Mr. Lang did not return the smile. "I'd prefer you stop talking to her like that."
Brad blinked. "Of course. I only meant that we need to keep the floor moving."
"Then you should try moving it without insulting people."
There was an awkward silence. Brad did not know how to answer a correction from someone he had spent the last half hour flattering. He glanced at the contract folder and quickly changed the subject. Mr. Lang followed him, but his expression was no longer relaxed.
Hank moved beside Margaret. "I'm sorry, ma'am. Would you mind waiting outside in the shade? I can bring you water."
"You've been kind, officer. It isn't your fault that some people mistake courtesy for weakness."
He escorted her to a shaded bench beside the front entrance, where the building blocked the hottest part of the afternoon sun. Margaret sat with a longer sigh than she intended. Her knees ached, and the flush in her cheeks was no longer entirely anger. She was old enough to know that pride was no substitute for taking care of herself.
Tyler appeared a minute later carrying a sealed bottle of cold water. He had changed out of his name-tagged outer shirt, revealing a plain dark T-shirt beneath. He stopped when he saw Hank.
"I know I'm suspended, sir. I'm off the clock. I just wanted to make sure she had water."
Hank looked at the bottle. "Somehow I don't think offering an elderly woman a drink is going to bring down the company."
Tyler handed it to Margaret. "The vending machine wanted three dollars. I got it from the staff cooler. It's clean and cold."
She twisted the cap, took a sip, and felt her strength return a little. "Do you always help strangers like this, Tyler?"
"Not always. Sometimes I'm in a hurry and I miss things. But I try." He shifted the strap of his work bag. "My mom says people have enough reasons to feel invisible. You don't need to give them another one."
Margaret looked at his face. He was young, tired, and plainly worried about his job, but there was no calculation in the way he treated her. He expected nothing. She wondered what Brad would have done if he had understood how rare that was.
"Your mother sounds like a remarkable woman," she told him.
"She'd say she's just tired," he replied with a smile. "But yes, she is."
Margaret took out her phone and called Caleb. He answered before the second ring.
"Grandma? What's wrong?"
"I'm fine, dear. I'm sitting outside in the shade. I believe it's time."
"I'm two minutes away."
"Bring Evelyn, please. And the folder we discussed."
Caleb's voice tightened. "Did somebody hurt you?"
"Nobody touched me. I have plenty to tell you, but I am safe. Come when you can."
She ended the call and looked up to find Tyler watching her with concern. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," she said. "My grandson is on his way."
"Good. You should get somewhere cool soon."