Chapter Four
Brooks
I”m silent as I watch the pint-sized spitfire sashay her way to the tattoo shop next door. She pulls out keys and opens it without giving any of us a second glance.
I run my hands down my face then tip my head back. Looking at the clear blue sky, I”m lost in my head for a minute before the guys pull me back to reality.
”Dude, he”s so fucked.” Reid chuckles as he looks at his friend.
Cash grins wider, nodding his agreement.
”What do you mean?” I frown, looking between them as they laugh harder.
”Take it from someone who is married to a badass, independent woman—hang on tight because you”re in for the ride of your life.” Cash slaps me on the shoulder and heads to the store”s door, pulling it open.
Reid follows as I bring up the rear.
”I still have no clue what you”re going on about.”
Reid tears his eyes from the store, turning towards me as Cash heads to the back.
”We”ve known Wren for a few months, since she moved here, and we helped her with the renovations at the tattoo shop. She”s fierce, confident, and doesn”t take shit from anyone. But she”s also sweet as pie once you get to know her. In all the times we”ve been around her, I”ve never seen her like she was with you. She was flustered and obviously wasn”t a fan of it.”
”Well, I did plow into her. I would be flustered too if someone did that to me.”
Reid huffs as he rolls his eyes at me like I”m an idiot. ”No, she was pissed you plowed into her. She was flustered because of the way you checked to see if she was okay and tried to buy her a new latte because she spilled hers. I don”t think she lets anyone take care of her, and the fact that you tried ruffled her feathers.”
”Okay, so… Are you saying I should go get her a new latte?” I”m so fucking confused it”s not even funny.
”That”s up to you and how you want things to go with your neighbor. All I”m saying is that, from where I was standing, sparks were flying. Your next move will probably determine how things play out between you two.”
My brows furrow as I try to comprehend everything Reid is saying.
”Oh, and it”s probably fair warning to let you know that she wanted to buy this building, but she was having a hard time figuring out who to talk to about that. You showing up here to renovate the shop probably isn”t winning you any favors.” Reid slaps me on the shoulder and heads through the shop to find Cash. He pauses every few steps to check something out, writing in the small notebook that he pulled out of his back pocket.
Cash must be somewhere in the back since I can”t see him anymore.
I blow out a breath in an attempt to center myself. This day has been a cluster fuck since the moment I woke up.
I was going to use the bed in my grandpa”s old apartment, but the thing was lumpy as hell and there was no way I could get enough rest on it. Instead, I grabbed an air mattress and slept in the third-floor apartment. Everything was fine until I woke up at 4am with the damn thing deflated and my body aching from essentially spending the night on the hardwood floor.
I re-inflated the mattress and was eventually able to get back to sleep. I had my alarm set to give me plenty of time to shower and get ready for my meeting with the guys this morning. For some unknown reason, my phone didn”t charge overnight and the damn thing died, taking my alarm with it. The only thing that woke me up this morning was the blaring sun shining through the huge windows in the living room. When I got my phone charged enough to turn it on, I panicked. I was fifteen minutes late for my meeting.
I threw on whatever clothes were closest to me, barreled down the stairs, and raced through the store. The night before, I’d taken out my contacts and hadn”t grabbed my glasses, so of course, I didn”t see the warped board sticking up. It sent me flying into one of the shelves but stayed upright, not causing me any damage or injury.
By the time I made it to the front of the store, Reid and Cash were standing on the sidewalk. I felt like a dick for keeping them waiting, so I quickly unlocked the door and threw it open. Of course, I didn”t check to see if anyone was standing on the other side because… Why would anyone be hanging out in front of what was essentially an abandoned building?
Unfortunately for me, my assumptions had been wrong, which I quickly realized when I sent the raven-haired beauty sprawling on the sidewalk. Seeing her drink fly as she hit the ground hard had me frozen. My brain registered what happened, jolting me forward to scoop the woman up and set her back on her feet.
When she whipped around to face me, her swirling gray eyes instantly held me captive. I took my time inspecting her from head to toe to see if she was okay. My eyes wanted to linger on her delicate mouth, but I forced myself not to check her out. I felt fucking awful when I saw the blood on her palms and the tear in her black jeans, blood dripping down the front of them.
