Page 45 of Hide and Sneak
“Fine. Throw it in one of the park trash cans. Please.”
Mandy wears a curious grin, but accepts the cup. “Sure, but I want to hear the story behind this later.”
Amos shifts the backpack on his back and starts for the door. “Try not to kill each other before I get back on Sunday.”
“I promise nothing.”
Sutton smiles at me after they leave. “I don’t know why you’re looking at me. I’m as confused as you about the cup. I’ve just been playing Third Place. By the way, you married Stone. It was a beautiful ceremony.”
“I’ll take his house in the divorce.” My aching back takes precedence over sparring with Sutton, and I retreat to a hot, bubbly bath after taking an ibuprofen. The combination works its magic, loosening my muscles. I’m much more relaxed until my phone buzzes with a call from Row as I’m getting dressed. He usually texts to let me know they’re done for the day.
“Hey, Lila,” he says when I answer. “I’ve got some bad news. We got that wall down and were working on the ceiling but the wiring we found is a fire waiting to happen. You need an electrician to look at it. I shut off the breaker to that section but you should probably cut the power until you can get an electrician in to inspect the rest of the building too. It may not be in much better shape.”
Damn it. “Okay, I don’t want to risk the place burning down. Will you go ahead and throw the main breaker? I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
“Sure thing.”
“Do you have an electrician you’d recommend?”
He pauses for a moment. “My buddy Maurice, but last I heard he had a big project in Louisville. I can reach out and check, though.”
“Thanks, I’d really appreciate it.” If his friend isn’t available, I’ll call around to find someone. Row lost his old contractor business when he went to prison and has been rebuilding it with some of the other men he was incarcerated with. He met plenty of other guys who were roofers, electricians, carpenters, and HVAC techs. It’s hard to get work as an ex-con no matter how skilled they are. He’s pulling himself up as well as his friends. After what Maren and Cooper have done for me, the least I can do is pay it forward by hiring men who need the work.
He promises to get in touch tomorrow. Thanking him, I hang up and lie back on my bed. It’s not like I didn’t anticipate some unexpected expenses popping up. I’m more annoyed because Iwas excited to use the weekend to get a lot done before returning to my day job. Now, I’ll be limited without power. The building doesn’t get a lot of natural light.
Dusty runs up to me carrying his bowl when I return to the living room. “Don’t fall for it. I fed him,” Sutton says.
“Nice try, you little con artist.” Dusty trots behind me as I put the bowl back in its place in the corner of the kitchen.
“What do you have against resealable packaging?” Sutton asks.
His question catches me off guard. “What?”
“You always tear open everything like it personally offended you.” He holds up a package of cookies.
“I do not. The plastic was thin and it tore.”
He pulls a bag of tater tots and a box of frozen berries out of the freezer. “Uh-huh, and these?”
“The pull tab on the box didn’t work and—why am I explaining myself to you?”
The little smirk on his face is aggravating when he knows he’s right. So I have no patience and just tear the stuff open when it doesn’t cooperate.
“You maul everything like a rabid raccoon. So aggressive.”
I snatch the cookies out of his hand. “Sorry, I guess I’ll have to get a credit check.”
He gives a confused blink. “A credit check?”
“Yes, so I can apply for a loan to buy a fuck to give about your opinion.”
My retort doesn’t faze him. He’s too busy looking down at my breasts. This tee shirt has worn thinner than I realized and my nipples are clearly outlined. “I’m sorry, are my boobs staring at you?”
His eyes leap to mine and there’s not an ounce of contrition in that smile. “I don’t know. Lift your shirt and let’s see.”
“Fuck off. I want Marge’s Chicken for dinner. I buy, you fly?”
“Fine, but those are not the breasts I had in mind.”
