She shrugs, way too proud. “Hey, those posters are vintage now.”
“Pretty sure they’re haunted.”
I roll my eyes. “Thank God for Josy and Noah and their big house.”
Chapter Three
Esteban
Knocking once, I push the door open without waiting for Austin’s permission, because really—who does that anymore?
“You better not be pregnant again,” I say as I step into his office, grinning at the way his eyes immediately narrow at me.
Noah chuckles behind me. “Or being stalked. We don’t do repeat seasons of that show, man.”
Austin’s desk is neat, of course, because he’s Austin, but his jaw ticks the way it always does when he’s about to tell us something big. Or something that’ll wreck our schedules. Same difference.
“You two are idiots,” he mutters, motioning toward the chairs across from him. “Sit down. This one’s actually news.”
“That’s what you said last time,” I remind him, dropping into the seat. “And then two days later we were helping Violet install a new alarm system and pretending not to freak out every time a leaf rustled near her window.”
Austin rolls his eyes, but there’s a twitch of a smile on his face. “I’m serious. This is about work.”
Noah leans forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees. “Alright. Hit us.”
Austin presses his fingertips together like he’s about to give a TED Talk. “I won a bid for a private company—McNeal & Co. They specialize in high-end hospitality: hotels, restaurants, resorts. And guess what? This company is building a new ski resort just outside of Honey Springs. Boutique-style, eco-conscious, high-end. They just got county approval, and I won the bid for the architectural plans.”
I blink. “A ski resort? Here?”
“Yeah,” he says, nodding. “Apparently the area has just enough elevation, and they’re investing in the snow machines and infrastructure. It’s going to be a year-round destination. Lodge, cabins, fancy restaurant, spa—the works.”
Noah whistles low under his breath. “That’s gonna bring a ton of traffic to the area.”
“And jobs,” I add, my mind already racing through logistics. “Supplies, subcontractors, permits…”
“Exactly,” Austin says, grinning now. “And they asked me if I knew a reliable construction company to partner with for the project.”
Noah and I exchange a glance.
“You told them about us?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“I did,” he says. “Told them about Ross & Báez—how you’ve handled residential and commercial builds, the work on Josy’s shop, and the community center remodel. Mr. McNeal was impressed. He wants to meet with you bothnext week.”
I let out a breath and lean back in my chair. “Damn.”
“That’s actually… huge,” Noah says, already pulling out his phone. Probably to check his calendar or message Josy.
“Try massive,” Austin says. “It’s a multi-million dollar project. If they hire you guys for even part of it, you’re talking steady work for over a year. Maybe more.”
Suddenly, I’m picturing crews on snow-covered lots, cabins going up against a backdrop of frosted pines, our logo on job signs tucked into the white powder.
My mouth stretches into a grin.
“Okay,” I say. “Nowthisis the kind of news I don’t mind getting called into your office for.”
Austin smirks. “Told you.”
I rub a hand over my beard, already running through a mental list of what we’d need to pull something like this off. More manpower, for sure. Our regular crew is solid, but a project this size? We’ll need to expand, bring in more subcontractors, hire a few more project managers.
