Chapter 23 #2
Nolan glances up at me, one brow lifting slightly. “Trust me, I like dogs way better than I like people.”
An appreciative laugh slips out of me. “Can’t argue with you there.”
He gives Gus one last pat before straightening, brushing his hands together. “Come on, let’s grab Eddie and take a walk. I want to see my house.”
I trail a few steps behind them, listening as Eddie walks Nolan through the progress in each room.
He keeps it easy, straightforward, pointing out what’s been done and what still needs work.
I add details when asked, but otherwise remain quiet, letting him take the lead. It is his job site, after all.
We walk into the dining room, and Eddie gestures toward the intricate wooden scrollwork lining the ceiling. “There she is.”
Nolan tilts his head back, his gaze tracking the crown molding, and lets out a sharp clap. “That looks fantastic! It looks brand-new. How the hell did you pull that off, Eddie?”
Eddie jerks his thumb in my direction. “Wouldn’t have happened without this one right here. Kiki knew what it was worth, and she wasn’t about to let it get demolished.” His gaze finds mine, a flicker of warmth passing across his expression. “She’s a little stubborn when she wants something.”
Geez. Thanks, Eddie.
“Stubborn?” Nolan asks, his gaze shifting between us.
Eddie chuckles, dragging a hand over his bearded jaw like he’s deciding how much he wants to share.
Meanwhile, I’m too busy staring at him. Seems the beard is here to stay. Not that I mind. Eddie is hot regardless. Hot with or without the beard. Hot with or without clothes—
Stop it, Kiki.
See? Told you I needed to get laid.
Eddie leans back against the doorway, his gaze settling on me. “You want to tell him, or should I?”
Shrugging, I capture my lower lip between my teeth. Why not let it all hang out, right? “Let’s just say Eddie was really busy, and I was really impatient.”
Nolan quirks a brow, clearly expecting more.
I cross my arms over my chest as the flush creeps into my cheeks.
“I may have cut ahead of the demo crew and decided to remove the trim myself, which, in hindsight, was a terrible idea because I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Thankfully, Eddie dropped everything to show me how it was done.”
I glance at him, a small smile tugging at my lips. “He’s a really good teacher.”
Eddie dusts his fingers against his shirt in mock bravado. “You’re a really good student.”
Nolan looks between the two of us, satisfaction settling into his expression as he gestures loosely back and forth. “See? The fucking dream team. I told you that you two are magic together.”
He pivots on his heel before either of us can respond and continues down the hall, talking more to himself than to us and leaving Eddie to fall into step beside me.
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus,” I mutter, shooting him a quick grin so he knows I’m teasing.
He bumps his shoulder lightly against mine. “I was singing your praises, actually.”
I glance up at him. “That was singing my praises? Remind me to stay far away from your critiques then.”
“I’m serious. What you did, fighting for that trim, knowing its value, refusing to let me slide—that was brilliant, Kiki.”
This time the warmth in my cheeks feels different. Damn near forgot what compliments felt like.
Just ask anyone in Sparkwood and they’ll agree I’m not worthy of the damn things. But somehow, Eddie thinks I am, even after everything I’ve put him through.
And now I’m on the verge of tears again.
What is wrong with me?
I blink them away. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
“Hey.” His fingers close gently around my hand, halting me in place.
I hesitate for a moment before daring to look up at him.
It’s the smallest thing, but the warmth of his skin, the rough calluses brushing against my palm, feels like home. A home I desperately want to return to, but don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance.
My throat tightens. “What?”
For a second, he just looks at me, as if weighing what to say next. Then he grabs my other hand and gives them both a gentle squeeze. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Kiki.”
And just like that, I adore the damn holiday.
Four words. That’s all it takes. Four stupid words out of this man’s mouth, and suddenly I’m ready to string up red hearts and buy stock in chocolate just to celebrate.
Pathetic.
I should probably be embarrassed by how quickly I fold, how easily he undoes me without even trying. But for one fleeting, reckless second, I let myself have the warmth, the hope, the impossible little spark that maybe…
Nolan strolls back into the dining room, chattering under his breath like he never actually stopped the conversation. Didn’t matter that we weren’t anywhere to be found.
I press a hand to my mouth and bite back a laugh. “Do you think he noticed we weren’t there?”
Eddie snorts and shakes his head. “I don’t think he cares.”
“It’s perfect,” Nolan announces, turning in a slow circle and taking everything in. “Absolutely perfect.”
It never gets old hearing a client say they’re thrilled. And this has been a tremendous undertaking.
I motion toward one corner of the room. “If you think it’s good now, just imagine when the furniture arrives. Eddie and his crew built the most gorgeous rooms, and I’ll help you fill them with pieces that do them justice.”
“But until it arrives,” Nolan cuts in, “we’ll rent furniture. We’ll stage the whole thing.”
He starts moving again at a pace that should be illegal indoors, and I hustle to keep up. Damn me and my short legs.
“Wait a second. Staging for what? Are you selling the place?” I glance at Eddie, who shrugs, clearly as in the dark as I am.
Nolan stops so abruptly I nearly slam into his back, only to be caught at the last second when Eddie’s hands close around my arms and pull me up short.
Nolan glances down at me like I’ve just materialized out of thin air. “What?”
“You said staging—”
“Oh, yes. We’re having a halfway-there party.”
I’m sorry, what? There’s no way I heard that correctly.
I steal a look at Eddie. The man is stunned—and that’s an understatement.
“You’re joking.” The words emerge in stereo, which only serves to further amuse Nolan.
“Nope. It’ll be great. We’re going to celebrate, enjoy life. It’ll happen at the end of the week.”
