Pete took off his hat to wipe his forehead. “Thanks, Ms. D. They were out of Modern Eggshell, so I called Ms. Margo and she approved Igloo Frost.”
“Bold choice,” she said, and Rhett glowered at her over his shoulder. He could tell by her tone that she hated it. Just like he could tell by her sunny smile that she wasn’t as on board with the situation as she was letting on.
“Bold choice?” he whispered. “You hate it.”
She took her mug back and took a sip. “Not my house, remember? You’re the official owner of an Igloo Frost music room.”
“A room I have to be able to work in and Igloo Frost sounds, well, frosty.”
“Well, then you might want to tell the crew.”
He looked from Pete to Elsie. “Whose crew it is?”
She took another sip of coffee. “Somebody named Margo?”
Rhett sighed. He should have known his mother would be involved somehow.
“They knocked on the door around seven thirty,” she continued, “had fresh doughnuts in hand, and said they were here to start on the exterior fences, but since it’s drizzly I suggested they start inside today and save the security fence for a sunnier day.”
Rhett looked out the window to find clear skies. He ran a hand down his face, noticing he had three days’ growth. “You just let them in?”
“They seemed legitimate. Why don’t we ask,” she said. “Hey, Big Pete, are you a legit contractor?”
“Even got a license to prove it. Can give you my number if you’d like to call the office.” Big Pete stopped mid-lift, his arms bulging under the weight of the beam, then looked at Elsie with cow eyes. “Or I can give you my cell, in case you need anything.”
Before Elsie could answer, Rhett heard himself say, “She’s good.”
Big Pete didn’t back down, he stood there looking like some kind of tool-belted superhero, staring Rhett down. And he was willing to fight to the death. The man looked like the Hulk and Thor had a baby.
There was a moment of posturing, where Rhett moved closer to Elsie, and Big Pete took the temperature of the room. After a silent testosterone-fueled battle over the fair maiden’s hand, Big Pete wisely went back to his job of making Rhett’s world chaos.
“Whatever she’s paying you, I’ll give you double,” he offered Big Pete.
Big Pete stopped to consider that, then laughed, big and booming. “No can do, the lady said that under no circumstances could we stop.”
He jabbed a thumb at Elsie. “This lady?”
“Nope.”
“See, told you,” Elsie said, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
Shit. His mom had threatened to get his house ready for his arrival home. He’d assured her that he was a big boy and could handle things on his own just fine. But that wasn’t how things in his family worked. Especially when it came to his mom, who was devoted to her sons and invading their privacy. She took love and micromanaging to new heights.
“Did Ms. Margo happen to mention that you weren’t supposed to start on the inside of the house until the end of the summer?”
“That was the original start date,” Big Pete informed him. “But she moved it up to today.”
“Well, I’m moving it back to August.”
Pete shrugged like he didn’t give a shit what Rhett wanted. “I have to consult my client.”
So Pete was doubling as contractor and spy. His mother would approve.
“I’m your client.”
“You don’t pay my salary.”
Oh, Rhett would. His mom might have arranged the renovations, but every cent would come out of Rhett’s pocket. “I own the house and I need you to pack up and move out for another few months. Or start on the fence outside.”
