He huffs and chokes out a laugh. “I don’t know about all that. I’m still pretty pissed at her.”
“Why?”
“Because of the shit she pulled between you and me. Not that it mattered in the end, but still.”
I don’t respond aloud, although my mind screams in protest.
Trust me, Eddie, I’ve rolled through every alternate scenario in my head. If Deirdre had been the tiniest bit accepting of me, we wouldn’t be here right now. We’d be leaving the job site together. Sharing a bed. Sharing memories.
Instead, my only company is Gus. And while he’s an awesome dog, he doesn’t fill the void that Eddie left.
Nothing can.
“Also,” Eddie continues, “Theo wants this remote-controlled dinosaur thing. I can’t find it anywhere, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint the kid.”
I scrunch my nose. “Remote-controlled dinosaur thing?”
“Yeah.” Eddie fishes his phone out of his pocket, scrolls through a couple of pictures, and turns the screen toward me.
“Huh. It’s not available anywhere online?”
“It’s not availableanywhere,” Eddie grumbles. “I’m hoping the indoor water park is enough. Maybe I can take his mind off it for a day.”
“Eddie!” One of the guys calls from below, breaking into our moment. “I need you to take a look at something.”
Eddie nods, then turns to me. “Can you hold down the fort for a minute?”
“Of course. I’ve got this. It’s actually therapeutic in a way.”
He snorts. “I don’t know about all that. Give it a bit. Your shoulders will be singing tonight.”
“Well worth it. Hey, thanks for helping me today.”
He pauses halfway down the ladder. “Thanks for putting up with me. I know I was a bit of a dick earlier.”
“You were busy. It’s a big job.”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I was a dick and I’m sorry.”
Not as sorry as I am.
I offer him a small smile. “No more war zone, remember? We’re going to show Nolan how magical we are.”
He huffs out a quiet laugh and offers a mock salute. “You’ve got it, boss. I’ll seeyou later.”
Eddie wasn’t lying. It’s not just my shoulders that ache—it’s my entire body. But the trim is saved, and I’m in a good mood.
Gus thumps his tail against the floor when I enter the cabin, and I offer him an ear scratch and some kibble before setting about on my mission.
See, I have a few remaining friends, mostly in the city, and one of them happens to be an executive at a toy company.
Maybe she can help.
The minute she answers, I dive into my request.
Here’s hoping we can make Theo’s birthday wish come true after all.
Chapter 22