Before I even realized it, my hand reached out towards her, but I dropped it as my eyes connected with hers—daggers were all but shooting out of them towards me, letting me know she was fucking pissed, and rightfully so. I was the asshole who plowed into her, causing her to get hurt and to lose her morning caffeine fix.
The daggers should have been my first warning that Wren—as Reid so helpfully called her—is for sure a spitfire. Every attempt I made to smooth the situation over seemed to ruffle her feathers, pun unintended. Her confidence and abrasiveness aren”t something I”m used to.
But the worst part was that fire and confidence of hers, lighting me up inside. I usually don”t fall for girls who, one: look like she does, with dark make-up, edgy haircut, and tattoos covering every visible inch; and two: have that much spunky energy. The more she laid into me, the more intrigued I was about her. It also made me feel like a bumbling idiot as I watched her walk away.
Making my way towards the back of the shop to find Cash and Reid, I can”t help wondering whether I should go get her a new latte or leave it be and make amends at another time. I also don”t know how upset she is that I have no intention of selling but instead wish to make this bookstore better than it”s ever been.
I didn”t really pay much attention to the buildings surrounding my own, but the tattoo goddess next door has my attention. I was so focused on her, that I don”t even know what the name of the place is, but I”d like to go check.
I find Cash and Reid in the storeroom, looking at the electric box. I don”t know shit about electric, but I can tell the panel looks up to date. Reid still has his notebook in hand as he jots down whatever Cash is relaying to him. Once they realize I”ve caught up to them, they both turn to me.
”Well, how bad is it?” I ask hesitantly.
”Honestly, it looks to be a lot of cosmetic issues. I do need to go up to the second floor to look into the water damage a little more. I have a feeling it was something simple, like a bath spilling over, but there”s also a possibility that there”s a slow leak in one of the pipes, which could turn into a huge issue.”
I try to relax at Cash”s words, but the possibility of a broken pipe is terrifying when my assets are all paper products. ”I suppose that”s better than nothing. And with you guys here, if there is a leaky pipe, then you”ll be able to find it and get it fixed before it becomes a real issue for me.”
”Absolutely,” Reid says confidently as he smiles, easing my anxiety just a bit.
”So, what are some of your suggestions for down here before we move up to the second floor?”
”Really, we just need to fix the electrical wires hanging from the ceiling, which will also need replacing. The walls look pretty good, and the bookshelves are sturdy—they definitely don”t make them like that anymore.”
”Hey, asshole!” Cash reaches out and punches Reid”s shoulder, making him laugh.
I stare at them curiously as Cash grumbles under his breath and Reid laughs harder.
”I”m just fucking with Cash. Most people don”t make things like those shelves anymore, but Cash is a master woodworker. His craft is what takes a lot of our builds from great to phenomenal.”
Now, Cash is grinning like the cat that got the canary, and I can”t help but join in with Reid”s laughter.
”Well, that”s great for me. I planned on using the existing shelves, but I can maximize the space better and will definitely need more for what I have planned.”
Cash rubs his hands together as he grins. ”That”s what I like to hear.”
Rolling his eyes at Cash, Reid turns his attention back to me. ”Anyways, I would also switch up the lighting. These buildings are great, but unless you”re up front, there”s no natural light back here. We can look over some options, and then you can choose which ones you like the best. Other than re-configuring the shelves, did you want a seating area or anything in here?”
”Yes. I want to host different events. I want to have several different book clubs, but I”d also like a space for the kids to come hang out and feel safe to be the nerds they are.”
”I love that idea. My girls are bookworms, so they will be excited about that.”
”Landon too. You know he and Mav have their book club. I can see Landon being super excited for your store and will probably want to host a ”guys only” romance club.”
”Yeah, I know they have it because I”m a part of it, just like you. Don”t try to hide that you aren”t as much into our romance reads as we are.” Eyeing me carefully, Cash tilts his head before he says, ”Do you read romance? And are you willing to support indie authors, not just the big names?”
