the thing is

Irwin let Julie have some time alone with Betty. It seemed she enjoyed hearing stories about her father from the woman who would have married him, if he hadn't been killed in the line of duty as a police officer. Except, they weren't talking about Julie's father.

He hated to think what they were talking about.

He headed toward the house where he knew Gordy would be. Sure, Gordy said he was going to take a break from the fixer upper, but he hadn't yet. He wasn't giving up.

Naturally, he found Gordy in a sweat. Really, he'd never seen Gordy like this. He was always Mr. Cool & Crisp ready for an early morning class.

"Hey, you better take a break." Irwin brought him some cold lemonade in a thermos and a plastic container of fried chicken and potato salad.

Gordy only smiled as he did his best to push the sweat back in his wet head.

"You're a lifesaver." Gordy told him. He drank at the lemonade until he said his head hurt.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Irwin winced. Seriously, the guy had money. He could get a crew to finish this up in two weeks.

"I dunno. I keep saying I'm gonna get some people, but I find one more thing that just makes me forget what I've started." He shrugged and went to eating a chicken drumstick.

Irwin nursed his bottom lip, thinking he should just tell Gordy what Julie knew.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I should have said something sooner, but..but I didn't-"

"Oh, you mean..about you and Tiffany." Gordy nodded.

Irwin's eyes were wide open.

"Brick told me all about it." Gordy grinned.

"But..but why..didn't you say anything?" Irwin wanted to know.

"It must not have been that big of deal, if you didn't mention it." He went ahead and wolfed down the potato salad.

Irwin winced then, hoping it wasn't that big of a deal to Julie.