“If you moved here, you’d always feel refreshed. I think it’s something in the water.” Hudson was teasing, or so she thought. He and Ronnie both often joked Reese would one day come for a visit and decide to never leave. But that was Ronnie’s story, not hers.
“Where do you think we should start with the paneling?”
“With a corner or something, right?”
“Let me double-check.” She went for her tablet and searched through her most trusted resources. When she worked with Ronnie years ago, Reese had stockpiled information about home renovation. She was the office’s go-to person for anyone on the set with a question or a dilemma. Her new position would assign her importance, but she doubted it would ever feel the same.
Oddly, she missed being that person.
Hudson didn’t wait for Reese to locate her saved how-to video before he pried off a corner board with a crowbar. “Would you look at that. Drywall.”
“That’s a relief,” Reese agreed. As long as all the paneling was hung over drywall—even the painted mint-green variety—they wouldn’t have to hang new. Reese had made a point of learning a lot about renovations when she worked in that field, but she never once had the urge to gain hands-on experience with the messy task.
“Got another crowbar.” Hudson handed his to her.
Reese loved being busy. Busy felt fulfilling. Busy meant things were getting accomplished. Busy kept her from thinking too much about things she couldn’t control. They worked as a team, prying off paneling and trim with efficient purpose. The pile of panels in the center of the room grew precariously high.
“Am I in the right house?” Jed did a double take as he pulled the screen door closed behind him. Long beeps echoed from outside.
“Like the new color?” Hudson teased.
Jed shook his head, eyeing the kitchen. Reese suspected he was craving another sandwich. “Dumpster’s here. Want me to haul this out?”
“Help us get this cleared out and I’ll treat us all to lunch.” Reese smiled as she watched Jed’s eyes brighten at the bribe. He didn’t have to be told twice before he darted for the pile. The three worked in quiet efficiency, though Reese craved music. She slipped on a pair of headphones from her pocket and set a playlist from her phone as she worked on the last wall.
Reese was on the second to last board when she heard a gobble between songs and screamed. She yanked the headphones out of her ears, discovering a turkey standing in the doorway. “Melvin?” She glanced around the empty room, wondering which one of the guys had let the wild animal in.
Melvin scanned the room until his eyes landed on Reese. She stood completely still, unable to breathe. She’d heard turkeys could be mean, but she’d never had to face any in Chicago. Not any off of a dinner plate, anyway.What am I supposed to do here?
“Melvin, we talked about this.” Hudson appeared from the hallway, waving his arms at the turkey. The animal backed up a couple of steps. “Go on, now. You can’t be in the house.” Melvin turned his attention back to Reese, as if deciding whether to make a beeline for her.
“I don’t have anything you want,” Reese said to the turkey.
Hudson clapped his hands once, the bang echoing. The turkey skittered back outside, gobbling his objections as he ran off.
Reese’s heart pounded heavily in her chest. “Does he do that a lot? Pop up in the house?”
“Third attempt since I moved in.” With quick strides, Hudson was across the room and by her side. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. His warm, comforting touch made her want to tuck herself against him. She blamed the turkey. “You okay?”
“Yep, just fine.” Her voice was too peppy and squeaky, and Hudson’s raised eyebrow challenged her words. “Just not used to wild turkeys inviting themselves over for coffee. Or whatever he was after.” Her breath was finally slowing, but her heartrate was another thing with Hudson this close. She returned her attention to the panel and yanked it free to put distance between them.
“I think he was just curious.” Hudson pried the last wood panel from the wall, following her outside to the full dumpster. “He doesn’t like to hang out with the flock, but I haven’t figured out why.”
“You mean he hasn’t told you?” she teased.
Hudson took the panel from her hands, their fingers grazing. Electricity zipped up her arms at the contact. He tossed the panel into the dumpster, apparently unaffected. She wasn’t surprised at her reaction to his touch, only that it was happening too quickly. Too many days lie ahead of them for her to lose her good sense this early.
“That’s the last of it,” Jed announced.
“I’ll grab my keys and we can head into town,” Hudson said.
“Need to grab my phone off the charger,” Jed said, slipping inside.
“If we have a quick minute, I wanted to run an idea by you first.” She felt guilty for delaying Jed from a promised meal, but all the while Reese had been prying off panels, she contemplated the fireplace. It consumed her. The old rocks were dated, but tearing it down would be a lot of work. A task they didn’t have time for.
“What’s that?”
She led him inside, grabbing her tablet to find the picture. “I have an idea for the fireplace. To build something around it rather than tear it apart to redo it.” She swiped through a folder filled with living room photos until she found the one that caught her eye earlier this morning. “You have windows on either side, and I think it would be a waste not to showcase them.”
