Chapter 12

Ever since Jalen completed the wine cellar construction project at the Westward mansion, he has largely been doing smaller projects at various clients’ homes since then, however, now he is about to land his next potential big fish. A prominent Georgia politician from Bartow County, named Tim Horner, has been looking to have one of his old large sheds transformed into a prominent guest house detached from his home in the back of his property. Tim serves in the Georgia House of Representatives and is also a very wealthy businessman stemming from owning multiple successful car dealerships in Bartow County. Tim is very good friends with Jim Harbor, the Executive Director at Georgia Wellness, where Jalen did the storage room project a couple of months prior. When Tim asked Jim about a contractor, Jim quickly recommended Jalen, citing the work he did on their storage room and assuring Tim that he was the best he would find.

On Monday, a little over a week after his weekend with Karla, Jalen pulled up to the long, winding driveway leading to the Horner estate, a sprawling property in Bartow County. The sheer size of the land was ridiculous. Several acres of pristine grass, perfectly spaced trees, and a massive brick colonial-style mansion sitting at the highest point of the property. The American flag and the Georgia state flag waved proudly on poles near the front entrance. A detached six-car garage stood to the side, likely filled with expensive vehicles. As he eased his truck to a stop near the main house, Jalen adjusted his fitted polo shirt and took a steady breath. He had been in plenty of spaces like this before. Places where people like him, unfortunately, weren’t always welcomed with open arms. But money was money, and if Tim Horner could cut a fat check, Jalen would take it. He stepped out of the truck just as the front door swung open. A tall, stocky white man in his late 40s with greyish brown hair and a thick mustache came walking down the steps. His gait was confident, the kind of confidence that came from knowing he owned everything around him.

Tim Horner.

Jalen noticed immediately how Tim’s expression shifted the second he laid eyes on him. His face didn’t outright frown, but the flicker of unpleasant surprise was clear as day.

“Yeah, you weren’t expecting me to be Black, huh?” Jalen thought but kept his face perfectly neutral.

“Jalen Moss?” Tim asked, stopping a few feet away.

“Yes, sir. Good to meet you, Mr. Horner.” Jalen extended his hand, keeping his posture firm and professional.

Tim hesitated. It was a fraction of a second, but Jalen caught it.

Then, Tim clasped his hand, giving him a strong, business-like shake.

“Likewise,” Tim said, though his tone lacked the warmth he probably would have had if Jalen were a white contractor. “Jim Harbor speaks highly of you.”

“I appreciate that. I make sure my work speaks for itself.” Jalen responded.

Tim nodded, studying Jalen for a moment before turning. “Come on, let’s take a walk.”

Jalen followed as Tim led him around the property, giving him a rundown of what he wanted.

“So, this old shed here,” Tim said, motioning toward a massive weathered wooden structure, “I want it completely gutted and turned into a luxury guest house. Full kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living space. Basically a little high-end retreat out here.”

Jalen took a few steps around, inspecting the structure. It was doable, but it wasn’t gonna be cheap.

“You have a budget in mind?” Jalen asked.

Tim scoffed. “I don’t do ‘budgets,’ son. I want the best. You just tell me what that costs.”

Jalen kept himself from smirking. Big money talk. That was fine. Jalen could work with that. “Understood.”

Tim watched Jalen as he started making notes on his tablet. “How long you been in the business?” He asked.

“Been running my own company for two years, but I’ve been in contracting a lot longer than that.” Jalen responded while continuing to write in his tablet.

Tim nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You do a lot of jobs like this?”

Jalen knew exactly what he was asking. “I do a lot of high-end renovations. I’ve worked on custom home builds, commercial projects, and full remodels. I just finished a wine cellar project at the Westward mansion in Buckhead.”

Tim’s eyebrows lifted slightly at that. “Chris Westward? No shit.”

“Yes, sir.”

Tim let out a dry chuckle. “That son of a bitch is the most arrogant lawyer I’ve ever met.”

Jalen grinned slightly. “Yeah, he’s got a lot of ... personality.”

Tim snorted. “That’s a polite way to put it.”

Before the conversation could continue, a voice called out from behind them. “Daddy, where did you—oh.”

