a daddy!”

  Kane held out the paper in his hand, a gobsmacked expression on his face. When Robby took it, he realized it was an ultrasound photo. Happiness for his friend warmed his heart, and he sent up a quick prayer of thanks for the blessing. “Congratulations. I’m really happy for you.”

  Raking his fingers through his hair, Kane blinked rapidly, his expression giving no sign he’d heard a word Robby said. “We’re having a baby.” He launched to his feet. “A baby!”

  Brick chuckled. “We got it, brother. When is it due?”

  “What?” Kane’s eyes focused on his friend. “Um, October. Looks like we had a shotgun wedding, and we didn’t even know it.” He froze. “She got a tattoo. Christ. That’s bad, right?” Without waiting for an answer, he rushed past Robby, back into the house.

  It was hard to imagine Kane as a father. Granted, he was usually more together than this, but it had only been a few months since he was all grungy and snarly. Still, the guy had offered him the gift of friendship—of family—which was no small thing. Maybe he could help out and babysit every once in a while. He loved kids.

  “I think the news is going to take some time to sink in.” Brick smirked. “We’d better get out there before he trusses her up in bubble wrap.”

  In the kitchen, Kane’s wife, Amanda, read aloud from her phone about the risks involved with pregnancies and tattoos. Apparently, there was a small chance of Hepatitis or HIV infection but only if the needles weren’t sterile.

  Kane nodded, lost in his thoughts. “I trust Gerry. He’s been my ink guy for years. But you should talk to your doctor.” He looked at her like she was the sun. “Nothing is more important than your health and our baby.”

  Setting her phone on the counter, Ms. Griffin wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder.

  Robby shook his head. Not Ms. Griffin. Yes, she kept her maiden name, but he was supposed to call her Amanda now. It was hard for him to think of her outside the parameters of being his boss.

  She ran Cooper Construction with her step-brother, Mike, and for a while, she’d been a lot more hands-on with Xander’s crew. But since Mike was back from medical leave, Robby only saw her in social situations like this one.

  It was still a little awkward.

  Tonight, Amanda wore nice jeans and a pink sweater, which helped separate her from the pencil skirts and silky tops she usually wore on the job. She had her red hair in a ponytail and showed no sign of the pinched expression she wore when heads were about to roll.

  Despite Amanda’s more casual appearance, he was far more comfortable with Liv and her perpetual smile.

  She flashed one now as she linked arms with the other woman. “I’m so happy for you both. The baby, the wedding. You both waited so long to be together. I know how amazing it is to wake up every morning next to the love of your life.”

  Brick covered the hand she had resting on the counter with his own.

  Nodding, Amanda glanced at Kane. Her face took on a dreamy quality. “There’s nothing else like it. You couldn’t pay me to be single again. It was so lonely. I made work into my whole life. It was empty.” She shrugged. “Life is meant to be shared, you know?”

  Oh, yeah. Robby knew. How many nights had he borne witness to their domestic bliss? Burned with shameful jealousy over it? He wanted the same kind of life for himself more than Midas wanted gold.

  But wanting someone to share his life with had never been a problem. The problem had always been finding someone who wanted him back.

  Not for sex. Finding sex had always been easy. In the early days, it was the only thing that kept him clothed and fed.

  But those men didn’t want the real Robby. They never knew him.

  No one did.

  Chapter TWO

  Matt

  Matt stared at his feet as he knocked on the door at the familiar house where Brick and his wife lived. It had been their team’s work site for months. He knew every nook and cranny of the place like the back of his hand, a
nd now it was someone’s home.

  Weird.

  With a deep breath, he shook off his discomfort—or at least he tried. He was an invited guest, after all. If it got too awkward, he could just focus on the food then get the hell out of there.

  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

  It still kind of surprised him Brick had issued the invitation. He had never been part of the inner circle the big man maintained with Kane and Robby. But the crazy thing was, they really seemed like they wanted him to come. He couldn’t ignore this kind of opportunity. Not when his only friend these days had yet to master potty training.

  Screwing up his courage, he rapped twice on the door, and it opened before his nerves could get any worse. Brick’s wife—Will’s sister—greeted him with a warm smile. “Matt! I’m so glad you made it.” She motioned him inside. “We missed you at Christmas.”

  Right. They’d invited the whole crew for the holiday. He’d shared a small turkey breast with his mother and his son, Jimmy. Mumbling, he thanked her for the invitation, and in a cheery voice, she chattered charmingly about how her door was always open and something about how any friend of her husband was a friend of hers.

  They passed through the foyer with its shiny wood floor into the family room where Will lounged on the sofa beside Cyrus and Evan, watching ESPN. All three held longnecks.

  Will lifted his beer in salute when Liv led Matt inside. The man had tan skin and blond hair, his coloring very similar to his sister’s. He was obviously at home in her space. “Hey, buddy. They told me you were coming, but I thought they were shitting me. Grab yourself a brew. I’ve stocked up the fridge.”

  Cy just grunted, and Evan didn’t say a word. He never did. Matt didn’t think he could—a side effect of whatever military accident had caused the burn scars on one side of his body.

  Matt waved at the men and followed Liv into the kitchen. Brick stood at the stove, stirring something in a big silver pot. Liv stepped behind him and kissed his shoulder blade.