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Charli was already dreading arriving at work the next morning. She had told Bronson she needed the day to change her schedule and take care of the urgent jobs on her list. She’d worked extra late last night in order to clear up enough of her schedule to truly be open for Bronson’s every need during the next two months.
Now I just have to hope no one breaks a pipe for the next little while.
Luckily, it was warm rather than during the winter. Not only would that make her job with Bronson easier, but it meant less things around the house usually broke down.
She pulled into the driveway at Mrs. Miller’s old home. Charli had come prepared with masks and fans in order to help with the smell that was sure to be sticking around. Charli might not have been in the house since Mrs. Miller died, but she’d been in it a few times when the elderly widow was alive, and it wasn’t a joy to any of the senses.
Bronson came out the front door as she turned off her truck. His T-shirt was already dirty and his dark hair disheveled. He looked absolutely delicious. Charli clenched the steering wheel. “Not here for that,” she reminded herself.
Bronson raised his eyebrows at her, obviously wondering why she hadn’t gotten out of the truck yet.
Taking a fortifying breath, she grabbed her tool belt and opened the door. “Good morning,” she said, wrapping her belt around her waist. “Ready to do some demo?”
Bronson put his hands on his hips and looked at the pile of garbage off to the side of the porch. “I think I started before you.”
“Well, you’ve already been at it three days. I’d hope you had something to show for it.” She squinted up at him with a grin.
“Ooh, we haven’t even gotten going yet and the smack talk is moving.” He laughed. “I’ll have to be on my toes with you.”
Charli slapped a mask into place and arrived at the bottom of the steps. “I’m ready!”
Bronson raised a single eyebrow. “I should have thought of that.” Turning to go inside, he muttered, “That would have saved me some sleep.”
Charli grinned behind her mask and marched up the steps. The interior of the home was dark, with only the sun coming through the windows lighting up the space. The darkness made the home appear forbidding and Charli almost hesitated in the doorway. Instead, however, she walked in and let her eyes adjust while she took in her surroundings.
“What do you think?” Bronson asked.
“I think we’d better hope that the bones of the home are in good shape,” she said, her voice slightly muffled behind her face covering. “We absolutely do not have time to do the inside of the walls as well as the outside.”
Bronson nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I thought of that. But I don’t have enough know-how to understand what, if anything, is wrong.”
“Right.” Charli headed to the kitchen and turned on the sink. She made sure the water heated and cooled, then looked under the sink to look for leaks. “Looks good in here,” she muttered. “Bathroom?”
Bronson led the way down a hallway to a half bath. It also appeared to be in good shape and the upstairs bathroom was free of leaks as well.
“Okay, whew,” Charli said. “That would have been some of the worst stuff to happen, so plumbing looks good.” She looked at the dark lights. “Did you turn off the electricity?”
Bronson shook his head. “Nope. I think the city turned that off and I haven’t bothered to have it fixed yet.”
“That’s your first order of business,” she ordered. “I need to know if things have to be rewired. It’ll have to happen before I paint the walls or anything because otherwise I’ll waste my time and have to redo work, which I don’t have time for.”
“We,” he corrected.
“What?” Charli frowned.
“We’ll paint the walls,” Bronson said. That eyebrow went up again. “I have to be involved per the rules of the competition. You don’t get to do it all.”
“Right,” she snapped. Her lips were pursed tightly behind her mask. This was the part that was going to kill her. She’d been fighting to do things herself her whole life. Too many people had said she’d never make it in her “man’s profession” and Charli was constantly proving them all wrong. Letting someone work with her was going to drive her crazy.
“I’ll be right back,” Bronson said, stepping toward the front door and pulling his cell out of his pocket. “Take a look around while I call the electric company.”
Charli nodded and began to wander the house. Even through her mask, there were places she could smell the ammonia from the house’s ex-inhabitants. Her eyes watered and she shook her head. “Hopefully I’ll never be a cat lady,” she muttered to herself.
“Find anything?”
Bronson’s voice startled her and Charli spun around. “Nothing crazy, thank goodness. From my quick assessment, and it was quick,” she emphasized, “it looks like this will mostly be an aesthetic remodel. Which is fantastic. But even with that caveat, we’ll be dead by the end of the eight weeks.”
“I hope not,” Bronson said with a grin. “I’d like to enjoy the fruits of our labors.”
“Good luck with that,” Charli retorted. “I’ll be sleeping for a week before I enjoy anything.”
Bronson’s grin slowly spread and Charli had to look away. He was much too movie-starish for her womanly hormones. “Big sleeper, huh?’
“I can be,” she said primly, still not looking at him. “My line of work can really make you tired.”
“I hear ya,” he said softly.
Charli frowned and turned to finally meet his eyes again. “You do? I thought you had no experience in this?”
“I don’t in this.” Bronson indicated the house. “But I’ve spent a few days pulling long hours and working myself into the ground.”
