Page 49 of Tell Me Again
CHAPTER TEN
Trevor was on his back under the main sink battling a leaky pipe when he heard voices in the camp’s kitchen. They were masculine and unfamiliar, so he backed out and stood. He dusted his palms off on his jeans and wiped a hand across his brow.
Neither of the two men standing in front of him looked surprised to see him, so he figured they must be friends of Sam’s. After the debacle at Grace’s band concert, he was trying hard to tamp down his possessiveness where she was concerned. It wasn’t easy in the face of these two.
The man who stepped forward first had sandy blond hair and the tanned face and broad shoulders of someone who spent a lot of time outside. He wore a casual flannel shirt, cargo pants, and work boots and looked like a guy Trevor would choose as a friend if given the chance. The other man was a few inches taller with darker hair and bit more spit and polish to him. His button-down shirt was rolled to the elbows, revealing a large and probably expensive metal watch.
“You must be Trevor,” the blond one said. “I’m Ty Bishop. My fiancée is a friend of Sam’s.”
Trevor took his outstretched hand. “You’re the groom.”
“Right,” Ty agreed.
Trevor’s gaze shifted.
“Ben Haddox,” the dark-haired man offered, shaking Trevor’s hand a little too firmly. “Already married to one of Sam’s friends.”
“You’re on that cooking channel,” Trevor said, realizing where he’d seen Ben Haddox before.
“EatTV,” Ben clarified. “I also run a restaurant in Denver. I told Sam I’d give her some advice on updating the kitchen appliances while she’s remodeling.” He gave Ty a friendly shove. “Gotta make sure I can work my magic for this joker.”
Trevor lifted a brow. “You’re cooking for the wedding?”
“I told him he should enjoy himself as a guest,” Ty said.
“And let some two-bit chef serve rubber chicken and gloppy rice at your reception? Not a chance.”
“Doesn’t hurt that it gets you out of listening to the women talk wedding plans.”
Ben flashed a quick smile. “I’ve done my part to make Kendall happy.”
“How’s it going here?” Ty asked.
Trevor glanced around the kitchen, which still looked more destroyed than remodeled. “I’ll have it ready.”
Ty moved around him, running a hand along the newly installed drywall. “You doing everything yourself or do you have a crew?”
“I’m hiring out certain pieces, like the roof and electrical. Most subcontractors in the area are booked after the storm and with the spring construction season picking up steam. I’ll only hire a guy if I know he’s good at what he does. Otherwise, I’ll take care of it myself.”
“If you need an extra hand,” Ty told him, “let me know, and I can clear my schedule.”
“You have experience in construction?”
“I did some work with a crew during summers back in college.” Ty crossed his arms over his chest. “I had a landscaping company for years, so I’ve been around building sites a lot. Now I work in conservation, but there’s some flexibility in my schedule.”
“You want to spend your free time doing labor up here?”
Ty shrugged. “I want my bride to be happy, and Sam’s been a good friend to both of us. This place means a lot to her.”
“My niece, Claire, met your daughter the other day,” Ben said casually. He’d stepped to the other side of the island to check out the refrigerator and oven that Trevor had pushed against the far wall. “Grace, right?”
“Yep,” Trevor answered. He had a clue where this friendly visit was going now.
“Claire liked her a lot.” Ben opened the oven door and bent to examine the inside, using his phone flashlight to illuminate the dark space. “She said that Grace and Sam are hitting it off.”
“They’re doing fine.”
“It’s a shame it took so long for the two of them to connect.” He shut the oven with a bang and turned. “Know what I mean?”
