“This is Stanley.” Thomas said in a loud voice. “He’s going to help me take the old roof off.”
Stanley was busy looking out over the lake. Thomas elbowed him in the stomach to get his attention.. The older man gruffed and turned around. He seemed surprised to see her standing there.
A smile slowly grew as he tipped his cowboy hat to her.
“Hello.” She smiled politely.“Can I get you two some water?”
Stanley just stood there and smiled. Puzzled, she looked over at Thomas.
Thomas shook his head and leaned closer to Stanley. “She wants to know if you want something to drink.” He yelled in the man’s face.
Startled, Carolina took a step back. Stanley was old enough to be Thomas’s father. He should have more respect for his elders.
Stanley didn’t seem to mind. He nodded slowly and turned to her. “I’d like a beer.”
Thomas glared. “He will not have a beer. Water is fine.”
She laughed nervously. “Good because water is all I have.” She went back inside. When she came back outside Thomas was yelling at Stanley again. The older man ducked his head.
She walked over to him and thrust the waters at Thomas. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Make it quick.” He handed one of the waters to Stanley and walked over to the large oak tree near the water.
“Mr. Harding, I don’t know what kind of relationship you have with Stanley,” she glanced over her shoulder and then back at him, “and I know he is your employee. But I have to say, that I don’t like the way you were talking to him. Yelling at him like that. He’s an old man. And he deserves respect.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Treating someone badly didn’t sit well with her.
Maybe because she’d been disrespected by her ex.
Maybe it was because Thomas didn’t seem to care about other people’s feelings.
Whatever it was, it had her emotions snowballing until she couldn’t hold back her feelings any more.
Thomas looked at her and blinked with confusion. Then his face split into a grin.
She was shocked to see the man was actually handsome when he wasn’t scowling.
“Mrs. Johnson…”
“Carolina.” She lifted her chin.
“Carolina. I wasn’t yelling at Stanley because you think I’m some horrible person. I was yelling at him because I have to. He can’t hear a thing. He’s almost deaf.”
She dropped her arms, caught off guard by this new information. “Oh, I see. Well, maybe he needs to have hearing aids then.”
“Won’t do any good. I bought him hearing aids three months ago. He refuses to wear them.”
She frowned. “Why is that?”
“He says he doesn’t need them.” He leaned forward. “And just to let you know, if you have any alcohol in the house you might want to lock it up. He’s also a recovering alcoholic who falls off the wagon on a frequent basis. We all watch out for him and work to keep him sober. Keeps our hands full because Stanley has a lot of crafty ways to maneuver a drink. Might say, it’s his favorite pastime.”
“Oh. I had no idea.” Her eyes darted back to the old man who was now patting the black dog who had reappeared.
“Don’t worry. He’s not going to steal anything. And if he does manage to dig up a bottle, the worst he’ll do is strip off his clothes and go jump in the lake.”
“But it’s cold.”
Thomas shrugged. “When he gets drunk, he doesn’t feel a thing.”
