Rob Daniels surveyed the area that he and his crew—his crew, how amazing was that?—were renovating for a small park in London. The job was simple enough, and that was likely the reason they’d allowed Rob his first shot at a solo project. Still, he wasn’t about to disappoint them. He’d been supervisor for six months, training under several different managers, learning the ins and outs of his new responsibilities. He loved every minute of it, and the work had been good for his body, which had developed firmer muscles that even Vic had lusted over. As he turned the corner, heading to the spot where they’d been planting daffodils that would blossom in a few weeks, and make the entire area sweet smelling, Rob noticed a harried woman storming toward him, her arms pumping at her sides.
“Ms. Gail, is something wrong?”
She huffed out a breath. “Yes, there is. I thought your company was the best in London, and now I find out that there’s been a huge mistake.” She fluttered her hands. “The specs for the garden specifically say there are supposed to be daffodils, and instead I find they’ve planted asters. They don’t even look remotely the same. How could this happen?”
Rob sighed internally. “Let me look into it, and I’ll get back to you in a few minutes. Regardless, rest assured that I’ll make sure it’s fixed by the end of the day, and please accept my apologies.”
She wagged a finger at Rob. “It had better be right. We’re spending a lot of money here, and shoddy workmanship doesn’t reflect well on your company at all.”
Rob had a flashback to the last time he’d been dressed down by someone because he hadn’t been able to answer her questions about pasta and wine pairings. Now he understood why his manager at the time, Mr. Peterson, had been so frustrated. Rob had given very specific instructions, and told the people who worked under him to call him if there were any questions. And now? A sea of blue asters stared back at Rob.
“You have my word, I will take care of it.”
She spun on her heel and stalked away, leaving Rob in a quandary. He couldn’t be certain, but he felt he knew what had happened. Cory had been with them for four months, and he couldn’t tell his arse from his elbow. Rob headed for the asters, every step filling him with anger. He stopped and drew in a deep breath. Vic wouldn’t want him to go in angry, so Rob needed to centre himself. He found that happy spot that never failed to put him at ease—Vic sitting in front of the television, smiling, the Dom mask slipping just a bit, and revealing the man beneath it. Rob’s heartbeat slowed to its regular rhythm, and calm suffused his being. Okay, now he was ready.
He found Cory on his hands and knees, planting another pallet of flowers, and inwardly Rob groaned. “Cory?”
He jerked his head up. “Yes, Mr. Daniels?”
“Could I see the work spec you’re using?” Rob held out his hand “Now, please.”
“Of course, sir.”
Cory’s hand shook as he handed Rob the sheet of cream colored paper. Rob scanned it and found exactly what he knew he would. He handed it back to Cory.
“Can you please tell me what it says we’re planting in this section?”
Cory scanned the sheet, then his gaze flicked to Rob’s. “Asters.”
“No, the asters are on the north end. What are we doing on the south?”
A plump lip jutted out as Cory again perused the paper. Cory’s lips moved and Rob knew he was trying his best to sound out the words. After several long moments Cory’s cheeks paled. “I’m….I’m not sure.” He stood and brushed the kneepads off. “I am so sorry, Mr. Daniels.”
From his stance, Cory knew Rob was about to lay into him. Except… Rob wasn’t Mr. Peterson. He couldn’t throw Cory to the dogs the way Rob had been.
“Let me ask you a question. Do you have problems reading instructions?”
“What? No, sir!”
“Okay, good.” Rob reached into his folder and drew out a sheet of paper filled with the notes Rob had made. “Please tell me what these instructions say.”
Cory’s brows furrowed as his gaze flickered over the sheet. Rob waited. Finally Cory’s shoulders slumped and he turned a pitiful gaze to Rob. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, handing back the paper. “I’ll clear out my stuff and be gone before the day ends.” He turned and trudged toward the parking lot.
“Cory?”
“Yes, sir?” he responded, not looking over his shoulder.
“Are you dyslexic or just never learned to read?”
A slender shoulder went up. “Not sure. My old mate used to help me when we were in school, but he’s moved away.”
Rob closed the distance between them and put a hand on Cory’s shoulder. “There’s no shame in asking for help, you know.”
Cory scowled. “Who wants to help a bloody idiot?” He pressed his palms into his temples. “No one wants someone like me working for them.”
And maybe he was right. Maybe anyone else would have fired Cory and gotten someone in who could do the job without the need for further instruction. But Rob couldn’t get his own history out of his head. How he’d been tossed aside because a woman complained that Rob wouldn’t help her, though he’d done his best to try. And Cory was a hard worker. He was there every morning, and he never left before the night was over.
“Who’s been helping you?” Rob asked.
