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I dumped my things in her brand new breakfast cove. The table was small enough for when it was just Ruby and—God willing—me in the future and could be modified with inserts for larger gatherings. The bench-style seating along the wall was where I’d hammered out the bulk of the details of this renovation. And it was where I sometimes had dinner with Ruby when I managed to get her to stop working.
At least the design improvements in her house were moving along with less drama. Dahlia McKenna was a wonder. She’d come in with her own crew to paint, decorate, and hash out furniture with Ruby. A full kitchen remodel was in the plans, but we had more important things to worry about first.
For now, Ruby was happy to fix up her space so they could eat dinner as a family, along with making sure her dad had a place to sleep when they arrived for Christmas.
Before I could even get another phone call in, Ruby sailed in with a bag of takeout from a nearby sub shop.
“Why is there still a hole in my barn roof?”
I flattened my palms on the table and took a breath. I was used to her sharp tone in the best of times, let alone now when our stress levels were rising.
Straightening, I turned to face her. “Sit down, Ruby. We need to talk.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on the kitchen island. “I don’t need to sit. And I don’t need to hear excuses about this freaking remodel. It’s been one thing after another, Lucky.”
“I know it has.” I gritted my teeth together. “This timeline is tight, let alone doing this in late fall in Central New York. Weather is hit or miss.”
“It’s been clear for days.”
“Yeah, now it is.” I moved to the kitchen window and flipped open the curtain. “See that ice and leftover snow out there? It makes roofing a little more dangerous.”
Her face went impassive. “You said you could get it done.”
Frustration rippled across my shoulders. “I know what I said.”
“So, you aren’t a man of your word?”
I stalked over to her. “I’ve been busting my ass for weeks to get this done for you.”
“It’s your job.”
I reeled back and straightened my shoulders. “You’re damn right it’s my job. And as the foreman of this operation, I’m going to tell you that it’s going to take more time than you’d like to get it done right.”
“Then just hire more people.”
“You can’t just throw money at it, Ruby. That’s not how this works.” She opened her mouth and I cut her off. “I need a good roofer to make sure all of that is sound. What I don’t need is to go on fucking Craigslist and hope some crap operation can come and screw it up. We’re waiting the extra week to get it done right. You, of all people, should know how important that is.”
She drilled a finger into my chest. “I appreciate that you want it done right. And you’re correct—but we don’t have time for this. Half of the things in that barn remodel are more intricate than needed. And that’s on you.”
I caught her finger, then flattened her hand on my chest. “It is on me. I want that space to be perfect for your family. I know how important it is to you.”
“I don’t need magazine-ready work, Thor. I need it done.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not going to like my additional bad news.” I stepped back. “The flooring is backordered.”
Her brown eyes went shark flat. “The floor you wanted, when I said laminate would work just fine.”
“Yes. The sustainable cork floor I wanted is backordered. It wasn’t when I made the decision. The supplier is having unforeseen issues.” He’d clearly over-promised, but it was too late to deal with it. “I’m trying to find an alternative, but it’s going to take time.”
“I don’t have time.” She whirled on her heel and headed for the door.
“Goddammit.” If she thought she could run away from me every time we had a problem, she was mistaken.
I followed her out into the sunny day. She went right to the barn. My crew scattered like Malificent herself was coming through. Ruby on a rampage was a sight to behold.
Normally, I would’ve chased her down and cajoled her into accepting my shitty news, but I was out of placating platitudes. It was a setback neither of us could control.
She fisted her hands into her hair.
