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After a few frustrating hours in which it felt like we were making negative progress, I decided to take a break and check in with Jericho at my house. I had a lot of questions for him, starting with how a civilian would recognize a listening device when he found one.
“I’m headed out,” I told the team. “Carter, Kev, and Riggs have agreed to let us work from here for the time being. Don’t be afraid to source whatever you need and use the company card.”
Riggs waved his hand over his shoulder. “Vault should be here this afternoon. Got a hold of the delivery driver, and they’ll bring it here.”
I blew out a breath and stretched my arms over my head as I walked out into the winter sun with Hercules. The drive to my old Victorian was short enough to make me reconsider selling the old thing once the renovations were done. But the house was meant for a family, not a single workaholic.
Quinn’s accusations the night before had been spot-on: the house, like Herc, was a reminder of a fantasy life I was never going to have. Unlike Herc, I didn’t have any responsibility to keep the house. I’d be better off with an apartment in town like Quinn had.
When I stepped out of the truck at the house, I noticed the front yard was clear of construction debris. New wooden shutters hung neatly next to each window, and the glass panes were all intact for once. The exterior still needed a paint job, but at least the house didn’t look quite as haunted and dangerous now as it had only a couple of weeks ago.
“Jericho?” I called as I stepped into the front hall.
“Back here,” a voice replied from the kitchen. I made my way down the hall and ran a hand along the freshly sanded banister. The smooth wood curved under my fingers, and the scent of sawdust tickled my nose. It really was starting to come together. The trim work looked amazing, and the hardwood floors were sanded and ready to stain. I could finally imagine what it would look like when it was done.
I came around the corner and stopped. The marble countertops had been installed, and the cabinetry was primed and waiting for paint. “Holy shit,” I breathed. “It looks so different.”
Jericho stood up from where he’d been putting the top on a large bucket of primer. “It’s coming together alright,” he said in his drawl. “You get my message about your surveillance issue?”
“Yeah. You really did us a solid. Thank you. We’ve relocated somewhere else while we figure out what the hell is going on. How’d you know what you were looking at?”
Jericho wiped his hands on a paint-stained bandana before meeting my eyes with a knowing smirk. “I worked for the State Department for fifteen years.”
I let out a laugh. My cowpoke contractor had been in the CIA? “I didn’t see that coming.”
He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “That’s the point, isn’t it?”
After studying him for a beat, I said, “You looking for work?”
He gestured around us at the half-finished kitchen. “Got all I need right here.”
“That’s not the kind of work I mean.”
Jericho shrugged. “It’s the kind I want right now. Sometimes the job starts to own you instead of the other way around and you need a hard reset. That’s where I’m at.”
“Well, if you ever change your mind, come find me. I always have work for people with intelligence experience. Although… I can’t say I’d want to lose you here at the house until you’re done. The place looks incredible.”
Jericho smiled and dipped his head again. “Rocky start, but the finish should be smooth. I’d say another two weeks and you’ll be able to bring your new husband home.”
I choked on my breath. “New husband?”
“Word around town is you’re engaged to the wedding planner. That not right?” Jericho leaned down to grab the dirty paintbrush and tray. I couldn’t tell if he was deliberately acting casual or if he was simply making conversation. Either way, warning lights flashed in my head.
I tried to figure out how to tell him the truth without fucking things up with the Drakes. Gossip in the Thicket was aggressively active, like the wisteria vines on the trees behind my house.
I swallowed. “I’m not sure what the living situation will be once the house is done,” I said carefully. “He may want to continue living above the shop.”
Both of those things were true. I exhaled.
Jericho chuckled. “I thought maybe the whole thing was a rumor. Surely if you were engaged, you would have brought him here to see the house before now.”
“And give him tetanus? No, thanks. Besides, he’d be full of opinions, and it would take even longer to get this done than it already is.”
