Gus looks genuinely surprised. “Really?”
“Really.” I nod. “It’s actually much better than what I would have done.”
Grinning a little, he says, “Well, I’ll be damned. He might not be completely useless after all.”
I watch as Gus pulls out of the driveway, then look around the yard. It’s still full of weeds, but at least they’re short, and they can’t hide any imaginary rat hybrids. The screen door slams, and I turn to see Liam coming out, covered from head to toe in dust, except for a shockingly clear patch where his protective glasses and mask were. His skin and hair are damp with sweat, and he wipes his forehead with the back of his arm. “Was that Gus?”
“Yes, he brought his son here to get some work experience.”
“Colton? And you agreed to hire him?”
“Only because Gus is secretly paying his wage.”
Liam busts out laughing. “Christ, he’s desperate to get that boy to move out.”
“Apparently. He did well, though.”
“So you’ll keep him on, then?”
“I’d be a fool not to for those rates,” I answer. “I should see if he knows how to do a little of this and a lot of that. Maybe Gus could pay for my entire reno.”
Liam smiles, then says, “Speaking of which, the floor in your office has been sanded and vacuumed. I need to go pick up my daughter at the babysitter. I’ll see you in the morning to start painting the walls and staining the floor. You could save yourself some money, and me some time, if you wipe them down tonight.”
“Deal.”
“Okay, then. Enjoy your evening,” Liam says with a nod.
“You too.”
I walk back inside and stand in the doorway to the office. The floor looks dull now, but by next week, it’ll be a shiny walnut, and this room will be just the right space to pen a bestseller. I hope.
Chapter Ten
I don’t have a short temper, I just have a quick reaction to bullshit.
~ Elizabeth Taylor
I groan when my alarm goes off, my entire body aching from my first few days of homeownership. Colton showed up again yesterday and mowed the backyard while I started on one of the five large flower beds in the front—a kidney-shaped bed that sits at a pleasing angle next to the driveway. After hours of digging, yanking, and disposing of the jungle of weeds, it looked much better, and I looked much worse.
When I finally drag myself out of bed, I stand at the window and survey our progress. From up here, I can see the enormous garbage bin Liam had delivered is almost half full already, and I wonder how many times it’ll need to be emptied before this is all done.
Liam arrives five minutes early, and I offer him a coffee while we have what we’ve started calling our ‘morning site meeting.’ He opens his padfolio and takes out his list.
“I want to give that stain three full days to set before setting that heavy desk on it. I’d like to get started on the master bedroom, so if you think you might change your mind about knocking down that wall, best to do it now.”
I give him a no-nonsense look over my coffee mug. “I don’t change my mind.”
“I almost forgot—you get everything right the first time.”
“Exactly.”
“Must be nice to be perfect,” he says with a grin.
Shrugging, I say, “It’s not that great actually, because I’m surrounded by imperfection everywhere I go.” I do my best to seem serious until I can’t hold it anymore and we both start laughing.
“So, since we’re definitely adding that en suite, why don’t we head into Sydney today to pick out the tub, sink, and everything else you’ll need? Save you a few dollars in delivery and give you a break from all the yard work.”
Happiness surges through me. “My muscles thank you for the temporary reprieve.”
