Page 22 of Knight With Benefits

Chapter Nine

Gwyn

Usually dragging myself from bed in the morning took an effort of will, unless I was running from nightmares of the past, but I jerked awake with a buzz under my skin that had me rushing through my morning routine and waiting at the door well before Carl was due to be there. I hadn’t thought about his bike when he’d offered to pick me up, and I was prepared to argue for hiring a ride instead, so I deflated when David’s old pickup pulled to the curb in front of my house, confused until Carl’s large form stepped out of the cab. We couldn’t exactly pick up roofing supplies on his motorcycle, but I hadn’t expected him to have planned ahead. I needed to give the man more credit.

“David lets me use his truck when I need to pick up materials, but I’ve got to get it back to him before three. Jason is going to meet me at the café in a couple of hours to help. He’s one of the guys you’ve probably seen at The Hangout. The himbo.”

I’d closed the distance between us as Carl rounded the truck, holding the door open for me, but I paused at the unfamiliar word.

“Thewhat?”

Carl’s eyes danced as a chuckle rumbled from his chest.

“The male version of a bimbo. Nice to look at, but nothing between the ears.”

I was torn between gasping and laughing, my mouth hanging open as I struggled to decide if I was insulted or amused. I’d heard the derogatory word used for a woman before, but Carl hadn’t felt like the type to talk about women that way. He seemed to like teasing people, which made it feel harmless when a laugh escaped my control.

Carl must have caught my hesitance because he shook his head as he shut the door after I’d heaved myself into the truck.

“Don’t worry, he encourages the impression and takes it as a badge of honor. He’s a little brighter than he pretends to be, unless there’s a pretty skirt around to chase.”

Huffing out another quiet laugh, I bit the inside of my cheek to control the bubbly feeling in my chest. If the years that had followed hadn’t tainted the memory, it was how I’d have remembered feeling the first time Anthony had picked me up to take me on a date.

Thatdatehad been nothing more than a cheap burger from the place on the corner, and then him groping me within the confines of his car, but as young as I’d been, it had been exciting. The risk of being caught with anyone, much less an older alpha, had been a thrill, and I’d been stupid enough to chase it.

“Ready?”

I startled, jerking my head up from where my gaze had fallen to meet green eyes nothing like Anthony’s plain brown. The mirth had left Carl’s face, as if he could feel the way my mood had swung, so I pasted on a smile as I nodded.

“Yep.”

I hated that my memories always found a way to intrude and ruin when I was in a good mood, but I tried to give myself some grace. I’d spent more than two decades in Anthony’s shadow, bombarded with his disgust and greed and anger through the bond I hadn’t wanted, and it had been less than a year that I’d been free of it. I hoped it would only be a matter of time before everything stopped reminding me of him as I wrote new memories to replace his.

Carl had fallen quiet, focused on driving as he pulled off the quiet side streets onto the main road. It wasn’t the heavy, oppressive silence I was familiar with, but it still made my nerves dance with discomfort.

“So, are you going to just cut out the soft spots you mentioned on the roof?”

Shooting a glance at me before looking ahead again, he shook his head.

“No, we’re going to replace the whole thing. I have no idea when the last time that roof was replaced, and you generally have to do it about every fifteen to twenty years, depending on how well it’s maintained. That building is at least thirty years old, and been empty for probably half that time, so I’m willing to bet that’s the original.”

“Oh.”

I wasn’t sure what else to say. I’d thought he’d just be repairing the places he mentioned had problems since he’d made it sound like a simple thing, and I swallowed hard at the sudden worry over what it was going to cost. Replacing an entire roof couldn’t be cheap.

“I’ve got a business license, so I can bill your insurance, and they should cover it. You do have insurance already, right?”

The fist around my chest loosened as I dipped my chin.

“Yes, they made me get it before I closed on the purchase. I forgot it would cover things like that.”

Carl shot me a smile as he turned a corner.

“Yeah, repairs to the building itself will mostly be covered, although it can affect your premiums if we run too much through it. They’ll be expecting a certain amount, but they won’t cover things like building a new wall in the dining room.”

I nodded again, breathing easier. Once the business was open, my premiums being a little higher wouldn’t matter so much, and it was a relief to know I wasn’t about to lose a chunk of my savings, even if I knew the expense was necessary.

“It would be the same for my duplex, right? If the roof hasn’t been done in a while and there’s damage, insurance would cover it?”

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