“Anything I can help with?” he asks.
“How much do you now about Presley King?” I ask.
“Presley? I know she’s friends with Joey and Georgia, but not much else.” He grins down at me from where he stands. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m a bit older than your crowd.”
That pulls a laugh from me. “You’re not that old. Not the way you’re helping renovate this place.”
“You’re too kind.” He claps me on the shoulder. “Why are you asking about Presley?”
“Curious, is all. Do you know how old her daughter is?”
“Poppy?” Sam rolls his eyes back and forth, like he’s trying to think it through. “Five? Six, maybe? Not quite sure.”
Fuck.
I’m not around kids enough to know how old they are. I was hoping she might be younger than that. There’d be no question she was Paul’s.
My jaw grinds together just thinking that name.
Fucking Paul.
The right guy from the right side of town. Someone suitable for the precious King family line.
Me?
Presley’s parents hated me from the minute I picked her up for our first date in an old tan car that I borrowed from Verne. Something he loaned me until I saved enough to get my own ride.
“You okay? You look like you’re ready to punch a wall.”
I scrub a hand down my face. “Yeah. I’m trying to figure a few things out.”
“I’d ask if you want help, but you seem to have things taken care of in here.”
Looking behind me, the wall is almost completely gone. “Damn. Maybe I should try to work more things out in here.”
“You should. Reenie doesn’t want anyone’s help at the lodge.”
I nod. “When I asked if I could give my input on the wallpaper, she told me unless I chopped my dick off, I get no say.”
“Damn. Don’t get in her way.”
“I have to give her credit though. She’s got a good eye. What she’s already done looks great.”
Sam gives me a concerned look. “Are you sure you want to be living in a construction zone?”
I wave him off. “I’m good. There’s worse places I could be. Besides, you can’t beat the commute.”
“You got that right. I’ve got to head back to pick up the guests for their trail ride.”
“We have guests?” I ask.
“We do. Joey says we have a few more reservations the week after too.”
“Good.”
More guests means more money. I’m pouring everything I have into this place to fix it up, but I need every last penny.
Because fixing up an entire ranch is more than I thought it would be.