Ruddy cheeks pinked. “No one. I have an app on my phone and it scans the words and reads them back to me. I didn’t use it, because I couldn’t find time to be by myself, and I didn’t want anyone thinking I was stupid.”
Rob ran his thumb and finger over the bridge of his nose. “The only stupid thing is not letting people know you need help. Reading can be learned, even if you have dyslexia. It’s not something to hide away and hope no one notices.”
“But I made a big mess,” Cory protested.
“Yes, but you and I? We’re going to fix it. It’s going to take us working late into the night. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m not being let go?” There was such hope in Cory’s voice. “Really?”
“No, you aren’t. I will have to talk to my boss, and let her know what happened, but this mistake was mine.”
“What? Oh, no! It’s all my—”
Rob held up a hand. “I’m your supervisor. I should have noticed you were having problems and stepped in to help. That’s what my job entails. I let you down, and I’m sorry about that. Now, do you want to help me fix this, or do you want to slink away with your tail between your legs and keep running from job to job?”
Pearly white teeth nibbled on a plump lower lip. “I…I’d like to make this right.”
Rob smiled. “Then we’ll do it together. And tomorrow, after we get everything taken care of, we’ll find you some help, okay?”
An invisible weight slipped from Cory’s shoulders. “Yes, sir. I…I want that.”
Pride blossomed in Rob’s chest. This was how he should have been treated at work, instead of being given the worst jobs in the store. He still shuddered every time he thought of that damn grease trap.
“Okay then, we need to get started.” Rob rolled up his sleeves. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, sir.”
Rob got down into the dirt, then reached across for a shovel. He smiled to himself, because he knew he’d grown. He’d become the kind of man Vic had told him he could be, and Rob was proud of himself.
“What’s going on?” Rob’s supervisor asked.
“We had some miscommunication, and—”
“I messed up, Ms. Stewart. I…” Cory hung his head and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I couldn’t read the instructions. Mr. Daniels is going to help me fix this, and tomorrow he’s going to find someone to work with me.”
Ms. Stewart frowned. “Rob, a word please?”
Rob stood and followed his boss to a spot about twenty metres away. She turned and leveled a gaze at him.
“Why are you doing this? It would be easier to let him go and find someone who can do the job.”
A frisson of anger surged through Rob, but he tamped it down. “Because he’s a good, hard worker, who got dealt a bad hand. I should have been there to help him, and I wasn’t. I won’t fire him for a learning disability, and if you tell me to, I’ll quit with him.”
That angry look morphed into one of unbridled happiness. “That’s the answer I wanted,” she said. “Too many people are quick to pass the buck and point fingers anywhere else but in their own direction.”
“So…you don’t want me to fire him?”
“No, most definitely not. Montgomery and Tripp pride themselves on their employees, and if someone needs help, we’ll do whatever we can to get it for them. You’ve done everything right to this point, and you’ve confirmed that we chose the right person for the job.”
Warmth surged through Rob. “I’ll help him get this fixed, so the client knows we stand by our word.”
“That’s good,” Ms. Stewart said. “But you have a full crew, and that would make it go much faster.”
Rob wasn’t comfortable letting people in on Cory’s secret. “I think we’re okay,” he said.
Ms. Stewart lifted a hand, and another man, Lucas, trotted over. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Talk to the guys, and ask them if they’re willing to help Rob fix a mistake.”
Lucas peered at Rob, then back to Ms. Stewart. “I can guarantee you no one will turn down helping out. Mr. Daniels has always had our backs, and we’d be crap employees if we didn’t return the favor.”
That was it. No questions about what happened, no groaning or whining, just a willingness to lend a hand. Rob was humbled.
“Thank you, Lucas,” Rob whispered, his throat tight. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Lucas scoffed. “It’s the very least we can do. You’ve always taken care of us, and never asked for anything in return.” He turned and cupped his hands over his mouth. “Oy! You lot wanna help Rob out?”
A chorus of ‘yes, of course’ rang through the area as they all headed in Rob’s direction.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Daniels, we’ll have this up to snuff in no time,” Lucas said, holding out his own worksheet. “At least this one wasn’t as bad as my cock up.” He gave Ms. Stewart a knowing look. “When I accidentally mowed over an entire section of freshly planted flowers.”
Ms. Stewart chuckled. “That was pretty spectacular.” She patted Rob’s arm. “We fixed that, and we’ll fix this. If the client isn’t happy, then I’ll take care of it.”
It amazed Rob how different this job had been from Watts. This was what being part of a team meant. At Watts it had been lip service, but at Montgomery and Tripp, they lived it every day.
“Of course, you’ll be buying the beer tonight,” Lucas said, waggling his brows.
“Happy to,” Rob replied. It was the least he could do.