Page 18 of Restored By You

When we finally make our way back outside, I pull in a lungful of fresh, mountain air and sigh. So far so good, I think as we make a slow loop around the exterior, Rhett checking everything—roofline, siding, foundation, the detached garage at the back of the lot that I’d forgotten existed. He photographs things on his phone without narrating, and I resist the urge to fill every silent moment and let him do his thing.

Tyler, to his credit, films the whole ordeal without complaint.

By the time we circle back to the front porch, Rhett has filled four pages of his small spiral notebook. He closes it, tucks it into his back pocket, and leans against the porch railing with his arms crossed, looking at the house with an expression I can’t fully read.

I take a breath. “So.” I clasp my hands in front of me. “What do you think?”

He’s quiet for a moment, and it’s the longest moment of my life.

“It’s a solid project,” he says finally. “More work than it looks from the street, but that’s true for most houses worth saving.”

My heart climbs into my throat, daring to hope he sees what I see. “And…would you want to be the one to save it? With me, I mean.”

He looks at me then, like really looks at me, and I am acutely aware that my eyes have gone embarrassingly glassy, because if he says no, I genuinely don’t have a plan B and this entire thing falls apart before it’s even started and—

“I’ll take the job,” he says.

The breath leaves me in a rush and tears escape me as I cover my mouth with a dramatic, “Oh, thank god,” before throwing myself at him to wrap my arms around his middle.

He holds steady, catching me with a hardy laugh at my dramatics—and I’ll be the first to admit, that’s exactly what it is—but his grin is wide as I pull away to look at him. His hold on me tightens.

Neither of us moves.

Seven.

Rhett

The scent of lavender and coconut flood my senses to the point I’m nearly pinning this woman to my chest. Fuck, she smells good. I inhale deeply just as her arms begin to fall and I’m forced to let her go.

Shea takes a tentative step away from me, having to swipe her eyes and the few tears that escaped her in her joy. “Sorry, that was a tad bit unprofessional.” She laughs lightly. “You just have no idea what this means to me, truly. I mean, after the other contractor bailed and dealing with the flood and Tyler…” She blows out a breath. “It’s been a really testing few days for my sanity.”

I nod, pushing my hands into my pockets to keep them from reaching out and pulling her back into my chest. “I get it,” I say, having to clear my throat of the rocks suddenly grating on my emotions. “I should mention that, yes, I’ll take the job, but scheduling is…going to be tight.”

Her face, as hopeful as it was, falls slightly. “Oh, like…?”

“My brother and I just took a pretty big job with a tight timeline for completion,” I admit. “If you still want me as your contractor, it’ll be early mornings, late nights, and weekends.”

Any free second I have is yours, gorgeous.

The thought has me nearly biting my tongue, but I settle for shifting to put a miniscule more space between us.

This is a bad fuckin’ idea…

“Yes! Of course, I want you,” she rushes to say, then blushes, shaking her straying wild locks. “Contracting—or contorting?” She snorts, giggling with a wave of her hands. “Wow, I’m really digging my own grave here.”

I chuckle, loving how easily flustered she gets. Does she have any idea how adorable she is when she’s like this?

“What I’m trying to say is, yes,” she breathes. “I’m willing to work around whatever your schedule has available. I was hoping nothing that’ll keep me here longer than three months, but…I’d love to pick your brain on how we could potentially finish the basement, add a second bathroom, or even add an ensuite upstairs to the primary bedroom?”

Three months. The two words sit on my chest like a weighted canon ball.

Shot through the heart. Damn.

“Ensuite is doable,” I say, because talking about the job is safer than thinking about her temporary stay. “Second bathroom depends on the plumbing assessment. Basement finish adds time but adds value if you’re planning to sell after.”

Her nose scrunches faintly at the word sell. “Right. Sell…”

“I can have some basic plans drawn up by tonight if you want to go over them,” I hear myself say, knowing damn well I shouldn’t.