Isabelle made a face at him as she surveyed the mess surrounding her. Power tools, saw horses, and pieces of wood littered the ground. Extension cords ran in a hundred different directions, tarps had been laid out everywhere and slabs of concrete were scattered about. She was standing in what would be the dining room, but at the moment it was completely unrecognizable. The basement was the only thing that was done, but she knew that it wouldn’t take them long to finish everything else.
A little bubble of happiness rose inside her. She couldn’t wait until it was done and they could move in. For the first time in her life, she would be able to have some semblance of privacy. Plus, her mother had already helped her pick out most of the counters, flooring, rugs, tiles, and paint that would go into it and she couldn’t wait to start decorating her home.
“Where are David, Mike, and Doug?” she asked, holding up the three water bottles that hadn’t been claimed.
“They got smart and took off early to get a shower,” Ethan muttered, taking another bottle from her. He dumped most of it over his head before squirting the rest down his throat. Shaking out his wet hair he sent droplets of water cascading over all of them.
“Gross,” Isabelle protested.
He grinned at her and tossed the bottle into the trashcan nearby. “That’s the closest I’m going to get to a shower for at least an hour, so leave me be.”
She smiled back as Ian and Jack grabbed the remaining bottles. “I guess I get left out again,” Aiden mumbled as he rubbed his arm across his dirt and sawdust streaked face. His black hair was matted to his hard face with sweat and dirt. He looked amazingly like her father, and Ethan, with his dark hair, and bright green eyes, but Aiden was taller and leaner, his nose slightly larger, and his hair curly instead of straight.
“Move faster next time,” Ian retorted, smiling happily. His golden hair was caked with sawdust, sweat, and dirt. Grime smeared his elegant face, and the goggles covering his blue eyes made them look even bigger. He was the tallest of them all at six four, and the most solidly built.
“Where did your dad go?” Jack asked.
“Mom,” theyallanswered in unison.
Jack shook his head, throwing water everywhere. “I can’t wait to get this done,” he mumbled.
“Neither can I,” Ethan agreed.
“Bathrooms,” Aiden saidlongingly.
Isabelle grinned as she shook her head at them.“Well, are you guys coming in, or are you going to stay out here all night?”sheasked impatiently.
“I’ll come with you guys, maybe a shower’s open,” Jack saidhopefully.
“Doubtful,” Ethan muttered.
They moved swiftly across the open field, and up the backsteps of the porch. Willow was standing on the porch, silently watching them untilthey reached the top. “What are youdoing out here?” Isabelle inquired.
“Vicky and Abby are driving me crazy,” she muttered. “And if you’re hoping for a shower, forget it. They’ve been in the bathroom for over an hour bickering over who has better hair.”
“They’re identical!” Jackmutteredimpatiently.
“No, really?”Willowrepliedsarcastically.
Jackfolded his arms over his chest as he gave her a stern look. “No need to be a wiseass.”
“I learned from the best,” she retorted. Jack reached out and tugged on her hair as he strode past,struggling to hide hissmilefrom her.
Ethan slid the glass doors open and stepped into the kitchen. Everyone filed in behind him. Willow darted into the adjoining room,andslid thewoodendoors shut behind her. Almost immediately Isabelle could hear herbickeringwith Julian. TheTVin the basement was blaring, over the noise she could hear Kyle and Cassidy fighting over what they wanted to watch. Above it all, she could hear Vicky and Abby arguing over the hairdryer.
“Would you two cut it out! There aretwohairdryers!”
Isabelle grinned as his father’s voice boomed through the house. She leaned against the counter, folding her arms over her chest as Aiden, Ian, and Jack slid wearily into the kitchen chairs. Ethan leaned against the counter beside her, crossing his long legs before him as her mother and father came strolling into the room, smiling brightly.
“Hi guys,” her mom greeted happily. “You’re a mess.”
“And it doesn’t look like we’re getting a shower here either,” Jack muttered.
“I’ll get them out of there,” her fathertold him.
He turned and strode back down the hall, yelling for Vicky and Abby to get out of the bathroom. He came back into the kitchen to the accompaniment of pounding footsteps. “Dad!” they yelled as they burst into the kitchen. “We’re not done!”
“Get ready in your bedroom then,”he told them, not at all deterred by their pouting.