Jalen turned and saw a young woman standing a few feet away. She was stunning. Long, wavy auburn-red hair that framed a face so strikingly symmetrical that she could easily have been a model. Her green eyes were piercing, filled with a mix of curiosity and something else Jalen couldn’t quite place. Her lips were full and painted a soft shade of pink, and her figure, toned, curvy, and completely effortless, was impossible to ignore. She was wearing a light-yellow sleeveless sundress that stopped just above her knees. The dress had a V-neck with thin spaghetti straps, a slightly cinched or elasticized waist, a flowy tiered skirt that stopped just above her knees. She paired it with white flip flops. Her nails were manicured with acrylic and painted a light pink and her toenails were painted pink as well. Jalen noticed immediately the way her eyes locked onto him, not in the way her father had, but with genuine intrigue.

Tim gestured toward Jalen. “Heidi, this is Jalen Moss. He’s the contractor I’m looking at for the guest house. Jalen, this is my oldest daughter Heidi.”

Heidi’s lips parted slightly, like she was about to say something, but stopped herself. Instead, she extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Jalen.”

Jalen took her hand, and the moment he did ... The warmth. The pull. Oh, shit. “No. NO. NOT HERE.” Jalen thought.

Jalen kept his expression neutral, but internally, his stomach dropped. Because now he knew ... Heidi Horner ... was one of the eight.

His grip was firm but brief as he released Heidi’s hand. Internally, though, his mind was spinning. He had barely processed Karla, and now this? The daughter of a wealthy, influential politician? This was the last thing he needed. Heidi was still looking at him, like she had just felt something too, but she quickly masked it. She was sharp, Jalen could tell. Observant.

“Nice to meet you too,” Jalen said, his voice steady, despite the chaos in his head.

Tim barely noticed the brief moment between them. “Heidi’s in law school,” he said, almost like a brag. “Third-year at Emory.”

Jalen nodded. “That’s impressive.”

Heidi shrugged. “It keeps me busy.”

Tim clapped his hands together. “Alright, well, Jalen, I’ll be expecting a full proposal in my inbox by next week. Make it good.”

“Absolutely,” Jalen said.

Tim nodded, but before turning to head back toward the house, he glanced at Jalen again. “And keep me updated, alright? I don’t like waiting around for answers.”

“Yeah, I bet you don’t.” Jalen thought.

“Understood.” Jalen then said aloud.

Tim walked off, but Heidi stayed behind for a second longer. She tilted her head slightly, her green eyes studying Jalen again, like she was trying to figure something out.

“I’ll see you around, Jalen.”

With that, she turned and followed her father back toward the house.

Jalen exhaled slowly once they were out of sight. Jalen finished taking pictures, taking measurements, and taking notes on the shed before leaving the residence to go back home and write up his proposal. Jalen drove back toward Atlanta, gripping the steering wheel tighter than usual. His mind wouldn’t shut up. Heidi Horner. It didn’t make sense. This situation was already insane, but this? This felt impossible. A politician’s daughter? A woman raised in a family that likely wouldn’t even want to shake his hand, let alone accept him as anything more than a vendor working on their property? How the hell was this supposed to happen?

He pulled up to his apartment, grabbed his notebook, and went inside. He sat at his desk, opening his laptop to start working on his proposal, but his mind refused to focus. Every time he tried to map out costs and labor estimates, his thoughts drifted back to Heidi. Her sharp green eyes. The way she studied him. The slight hesitation in her voice, like she had felt something but didn’t want to acknowledge it. Jalen sighed, leaning back in his chair, rubbing his hands down his face. He couldn’t do this again. Not right now. He had Rachel, Megan, Kristen, and Sydney, all pregnant, and after their weekend together, Karla could be as well. That was already an overwhelming reality to process. And now the Beyonder wanted him to figure out how to navigate a situation with Heidi Horner of all people?

Jalen exhaled sharply. “Beyonder! We need to talk. Now.”

Silence.

Jalen scowled. “Nah, don’t pull that disappearing act now! I need answers! How the hell is this supposed to happen?”

Still nothing.

Jalen clenched his jaw and turned back to his laptop. Fine. If the Beyonder wasn’t going to explain, he wasn’t going to stress over it tonight. For now, he had a proposal to finish. For now, Heidi was just a client’s daughter. At least, that’s what he told himself.

