Page 30 of Call It Home

I leaned against the counter and crossed my feet at my ankles and my arms across my chest. “Yes.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cocked her head at me. “That’s it?”

I tossed one shoulder. “What do you want me to say? I mean, it’s basic math. Obviously, we have a chance.”

She huffed a loud sigh, rolled her eyes, and started to storm off.

I grabbed her elbow, causing her to whirl around and glare at me.

“Let go of me.”

I don’t know what it was inside of me that loved seeing her so full of fire. I loved her take-no-shit attitude. Maybe because I knew it meant she wouldn’t give up. Maybe it was because I knew it was what it took to survive. Maybe because I understood it better than she knew.

I let go of her elbow. Her hands swung into position on her hips.

“What was behind that question, opossum?”

Her eyes grew even bigger. “Opossum?”

I chuckled. “Sure. You ever seen one backed into a corner? They get all fired up and hiss. Kind of like you right now.”

This time, her head rolled in a circle along with her eyes. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”

“Answer the question.”

The fire in her eyes dimmed a little, extinguished behind a flood of doubt that made me want to pull her into my arms and promise her that everything would be all right.

Except, those kinds of promises were lies.

She pulled herself up straight. It was all I could do to keep my eyes from drifting to her chest.

“Just, you know, all the other teams have awards and magazine features. Shoot, even Malibu Barbie and Ken have a golden reputation with the stars. I’m just the girl from a small town no one has ever heard of who hasn’t won anything.”

I snickered and snapped my fingers. “Barbie and Ken. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think who they reminded me of.”

Her mouth twisted into a wry smile before she looked back down at the floor. I’d never seen this side of her. I hated it.

Then again, back where we lived, Sterling Construction had one of the best reputations, but let’s face it. There weren’t any stars to design for. And while the Blue Ridge Mountains were a prime vacation destination, it was mostly the larger towns that got recognition.

I believed Cameron Allen could put it on the map.

“Hey.”

I waited until she peered at me through her long eyelashes.

“The fact that they selected you without all those accolades? That says you got here without all that shit. You don’t need it. You’re like a Trojan horse. No one is going to see you coming, but you’re going to blow them away. By the time this is over, you’re going to have a waiting list of celebrities banging down your door to beg you to design and build for them.”

Her face lit up. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

I pretended to frown. “Yeah. It’s going to be annoying. Our quiet little town will be blown up with reporters and camera crews. Crazy Tillie is going to make a fortune on all the shiny things her little raccoon bandits collect for her, and Beverly Seymour is going to have a coronary trying to keep everything in order.”

She giggled, and an odd warming sensation in my chest cavity had me worried I might be having a coronary before Beverly.

“Mayor Sterling would have a field day, though.”

I snickered.

“Thanks, Mac.” Her voice was soft and grateful.

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