Page 135 of The Fixer

He quickly replied:They don’t even miss me, do they?

Neve:They have no idea you’re gone.

Charlie:Thanks for rubbing it in.

Neve:I’m not the one rubbing stuff ATM. Having fun?

Charlie:Tons. Hey, what’s the etiquette on asking a woman if she’s lost weight?

Neve:Do not, I repeat, DO NOT in any way, shape, or form engage a woman in conversation about her weight.She followed this up with a terrified-face emoji flanked by bloody daggers. Another text quickly followed.Has Joy shed a few pastry pounds?

Charlie:Could be.He didn’t want to mention he was worried, but Neve read his mind anyway.

Neve:Don’t worry. She’s probably in shock and needs to readjust to life in the Big City.

Should she want to readjust to a life that spelled bad health, though? He had little time to ponder because the subject of his texting appeared in a slinky purple robe that was the lone splash of color in the otherwise white-and-gray polished room.

She glided over to him, nestled against his chest, and exhaled a happy little sigh. “Oh, I’ve missed this.”

Then come home with me. Come live with me,his brain instantly responded.

He put down the device and wrapped her up in his arms, closing his eyes and relishing the heart connection he’d been trying to re-establish since he’d arrived. Recapturing that link had been elusive, but now he knew it was intact. He’d been imagining a chasm between them that wasn’t there.

He peered down at her. “I was about to cook up some breakfast. How many eggs do you want?”

She parked her chin on his chest and wrinkled her nose. “No eggs for me. I’ll have some of that coffee, though.”

“You need to eat something sweet—um, Joy.”

“I’m not hungry.” She left his arms to pour herself a mug, glancing over her shoulder at him. “Want some?” Her long eyelashes fluttered, though not in a flirtatious way. Simply a Joy way. Honestly, the woman had no idea how appealing she was.

“Always.” Lunging, he grabbed her ass, delighted when she squealed. Then he pulled her back to his chest and nibbled her neck. “There’s a rumor going around that your robe is hiding some outrageously sexy underwear—or you in the buff. I think I need to investigate for myself.” He tugged on the tie, but it didn’t give. She slipped his grasp and hightailed it down the hallway, her laughter floating back to him. It was a siren’s call, and he had no choice but to take off after her.

Who needs food?

Stepping into the bedroom, he found her pressed into a corner, practically doubled over in a fit of giggles. He prowled toward her, making ridiculous growling noises. In the kitchen, his phone rang, and he came to an abrupt halt. Each family member had their own ringtone, and this one—“Rescue Me”—belonged to Reece.

“I need to get that.” He sprinted for the device, swiped it off the counter, and answered. “Hey.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve got some bad news.” Charlie listened while Reece talked, his good mood sinking faster than a high-speed elevator in a Chicago skyscraper. Joy had followed him, and when he hung up, he faced her wide eyes. “I need to tell you about some shit that’s been going on at the Haven.”

A short while later,he had told her everything about the problems at Crystal Harmony Haven all the way up to Reece’s call. He had also rescheduled his flight to leave this afternoon instead of tomorrow.

Joy’s expression gave away no emotion as she watched him over her coffee mug. “What did Reece find that’s making you cut your trip short?”

Charlie puffed out a huge breath. “Back in the early to mid-2000s, there was a ton of defective drywall that came from China. It’s bad stuff, an environmental health hazard that can make people sick. It went into countless houses, especially after Hurricane Katrina, before anyone figured out there was a problem.

“Somehow, some way, a delivery of the shit showed up on Haven’s job site, which makes no sense because it hasn’t been imported since 2009. It’s as if someone had this stuff sitting in a warehouse and they swapped it out for the good stuff—like passing counterfeit bills.”

“Or like trading inferior lumber for premium.”

“Exactly. There’s only so much I can do from here, which means I need to get back before this spirals further out of control. And I’m sorry, but I’m afraid it’s going to slow down the job even more.”

“We’re partners. Why didn’t you tell me any of this was going on?” She sounded more hurt than angry.

“I was hoping we’d have figured out who the bastards were by now, and I could deliver the bad news along with good news that they’d been caught. Obviously, that didn’t happen. Besides, there wasn’t anything you could have done about it.”

“I could have been a sounding board. You’ve got some powerful shoulders, Charlie Hunnicutt, but I could have worried along with you so you didn’t have to heft that burden by yourself.” She offered him a weak smile.

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