AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I avoid eye contact as I turn on lights and then open a few of the windows to let in some fresh air.
“I haven’t been here in about a week so it’s stuffy.”
It’s one big room with a beautiful hardwood floor, which is original to the building, as well as a few wooden pews and an altar.
Those things will go or be repurposed, of course.
“No blood stain,” Apollo murmurs and then raises his head to meet my gaze.
“No. I had a company come in and clean the blood.”
He nods, and we’re both thinking of Sarah, whose ex-husband almost killed her in this chapel six months ago. It was a terrifying day, but my dear friend is safe, and her ex is tucked away in a maximum-security prison, so we can all put that behind us.
“Some people wouldn’t want to live in a place where something like that happened.”
I frown and shake my head. “It’s not the chapel’s fault. Besides, Sarah didn’t die, thank all the gods, and it was only a little blood to clean up. It’s fine.”
Apollo nods and looks around. “This is going to be really cool, Juniper.”
God, I love the way he says my name, and I normallyhatebeing called by my full name. Everyone calls me June.
But not Apollo.
No, he has to say my full name like it’s sweetness on his tongue. He finds ways to slip it into conversation here and there, and it slides along my nerves like warm honey. Which only irritates me.
Unfortunately, after a night of bad decisions three months ago, I know exactly what it sounds like when he says my name in the middle of some mind-numbing sex, and I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from that. Why, oh why, did I have to give in to temptation and accept his offer of going home with him at the bar that night? I wasn’tthatdrunk.
Except, I know why. It’s because the chemistry between us, despite my ferocious disdain for him, is off the charts, and I thought I could work him out of my system.
It didn’t work.
“Juniper.”
I blink and raise my eyebrows. “Sorry, what?”
He studies me with narrowed eyes. “What were you thinking about?”
“How annoying you are. What did you say?”
“How many rooms are you going to frame in?”
“Two bedrooms, one and a half baths.” I walk around, pointing out where I picture everything going. “There’s an office through that door that I’m going to turn into a laundry and mud room. And there’s a basement, but I don’t know what I’m going to do with it.”
“There’s a basement?” He sounds surprised, but then he nods and shoves his hands into his pockets. The movement makes the muscles in his arms and chest flex, and I have to take a long, slow breath. “That’s right. I’ve seen the small windows in the foundation. That’ll be good because we can run most of the wiring down. That’ll work for plumbing, too. Who do you have doing that?”
“Maxwell Tilly.”
Apollo nods in satisfaction. Max does a great job, and I was lucky that he could fit me into his schedule.
“Are you replacing the stained glass?”
Behind the altar there is a beautiful, arched piece of stained glass featuring Jesus on the cross. On each of the two walls perpendicular to that one, there are five more windows that display different scenes from the Bible.
“Yes. I thought long and hard about it, but I need more light. Not to mention, I absolutely don’t want Jesus watching every move I make, you know?”
“I can understand that. What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m selling them to a church in Portland who’s building a new place. They were excited to get these windows since they’re antique, and the artistry is really beautiful.”
