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I can’t keep my eyes open, so I do as he says. I relax and let sleep take over.
I can’t believeApollo talked me into staying home today.
Iownthe company. Sick days aren’t a luxury that I can indulge in. Sure, I have an excellent crew, but I need to be out in the field every day, checking on job sites. He even asked me not to go to the chapel, which I almost threw down about before I ended up having to run to the bathroom.
There may not be a chance in hell of finishing it by Christmas, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t work on it anyway. Speaking of Christmas, it’s right around the corner, and I haven’t done any shopping, which means I have way too much to do to just lie around Apollo’s house all day.
I will admit, though, it felt good to sleep in a bit. Whatever’s decided to piss off my stomach has made me so freakingsleepy.I’m so over it, and if I’m not better in a couple of days, I’ll have to break down and go to the doctor, which Ihate. So, here’s to hoping this passes and I start to feel better on my own.
Ignoring my rolling stomach, I get dressed, pull on my sturdy coveralls and work boots, and then pile my hair under my old, beat-up trucker hat so it stays out of my way.
Happy with that result, I set off for the chapel so I can take a look around before I head to the job sites and check in with my guys there.
Admittedly, they likely have everything under control, but I like to touch base with them in case they have questions or any issues.
When I pull up to the chapel, I immediately scowl at the number of trucks parked out front. Before I even make it to the front door, I can hear power tools and talking inside. Someone has a radio playing.
Stopping in the doorway as I let my eyes adjust, I feel like I’ve been hit in the solar plexus. My walls are being textured. The kitchen cabinets are being painted, and Apollo is giving instructions for how the light fixtures are supposed to be installed.
There have to be twenty men in here, bustling about as if this is the most important project in town. There are certainly more workers here than what I have on staff. Even my brother has a tool belt slung around his waist and is carrying trim in and out of one of the bedrooms.
“What’s happening?” I ask.
Apollo’s head whips around, and when he sees me, he grins, but then his smile drops into a concerned frown as he climbs off his ladder and hurries over to me.
“I thought you said you were going to take a sick day,” he says as he reaches me.
“No,yousaid that. What in the hell is happening here? I didn’t hire them to do this.”
“I know.” He glances back at them and then turns to me with a very satisfied grin. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but you’re not good at taking directions. Are you feeling okay?”
Right now, something’s doing the rumba in my stomach, but I shrug. “I’m fine. Talk to me, Apollo.”
“Okay, so when you said the other day that you wouldn’t be able to move in here before the holidays like you wanted, it got me to thinking. You obviously didn’t ask your staff to help you, even though you promised you would.”
“I didn’t—”
“So, I made some calls, and everyone agreed that they’d take today to get ahead of things, and then, schedules willing, they’ll be here from three until six in the afternoon every day until it’s done. They can spare those hours around all the other projects they’re working on.”
“I don’t employ all of these people.”
“No, but they allknowyou and care about you. Juniper, we live in a small, tight-knit community. They want to help, so they are.”
“Christmas is only two weeks away.”
“Well, then, we’d better get crackin’.”
I blow out a breath, feeling perilously close to tears. “This is too much.”
“No, it’s not. No one feels that way at all. You’ve put this project off formonths,letting it take the back seat to literally everyone else as you work your ass off for them. This is your home, June, and we all want you to be able to live in it as soon as possible. It’ll take a load off your plate.”
“I mean, it will do that.” It’s tough to admit, but he’s not wrong. “It’ll help my stress level a lot. Maybe that’s why my stomach’s been off.”
“It could absolutely be the case. Let us do this for you, Juniper. Wewantto help you.”
“Am I allowed to jump in, too?”
“It’s your house, so of course you can—just not today. Today, I want you to go back to my place or to your grandma’s and relax. Hell, even the inn would work, but I want you to take it easy until you’re feeling better. You need the rest.”
