Page 58 of Love Me Fierce

“You and Logan did all this today?” I ask, my eyes drawn up the slanted A-frame wall to the skylight Linden and Greta put in this summer. To the left, where they ripped out the rotten wood paneling that lined the shower, is new drywall, new tile flooring, and a new shower basin. The new glass shower doors lean against the wall, ready for installation. A tiny sink basin and a new toilet fill in the right side.

“Like it?” Linden asks.

I nod. “Is that for the tub?” I point at the empty space beneath the skylight.

Greta bounces into the alcove and gazes up. “I’ll be able to see the moon when I’m taking a bath!”

“Not sure how I’m getting it up here, but yeah.” Linden’s eyes soften as he watches his daughter showing off more of their work.

“You’ve got plenty of help,” I say as the kids rush past us and clatter down the stairs.

Linden nods, and we leave the bathroom.

“Check this out,” Linden says, slipping past me to Greta’s bedroom. He flicks on the light switch, filling the triangular-shaped room with soft light.

“You finishedthe trim.”

He gazes up, taking in the high A joined above us. “And the cross beams.”

I follow his focus, taking it all in. “It looks so good.”

Logan and Greta’s voices rise up from the kitchen. Their laughter and joking around is slowly thawing the lingering chill from being in that mine today.

“I was hoping to put off the new roof until next summer, but I found a pretty big leak.”

“It’s supposed to storm this weekend.”

“I know.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’ve got it patched for now, but next weekend if the weather’s good, Greta and I might need to get it done.”

Greta’s been his right-hand man since she was old enough to swing a hammer.

“How’s Kelly feel about Greta up on the roof?”

He gives a one-shoulder shrug, but his dark eyes simmer with frustration. “She can feel all she wants. When Greta’s with me, she learns skills and self-reliance. I don’t want her thinking she’s gotta rely on some dude. Ever.”

Unless that dude is Linden, of course, because he will never fail to show up for her.

We leave the bedroom, the scent of the pizzas cooking below making my mouth water.

“What are you guys doing for Logan’s birthday?” he asks.

“He wants to go paintballing with his crew. Then pizza and arcade games.” I lead us to the stairs.

“Any word from her?” Linden asks in a low tone. Byher, he means Teresa.

“She’s back inside,” I reply.

Linden huffs a hard breath. “No surprise, but… that sucks. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah.”

“I hear you were forty feet down in some mine shaft this morning.”He shoots me a pointed look as we round the bottom of the stairs. “You okay?”

A humming in my chest reminds me to inhale a slow breath and let it out. Linden’s the only person who understands my aversion to dark places, and we don’t talk about it.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s shoot some hoops before you split,” he says, catching my eye.

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