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He moved back to his truck, leaning against the side. You were snoring. I didn’t want to wake you.
I don’t snore!
He chuckled. You do. But I got up early, so I thought you’d appreciate me not waking you.
I’m ignoring that snoring bit. I wanted to wish you good luck this morning.
Lewd thoughts played through his mind of exactly what she meant by that. He began to regret not waking her, until he came up with a new plan. Why don’t you give me those well wishes later?
That sounds suggestive.
Because it is, beautiful. Thank you for the luck. I’ll call later.
Please do. xo
He placed his cell phone back into his pocket, glancing out as Todd moved by the window inside the comfort station. With a tight chest and nerves on edge, he sighed, looking at Houdini running back to him. “Come on, then, no sense in waiting around here. Let’s go down to the pond.” Houdini happily followed, tail wagging.
Chase would only pace the grounds if he stayed around waiting for Todd to finish. There was no point in torturing himself.
They had spent a good hour down at the pond. Houdini chased sticks and splashed around at the edge of the water, scaring the hell out of the ducks who lived on the pond. Afterward, Chase returned to the ranch, a sleepy Houdini in his lap while he sat in the Adirondack chair and scrolled through his phone, getting caught up on the replay of the sports games.
Another forty-five minutes had gone by when Chase noticed Todd exiting the final cabin. He rose, with Houdini tucked in his arm, preparing himself for the outcome. A lot weighed on this inspection. His reputation was on the line. He wanted everyone in the construction business to know his work was clean and solid. Shoddy work could destroy his reputation before he even got started.
Todd was all business as he approached, his eyes hard. “There’s some things you need to fix before I can pass you.” He took a sheet off his clipboard offering it to Chase. “Here.”
Chase’s chest tightened, shoulders stiffening under the number of items on the list. It went from the top of the page right to the bottom. He read over each one, suddenly realizing out of all the inspectors out there, this guy was likely the pickiest inspector he had ever heard of. The measurements that Todd considered off were off by tiny increments that most inspectors would let pass. “I’ll get all this taken care of,” Chase said.
“I’m aware you’re on a tight deadline,” Todd said, voice stern. “How about I come back tomorrow and take another look?”
Though Chase itched to have words with Todd, he offered his hand. “We’ll be done and ready by then.”
Todd returned the handshake, then headed to his truck with little more than a quick look at Chase.
Chase sighed and dropped down into the chair again, placing Houdini back onto his lap. The pup went straight back to sleep like he hadn’t been moved at all. Focusing on the task ahead of him, Chase examined the itemized list. He would have to call in the entire team to get all this little shit done in time.
“Are you okay?”
Chance glanced up, finding his mom approaching from the house, with a coffee cup in her hands. “Yeah,” he said.
When she reached him, she gave him the mug, studied his face, then frowned. “Do not lie to me, Chase Blackshaw. What’s wrong?”
“The inspection had some problems.” He offered the paper.
“You already knew that was going to happen.” She took the piece of paper, examining the words written in blue ink. “Besides, this doesn’t look like anything big. Just small things.”
“Small, yes, but they will take time to correct.” Chase took the list back from her, studying what the inspector needed him to do. “We need to get this inspection out of the way to finalize getting the furniture delivered, stuff like that.”
“Okay, but it’s doable?”
Chase sighed again and nodded. “It’s doable.”
The sun shone on his mother’s face, and she placed a hand over her eyes. “Then why are you stressed?”
“Word can spread. This inspection will follow me.”
She frowned. “You’re worried that because you had some small issues that people are going to think you’re doing crappy work?”
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