From out of thin air, he snatched his cloak of professionalism and wriggled back into it. “I understand your concern. TheFestival is your baby. A point of pride for the whole town.”
“Exactly. The float is a symbol.”
No point bothering to ask what the hell it was a symbol for. Flynn 1) didn’t care and 2) figured it would only prolong the conversation. So he nodded. Hopefully that would signify thathe both cared and agreed. “Let me assure you that I can, indeed, build things.” His phone vibrated on the table, shaking hissilverware. It was a perfectly timed reminder. “I’m building a bookcase for a friend right now.”
“From IKEA? Or from scratch?”
Oh, he wanted to scratch HatTwerp, alright. “I’ll be building it from the ground up. No instruction sheet necessary.”
“So you think you can handle the float by yourself.”
Fuck a drunken goat sideways, yes already. With his construction experience, Flynn could do this with half a toolbox and scraps, let alone all the money they’dcrazily allocated for it.
Right then, a little kid raced past the U-shaped table setup. His sneakers had wheels and lights on the back, which explainedwhy he fell on his ass as he cut tight around the corner to aim a bottle of silly string at HatTwerp. Flynn pegged him atabout eight or nine. Old enough to laugh hysterically instead of crying when he fell.
Seeing as how he got the shot off and covered HatTwerp’s crotch in the sticky string, Flynn laughed, too.
Back in Chicago, he’d trained junior high kids in MMA and he’d been a part of the Big Brothers program, too, with some elementary-schoolboys. Boys that always made him belly laugh and remember just how much he’d lucked out with Rafe and Kellan as his family.
Flynn was keenly aware that not all kids got the same breaks in life. After all, both of his parents had been killed. Thenthe mob sucked him in before he knew any better. But his work with underprivileged youth wasn’t about righting a personalwrong.
It was because the world would turn into a shit show if everyone didn’t pitch in and help raise the next generation.
Flynn didn’t exactly walk away empty-handed, either. Excitement, joy, fun—they were all contagious. And kids spread thosethings around faster than cold germs in December.
Hell, maybe that’s why he hadn’t stopped sulking. A job—let alone the fifth one that he didn’t even get to pick—wasn’t enoughreason to get up every morning. He spent the bulk of his days sulking. Pissed that he’d spent years doing what everyone elseexpected and wanted and it got him nowhere.
Now?
Well, Flynn still didn’t know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. But now he had an idea of where to start.
“I can do it myself.” And could kick you in the nuts for doubting that for even two hot seconds, he thought. “But children should be involved with building this float, too. It’ll teach them community spirit. Strengthentheir teamwork. Give them something constructive to do over the summer.”
“You want to put power tools in the hands of children?”
Yes. Flynn specifically wanted to hand a nail gun to the kid who’d nailed HatTwerp in the crotch and let him rip. “Of course not. But they can designit, paint, decorate—there’s plenty to do that doesn’t involve an extension cord or a hacksaw.”
A murmur ran around the table. From the smiles and nods, it looked like the majority agreed.
“Solid idea, Maguire.” Mick lifted the Marine vet ballcap he wore 24/7 in a salute.
“Thanks.”
Rafe banged his elbow into Flynn’s biceps. That was the Maguire brothers’ wordless, non-embarrassing code for “well done,bro.” And Flynn didn’t mind admitting that it felt damn fine to get that tap.
Mollie half raised her hand, then just spoke up. “My friend, Lily, runs a summer camp with Madalena.”
“Carlos’s sister that does the books for the Gorse?” Flynn hadn’t bothered to think about it before. But in a town this small,some people probably did overlap jobs. Maybe he should’ve wondered what Madalena did the other four days of the week.
Maybe he should open his damn eyes and ears a little.
“Yes. I’m sure all the children in their program would like to help. One-stop shopping. And you’d be doing a favor by providingan activity.”
HatTwerp looked . . . deflated that Flynn had come up with an idea not already on his sacred clipboard. But the undeniableapproval running through the room didn’t give him any room to say no. He did frown. “They’ll need to have their parents sign safety waivers.”
“Sure.”
“They’ll need up-to-date tetanus vaccines.”
HatTwerp seemed convinced that injuries were a given, not an outside possibility. With an attitude like that, he probablycarried an umbrella on July Fourth to protect from overly large hail. Numbnut.
Before Flynn could answer, Mollie waved her hand. “They need those to be in school, Floyd. Not a problem.”
Flynn grabbed the clipboard. He printed his email in all caps on the bullet point agenda. “You send me a list of hoops tojump through. Then I’ll stretch out, put on track pants and sneakers, and get started.”
“Fine. You’ll need to contact Lily as soon as possible.”
“Just gotta finish my sandwich.” He pulled the yellow flagged toothpick out of one half, then pointed it at Floyd. “If you’lllet me start it?”
HatTwerp backed away. Flynn called that a win. Not just because he was hungry. He grabbed his phone to scan the answer fromSierra.
S: I prefer whitewashed shelves. They make the colors of the book spines pop. But I’ll be grateful for any color wood you canget. I can always paint it myself.
Flynn snorted so hard that his napkin flew off the opposite side of the table. What kind of a lazy jackass did she take himfor? Or was this her stubborn refusal to ask for help again? The same one that almost had her biking home on a sprained
