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“Right. Let’s start in back and work our way forward.”
“Lead the way.”
I took Teddy through every room in the house, explaining my vision for each. “I want this turned into a mudroom because I’d prefer to entertain outs—”
“You have a timeline in mind for this?”
I didn’t like being cut off, but I read her message loud and clear. We weren’t friends so there was no need to elaborate. “I’m not sure.”
“Okay. Mudroom. What else?”
That was how the next two hours went, me trying to reel her into conversation with details of the job, and Teddy shutting me down at every turn. I should have been pissed off, but I wasn’t. I was amused. And more, I was determined to draw her out of that cold shell and remind her that we weren’t strangers.
“How did you come to own Teddy Brothers?” I’d heard the rumors around town that the Ricci girl had it in her head that she could run a construction company, but I hadn’t bothered to find out more.
“I started the business and it’s mine,” she said simply. “How’s the wiring on this place? Have you had any official inspections done?”
Back to business. “Um, not yet? The plan was to do this all on my own when I had free time, but I have very little of it, so here you are.”
Teddy nodded and jotted something else down on the tablet cradled in her arm. “If we make it that far, we’ll have to start with inspections so we know what we’re working with.”
“What do you mean if? We’re practically family, who else would I hire?”
Her brown gaze lasered in on me and I could see the strands of gold and dark brown that added fire to her eyes. “We are not family, Cal. You’re friends with my brother, and I’m friends with your sister, that’s all. You should base your decision on budget and deadlines and nothing else.”
“It’s my house and I’ll decide who to hire based on any damn criteria I choose.”
She stared at me for a long time, but not like she was trying to figure me out—more like she was trying to intimidate me. It didn’t work, because I didn’t intimidate easily. “I’ll have a bid for you within the next seven days. Expect it by email.”
Without another word, Teddy marched out of my house and I let my gaze follow her the entire way. Those long, strong legs gave a man a lot of thoughts he shouldn’t.
Thoughts I shouldn’t be having about my best friend’s little sister.
Thoughts I shouldn’t be having about a woman who clearly hates me.
But damn if Tomboy Teddy hadn’t gotten hotter than hell, and with an attitude to match. She was a challenge I couldn’t resist.
Teddy
Same old Cal. Years later and he was still the same reckless guy he’d been as a teenager, only now he was fine as hell, and a doctor to boot. Life was so unfair at times. I mean, would it be so bad if he was a brilliant doctor with an unfortunate bald spot? Maybe a touch of bad breath or yellow teeth? Anything but that gorgeous face with a plump bottom lip, the deep blue eyes that glittered like sapphires when he was flirting or teasing, and that thick head of brown hair that looked like his only styling tool was a few talented fingers.
“Stop!” I gripped the steering wheel and forced my eyes closed, determined to shut out all thoughts of just how delicious Cal Rutledge still was. No, that wasn’t right. He was gorgeous in high school, but he’d lacked that oomph he had today, that thing that made him appealing to grown women rather than hormonal teenage girls. “This is ridiculous, he’s just a man.” A delicious man, sure, but a delicious man who still treated women like nothing but a passing amusement for his pleasure.
Thoughts of Alana, the woman who’d fled his place in tears, helped get my seriously neglected libido under control. That poor woman had had to learn a lesson I’d learned far too young about the boy I’d thought could do no wrong. Her tears were wasted on Cal, because they’d been forgotten as soon as she was out of his sight.
Yep, still a jerk.
But he had the distinction of being a jerk who was offering up a lucrative job that Teddy Brothers couldn’t turn down, not realistically. Even if I wanted to, there was no way Vince would keep his cool once he found out. Sure, I ran the place, but he managed the books and was laser-focused on the bottom line. If Cal accepted the bid, I would accept the job. I would accept it and work much too closely with the one man I had no desire to get up close and personal with ever again.