I rub my jaw to hide my smirk. ”I have read romance books before, but I don”t read them often. The ones I have read, I enjoyed. I”m also a Lit professor, so a lot of my reading is geared towards my lessons. I”d like to say I read for pleasure, but there”s always so much shit that needs doing in my time off.”
”I get that, probably more than ever now that we have the twins on top of Pen.”
”Twins? That must be exhausting. How old are they? And how old is your daughter?”
”The twins are four months old now and Penny is seven going on eighteen.”
”Damn, you”ve got your hands full. Does your wife work?”
”His wife is a badass. She”s the youngest head nurse of the Sparrow Falls ER and runs a tight ship. Landon works with her there; they became instant friends. Those two are trouble when they get together,” Reid says.
”I can”t wait to meet them. Do you and Landon have any kids?”
Reid smiles at me dreamily. ”Not yet, but we”re working on it. We”re super excited to be parents one day.”
”You two are going to be the best parents out there.” Cash wraps his arm around Reid”s shoulder, giving him a quick squeeze and making me instantly miss my siblings.
My three younger brothers are all professional athletes, which is kind of wild when you think about it. With one playing hockey and the other two playing football, it”s hard as hell to get all of our schedules to coordinate so that we can get together. Maybe I should do what Mom said and reach out to see if they can come help for a bit. They don”t have quite the attachment to the bookstore I do, but they all spent some time here over the summers growing up and have their own memories of their time with our grandpa.
”I think we”ve got a good idea of what we want to accomplish down here,” Reid says. ”First things first. We”ll get Tex back to get the electric squared up. I”ll draw up some plans for the space, and then you can help me pick the light fixtures, paint, flooring, and what to do for the ceiling. We saw the critters” home in the kitchen, so we”ll wait until you get that checked out before tackling that area. We don”t have any jobs that need the electrical work right now, so Tex can probably get this place squared away in a day or two. In the meantime, if you want to start cleaning up down here, that would be a huge help.” Reid gestures towards the books scattered across the floor.
”I can definitely do that. I was thinking about calling my brothers to see if they can come help for a couple of days. I already have a dumpster ordered, so I can get started on that today. Do you guys want to head upstairs and see the second-floor apartment? Then you can check for that water leak.”
”Sure. Lead the way.”
I pass the guys and head through the breakroom to the stairs that lead to the apartments. When I open the door and step into my grandpa”s old apartment, I turn to see the guys” expressions. It really is a time warp in here.
”Wow. You don”t see carpet like that anymore, do you?” Reid looks around wide-eyed as Cash makes his way towards the windows.
”Right? Or windows like this. The woodwork around these is incredible, and they seem in good shape as well. That will help save you money when it comes to updates in here. You said your grandpa stayed here?”
”Yeah, my grandma passed away really young, from breast cancer. My mom said my grandpa claimed the house was too much for him to keep up with, but she thinks it was just too hard for him to be there without my grandma. They originally lived here when they bought the building and opened the bookstore, to save money. But when my gram was ready to have kids, they found their dream house. He never saw the need to update in here because he knew they would be moving out, and then he didn”t need anything fancy when he moved back in.”
”I”m sorry about your grandma. That had to be really hard on him.” Cash turns towards me as genuine concern fills his eyes.
”I think it was. He never even dated another woman—from what my mom said—but he was young enough that he could”ve had a happy life with someone else if he wanted.”
”That”s how Chayse”s dad is. They lost her mom when she was really young. He has Jeanie now, but that”s a friendship forged from the bond of losing their spouses way too young.”
I just nod because, other than my grandpa, I have never before lost anyone I loved like that. Hell, I haven”t even really been in love before. At least, not the all-consuming love that my parents have or what I”ve picked up Cash and Reid have with their spouses.
”Alright, enough of the heavy stuff.” Reid claps his hands on his way towards the kitchen. ”Although it”s like a time warp, all of this is cosmetic. Cash, do you wanna check out the bathroom for that leak? I”ll get some measurements of the rooms. When we decide on everything for the shop, we can go over what you want it to look like in here.”
