Page 50 of One Last Thing Before You Go

“Where the hell are you?” Daniel snaps at me from the other end of the line, whisper-yelling.

Taken aback, I sit up in the desk chair. “In the back, going through some numbers before we⁠—”

“Well, I’m here in the bookstore and you need to get the hell to the front. Because— Jesus, Carlota.” Daniel stops and exhales to catch his breath. My stomach drops as my mind begins to race. He only calls me by my full name when something is really wrong.

“What is it?” I say, getting up so quickly, I trip on my way out.

I run to the front of the store where I see my brother standing by the counter, mouth slightly open, phone in hand, but no longer pressed to his cheek. “What? What is it?” I ask anxiously.

Daniel raises his hand slowly, pointing in the direction of some very, very loud banging.

And that’s when I see him.

Knox.

Sweaty and shirtless.

Sledgehammering away at the old bookshelves.

“Oh my god,” I groan. “How much more is one girl expected to take?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

KNOX

“So, I’ll make sure to send you guys the final paperwork once you get a chance to review these.” Daniel hands Lottie, Jenn, and me a packet containing several documents. I feel the weight of it, dreading having to read them all. I know Lottie is more than capable of studying them closely and making sure that things are in order, but I wanna prove that I’m just as much an adult as she is.

“Sweet,” Jenn says, flipping through the paperwork with a furrowed brow. “And once we e-sign we’ll list the property?”

“I would suggest waiting until the reno is completed, but if you want to try to sell it during, we can try. It will just add to the cost.”

“No, no,” Lottie interrupts. “We want to get a good price, here. The higher the better, obviously. I know you’re anxious to make your first deposit for school, Jenn, but I’m pretty confident we’ll be able to sell it in time for the deadline. Right, Daniel?” “Hmm. When’s your deadline?”

“August first.” Jenn bites her lower lip, shifting in her seat.

“And work is projected to be done when?”

“Mid-May to early June. Project’s supposed to be done by May sixteenth, but I’m hedging two weeks extra because I don’t fully trust Luke.” Lottie grimaces. “Plus, he’s shorthanded, he said. It’s why Knox had to help today.”

I frown, my previous irritation over that douche canoe coming back. “What? If you don’t trust him, then why the hell did we hire him for the job?” I ask Lottie.

“You know why. He’s the only contractor in town. Unless we want to pay extra to get someone from somewhere else in here, I suggest you take a chill pill.” I grit my teeth and look away, trying to suppress my irrational jealousy.

“Is that enough time to sell the place?” Jenn asks, steering us back on topic.

Daniel nods thoughtfully. “I think so. Especially with summer approaching, since this town is about to get an influx of tourists.”

“Perfect.”

We go over final details and expectations, wrapping things up with a final cup of coffee before Jenn heads back home. Reaching for his second cup, Daniel looks up at the post-it wall, the completed tasks from this week already gone, leaving open patches.

He turns back to look at Lottie with a fond smile on his face.

“What?” she asks, almost exasperated.

With a shrug, Daniel smiles. “It’s nice. To see you like this, I mean.” “Like what?” She narrows her eyes at him.

“To see you this excited over something. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this. Plus, you’re good at it. At the project management and the business decisions and keeping everyone in check. Like, really good at it. Don’t you think so, Knox?”