12. Back In Business
Sean rolled his eyes. “You can’t just sprout plumbing lines in the middle of the house. They have to be connected to something.”
Branna rolled her eyes right back at him. “Obviously. And figuring that out is your job. Each of the bedrooms needs to have their own bathroom. Not only for privacy for the rest of your team if Troy can talk them into coming, but for resale value. This property would make an excellent BB in the future. If you’re ripping out walls to update things, it makes sense to do the plumbing at the same time.”
She was right, but Sean enjoyed seeing her so passionate about the building.
Ignoring his grin, she gestured at the current bedroom. “The biggest two rooms already have attached baths. These four need them as well. And we don’t want the bedrooms to be too small. Could we reconfigure everything to make three bedrooms with attached baths?”
He was still grinning when she turned back to him. Her eyes widened momentarily. “You’re messing with me. You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?”
He leaned on the doorjamb. “Yep.”
She threw up her hands, but her eyes were dancing. “You’re the worst.”
“That’s not what you said last night. Or this morning.”
A pretty flush covered her face. “Maybe I was just spouting nonsense in the heat of the moment.”
He stalked across the room and lifted her up so her legs wound around him.
She put her arms around his neck and laughed. “You’re cute when you’re riled up.”
“Cute?” Puppies were cute. Little kids. Pandas.
Branna kept laughing. “Cute. And sweet.”
He growled and leaned her back into the nearest wall. “I’ll show you exactly how not cute and not sweet I can be.”
Her face flushed further, and heat flashed in her eyes. His mouth crashed onto hers and the sparks that constantly flew between them ignited.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. The world could wait.
From his spot in the sunbeam, Jabba jumped up and barked. He loped out of the room and down the stairs just as someone knocked on the door.
Sean leaned his head against Branna’s as she sighed. “To be continued.”
“Hope so.”
A glance at his phone showed it was Troy, and as they moved down the stairs, the front door opened. Piper carried Oreo in. Troy followed with another couple, all loaded down with packages and then he locked the door behind them and reset the security system. Even after almost a week, they weren’t taking chances.
Jabba circled Piper until she set Oreo on the floor. “Got over your nerves, did you? Go play, you two.”
The dogs went into their sniffing routine as they wandered into one of the living spaces on the main floor.
Branna had slowed behind him, so he took her hand while they descended the stairs. Until Prince Hawley was in jail, she’d be nervous about meeting new people. But Sean trusted Troy completely. If he’d brought these two here, they were safe people.
Troy’s eyes moved to Branna, and Sean saw the moment his friend realized she was stressed. “Hey Branna, Falcon. I’ve got some people I’d like you to meet.”
They moved down the stairs, and Troy continued. “Sean Falcone, Branna O’Dea, Aisling Gallagher, and Graham Buchanan. They’re from Midnight Lake. Graham is part of our Midnight Security team. He’s our expert at driving and anything mechanical and electrical. Aisling is a carpenter and expert at restoring old buildings.”
They all shook hands and did the usual greetings. “Let’s head back to the kitchen, and I’ll explain why I brought them out here. Also, we brought out some things that were delivered to Phail General for you.”
Sean thanked them and took Branna’s hand. She’d smiled and nodded her greetings but hadn’t spoken since the people had arrived.
Soon, they sat around the table with mugs of tea and cinnamon buns Piper had brought from Ginny Phail’s No Fail Diner.
Troy spoke again. “I trust the team from Midnight Lake one hundred percent. I’d trust all of them with my life and with Piper’s life. They’re some of the best people I know.”
Aisling’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Is there something wrong? Is that why we were doing the cloak and dagger routine?”
Troy laughed. “Straight to the point. Yes. But it’s not my story to tell.”
Beside him, Branna stiffened, but Troy didn’t look in her direction.
Troy continued. “Sean and Branna are here undercover, and it’s vital no one outside of our group hears their names or even a hint of strangers hanging out here.”