Later that same night, Heidi Horner sat in her bedroom, perched at her desk with a thick law textbook open in front of her. But she hadn’t turned the page in over ten minutes. Her mind wasn’t on the material. It was on the contractor, Jalen Moss. That name kept echoing in her head, like a song she couldn’t shake. She tapped her highlighter against the edge of the book absently, her eyes unfocused as she stared at the lines of text that weren’t registering at all. He was handsome. That was the first thing she noticed. Not just physically, though he absolutely was. Tall, strong build, and light chocolate skin that seemed to gleam in the afternoon sun. But it was something else. The way he looked at her when they shook hands. Like he saw her. And then there was that feeling. An inexplicable warm, magnetic pull that moved through her the moment their skin touched. It unsettled her. Nothing about it made sense. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and biting lightly at the tip of her thumb. Why was she thinking about him like this? Nevermind the fact that her parents as well as her church pastor would scold her for having lustful thoughts like this. Jalen wasn’t just a stranger, he was a contractor. A Black contractor at that. And worse, someone who didn’t appear to align with her family’s way of life. She had picked up on it immediately. It was in the way he carried himself. Confident. Composed. Like he had nothing to prove to anyone. Like he’d been through things. Real things. The kind of things no one in her gated, pristine world ever talked about. He hadn’t been rude. Far from it. In fact, he was professional, respectful ... but that energy. That undeniable energy between them. Heidi pushed her chair back and stood up abruptly, pacing her room like she was trying to shake the thoughts loose. This was ridiculous. She was a Christian. She had values. She had discipline. And she sure as hell didn’t entertain thoughts about men who weren’t aligned with what she believed. But then again ... she wasn’t a virgin anymore either, was she? She swallowed hard, that familiar guilt bubbling to the surface. Her parents didn’t know. No one knew. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. So why was Jalen making all of those feelings stir up again? He wasn’t even trying to flirt with her, and yet, somehow, it felt like he was already in her head. And that was the problem. Because she liked it. The way he stood toe to toe with her father without flinching. The way he didn’t get flustered when Tim gave him that look. The way his voice sounded, deep, calm, grounded. It made her wonder what else he was grounded in. Heidi wasn’t the kind of girl who got tempted. Except ... apparently, she was. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and glanced at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed. Her heart was racing. And she knew damn well it had nothing to do with her law reading.

“I need to focus,” she muttered to herself. “This is just a project. He’s just a contractor. This doesn’t mean anything.”

But she knew she was lying to herself. Something had started. And no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she could already feel that it was going to be impossible to ignore. Heidi turned off her lamp, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers up high. But sleep didn’t come easy that night. Not with Jalen Moss’s face lingering behind her eyelids, and that inexplicable, maddening, exhilarating pull she couldn’t explain.

Jalen submits the most ambitious proposal he could come up with. If Tim Horner accepts it and Jalen completes the project, it would yield a payday three times the amount of Chris Westward’s project, which is saying something because Chris Westwood’s project yielded Jalen’s highest payday ever.

Jalen sits at his desk, sipping his coffee, staring at his laptop screen. His mouse hovers over the “Sent” folder, confirming that his ambitious proposal has been officially sent to Tim Horner.

His gut tells him that this is either going to be the biggest payday of his career or a complete waste of time. He doesn’t expect a quick response.

Then ... DING. An email notification pops up.

From: Tim Horner Subject: Re: Guest House Renovation Proposal

Jalen exhales sharply, steeling himself as he clicks on the message.

Jalen, Thanks for sending this over. I took a quick look through the numbers, and I’ll be honest with you—it’s more than I was anticipating. However, I appreciate the level of detail you included and the craftsmanship you’re proposing.

I’d like to discuss a few things before making a decision. Can you come back out to the property this Friday at 11:00 AM to go over the details in person?

Let me know if that works for you.

Best, Tim Horner

Jalen leans back in his chair, rubbing his chin. Shit. This wasn’t a rejection. It wasn’t an acceptance either. It was an opening.

Tim Horner wasn’t the kind of guy to waste time. If he was inviting Jalen back out, it meant he was genuinely considering hiring him. But that also meant Jalen would be spending more time around the Horner family ... including Heidi. He closes his eyes for a moment, mentally preparing himself. This job is way too big to pass up. He has to go through with it. Jalen grabs his phone and types his response.

Tim, Thanks for the quick response. I’d be happy to meet this Friday at 11:00 AM to go over everything. Looking forward to discussing the details in person.