Page 138 of All of Me

Luke smirks. “You mean before she comes out here and makes fun of how slow you’re working?”

Vince chuckles. “Honestly? I’d pay money to see that.”

Will nods. “Same.”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. This is what I missed—working with these guys, talking shit, making progress on something real. In a few weeks, this house won’t just be an empty farmhouse anymore. It’ll be home.

Luke stretches, cracking his neck like lifting a single board has been the hardest work he’s done all day. “You know, Will, you don’t have any room to talk when it comes to women.”

Will raises an eyebrow, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Oh yeah?”

Luke grins, clearly enjoying himself. “Yeah. Considering you’re obviously hot for Sabrina and acting like her own personal bodyguard.”

Vince snorts, tossing a board onto the pile. “More like her guard dog.”

Will tenses, his jaw locking up so tight I can see the muscle twitch from where I’m standing.

“I’m just looking out for her,” he says, voice even, but the way he grips the pry bar a little tighter tells me he knows exactly how it sounds.

Vince lifts an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And how often do you just happen to be looking out for her?”

Will’s eyes flick to me—just for a second—like he’s gauging my reaction, and I realize something. He’s nervous. Not because of Luke’s bullshit or Vince’s teasing. Because of me.

Because Sabrina is Barrett’s mom.

And if Will has feelings for her—even if he hasn’t admitted it yet—he’s probably worried that I’m gonna have a problem with it.

I exhale, leaning my weight against the railing. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, man.”

Will swallows hard. “I just don’t trust the guy,” he says finally, still not looking at me. “You all saw what Alex did to her. You really think he’s just gonna walk away and never come back?”

That shuts everyone up for a second.

Because, no. None of us think Alex is gone for good.

Vince presses his lips together, shifting his stance. “Yeah, well. Sabrina’s lucky she’s got people in her corner.”

Will nods, still tense. “She’s not just some random woman, alright? She’s…” He trails off, shaking his head. “I just want to make sure she and Barrett are okay.”

I hold his gaze for a long second, then nod. “I can’t think of a better guy to be there for them.”

Will looks at me like he wasn’t expecting that. Like maybe he thought I’d call him out or make things weird. Instead, I just go back to work, yanking another nail loose and tossing the board onto the pile.

I’m not an idiot.

I see the way Will talks about her, the way his voice gets quieter when the subject of her safety comes up. He won’t admit it—not yet—but he cares. Probably more than he even realizes.

Luke, of course, ruins the moment. “But if you were in love with her, how long would you wait before?—”

Will throws a board at him. Hard.

Luke barely dodges it, laughing. “Jesus, relax!”

Vince shakes his head, chuckling. “I don’t know, Will. Seems like you’re a little too invested in her personal safety.”

Will glares at him. “And you’re a little too invested in not admitting you like that new CO at work.”

Vince, who had been smirking a second ago, goes completely still. “I do not like Celeste.”

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