by Aurora Rey
Olivia offered her most confident smile and prepared to blatantly lie. “Oh, I knew what I was signing up for.”
Ben nodded, as though weighing whether or not he wanted to get more involved than he already was. “Well, I approve of your methods. We’ll be sure to steer clear of your windows. I’ll even have Jack toss what you throw into the Dumpster.”
Olivia thought she detected a hint of an eye roll from Joss. It was beyond irritating. She put her hands on her hips. “Thanks, Ben, but I can do it. A deal is a deal, after all.”
Ben and Joss exchanged silent glances, after which Joss said, “It’s no big deal. We’ll be hauling stuff out from the first floor and loading up the Dumpster anyway.”
She tried to decide whether continuing to refuse would make her look petulant instead of independent. “Okay, thank you. If y’all don’t get to it, I’ll take care of it later. I know there’s a lot of demo to do today.”
“There sure is. We’ll get started and let you get back to work.” Ben offered her a playful salute while Joss went back to ignoring her.
“Okay. Coffee and cups are on the counter. Help yourself and holler if you need me for anything.” She took a deep breath and headed back upstairs.
With her new system of shoving large pieces out the easiest window, she made pretty quick progress. By around eleven, she was pulling up the carpet in the final small bedroom, the one that was going to become a walk-in closet and the rest of her master bathroom. She pried open the window and sent it sailing. The sound it made as it landed was noticeably different from the rest. She leaned out the window and peered down. There was a large rectangle of blue shag covering part of the roof of her dilapidated front porch.
“Shit.” It didn’t really matter, given that both the porch and its roof were being torn down within the week. Mostly, it was a matter of principle. The last thing she wanted was to give Joss the satisfaction of knowing she’d been lazy or sloppy in her work. She’d deal with it later, she decided, and went to work on the padding.
While just as disgusting as the carpet in terms of dust and itchiness, the padding came up much more quickly. It was light and squishy and she was easily able to fold it up and chuck it outside. She allowed herself to feel smug for a moment, until her eye caught six rows of tiny tufts of foam still attached to the floor with staples. There had to be over a hundred in this room alone.
Olivia picked up her crowbar and wedged it under one of the staples. She pushed down to lever it out. It loosened somewhat, then gave way, causing her to fall back on her ass. She looked down and found, not a nice neat hole where the staple had been, but two uneven bits of metal sticking up from the floor. The staple had broken in half.
“Son of a…” She grabbed the pliers. After a minute of twisting and yanking, she’d managed to pull the two pieces free. She sat back on the floor and surveyed what would likely be hours of tedious and uncomfortable work. Perhaps Joss would get the last laugh after all.
Joss stood in the doorway. She’d come up to give Olivia an update, but had stopped short when she heard her swear. As loath as she’d be to admit it, she couldn’t resist watching Olivia wrestle with the crowbar. When she fell back, Joss had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Perhaps this little Southern Miss had more spunk than she’d given her credit for. Knowing she’d get caught if she just kept staring, Joss cleared her throat.
Olivia jumped, then whipped her head around. Seeing Joss, she narrowed her eyes. “How long have you been standing there?”
Embarrassed that she’d been watching, she looked away. “Not long at all. I just came up to tell you we’re about to take out the kitchen wall and to see if you wanted to take a swing or two with the sledgehammer.”
Olivia continued to look at her. Joss didn’t know whether or not Olivia believed her, but it seemed as though she wasn’t going to press it. “You mean like they do on television?”
Joss rolled her eyes. The rise of home improvement shows was both a blessing and a curse to her profession. While it got people interested in the ways old houses could have new life, it also gave a ridiculously false sense of the work involved. “Yes, just like they do on TV.”
Olivia stood up and Joss tried not to notice the way she brushed the dust from her rear end. “Well, I wouldn’t want to miss that.”
Olivia brushed past her and led the way downstairs. When she did so, her breasts just barely touched Joss’s arm. The touch, which couldn’t have lasted more than a second, sent a jolt right to Joss’s gut. She tried to shake it off as she followed. This was going to be a long eight weeks.
Downstairs, Jack carried the last of the kitchen cabinets out to the Dumpster, along with the stove that no longer worked. Most of the counters were gone and the refrigerator had been relocated to the dining area. Ben stood in the middle of the room holding a sledgehammer. He smiled at Olivia. “So, do you want to watch, or do you want to swing?”
“Oh, I definitely want to swing.”
There was a gleam in Olivia’s eyes that made Joss’s stomach twist uncomfortably. No, that wasn’t accurate. It wasn’t discomfort Joss was feeling; it was desire. What the hell had gotten into her?
“I was really hoping you’d say that.” Ben handed Olivia the sledgehammer.
Joss snagged a pair of safety glasses from her toolbox and thrust them at Olivia. “You should wear these.”
“Thanks,” Olivia said, then winked at her. “Safety first.”
It didn’t seem like Ben was going to offer any guidance, so Joss figured she should. The last thing she wanted was Olivia hurting herself. “Just take a nice swing. Try to use your legs more than your back, like if you’re lifting something heavy.”
