“Figured we’d take advantage of the break in the weather. Warm spell’s supposed to last a few more days. We can get the basement dug out, formed up and poured before the next cold snap.”

Warm was relative, she thought. It would be considerably chillier in the old stone walled basement, and considerably damper than out here in the sunlight. “I’m not complaining. How was your Christmas?”

“Great.” He shifted so that his crew could muscle the next barrow of dirt up the ramp. “Yours?”

“Wonderful. I see you’ve expanded your crew. Was that dollar a day in my bid?”

“School’s out,” he said shortly. “I keep him with me. He knows the rules, and the men don’t mind him.”

She lifted her brows. “My, my. Sensitivo.”

Brody hissed out a breath. “Sorry. Some clients don’t like me having a kid on a job site.”

“I’m not one of them.”

“Hey, O’Connell, can you spare this guy for a bit?”

Brody glanced over, noted Jack’s grimy hand was clasped in Brandon’s. “Well…”

“We’ve got a little business up at the house,” Brandon went on. “I’ll drop him back down on my way to the airport. Half hour.”

“Please, Dad. Can I?”

“I—”

“My brother’s an idiot,” Kate said with an easy smile. “But a responsible one.”

No, Brody thought, he was the idiot, getting the jitters every time Jack went off with someone new. “Sure. Wash your hands off in the water bucket first, Jacks.”

“Okay! Wait just a minute, okay? Just a minute.” Jack raced off to splash some of the dirt away.

“I’ll try to stop through on my way to spring training.”

“Yeah. Okay.” She wouldn’t cry. She would not cry. “Stay away from those hard-bodied blondes.”

“Not a chance.” Brandon snatched her up, held tight. “Miss you,” he murmured.

“Me, too.” She pressed her face into the curve of his neck, then stepped back with a bright smile. “Take care of that leg, slugger.”

“Hey, you’re talking to Iron Man. Take care of your own. Let’s go, Jack.” He took the boy’s marginally clean and wet hand, shot a salute to Brody, and started off.

“Bye, Dad! Bye. I’ll be back.”

“Your brother got a problem with his leg?”

“Pulled some tendons. Bad slide. Well, I’ll let you get back to work.” She kept the smile on her face until she’d rounded to the front of the house. Then she sat on the steps and had a nice little cry.

When Brody walked out to his truck ten minutes later, she was still there. Tears had dried on her cheeks. A few more sparkled in her lashes.

“What? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“You’ve been crying.”

She sniffled, shrugged. “So?”

He wanted to leave it at that. Really wanted to just get his…what the hell had he come out for? The problem was he’d never been able to walk away from tears. Resigned, he crossed the sidewalk and sat beside her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I hate saying goodbye. I wouldn’t have to say goodbye if he didn’t insist on living three thousand miles away in stupid California. The dope.”