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She shook her head as she waved off the idea. “I can’t. I have a job to do.”
He looked pointedly at her. “If you want this done quickly, I’m going to need some help.”
“I don’t understand how the problem you created has suddenly become my problem too.”
He met her steady gaze and held it. “Are you going to help? Or not?”
She was quiet for a moment. The look in her eyes let him know that she was rolling around her options. He was almost afraid to hear what she would say. He sensed she was up to something.
She arched a brow. “I’ll help you on one condition.”
He knew it was going to cost him. “What’s that?”
“I want the apartment.”
He’d thought she’d given up on the apartment. The thought of dealing with her on a daily basis was just too much. He wasn’t willing to do it.
“I don’t think so.” He’d find someone else to help him. Maybe one of his brothers would lend a hand.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Suit yourself. Just make sure this area looks perfect in time for the wedding.”
She turned and walked away. He couldn’t help but watch her make an exit. He felt as though he’d dodged a bullet. Working with her wouldn’t have been fun. That was for sure—not with the way she was always frowning at him.
This week was not going to be fun.
Monday morning, Sara was up extra early. She’d had a restless night. She rushed to her galley kitchen. She was grateful it only took a couple of minutes for her coffeemaker to heat up. In no time, her to-go cup was filled with hot coffee.
Already dressed as well as having her hair and makeup done, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. As she pulled the door shut behind her, her thoughts returned to Kent. She didn’t know why she let him get to her. It had to stop. She would treat him just like any other employee or in this case a contractor that had been hired to do work on the inn.
She told herself it was the fact that Kent had wrecked the lobby that bothered her. It had absolutely nothing to do with his sexy good looks or the way his dark brows drew together when he was deep in thought or how his sky-blue eyes felt as though they could see through her.Nope. It couldn’t be any of those because he was Cari’s ex. He had broken her sister’s heart. Sisters didn’t date each other’s ex. It just wasn’t done. Not that she was thinking of dating him.
It was easier to be angry with him than to accept that she found him distractingly handsome. And so she centered her thoughts on the problem at the moment: the carpeting. Shouldn’t he have expected the carpeting to be damaged? Isn’t that his job to anticipate those sorts of things?
It seemed like he was destined to create trouble for her. First, with her sister and now with her job—a job she enjoyed very much. She had to stop him from making things worse.
As she made her way down the steps from her second-floor apartment, she heard a familiar voice call out her name. She glanced at the house next door and found Birdie sitting on her porch with her dog, Peaches. “Good morning.”
“It’s going to be a beautiful day.” Birdie studied her. “What’s wrong?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because you were frowning, and the day has barely even started. What’s worrying you?”
She was frowning? She hadn’t realized her thoughts had translated onto her face. She’d have to work better at concealing her thoughts if she ever wanted to be an effective manager.
Since she’d moved next door to Birdie, the woman had become a surrogate grandmother to her. Birdie was easy to talk to and she kept Sara’s confidence. Although in this particular situation, she didn’t see how Birdie would be able to offer any words of advice. Still, it would help to get it all off her chest.
And so, Sara told Birdie about the situation at the inn with Kent giving away the original furniture without even considering the problem with the carpeting. “Now I don’t know if he’ll have the room completed in time for this big wedding we’re hosting. And I promised Josie that I could handle everything while she was gone. I don’t want to let her down.”
“You won’t.” There was a note of confidence in Birdie’s voice.
“I hope you’re right. This project just seems to keep growing.”
“I see.” Birdie paused as though to give it some thought. “Why don’t you help him?”
Immediately, Sara shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
