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“Surprise,” I quipped, forcing levity into my voice. My fingers gripped the scraper like a lifeline, knuckles whitening. “I'm full of them.”
His gaze scanned the room, taking in the chaos of renovation, the ripped carpet, the peeling paint, and the layer of dust that clung to every surface. “This is a disaster waiting to happen.” He put his hands on his hips. “No, no . . . it’s already a disaster.”
I stood up, wiping my hands on my worn jeans with a defiant tilt of my chin. “Well, lucky for me, I thrive in chaos.”
Gray's eyes narrowed, the hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “Is that so? And how's that chaos working out for you now?”
I shrugged, trying to appear unfazed by his presence. “Just fine, thank you. I'm making a lot of progress.”
He stepped closer, the scent of leather enveloping me as he towered over my smaller frame. “You're in over your head, Eryn. This place is falling apart.”
“And I’m putting it back together.”
“That kind of thing isn’t meant for you to be doing.”
A surge of anger and determination flared within me, fueling my response. “And why not, Gray? Am I too soft? Too fancy? Too dumb?”
His jaw tightened. “I never said anything like that.” His blue eyes sparked with a mixture of frustration and something else, something I couldn’t quite place. “You’re stubborn, Eryn. Stubborn enough to think you can turn this old place into some fancy retreat. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
I held his gaze, refusing to back down. “You know, I am sick and tired of men telling me what I can and cannot do. What I know and what I don’t. What I’m good at and when I’m bound to fail. None of you know anything about a determined woman.”
He appeared to be speechless, and I could have kept going, but I was tired. His expression softened for a fraction of a second before the familiar mask of stoicism returned.
“Now, if that’s the only reason you came over here, I think we’re finished with the conversation.”
“It’s not.”
“What?”
“It’s not why I came over.” He walked further into the house, observing the structure, probably making mental notes of all the things I was doing wrong. “Walker told me you were stayin’ here.”
“Well, it is my property.”
“Eryn—“ His voice was low, gravely, threatening.
“What? You have more things to say about how I’m doing everything wrong?”
“Whatever I feel about you buying this land and opening your business, this is different. You can’t stay here on your own while you work on it.”
“Why not?”
“Why do you even want to? Just rent a place in town, or that mountain house y’all were staying at. I know you have the money.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, so because I have the money means I should take the easy way out?”
“Keeping yourself safe is not taking the easy way out. And I didn’t mean it like that.” He pointed to the door. “That thing doesn’t even lock. I know for a fact the electricity is a hazard. And old man Culver told me himself the bathrooms don’t work. He was usin’ the outhouse right up until he croaked.”
I crossed my arms. I didn’t even know the property had an outhouse but I wasn’t about to admit that to Gray. “One bathroom works. That’s all I need right now.”
“Eryn—“
“Why the hell do you even care? You made it clear you don’t want me here.”
“That doesn’t mean I want you to get hurt, either.”
“Well thanks for your concern, but it’s unnecessary.”
He balled his hands into fists. “Goddammit woman, you are so stubborn.”