Both Aisling and Graham nodded. Graham smiled at Branna and then Sean. “No problem. We’ve been through some serious shit with our Midnight Lake team over the past year. We know exactly how important security is, and we’ll have your back if you need it.”
Aisling wrapped her hands around her mug. “We’re here for whatever you need. This team had my back when things got weird.”
Graham put his arm along the back of Aisling’s chair and kissed her hair. “Things between us have always been a little weird.” They shared a smile, and Sean wondered about their story.
Piper grinned. “We’re in a town called Phail. It doesn’t get much weirder than that.”
Even Branna smiled at that comment.
Piper continued. “I had trouble follow me here when I arrived. I didn’t know I was involved in something dangerous. Everyone here is amazing, and I’ll always be grateful for how everyone banded together to help me out.”
Seemed there was a lot more to the town of Phail than just their own story.
Troy grinned. “Anyway, I’d promised Aisling a while back that I’d get her input whenever I started renovating old buildings around here.” He turned to the woman. “Sean does construction and interior renovations. He’s got tons of experience and is really good. I’m going to assume he’s already come up with plans for this place, but I don’t welch on promises, so I brought you both in.”
Troy turned back to Sean and Branna. “Graham is an electrician and a mechanic, so he can look over the wiring panel for you.”
Sean nodded, pleased that his friend hadn’t brought these people in to pressure Branna to tell her story. He bumped her shoulder with his. “We’re in the midst of creating a game plan. When you came in, we were working on a new floor plan for the upstairs. We want to add baths to all the bedrooms.”
Aisling’s eyes lit up. “Good idea. The lodge at Midnight Lake has that, even though it hadn’t been touched since the seventies before Tansy arrived. I’m about ready to start on some bathrooms and have been looking at fixtures. I also have a connection with the closest building center a couple of towns away, so I can loop you in. They’ll deliver right to the door here. At Midnight Lake, we still have to truck everything in a couple of miles, but he can pull up right here to you.”
Graham squeezed her shoulder. “Breathe, honey. If it’s okay with them, you’ve got all day to talk shop.”
Beside him, Branna relaxed and smiled. At his raised eyebrow, she nodded. “Let’s get started.”
* * *
Branna had been more than a little concerned when Troy showed up with Aisling and Graham. She knew Sean trusted him completely, and was glad she hadn’t allowed herself to descend into panic.
Troy hadn’t had an ulterior motive. He wasn’t trying to sabotage her safety or push her to share more than she wanted. He hadn’t even said whether it was her or Sean behind the reason they were keeping quiet at the farmhouse.
From the way the others had spoken, they’d all been through some difficult things themselves. One day when she was comfortable sharing her own, she’d like to hear their stories.
Branna’s life had revolved around the pub for as long as she could remember. She’d lived there, worked there, and socialized there. Most of her friend circle had been people who enjoyed coming into the pub for an evening. She’d rarely gone elsewhere, rarely gone out with friends.
Not once had she thought about calling one of those people to let them know where she was or that she was safe. She hadn’t been that close with even one of them. Her family and the pub had been what mattered.
Now, her tiny circle was growing.
She could imagine being good friends with Piper and Aisling once she could live her life openly again.
They spent the rest of the morning going through the plans Sean had drawn up and making minor adjustments. Aisling had her tools in her truck, and it wasn’t long before they were tearing down walls upstairs to make way for the new layout and additional bathrooms.
Branna was having a blast.
Charlie would have fit right in. Her mom and dad would approve of the group’s attitude. Work hard and make work fun.
Had she found a place where she fit so far away from home? The thought warmed her heart and eased some of the grief smothering her.
Sean stroked his hand down her arm. “You okay?”
She smiled up at him. “I am. Just thinking how much Charlie would have liked this group of people.”
Sean kissed her forehead. “You’re right. He would have fit right in with these people and the rest of my team. I like to think that he pointed me in the right direction after he died.”
“What do you mean?”
His smile held a hint of wistfulness. “When I returned to the Army after Charlie’s funeral, my unit commander approached me with an opportunity to join a special forces unit. He was going to nominate the pair of us before that IED hit, but he wanted me to move forward in Charlie’s honor.”
