Page 28 of Restored By You

“Good,” I say, nodding as I speak. “Really good, actually. We got the whole main floor bared this week. The original oak was under all of it. Cals, it’s gorgeous. Rhett thinks we can refinish rather than replace, which saves a fortune, and we plan to take the kitchen partition down on Sunday—”

“Mhm.”

“—and Tyler’s actually been filming, like properly filming, he’s got a real eye, I didn’t expect—”

“Mhm.”

I stop, eyeing her. “What?”

“Nothing.” She reaches for a chip. “You just said we four times, but please, continue.”

“I did not.” Did I?

Callie pops the chip in her mouth, insufferably serene. “So. Rhett.”

“So. Nothing.” I take a sip of wine that’s more of a gulp. “He’s my contractor. He’s good at his job. We work well together. That’s the whole—” I wave a hand just as Tyler’s door opens, stopping me short.

He emerges in a fresh hoodie, his hair actually brushed, and… I sniff the air as he passes. Is that cologne? He’s got his phone in one hand and his shoes already on, which for Tyler is basically a formal announcement of intent.

“I’m going downstairs,” he says.

I blink. “Downstairs where?”

“The arcade by the pool.” He’s already edging toward the door. “There’s these kids. We’re gonna play the racing game or whatever.”

“Kids.” I sit up straight. “What kids? Since when are there downstairs kids?”

“Since I’ve been going down there all week while you’re at the house.” He says it like it’s no big deal, but it is a big deal.

In the evenings? I mean, yeah, I’ve let him stay back, but mainly because the lighting in the evening stinks and his hired tutor for homeschooling finally caught up with us. “You were supposed to be doing school work with your tutor.”

He ignores me. “Their parents work here. There’s like four of them. One of them is homeschooled, too, so.” He shrugs, as if that was a full explanation.

“Hi, Ty,” Callie offers, delighted.

“Hey.” He gives her a nod that is nearly polite. Growth. “Can I, like, go now?”

I open my mouth to run through the list: phone charged, back by ten, text me if you leave the building, do NOT let anyone talk you into the hot tub after hours. Then I catch Callie watching me with her eyebrows halfway up her forehead, and I hear it. I sound like his parent when I’m not. He’s my stepbrother.

I can be the cool stepsister, can’t I?

“Phone on,” I say instead. “Back by ten.”

“Cool.” One word and he’s gone, the door clicking shut behind him before I can add a single caveat.

I stare at the door. “He met people,” I say faintly. “He brushed his hair and put on cologne…”

“I bet there’s a girl down there,” Callie says matter-of-factly.

“Gotta be.” I groan dramatically, “I don’t have time for this.”

“It’s a good sign, Shea.” Callie’s voice is gentle. “He probably needs to be around, you know, normal, average kids for once.”

“I know, I know. I just—” I press the cool glass to my cheek. “His mom left him with a stranger in a state he’s never been to and he’s fifteen. I keep waiting for him to fall apart, and instead he’s…thriving? Helping at the house without much complaining, and now he’s making friends, too?” I shake my head. “One of us should be thriving, I suppose. Feels rude that it’s him, though.”

She laughs, but she’s watching me with a soft, patient look. “And you’re not thriving?”

“I’m thriving professionally,” I say. “The pilot footage is better than I hoped. Tyler’s shots, the house, the whole thing. It’s coming together.”