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“I’m not usually jealous.” I shift and cross my arms over my chest, watching as several guys walk into the chapel carrying huge rolls of tape. “I just wish you’d smile atmelike that.”
“I haven’t seen you all week,” she reminds me. “I haven’t had the chance. But here you go.”
She gives me a toothy grin, the kind that’s totally fake, and I laugh.
“Happy?”
“Frankly, I want to spank your bare ass right now, but that’ll have to wait.”
She stammers and then closes her lips. It doesn’t stop the flush from heating her pretty cheeks, and I know that it’s not because she’s angry.
She likes the idea.
“What? No witty response?”
“I’m thinking.”
I chuckle and then look over as a police vehicle drives around the barricade and pulls up to the curb. June’s brother, Cullen, gets out of the driver’s seat, pulling off his aviators as he approaches us.
“It’s happening,” he says with some surprise.
“It’s definitely happening,” June agrees and rubs her hands together.
“What are you going to do about the big holes in the walls?” Cullen wants to know. “We don’t have a huge homeless population, but you’ll have squatters right away with gaping, empty windows.”
“I’ll cover them with plastic for a few days,” June replies with a laugh, brushing him off. “And then, I’ll have to install new framework for the new windows coming in a few days. They aren’t quite as big as the original stained glass, but I want to keep the arch look since this still looks very much like an old church.”
“That’ll be cool,” I reply. “Are you doing white or black trim?”
“Black.” June grins, obviously picturing it in her head. “With the white paint, it’ll looksocute.”
“The sooner you install those new windows, the better,” Cullen says. “A person can cut through plastic easily.”
“Good god, Cull, what do you think’s going to happen? This isn’t the city. You’re so cynical.”
“Being a police officer tends to do that to a person because we see the worst of people,” he reminds me. “Besides, cynical is better than sorry. You’ll have tools in there, and you’ve already started working on the interior. I don’t want anyone to break in and vandalize your stuff. I’m a little protective of my sister.”
“It’ll only be a few days,” she insists. “Don’t worry so much. You hover.”
“I’ll have extra patrols in the area over the next few days, just in case. And I do not hover.”
“Ah, sibling rivalry,” I say, blowing out a breath. “Good times.”
Above us, the crane starts to move, and I can hear a saw revving up. It sounds like they’re about to start taking out some of the windows.
“Looks like someone brought in pizza,” Cullen says with a grin, pointing to the pizza boxes being passed around the crowd across the street. “It’s not even close to lunchtime.”
“I’m surprised there’s no popcorn,” June adds, smiling at Harvey as he jogs across the street with a box for us. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“Are you kidding? It gives me an excuse to come watch the show. This little church has been here for as long as any of us can remember, and most of us have family members buried out back. Wewantto watch the transformation.”
“I guess I hadn’t thought of that,” June says, pulling a pepperoni off her slice of pizza and eating it. “I’m building a fence in the back to separate the graveyard from the house so the people who want to pay their respects can without feeling as if they’re walking through private property.”
“I know that we’ll all appreciate that,” Harvey replies as he pats June on the shoulder. “I’d better get back to the safe zone. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. Thank again!” He hurries back across the street, and Cullen reaches for a slice of pizza.
“I eat pizza for breakfast all the time.”