”Actually, the third-floor apartment looks to have been renovated recently. I know you guys didn”t do it so you can”t get the exact materials, but if you can get it close, that works for me. I”d just like it to feel cohesive.”
”We can do that.” Reid makes his way to the kitchen, and Cash returns to the bathroom. ”You said you”re a professor. Is where you work close enough for you to commute from here?”
”Not really, but I already talked to my dean, and she said it would be no problem to have all my classes online when the semester starts in the fall. That will give me the freedom to be here for at least the first six months, until the store is up and running. I can re-evaluate what I want to do at that point. I love where I teach and I”m tenured, so I really don”t want to give that up if I don”t have to.”
”It sounds like you”ve got a solid plan, but don”t be surprised when Sparrow Falls sinks its teeth in you and the idea of leaving isn”t even a thought anymore.”
”You really think it will be that hard for me to leave?” I follow Reid from the kitchen to one of the bedrooms.
”Eh, I know a lot of people who come for a visit in the summer to hike to the falls or for the changing leaves in the fall, but end up falling in love and never leaving. Sure, it”s a small town, but the views are amazing, the people are awesome, and we”re not that far from a big city.”
”I can see that.”
Reid doesn”t say anything else as he checks out the other room. Cash is finishing up assessing the plumbing in the bathroom and the closet with the washing and drying machines. He gestures us to the bathroom to show us where he thinks the leak is coming from and says it will be an easy fix.
Having a game plan for the renovations for this apartment, I take the guys up to the third floor to show them around. Reid takes more notes and tons of pictures so that they can try to match the apartments to as close as possible.
Done with the walk-through, we make our way to the shop and the front of the store.
I’m glad I found such great guys to help me bring this place back to life. I can tell they genuinely care and are down to earth, which is exactly what I need.
“So, when do you think you guys can start?”
“Start? We haven’t even given you an estimate.” Cash grins at me.
I shrug at him.
“I like you guys. I feel like you are both kind of ”what you see is what you get”. You’ve been super cool, and I’d love for you to do the work here. Not to sound like a pompous ass, but money isn’t really an issue. My grandpa was a big-wig financial investor before he started the bookstore. He set up trust funds for all of us grandkids, but he also helped us manage and invest our money. He gave us all a huge start and the knowledge to manage our finances well.”
“Damn, your gramps sounds like he was a pretty great guy.” Reid grins at me.
“He was. I wish I”d done so much differently these past few years, but I know how lucky I was to have had him in my life for as long as I did.”
“For sure. Okay, I’ll work on getting a contract together today, and Cash can get estimates on materials. We’ll give you a few different options, but you’ll be able to see all the costs for that stuff up front. How about we meet in a few days to go over everything? In the meantime, we’ll send Tex over tomorrow to get the electrical issues taken care of so you can use more than a flashlight down here.”
“That sounds perfect.” I step forward to shake their hands, but my focus is pulled to the raspy sound outside the front door.
Wren has her head thrown back as a full laugh escapes her gorgeous lips. Her arms are linked with two other women, both laughing along with her. They don’t look like they’d match, but seeing their joy lets me know that they are very close.
I follow the women with my eyes, craning my neck as I watch them walk past my building and out of my sight. I forget that Cash and Reid are standing there until I hear one of them laugh.
“This is going to be so fun to watch,” Reid says with glee.
Cash smiles and shakes his head in agreement.
Without a second thought, I flip them off, making them both laugh harder.
I”m glad I found good people to help bring the store back to life.
“Alright, well… You have fun with that, and I’ll give you a call in a few days to meet up. Tex will be here around 8am tomorrow if that works for you,” Reid spits out after he finally calms down.
“Sounds good. Talk to you later.”
I follow the guys to the door and lock it up before facing the room. I could start cleaning up some of the mess here, but there’s no way I can spend the night on that air mattress again, so a trip to the store looks like it’s in order.
Shooting a text to my brothers to see if any of them might be able to come help out, I make my way to the back of the building. I go upstairs to grab my keys and wallet before heading out to my truck. All the while, my thoughts are stolen by a raven-haired spitfire I have no right to daydream about.