Ready For It (MacAteer Brothers #2) - M.L. Nystrom Page 0,19
that dubious honor.
Not something I needed to think about now. Back to the house idea. At least three, perhaps four bedrooms. A yard. I need a yard with a fence for safety and in case I wanted to get a dog for my kid. A patio for cute patio furniture. Maybe some of Connor’s stuff. I’d better make an order now if I expected my own set before next summer. Shit, how long did it take to buy a house?
I slapped the last of the clothes over as my thoughts kept circling. I had to call the family lawyer about my trust, then a real estate agent, check bank qualifications. Fuck, I was still a teacher with a shit salary. I needed to just buy a house outright and skip the mortgage. Was there a tax advantage? Damn, I’d have a dependent from now on.
The beginnings of a headache bloomed in my left temple as the ideas and thoughts played through my head like a merry-go-round.
Bevvie took pity on me. “You don’t have to solve every problem now, Mellie. Tell you what. Come to dinner at my place tonight, and we’ll get a plan together along with a timeline. I know that will keep you a lot calmer, having something outlined and on paper, right?”
My BFF was the biggest godsend. The difference between her support and the attitude of my family had no comparison. The buzz of tears started in my sinuses. Fuck, I was getting to be a weepy Wendy! “Thanks, Bevvie. You mean the world to me.”
Her face softened. “Back atcha. Now what do you think of this?” She held up a long-sleeved T-shirt that read You’re Kickin’ me, Smalls.
Both of us laughed. I hadn’t realized how much I needed that.
Owen’s phone buzzed, and he stood up from his crouch near the newly finished deck benches to slip it from his back pocket. Connor’s voice came to him.
“Just got confirmation on the Herndon job. Whatever you showed them, they liked. That books up two more weeks next month, and I’m getting way behind in the wood shop. When does Garrett get finished with his job?”
“Two months. Maybe three.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I could use his help. If this workload keeps up, I might even have to call Patrick and Angus.”
Owen grunted but said nothing. Patrick and Angus were the youngest of the MacAteer men and were identical twins. Garrett and he were fraternal twins. They shared a womb and were very close but didn’t look exactly the same and had distinctive personalities. Most people had trouble telling Patrick and Angus apart, and the two brothers functioned so close to a unit, it was rare that they spent any time away from each other. They were also the biggest party people in the family. Constantly playing jokes, cutting up, starting fights, and getting into whatever trouble they found. Still, they were brothers and would have Connor’s back if he needed them.
“Hard workers.”
The truck door closed with a bang as Connor answered. “Yeah, they do work hard and know their jobs, but they bring trouble wherever they go. They helped a lot when we remodeled the duplex into the house, and I appreciated them coming for that. They also tag-teamed a couple of women into thinking they were the other. That woman, who came to the jobsite? Angelique, I think her name? She wanted to see Patrick, but it was Angus she slept with. Christ Almighty, what a mess.”
Owen imagined Connor shaking his head as he swore. “I get it. I’ll stay for the summer and through the fall. Might stick around longer if the work stays steady.”
“We’re already booked for the next two months, just the two of us. Remind me to text Garrett this weekend and check his schedule.”
“Need to set up my camper.”
“You’re welcome to stay in the guest room as long as you want.”
Owen shrugged even though his brother couldn’t see it. “Need my own space. Kids need theirs. You got a new wife.”
“Alright. You can hook up to the woodshop. The bathroom in there is usable, but the shower is small. You can still come in the house for that if you want.”
Owen grunted again, not seeing a need to respond with words. Connor took the noise as an affirmative answer.
“As Mattie would say, coolio. I gotta run. I’m over at Home Depot picking up a load of decking boards and taking them to the Maggini place. You on for tomorrow morning?”