She wasn’t so sure.
“Natalie?” Jules called out from the shop.
“See? Not a customer. Just Jules, your loyal employee. In here, Jules!” Liam called, hammer poised in one hand.
As Jules appeared in the doorway, Liam shot Natalie a devious look then directed his attention back to her college-aged part-time helper. “Hey, Jules. Could you handle any customers that come in? Nat and I are doing a little project in here.”
“Sure thing,” Jules agreed, bouncing off to the shop without question.
“Don’t you have class?” Natalie asked after her.
“My class was canceled so I thought I’d take care of that book delivery that came in. If that’s all right with you.”
“It’s fine,” Liam answered for her.
“Now you’re managing my crew?” Natalie asked, arms crossed.
“Since your crew is only one person and you said you would love a fireplace, yes. I am.” As if that settled it, he raised the hammer and screwdriver, which he held like a makeshift chisel, and struck the first blow.
At the horrifying sound of crumbling plaster, Natalie began rearranging the furniture in her head.
The sofa, moved in front of the hole, could hide the damage…as long as he didn’t go too high. If he did, then she and Liam would have to drag the old grandfather clock in front of it…as long as the hole wasn’t too wide to be camouflaged by the narrow clock…
The steady striking of the hammer, the growing pile of plaster, dust and wood lathe on the floor, turned the potential for an absolute decor nightmare into a reality.
Hissing she watched him widen the ever growing hole.
“Hey. Jules said you’re doing demolition? Is there a leak or something?” The sound of Harper’s voice behind her had Natalie spinning.
Before she could answer her friend’s questions, Liam had flipped on the tiny pink flashlight and as he peered into the hole said, “No. No leak. But there is definitely something in there.”
Harper gasped. “Ooo. Really?
Of course Harper, an author who was always looking for inspiration and her next story idea, was excited.
On the other hand Natalie was a business owner. She had bills to pay, a reputation to maintain and paying customers to please. Often cranky customers who never failed to point out the deficiencies in her shop, such as a giant hole in the wall.
“What is it?” Harper asked excitedly.
“And please tell me it’s not bones,” Natalie added as she groaned and considered the possible scenarios. Finding one human bone buried in the side yard of her shop had been enough for Natalie for one lifetime.
“Oh my God, right?” Harper agreed.
“It’s not bones,” Liam answered as he peered into the gaping chasm he’d created.
“Thank god for that,” Harper said with obvious relief.
Natalie agreed. But her relief was short lived as Liam attacked the wall again, breaking off increasingly larger pieces of plaster and wood. Creating damage she wouldn’t even begin to know how to fix.
Admittedly, Liam going all lumberjack would be sexy as hell. If it was with an axe as he wore a flannel shirt and tackled a pile of firewood amid flurries of snow to build a fire in her potential new fireplace.
His chopping into the wall of her shop though? Not sexy.
Seriously, who was going to fix this damage? How long would it take and how much was it going to cost? All things she had to consider as the man she loved, but who also drove her crazy, hammered away.
She’d never let him mock her pink lady tools again because they could certainly wreak as much havoc as any manly tool on the market.
Finally, he seemed satisfied with the destruction and sat back on his heels.