“End of the week,” Eddie echoes, disbelief edging every syllable.
“Don’t worry. We’ll block off the construction zones.” It’s uncanny how Nolan is behaving like this is the most normal thing in the world on a restoration site, when in reality, it’s unheard of.
“Right.” Eddie scrubs a hand over his face. “Because people never wander off.”
Nolan reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out two envelopes. “Stop looking so worried, you two. I have a team to handle all the party preparations. I’m obviously not expecting you to do anything except take the next couple of days off, and then show up as my guests of honor.”
“You want us to go?” Eddie looks positively pained. No doubt he’d rather head to the dentist than a Hollywood shindig.
Nolan nods, completely unaffected by Eddie’s lack of enthusiasm. “Absolutely, I want you both there. Think of it as a networking opportunity. Save me from dealing with those schmucks alone.”
There’s something strangely endearing about Nolan. He knows exactly how to play the game, but he’s also the first to admit the whole thing is ridiculous.
“Finish up today, then take the next couple of days off. You’ve earned some downtime. And here”—he hands each of us an envelope—“something to sweeten the deal. Happy Valentine’s Day to you both. Enjoy it.”
Just like that, he’s gone and calling for Romy, no doubt dragging her into whatever chaos he has planned for this party.
Once again, Eddie and I are alone.
We stare at each other, then down at the envelopes in our hands.
With a cautious breath, I open mine… and damn near fall over.
“Is yours a check?” I manage, my voice trembling.
Eddie nods slowly. “Our bonuses.”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars?”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars.”
A giddy laugh bubbles up from deep inside me. I know this amount of money doesn’t mean much to someone like Nolan Montague, but to people like Eddie and me? It’s one hell of a gift. Especially considering he’s already paying us handsomely for the job.
These checks easily cover my cabin repairs and Theo’s first year of private school.
But then I realize something. Eddie won’t keep the entirety of his check. He’ll split it with his crew. That’s just who he is.
And I’ll be damned if I’m left out of this part of the transaction.
I hold out the envelope. “Take mine, too. Pool the money and split it evenly between the crew.”
The look on his face is priceless. I couldn’t have shocked him more if I’d told him I was a Martian from Jupiter with tentacles instead of toes.
Eddie shakes his head. “I can’t do that. You earned your bonus, Kiki.”
“So have they,” I counter, refusing to back down. “Your guys have been nothing but kind to me. I want to do this.”
He exhales, dragging a hand over the back of his neck, frustration brewing just beneath the surface. “That’s the thing. I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
“Kiki…” He studies me for a second. “You need to stop being so nice. Stop giving things away like that. You need your money. Take it. It’s fine. I’ll take care of my crew.”
“Can you let me help on this one thing, please?”
He hesitates, then huffs out a breath, already knowing he’s not going to win. We could stand here for the next eight hours arguing about it.
“Look,” I add, lifting my chin. “Either we pool it, or I go cash the check myself and split it between the guys. This way, you get to look like the hero twice over.”
That does it.
Eddie laughs, the tension easing. “Thank you. I don’t feel right about this, but—”
“But you know I’m not backing down, right?” I cut in.
“Yeah,” he says, a smile tugging at his mouth. “I kind of got that.”
Before he can argue further, I reach up, steal the pen from behind his ear, lean over his clipboard, and sign the back of the check with a flourish. “There.” I cap the pen and tuck it back behind his ear. “Done. Non-negotiable.”
Could I use the entirety of the check? Of course, but that isn’t the point. Eddie’s crew works their asses off, never once complaining about early mornings or late nights. And the quality of their work?
Chef’s kiss.
So while a $25,000 bonus is a beautiful thing, it’s far better to ensure we all get a piece of the pie. And let’s be real, Eddie is the reason I’m holding this check at all.
Plus, this ensures his take is bigger, which helps Theo, and that helps me.
“The guys are going to be thrilled.” I pause, then add, softer, “Theo can go to private school now.”
Eddie bites his lower lip, the dimple in his cheek deepening, and it is the most unfairly endearing thing I’ve ever seen. “Come here.”
He steps forward and pulls me into his arms. Just like that, I’m done for. Right back to that seedy bar and our first magical night.
We relax into each other. My hands wrap around his waist, twisting into his shirt as I press my face against his chest and breathe him in. He nudges his nose along the top of my hair, that same absent little gesture he used to do when we were together.
I eagerly await the soft kiss that always followed. But it never materializes.
The moment stretches, fragile and suspended, and neither of us seems capable of breaking contact first.
Can he feel how desperately I miss him? Does he know how many nights I’ve cried over letting him go?
He told me he loved me. It wasn’t that long ago. Maybe if I dare to speak up, I can explain everything and make him understand.
Here goes everything.
I pull back just enough to look up at him. “Well, we have the next couple of days off. Why don’t we celebrate? Finish up here and grab a drink or something.”
An uncomfortable chuckle rises from his throat as his gaze drifts past me, landing somewhere on the far wall. “I’d like to, but…”
“You can’t,” I finish for him, stepping out of the circle of his arms. “Silly me. I forgot that it’s Valentine’s Day. You probably have a hot date or something, right?”
Talk about regretting a question the second it leaves my mouth.
Jesus, Kiki. Why would you ask that? You really don’t want to know the answer.
Except I need to know.
“Not exactly. But I do have plans tonight.”
Plans. On Valentine’s Day. Yeah, I’ll bet at least one of Romy’s bouquets is from Eddie. And I have to be okay with that knowledge, even though I don’t have a clue how.
Before Eddie can say anything more, Nolan returns to the room, Romy in tow, and our brief interlude is drowned out by the cacophony of real life.