Err on the Side of Violence: Terribly Acronymed Detective Club Series (Book 3)

Chapter Two: Joe, Friday

Joe was a master of the awkward silence, but even this situation was making him squirm like his clothes were two sizes too small. A car ride with Logan, the two of them heading out this morning to a house build nearby. Logan looking anywhere but at Joe. Joe not knowing what the hell to say to this sixteen-year-old, astounded to remember that he lost his virginity at that age, that he'd been working a summer job at Gastaldo Concrete. That this skinny, flaxen-haired kid wanted to work in construction for his first job seemed ludicrous to him; he had no idea where he would put him without endangering his life. Lauren had been insistent, though; Rachel said the kid wanted to earn some money and start saving for the day when he would escape the bonds of parenthood, biological or foster, and she thought they should encourage that, if only to occupy the boy over the summer so he didn't fall into delinquency. Joe admired the boy's gumption, at least, and to his credit, or maybe to Rachel and Al's credit, he'd been ready to be picked up at the time arranged. Another plus was that Johnny was bringing his own sons to the site; maybe the three of them could work on something together. 

It occurred to Joe, to his dismay, that he'd never considered bringing Tosh into the family business in the same way Johnny did his sons. Tosh was still too young anyway, but even still, it had never crossed his mind. The boy was a dreamer, a creative. He never showed any enthusiasm for construction vehicles the way some boys did. That was usually a good sign a kid wanted to work with their hands. He was sure Lauren wouldn't hear of Tosh doing this kind of work anyway, not her sweet little boy. He found he was okay with it too, and there was still time for him to decide what he wanted to do with his life.

"So..." Joe said, just to say something. "School over? How's it feel?"

Logan looked at him and said, "Good."

That was it. No elaboration.

Joe cleared his throat and said, "So, since this is your first day on a construction site, I'm going to give you a full safety orientation, and I'll be working next to you all day to show you the ropes. You're going to wear a hard hat at all times. I'm happy to see you have steel toe boots. Where'd you get those?"

"Uh, Rachel and Al bought them for me."

"Oh. That's very nice of them. Those aren't cheap."

"Yeah. I'll pay them back once I start earning some money."

"Well, that's up to them to decide. They might consider it a gift to start you on your working life. I'd do the same thing for my son."

Logan blinked at him for a second. "I'm not their son, though."

"Right. Of course. Sorry. I just meant, you know, they care about you."

Logan squirmed and shrugged, clearly uncomfortable with any discussion about feelings like any boy his age.

"So," Joe said. "Have enough to eat in that lunch box of yours? It's surprising how hungry you can get working all day."

Logan looked at his lunch box and said, "I don't know. I hope so. Al put something together for me."

"Well, if you find yourself short, maybe Johnny and I can take you guys out for a snack. My brother's bringing his two boys, you'll meet them today."

"Oh." Suddenly Logan brightened. "So, I won't be the only young guy there?"

Joe chuckled. "Not today, anyway. If you decide to stay on, you might be, depending on how serious Vic and Tilly are about the family business."

"Vic and Tilly?"

"Their names are Ludovico and Attilio, but try saying those names on the school yard."

Logan actually chuckled. Then he paled. "Sorry. That wasn't very nice."