Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 91434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“When do you need it?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips.
“When do you think it can be ready?” she asks. “Realistically.”
“If we take it in today and start the work…” I think about maybe even getting a couple of the guys to help work on it tomorrow. “Maybe by Monday.”
“That soon?” she asks shocked, and she’s not the only one who is in shock. I hear whispering coming from the garage as Ryan glares at me.
“It’s for the community,” I answer her and Ryan at the same time. “It’s what we do.”
“Okay,” she decides, “let’s get the contract going, and if I can speak to your guy who is going to do all the things to it, so we can maybe discuss things.”
“Ryan!” I shout over my shoulder for him and see him coming toward me. “Everleigh wants to make a food truck out of that.” I point at the truck. “Can you help her out?”
“Yeah, what were you thinking?” he asks, and she starts telling him about what she wants to do with it. There is no reason for me to be out here with them, so I turn to walk away and stop when she calls my name.
“Brock, are you going to do the contract?” she asks, and I just stare at her.
“You’ll be doing me a favor by taking that off my lot. Ryan can discuss what he charges.” I turn back and walk toward the fence, knowing Ryan is going to ask me questions. I also know the only answer he is going to get is I’m doing it for Ms. Maddie. Who cares if I’m lying to everyone around me? It’s not anyone else’s business but mine.
Chapter Fifteen
EVERLEIGH
I stand to the side talking to Ryan, but my body is on high alert with Brock right there not too far from us. As if it knows, I stop talking to Ryan only when I feel him moving away. “Brock, are you going to do the contract?” His eyes look at me.
“You’ll be doing me a favor by taking that off my lot. Ryan can discuss what he charges.” He doesn’t give me a chance to say anything. Instead, he walks back to the side where the gate is, closes it behind him, and locks the lock. And I stupidly watch him do it as if he has a spell on me.
“Well then,” Ryan says, and I turn my head toward him.
“Well then, indeed,” I reply. “What do you think it’s going to cost to do all of that?” I ask him, and we walk to the side of a truck that is the exact copy of it. “I would love the side to flip up so there is some shade there if it’s too sunny,” I say, and he nods.
“It’ll be easy enough to just cut through it and hinge it on top. I think you should even put windows in,” he suggests. “You can maybe open one of them when it gets too hot in there.” I nod. “Or close it if it’s raining outside.”
“What about putting a little counter in front of the window?” I ask. “We can maybe put napkins and stir sticks and all of that on there.”
“That we can do. I can take some metal from inside and weld it.” He thinks out loud, and he smiles. “This might be my favorite project.”
I smile at him. “Well, that makes me feel better for being thrown on to you.”
“Nonsense. Ms. Maddie is the bomb and so are her donuts. I’ll do whatever I need to help her.”
“Thank you,” I say softly, “that means a lot to me.”
“Have you any thoughts about what you wanted inside?” He stands with me as I pull up ideas I took down last night while on the couch.
“I’m going to need a counter for sure.” He nods. “I want to put in two coffee pots, maybe even three. I’m going to make the donuts at home, so I would need a couple of racks to store them.”
“I have a couple of ideas,” he offers. “How about I draw them up and run them by Brock, and then we can sit down and see what you think?”
“If it’s not too much trouble for you,” I state, leaving out Brock’s name.
“No trouble at all, Everleigh.” He turns, and I follow him into the garage. “I’ll probably get all of this done this weekend, and then we can sit down maybe on Monday.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, and he nods. “Why don’t you take my number down? If you have any questions, you can call me and not bother Brock.”
“That sounds good.” He takes out his phone, and I give him my phone number. “If I need anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds good,” I reply and walk through the garage, and my eyes do a sweep to see if Brock is there. I see a station at the corner near the door to get to the waiting area is empty, the stool pushed back. I know it’s his station because he has a picture of Saige right in front of the wall, facing the chair. I swallow down the lump and walk out the door, feeling eyes on me but never turning around. I hated that even for a minute, it was as if nothing had ever happened. It felt like it did before everything happened. Before he made decisions for both of us without even talking to me about them. I had him back for those couple of minutes, but then I had to remind myself he really isn’t who I think he is.