Olivia nodded intently. “Okay. Should I aim for anything in particular?”
“Nope. Anywhere on the wall is fine. If you hit a stud, not much will happen, but when you get straight drywall, it should go right through.”
“Got it.” Olivia adjusted the glasses and took the sledgehammer in both hands. She swung it over her right shoulder, then thrust it into the wall.
As much as Joss might not want to admit it, it wasn’t a bad swing. She watched as Olivia freed the head from the hole she’d created and took another swing. She did it twice more before looking to Joss. “How’s that?”
Joss’s throat had gone dry. “It’s, uh, it’s good,” she managed.
Ben jumped in. “It’s really good, actually. Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”
Olivia beamed. “I haven’t. It’s awfully satisfying, isn’t it?”
Joss managed to find her voice. “Indeed it is. Just wait until you kick through the other side.”
“Well, by all means, let’s do that.”
Joss stepped forward and pulled at the hole Olivia had created. Large chunks of drywall came away, revealing studs and the back of the opposite drywall. When she’d created a big enough space, she stepped back and gestured to Olivia. “It’s all yours.”
Olivia stepped forward. Without being coached, she grabbed onto two of the studs to brace herself. It took a couple of tries, but Olivia pushed her sneaker-clad foot through the other side. She stood back and rubbed her hands together. “This is officially my new favorite hobby.”
When the drywall was cleared, Olivia turned again to Joss. “Now what?”
“Now we knock out these studs and frame in the new opening between your kitchen and living room.”
Olivia frowned. It looked like a pout for a second, but then she squared her shoulders. “I suppose that means I should get back to the floors.”
Joss sighed. She was so going to regret this. “You know, we can fold that into the project. It isn’t going to affect your final cost by much at all.”
Olivia planted her fists on her hips. Joss was starting to realize it was a habitual stance for her. “I appreciate that, but I said I would do it and I will. For me, it’s more about having a hand in the work than it is about the money.”
Joss expect
ed her to be stubborn. Olivia’s comment about the work, however, took her by surprise. Between that and her ability to swing a hammer, Joss found herself looking at Olivia differently. Of course, that, combined with Joss’s physical reaction to her, could prove to be downright dangerous.
Since she hadn’t said anything, Ben stepped in. “That’s a commendable stance. We won’t step on your toes, but we’re more than happy to help. Isn’t that right, Joss?”
Joss cleared her throat. “Absolutely.”
“Thanks, both of y’all. I’m fine for now, but I reserve the right to change my mind after I’ve yanked out a thousand staples. Deal?”
“Deal.” Joss and Ben spoke in unison.
“I wouldn’t say no to one little favor, though.”
“What’s that?” Joss asked, wondering what Olivia considered a little favor.
“There’s a big piece of shag carpet on the porch roof. Could you,” Olivia waved her hands back and forth, “do something about that?”
Ben laughed and Joss couldn’t help but crack a smile. “We’ll take care of it.”
“Great. I’m going to head back upstairs. I appreciate you letting me take out a wall. I’m sure it slowed you down.”
“Homeowner’s prerogative,” Joss said.
Olivia’s voice came down the stairway. “I like that.”
When it was clear she was out of earshot, Ben looked at Joss. “What was that?”
“What?”
“That whole interaction. You were acting like the class nerd getting attention from the cheerleader.”
Joss scowled at him. “Stop it.” She hadn’t been that obvious, had she?
“I’m just saying it seemed like you had a crush on her more than you couldn’t stand being in the same room as her.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Neither one of those is true.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Can we get back to work, please?”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Chapter Nine
Joss loved her crew, but she truly enjoyed the days she got to work solo. She liked the quiet and the ability to set her own pace. That was especially true when framing walls. Measure, mark, cut. When she had five or six pieces of wood done, she’d stop and carry them over to where they needed to go. Measure, position, install. It was methodical and precise and so easy to see progress.
The house was quiet, too. She’d seen Olivia when she arrived and they’d chatted for a bit. She’d gone upstairs to work on her floors, though, and they only crossed paths a few times, mostly when Olivia was coming and going from the kitchen.
At about four in the afternoon, something started to smell good. Given the state of the kitchen, Joss couldn’t help but be curious. She wandered in the direction of the aroma, but found no sign of Olivia. She spied a slow cooker set up on a rolling kitchen cart that was standing in for counter space. Joss walked over to it and lifted the lid so she could peek inside. Chicken and vegetables—onions and sweet potatoes and some kind of greens—simmered away in a sauce that hinted at cumin and ginger and maybe cloves.
“Hungry?”
At the sound of Olivia’s voice, Joss jumped and barely held on to the lid in her hand. She replaced it quickly and put her hands behind her back. “Sorry.”
Olivia smiled and Joss realized she was more amused than annoyed. “No need to apologize. That won’t be ready for a couple of hours, but if you’re hungry, I’d be happy to make you a snack.”
“No, no. I’m fine. I was just curious.” After a pause, she added, “It smells really good.”
Olivia laughed. “I know, right? I can’t take credit, though. It came from the ready-to-cook case.”
“Ah.” That made a lot more sense.
