Page 30 of Sunshine
Stopping at the treehouse, I rub my hand on the back of my neck. Too bad it alsodiscombobulatedme. With one last glance back, I shake my head and go help unload my lumber.
“Your boss said I couldn’t get my order for three days,” I say, walking up to the delivery guys while the crewman uses a forklift to unload the lumber.
The two men look at each other and smirk before the bulkier of the two speaks. “Seems your wife phoned the boss’s wife back and you were put on our delivery schedule again for this morning with specific instructions to drop off no earlier than ten am.”
“He’s not married,” Mack replies with a grunt, giving me the side-eye as he reaches for another stack of two by fours.
“Girlfriend then?”
“Whatever, let’s just unload,” I grumble.
Mack smirks. “Nah, just a pain in the ass neighbor who also happens to be sexy as fuck.”
All three men look across the field to the cottage, so my eyes follow.
I can’t see much from where I stand but my gut tells me, Tessa’s out back tapping happily away at her keyboard. I look at my watch and note it’s exactly ten-oh-nine am.
You win this time, Sunshine, but you won’t best me next time.
Chapter Ten
Case
As I walk up the rutted path past Tessa’s to my trailer that evening, sweaty from a long day of labor, I’m not thinking about how much I’ve finished on the house or if I’m still behind, or even how to get even with Tessa Harlow.
No, I’m wondering what she’s doing inside that little cottage. Is she still writing? Having a glass of wine? Watching television? Is she lonely? Has she eaten? Does she sleep naked?
Tessa had bested me and that hadn’t happened in a while. She reminds me a bit of Lulah, just less down to earth. Both women had serious trust issues, were headstrong, determined, full of pride, and had more walls around them than a fucking castle. Jeff needed endless patience to gain Lulah’s trust and maybe that’s all Sunshine Snooty Pants needs too.
“Yeah and she can get it from someone else,” I say aloud to myself, picking up my pace. Reece is my focus, not some sexy spitfire in need of taming.
“Case?” I spin, noticing Tessa’s on the front porch tonight. Her hair has completely sprung free from the confines of her hair clip and she’s glistening with a fine sheen of sweat.
“Yes, Sunshine?”
“I’m rescinding my grandmother’s offer for you to use this path to get to and from the job site.”
I frown but I doubt she notices. She’s trimmed the vines back from around the windows, doors and veranda giving the cottage a rejuvenated look. I don’t comment on her hard work though. Instead, I nod at her. Driving all the way around to get to the site is going to be a huge pain in the ass, but there’s no reason it can’t be that way for both of us.
“No problem, Sunshine. Have a good night.” I smile, knowing how much she’ll hate hearing my bike roar loudly up and down the road twice a day. I might even start going home for lunch.
I’m cooking sausages on my fire, attempting to listen to the latest bestseller by my favorite crime novelist when Tessa pops into my head for the hundredth time and I realize I haven’t been following the storyline. I can’t wait to ride my bike by the cottage tomorrow. I laugh picturing the look on her face.
Turning the sausages on the rack, I grab my cell phone. After a quick search for Harley and Hearts, the Tank Long book, I order an audio copy and download it.
I smile wickedly, pulling the sausage off the fire. It’s time I find out exactly what makes my sunshiny neighbor tick and how I might make that work in my favor. The sausage hisses as I spear it with my fork and plop it on a plate.
My cell rings with my first juicy bite and I glance down to see Jeff and Lulah’s number.
“Boy or girl?” I say by way of greeting.
“Have you checked your email?” Jeff demands. He’s not usually one for small talk but tonight his abrupt manner puts me on edge.
“Uh, no. Why?”
“Look, I’ll wait,” his clipped tone again sets off warning bells.
I navigate to my email. My stomach knots and I release the breath I’m holding. Fuck, fuck, fuck! The email is from the judge’s assistant and the first visitation they’ve scheduled with my parents.
