Page 82 of Keeper
“Which one of you is Booker Harris?” the man asks, his deep American accent smooth and confident.
I clear my throat and reply, “That’s me.”
He smiles. “My name’s Brody. I’m a friend of Hayden’s brother, Theo.”
“Um…okay?” I stammer, confused. I’ve met Theo a few times, but I don’t know him that well. What’s his friend out here for?
I glance over as the quad finally pulls up beside Brody. Theo is driving while Hayden holds onto a bunch of equipment on the rack behind him. They both amble off, lifting the pile of building supplies down to the ground in one smooth motion.
Theo stands and straightens his thick, dark-rimmed glasses. “Booker. Guys.” He head nods to all of us like it’s any normal Friday afternoon.
“What’s going on?” I ask as Hayden wipes his hands off and adjusts the thick leather cuffs around his wrists.
“Vi told me about your little project here. I thought you could use some help.” Hayden looks over at his brother and then to Brody. “Brody is my brother’s wife’s best friend’s husband.”
“Say what?” Tanner croaks.
“My wife, Finley, and Theo’s wife, Leslie, are best friends,” Brody adds, trying to help.
My voice pipes in next. “Okay, yeah. I’ve met Leslie, but I don’t think I’ve met Finley. But what does that have to do with anything?” I ask, unsure what the point of all this is.
“All you need to know is Brody’s my friend,” Theo states much more simply. “And since he moved to London a few years ago with his wife, he’s opened a very successful contracting company.”
“I renovate houses mostly,” Brody adds.
Theo continues, “The point is, Hayden asked me to help, but I’m afraid my skills don’t go much farther than custom furniture. This man here can frame houses.” He claps a hand on Brody’s back and smiles. “And I figured we can use all the help we can get.”
“We?” I ask with a smile lifting my face. “You guys are going to help? Seriously, thank you. This is brilliant. We erm…have no fucking clue what we’re doing.”
Theo, Hayden, and Brody look down at the sad display of tools I have spread out and do a crap job of hiding their laughs. I can’t say I blame them. To them, we look like complete knobs standing here in our footy gear trying to make sense of a hammer and nails.
I’m laughing when I say, “Maybe sometime after this we can play a little footy so we Harris Brothers aren’t completely emasculated today?”
Theo smiles broadly and pushes his glasses up his nose. “Deal.”
After thanking Hayden for saving the day, the seven of us get to work, with Brody taking the lead and directing us all on what to do. However, Tanner’s request to operate the forklift is instantly rejected. He doesn’t pout…too much.
SUNDAY DINNER WILL BE STARTINGany moment at the Harris house. If I squint hard enough through my bedroom window, I can see the top of their house through the wooded park. The thought of Booker being so close to me and operating business as usual guts me. If this was last week, I’d be going.
But it’s not.
And the painful reminder that everything has changed is turning me into a big bloody crybaby. I guess that could be the hormones, too. Is it too early to have pregnancy hormones? I should get a pregnancy book and do some reading. The doctor said I was about six weeks along and needed to schedule an appointment with a midwife at eight weeks. Here I sit around seven weeks, so I guess I better figure this shit out soon.
God, this is really happening.
The doorbell rings, and my heart is in my throat as I walk over and gaze into the peephole. Relief casts over me when I see a redhead and a brunette whispering to each other on the other side.
I fluff my short tresses and swipe under my eyes. Thank goodness I got somewhat dressed today. My subconscious was terrified that Booker might stop by. If he did, I didn’t want him to see me looking like Amy Winehouse after a bender, which is pretty much what my reflection has looked like all week, even though I haven’t been drinking. So, today I slipped into a comfortable sundress that could double as pyjamas if I wanted it to. I even snuck a little of my mum’s mascara to help myself feel more human. I may feel pathetic, but I’d rather not look it.
Smiling brightly, I open the door. “Fancy seeing you girls here. Have you been out drinking sangria with the masses of Chigwell WAGs around here?”
Belle’s face sneers. “Don’t be daft. I’d die before I’d go out in Chigwell.”
Indie smiles awkwardly. “What Belle means is your parents’ home is lovely.”
Belle rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
Giving a polite laugh, I ask, “How did you guys know where to find me?”