Olivia put her hands on her hips. “Not that I can’t cook, mind you. I’m just trying to be reasonable given the state of things around here.”
Joss couldn’t fault her for that. “That’s why I was curious. I couldn’t figure out where you were chopping vegetables or hiding all your spices.”
“It’s my compromise. I accept not making things from scratch so I don’t have to live on takeout.”
“That’s really smart. I’d definitely grill, but I don’t know if I’d think to use a slow cooker.”
Olivia raised a brow at her. “Are you paying me a compliment?”
Joss felt a flash of discomfort before realizing that Olivia was teasing her. “I think I am.”
“A banner day indeed.” Her eyes danced with playfulness. “Are you sure I can’t make you a snack?”
“I’m fine, really, but thanks. I was actually just finishing up for the day.”
“Oh. Okay.” Joss couldn’t be sure, but she thought Olivia sounded disappointed.
“I’ll be back first thing tomorrow. I’ll finish the framing in the morning and schedule the code enforcer to come and do his inspection. Once that’s done, we can start hanging drywall.”
“That sounds great. Thanks.”
Joss finished putting away her tools. “So I’ll see you in the morning, then?”
Olivia’s smile had returned. “I’ll be here.”
Joss offered a wave as she climbed into her truck. As she drove home, she thought about how things with Olivia had shifted. They seemed to have moved past the awkward tension. Or, at least, the initial tension. It had been replaced by something else. An entirely different kind of tension.
Joss had a vague feeling that Olivia might be flirting with her. She was usually pretty good at reading that kind of thing, but something about Olivia threw her off. Olivia smiled at her a lot. And she had a way of touching Joss’s arm if Joss was close to her, pointing something out or giving an explanation of how something worked.
What Joss couldn’t figure out was whether that was how Olivia was with everyone, or if it was specific to her. Not knowing irritated her. It was about as irritating as Joss’s own reaction. Olivia had a way of looking at her that made her insides fluttery, and Joss didn’t do fluttery. And when they did have any sort of physical contact, Joss’s body responded. Not a spark so much as a flash of heat that traveled from the point of contact to her core, where it then radiated back through her entire being. It was a physical attraction for sure, but it seemed like it was something else, too. Something more.
Joss had no idea what it was and even less of an idea what to do about it. Olivia was not the sort of person she got involved with. On top of that, she was a client. Ben teased her about her code of never dating clients, but Joss stuck to it. There was way too much potential for complicating a project, not to mention the potential for complicating her life.
*
“I can’t believe you’re cooking in the middle of this.” Gina drank old vine zinfandel from a paper cup and wandered around the gutted kitchen.
Olivia shrugged. “Well, I’m not going to live on takeout until the renovation is done. I keep it simple. If it can go in the slow cooker or on the grill, I’m good to go.”
“Well, don’t tell Kel that. If you can put a meal together in these conditions, she’ll never let me redo our kitchen.”
Olivia laughed. “I promise. You’re not planning to do your kitchen anytime soon, are you?”
Gina refilled her cup, then did the same for Olivia. “Ah, no. That project has been put on hold for the foreseeable future. Something about expecting two babies makes other large expenditures seem like not the best idea.”
Olivia poked a wooden spoon at her. “You know, I thought hell was going to freeze over when Kel got pregnant, but I was wrong. It’s freezing over now. The two of you are on a budget.”
Gina huffed. “If you weren’t right, I’d hit you. I still can’t believe we’re going to need two of everything.”
“How is Kel holding up? I haven’t seen her in weeks.”
“Well, we crossed the pants line right after you moved out. That wasn’t pretty.”
“Pants line? You’ll have to explain. I don’t speak pregnant lady.”
“It’s the moment during pregnancy when one’s pants no longer fit. Kel took it pretty hard. She knew maternity clothes were part of the arrangement, but I don’t think she’d actually laid eyes on a pair of maternity pants before. So much elastic.”
Olivia nodded. “Right, right. And the whole floppy sweater and leggings thing isn’t really her style.”
“Not even a little. Now that we’ve passed twenty weeks, she’s really showing. It’s going to be a long few months.”
Olivia bit her lip, halfheartedly trying to cover a smile. “Is she moody?”
“It’s better now that the morning sickness has passed. That was a nightmare. You know, I have moments of wanting to tease her, but the rest of the time, I still can’t believe she’s doing this.” Gina leaned against one of the stools Olivia bought to go with the yet to be built kitchen island. “She’s carrying our babies.”
Olivia put down her spoon and walked over to where Gina was standing. “She loves you, and she wants this family as much as you do.”
Gina sniffed. “I know.”
“You’re going to be amazing moms. And I’m going to be an amazing auntie.”
“You’re going to spoil them rotten.”
“That’s my plan.”
Gina shook her head, but laughed. “So tell me about you. Clearly, the work is coming along. How’s the hot contractor?”
“This needs another half hour. Let’s go sit outside.”
“Okay.” Gina followed her out the side door to her makeshift patio area.
“The house is great. I don’t even mind living in the chaos because every day I can see a change. Something goes out, something comes in. The contractor,” Olivia rolled her eyes, “remains a work in progress.”
