and bellow a huge WTF at her. But he’d learned long ago to not touch a woman when angry. He was too big and too strong. It was too easy to hurt people when he didn’t mean to.
So he let her go and just stood there fuming. He heard the slam of her back door and a sudden loud drumming of African music booming through the house. When the hell had she gotten speakers that capable? He didn’t remember seeing them in the house.
Meanwhile, he packed up his tools. Screw it if she—
Thunk.
He turned to see the edge of the ladder back in place. Crossing over, he saw the other woman standing there as she stabilized the ladder. Tori’s same blond hair and blue eyes looked up at him, but this woman was taller than Tori and had a more severe presentation. Tighter skirt, shoulders that were squarer, less feminine, and hair and makeup that screamed professional.
Definitely not Tori, but close enough to be related to her. Probably a sister.
“Thanks,” he said, doing his best not to sound surly.
“Yeah, sorry about Tori. She’s feeling touchy right now. I blame Edward.”
He made it to the bottom of the ladder and turned to her. “Ex being a dick?”
“Ex needs to shit or get off the pot. If they’re breaking up, then fine. But he needs to stop hanging around. If he’s going to hang around, then the dick needs to propose.” She looked back at the house. “That’s why I took her out for girl time. I thought she’d vent, get all pretty, and then go find herself a real man. Instead, she gets all pissy and takes it out on you.” She stood back, frowning as she looked at him. “Why do you look familiar?”
He ducked his head and shrugged. “Dunno. So you’re her sister?”
“Yeah. Jessica Williams. Pleased to meet you.”
“I’m Mike. Former roofer.” He shook her hand then grabbed the ladder to take it back to his uncle’s truck.
“You’re the guy who’s house-sitting, right? The one who caught her when she fell off the roof.” She shuddered. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“Right place, right time.”
“Well thank God for that. Tori needs a keeper.”
Mike shrugged, beginning to be irritated by the way this woman dismissed her own sister. “Renovating a house is a big job.”
“No shit, but she gets these wild hairs when everyone knows she can’t handle it. We live in terror of what she’s going to do next. Once when she was a kid—”
“Shouldn’t you be talking to her? I mean she’s obviously upset.”
Jessica laughed, the sound brittle. “I’m the one she told to fuck off first. You were just in the vicinity to get her second volley.”
Then before Mike could respond to that, Jessica frowned at the side of his uncle’s van. Roof Doc blazed in large letters along with a bright red cross over a black roof.
“Look, I know Tori’s touchy, but I’m afraid she’s going to kill herself.” She pulled a wallet out of her purse and peeled off four hundred dollar bills. “Do whatever you can to finish her roof. She’s got a yoga class she goes to most mornings.”
Geez, what the hell was it about these people? They kept throwing money at him. “It’s her house. I can’t work on it without her permission.”
“I know, but I’m worried sick.”
He shook his head. “She’s doing fine on the roof on her own.”
“Except when she falls off.”
Well, she had a point there, but he still wasn’t taking her money. “Why don’t you offer her the cash? She can hire me if she wants.”
“I already have, but she won’t take it. I had to strong arm her into the facial and hair appointment.” She pulled another hundred out of her purse. “Come on. Just do it. Contrary to her little fit there, she likes you. You can convince her to let you work.” She grabbed his hand and pressed the bills into his palm. He could have avoided it, but she didn’t seem like the kind of woman to take no for an answer without a fight. There were better ways to deal with this particular problem. And now that he was thinking more clearly, he knew what to do.
So he held up the money before her, giving her the opportunity to take it back.
“I’m just going to give this to Tori. Let her decide.”
“Just be charming when you do it.” She glanced back at the house as the drum beats ratcheted up another notch.