Branna hadn’t heard that before, and her heart swelled. Her brother’s commander had sent her an email of condolence but hadn’t mentioned this. “Charlie would have loved doing that.”
Sean nodded. “I think so too. He was proud of the job we were doing, proud that we were keeping people safe. Joining the special forces team would have been a natural for him.”
“Is that how you met Troy and Marcus?”
His face brightened. “Sure is, along with Oz, Slick, and Scooby. The six of us worked together for almost a decade. They’re the best men I know.”
She patted his chest. “They’re in very good company.”
His eyes flared at her comment, and her body reacted to the desire swimming in his gaze.
“Hey, lovebirds, we need your help with this wall demo.” Graham’s voice interrupted their moment.
Sean grinned and leaned down to brush his lips lightly over hers. “Another moment to be continued. We’re going to be busy later.”
Branna shivered with anticipation as they moved back up the stairs to help open up the space for new bathrooms.
She’d done a ton of repairs on the building that housed the pub over the years, but she’d never taken down a wall and reconfigured a space before. Not that she was doing it herself, but she was part of this little team and that felt amazing.
By the end of the day, they’d ordered a ton of supplies through Aisling’s connections. Wood, drywall, bathroom fixtures, and lights. Branna didn’t want to even think about the cost of the order.
At one point, she asked where she could order some pizzas to feed the group.
The locals turned to stare at her for a moment, then burst out laughing.
Graham grinned. “There’s some proof that you’re not a local. Phail has a grand total of two places to eat. The No Fail Diner closes at three. Jim and Carl at the BB are experimenting with a supper service, but they do it once or twice a week. Tonight’s not one of those nights.”
Branna’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Graham and then at the others. They all nodded. “No pizza? No takeout?”
Piper grinned. “When I brought the tacos over the other night, I’d had Manuel make them up in advance for us. So, we have a great Mexican option, but no pizza.”
Sean dramatically put his hand on his heart. “You’re killing my Italian soul. If you want to grow this town, you need to get someone who makes a kick-ass pizza.”
Troy grinned. “How about you?”
Sean laughed. “If I had the ingredients, I’m your guy, but I don’t love it enough to open a restaurant.”
Troy looked at Branna. “When you open the Saloon, you can have him do pizza nights once a week. That’s a sure way to bring people in.”
Branna’s heart stuttered. He was serious about her running the saloon and having her own pub?
This time, it was a whole different kind of anticipation filling her. She knew how to run a pub. Knew how to make it work and what she would need to make it successful.
The idea of doing it in this wacky little town was more than intriguing. It was exciting. She’d loved O’Dea’s and had wanted nothing more than to run it for the rest of her life. Now, she had an opportunity to do exactly that, but in a new way.
She nodded at Troy. “I think I can talk him into it.”
Troy grinned and then turned to Piper. “Told you we’d find a way to keep them here. Pretty soon, you’ll be adding another page to the town’s website.”
Troy’s phone rang, and he moved to the hallway to answer it. “What’s up, Marcus?” Before he got far, he stopped and turned back to the group. “They’re here, along with Aisling and Graham. I’m putting you on speaker.”
Marcus didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Police have spotted Prince Hawley in Jacksonville, Florida. He was a passenger in a car pulled over for speeding. The driver received a ticket, but the police later discovered the plates had been switched with a stolen car. Hawley and the other man were smart enough to steal the same make and model, so it didn’t arouse immediate suspicion. The car has since been found abandoned, and we can assume he’ll steal another one when he needs one.”
Branna’s knees weakened, and Sean’s arms shot out to hold her steady. Was Prince moving north because he knew where she was?
Marcus continued, seeming to echo her thoughts. “I’m not sure this means anything. He might have family or friends in the Jacksonville area. He might be lying low because of the warrant out for him. Or he could be choosing a new place to take over because Miami is no longer a viable place for him.”
Or it might mean he was heading north because he knew exactly where she was hiding.