Page 56

The drive up Big Ridge Creek Road is distinctly different today. The trees are shedding their last autumn leaves, carpeting the winding asphalt in shades of rust and gold. Excitement stirs inside me. I love winter, and I can’t wait to curl up by the fire with Lily. I park the work truck behind the job trailer at the Woodsword remodel. Before I can even unbuckle, Carl’s heading straight for my driver’s door, his face tight with stress.

I climb out with the tumbler of coffee Lily prepared for me in hand. “Morning, Carl. What happened?”

He runs a hand through his graying hair. “We have a problem.”

My gut drops. “The plumbing again?” Two weeks ago, we hit a snag when we discovered the original pipes were older than dirt and needed complete replacement. Cost us days of work and a shitload of money but that’s construction for you.

Carl shakes his head. “Worse. Come see.”

What the hell could be worse than that?

Lines digging into my forehead, I follow him inside, work boots crunching on sawdust and debris. The familiar sounds of hammers, drills, the occasional curse word echo through the house. That’s a good sign, I think. At least there’s some progress.

As we round the corner into what’s supposed to be the open concept living room, kitchen and dining room, I’m greeted by new framing for a wall right in the middle of the room. The crew’s working hard getting the framing up, and there, directing them like he owns the damn place, is Matt.

My blood pressure spikes. “What the hell are you doing?”

He doesn’t even look at me, just keeps watching the crew work. “It seemed like the space needed some privacy. Clear division between the rooms.”

“It’s an open concept,” I counter, barely keeping myself from shouting. What does he think he’s doing?

“Plans changed,” Matt says with a shrug.

“The hell they did.” This motherfucker knows damn well they didn’t. This is some type of messed up payback for having Lily at our house. I step closer, noting how the guys all shift nervously. They know I’m higher up in the company, set to become partial owner once Hudson’s dad hands over the reins. They also know Matt’s a crew lead from time to time and that he’s been my friend since we were kids. Matt’s always done what’s right for the company and client. They’d do what he asked without question, assuming he had the best intentions.

That was before he lost his damn mind.

“Who ordered the change?” I raise my voice a little so the crew can hear.

Matt finally turns, and there’s something wild in his eyes. The same look he had when he stormed into our house. “I did. This layout’s better.”

“You did.” I keep my voice level even though I want to grab him by the throat. “Based on what authority? Carl’s in charge of this job.” I’m only here to supervise.

Matt shrugs like it’s no big deal, like he didn’t waste hours of labor and materials. The asshole knows exactly what he’s done. “I figured you’d want it done right.”

The crew exchanges glances, tools dangling at their sides, probably wondering if their jobs are on the line. These are good guys. They work hard, show up on time, and take pride in their craft. They don’t deserve to get caught in the crossfire of whatever breakdown Matt’s having.

“Take it down,” I tell them. Relief floods their faces and they quickly get to work. “Matt. Outside. Now.”

He crosses his arms, a stubborn set to his jaw that I remember from when we were twelve and he didn’t want to admit he broke a window. “We’re not done here.”

“Yeah, we are.” I take a deep breath. “Outside.”

“Fuck you. I don’t take orders from⁠—”

“Should I call Robert? Bring him down here and explain exactly what you did?” The words come out hard. He knows as well as I do that Hudson’s dad would’ve already tossed him out on his ass. “Last chance, Matt. Walk outside with me, or I’ll drag your ass out there.”

He stares at me for a long moment, features twisted and ugly. He spits on the floor before storming out the door. I follow, Carl trailing behind us like he’s afraid someone’s about to throw punches, and I might.

Matt whirls around once we’re outside. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

“This is about her, isn’t it? You’re practically salivating at taking my girl. My life. You’ve always wanted everything I have, trailer trash piece of shit.”

I ignore the obvious insult and focus on the one that matters. “This isn’t about Lily⁠—”

“Bullshit!” His voice cracks. “My own best friends chose a slut over me!”