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Because Theo Sinclair had no interest in an old Second Empire home. He wanted the land, and I wanted out.
I cleared my throat. “That’s a mammoth job, and one I have no interest in embarking on. Anyway, this is exactly why I wanted to build new buildings. Buildings that are safe. Charlie, you live on the top floor. What would happen to you if there was a fire in the middle of the night? Albert doesn’t keep his ladder outside your window all the time.”
She bit her lip, considering. “Yeah.” When she glanced up at me, she hesitated. “Did everyone… Did everyone make it out?”
With my heartbeat finally returning to normal, I could admit to myself that I enjoyed having Charlie this close to me. I gave her a solemn look. “Everyone except Rufus.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh my god. Who was Rufus?”
The moment stretched, and when I saw honest-to-goodness tears forming in Charlie’s eyes, I took pity on her and admitted, “My pet ferret.”
She smacked my arm. “You did that on purpose, you jerk.”
“Did what?”
Her eyes sparkled. “Tugged on my heartstrings like that.”
“You have a heart?”
“Shut up, ferret boy.”
I laughed, then quieted down when we glanced over at the mess of the microwave and counter.
“I’ll help you clean up, and then we can split what’s left of the food,” she said.
“Deal.”
TWENTY
CHARLIE
The tiles were spectacular. It was Monday morning, bright and early, and I was in heaven. There was considerable damage around the perimeter where the carpet had been tacked down and near the entrance from general wear and tear. But if we could save them, the lobby would look like it had been transported straight out of Jay Gatsby’s mansion.
“Thoughts?”
I glanced up at my sometimes-nemesis, who was turning out to have more depth than the scum-covered pond I’d originally imagined him to be. “I think I’m in love.”
He met my gaze. “I hate to break it to you, Reeves, but I just can’t bring myself to feel that way about ferret haters.”
I elbowed him in the ribs and relished his grunt, then crossed the lobby to the base of the left-side stairs where Vinnie and his guys were working on removing the tack strip that had held the carpet down.
“What’s the verdict?” I asked.
Vinnie grinned at me. “Clean and regrout, and this will come up a treat.”
My heart went pitter-patter. My smile could not be contained. “Yeah?”
“We’ll have to go solid black on the border. Can’t save those. But my tile guy thinks he can recreate the pattern at the lobby entrance. The tiles won’t be a perfect match, but we might be able to make a feature out of it.”
“I think I want to marry your tile guy.”
“How quickly you move on,” Sebastian said, joining us by the stairs. “I’m crushed.”
“Quiet, you. I’m declaring my undying love for Vinnie’s tile guy.”
“His wife might have something to say about that,” Vinnie noted.
I hooked my elbow through Vinnie’s and squeezed his arm. “I’ve never been happier in my entire life.”
