Page 48 of Fix Them Up
Liam walked down the hall, and I swear I could hear him mutter something aboutwrapped around my finger, leaving me laughing into my coffee cup.
Chapter Fifteen
I’d weaselled my way onto Liam’s little team by the end of the first week. The dream team consisted of me, Liam, Jack, and Freddie, their eighteen-year-old apprentice, who looked at Liam like he hung the moon.
On Monday, I took my little pictures and videos. I cleared the garden of ceramic gnomes. I made five million cups of tea. Meanwhile, the guys took hammers to the walls and had all the fun.
By Tuesday, I was sick of my role as a chief tea maker.
My legs shook, my hands roamed. I itched to do something. So I snuck upstairs and took down the plaster on one of the walls in the bedroom. It was kind of addictive, hitting the plaster and watching it fall to the floor.
‘Kat!’ Liam’s voice called up the stairs. I winced. Heavy steel-toe work boots stomped up the stairs at surprising speed. Liam appeared at the doorway, looming.
‘You said you would stay out of the way.’
‘I’m a woman, so I should stick to gardening?’ I rolled my eyes. ‘So backwards, Liam.’
Liam’s eyes narrowed. ‘No, you don’t get to do that –’
‘Do what? I’m just saying –’
‘I’ve worked with plenty of tradeswomen. It’s not about you being a woman.’ He glanced at my canvas trainers and looked like he wanted to pass out. God, he was such a stickler for therules. ‘Shoes,’ he barked, shaking his head. ‘You’re not doing any work until you have some proper bloody boots.’
Ah ha!I felt like saying. If I had the right shoes, he couldn’t complain.
On Wednesday morning, bright and early, I stood in Liam’s kitchen in a pink utility jumpsuit with matching steel-toe safety boots. I grinned as Liam took in my new garb.
Thank god for next-day delivery.
‘What are you wearing?’ he said once he picked his jaw up off the floor. His eyes travelled down to my shoes and back up.
‘You said I needed to be dressed properly.’ I shrugged. ‘Now I am.’
His lips were a thin line. ‘You said you’d stay out of the way.’
‘And you said I needed proper footwear.’ I patted his shoulder, feeling bold, even though the touch made my heart pound. ‘Compromise, my friend. Compromise.’
‘You agreed, Red.’
‘Please, Liam. I want to be useful.’ I made my eyes go a bit wider. It was the expression I usually reserved for when I’d fucked up – a missed train or forgotten deadline. Puppy-dog eyes were my go-to. ‘Besides, the more I help, the quicker it will get done, and you’ll be free of me. It’s knocking plaster off walls, nothing technical.’
‘Don’t give me that look.’
‘What look?’
He waved a hand at my expression. ‘The Disney princess look.’
‘I promise I’ll stay out of the way when it comes to the dangerous stuff.’
‘You better,’ he grumbled, and my lips twitched. It seemed Liam wasn’t completely immune to my attempt at charm.
As I climbed out of Liam’s van, Jack grinned at my outfit. Liam stormed past him into the house, leaving us on my front porch.
‘A dog with a bone, you are.’ Jack shook his head, smiling.‘How pissed off was he when he saw you dressed like that this morning? No, go slowly. Describe it in detail, please.’
I grinned back, feeling like I’d made a new partner in crime – and the crime was pissing Liam off.
‘He wasn’t pleased.’
