“Sure.”
Thank God she didn’t suspect anything. Why would she? Emily was a kind-hearted soul, the kind who probably always thought the best of people.
I have to tell her.
And yet Michael couldn’t find the words. Not here, not now. He cursed Trent for putting him in this situation. Now, if Michael spilled the beans, he’d look like the bad guy, trying to destroy a relationship. And for what?
Was it possible his determination to tell Emily had less to do with honesty and more to do with his major boner for the woman?
Hell, yeah.
Maybe he should just keep his trap shut and let things unfold as they would. She was smart. She’d figure it out.
As the two of them entered the house, Emily turned to him, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Michael, I just want to thank you again. I’m learning so much and I’ve never had so much fun learning. This experience is a dream come true.”
Michael nodded in acknowledgment, hoping it wouldn’t end as a nightmare.
***
“A couple of the crew members invited us out for a celebratory beer,” Emily told Trent as work wrapped up for the day. She crossed her fingers. “I think we should go.”
“Will Michael be there?”
“I suppose so.” She hoped so. “Does it make a difference?”
“I think we should head home. Aren’t you tired? I’m tired. You don’t want to overwork yourself. It’s another big day tomorrow.”
It had been a big day. They’d filmed a couple of introductory sequences for Lacey and had ripped out the old kitchen cupboards and drawers. Some of the men had started patching up the chips in the walls upstairs, in the rooms that would be used for storage. Emily did feel the pinch of fatigue in her shoulders but it was a good burn.
If Trent was tired, she didn’t quite understand why. He hadn’t exactly pulled his weight. In fact, if she had to list his activities, his main focus seemed to be glaring at Michael while keeping Emily out of the contractor’s path.
Something was up.
“Trent, are you okay? You’ve been acting weird today.” Weirder than usual.
“God, Em. When did you become so suspicious?”
“I’m not suspicious. I’m demonstrating my consideration for you.”
“Just because I don’t want to grab a beer with Michael Zorn and his muscle-headed underlings doesn’t mean something is wrong.”
“Muscle-headed?”
“In fact, I was hoping to do a bit of networking tonight…job hunting.”
“Job hunting. At night?”
“You know what the restaurant business is like, Em. Everything happens at night. Besides, as long as I’m here with you, working on the house, I can’t interview during the day.”
And yet another guilt trip found a home in her chest. “Okay, but…”
“I made plans to see someone in the industry to talk about some possibilities. It means a lot to me.”
“That sounds promising.”
“Yeah.” Trent looked over her shoulder. “It should be promising.”
The Zorn brothers headed toward the door. Nick called out, “Hey, guys. I heard you might be coming for drinks.”