Charli nodded, not sure if she really believed him, but not willing to argue. They had too much work to do. “First things first,” she said, grabbing her gloves out of her back pocket. “It’s time to clean this place up.” She pointed down the hall. “Let’s start in one corner of the house, cleaning out everything. I seriously doubt there is anything from Mrs. Miller’s stuff that will be salvageable, so I’m not going to waste time trying to go through individual stuff. Pull it, then dump it. That’s the motto of the day.”
Bronson shrugged. “Let’s do this.”
Charli led the way and immediately began grabbing drapes off the window.
“What all is being dumped?”
“Anything on the floors, the trim and anything on the walls,” Charli called over her shoulder.
“Pull it and dump it. Right.”
Charli threw herself into the work, doing her best to ignore the sounds of the handsome hunk behind her. Bronson was proving to be fun and friendly, and normally she would be interested in seeing where their chemistry would go, but right now she was fighting for her future, making him only a means to an end. She simply didn’t have the time, and soon wouldn’t have the energy, to add another project on the side.
Bronson might be the most attractive man she’d ever seen in person, but it was the ugly house that she was going to keep her focus on. That was the only thing between her and that warehouse, which would help all her dreams come true.
*****
IT WAS CLEAR TO SEE where Charli got her good reputation from. She worked with the energy of two men and Bronson could hardly keep up with her. He knew what it was like to be active with kids from sun up to sun down, but this was a whole new level of tired. Muscles he didn’t even know he had ached and there was dust in places that were unmentionable in public.
After throwing yet another disgusting piece of carpet onto the outside pile, he wiped his dirty forehead and sighed.
“Ready for a break?” Charli asked from behind him.
Bronson turned. “Did my girly moan give it away?”
Charli let out one of those husky chuckles Bronson enjoyed. “There is nothing girly about you, Bronson Ramsay.” Her eyes widened after she spoke as if she hadn’t meant to say those words and he found himself struggling not to puff up like a stupid peacock.
It was nice to have confirmation that the attraction he was nursing back went both ways. “I think that’s the first nice thing you’ve said about me,” he teased. “I’m gonna have to write it in my journal.”
Charli’s cheeks were slightly pink even with her darker skin, but she smiled at his joke anyway. “Don’t get used to it. You wanted to work with me? You’ll have to keep up.”
Another truck pulled into the driveway and Bronson frowned. “Who’s that?” he asked more to himself.
“My brother,” Charli said. She began walking to the driveway. “I asked him to bring us dinner so we wouldn’t have to waste time getting it ourselves.” She grinned over her shoulder. “Hope you like fish!”
Bronson huffed a quiet laugh and shook his head. This woman just kept getting better and better. When her brother got out of the vehicle, Bronson hurried to go over. He definitely wanted to meet this guy. Maybe it would help him crack open the mystery that was Charlize Mendez.
Her brother was taller than Charli, but definitely shorter than Bronson’s six-foot-two. He was stocky with dark hair and eyes that matched his sister’s. Considering how stunning Bronson thought Charli was, he figured her brother had no problem getting dates. “Bronson Ramsay,” he said, holding out his hand as he approached.
The brother eyed him carefully. “Captain Felix Mendez.” He shook Bronson’s hand with a tight grip. Felix’s hands were just as calloused as his sister’s, and his grip extra tight.
Bronson tried to press back, but he wasn’t sure he succeeded very well. He did manage to hold in a grimace, however. “Nice to meet you, Felix. Are you part of the police force?”
Charli chuckled and shook her head. “He wishes. No, Felix captains the Morwenna.”
Bronson nodded. “Oh, a boat. I love boats.”
Felix’s eyes were still narrowed. “Boats or yachts?” His eyes went over Bronson from head to toe. “There’s a difference.”
Charli whacked her brother’s chest. “Be nice,” she hissed.
Felix ignored her.
Wow. Skepticism obviously runs in the family. Guess I’m not getting any bro talk with this guy. “Boats,” Bronson clarified. “My brother owns the yacht.” He waited, hoping his message had been clear. Canon was the one who showed off the wealth. After holding his breath, Bronson wasn’t disappointed as Felix gave him a slow smile.
“Good to know.”
“So, you’re a fisherman, then?” Bronson asked, taking the Tupperware that Charli handed him. He could feel its heat, but didn’t dare drop Felix’s gaze yet. Their man-staring contest was still going.
“You could say that,” Felix answered.
“Oh my gosh, would you stop?” Charli demanded, slugging her brother’s shoulder this time.
Bronson did wince that time. Charli’s arms showed off very nice muscles and he imagined that punch hadn’t felt very good.
Felix finally looked down at his sister. “I brought you dinner. Why are you hitting me?”
“Because you’re treating Bronson as if he’s some boy I brought home for a date. This is a business transaction. Are you going to start vetting all my clients like this?”
“If all your clients are young, single men, then I just might,” Felix shot back.
Bronson pressed his lips together when Charli’s cheeks turned pink again. Guess I don’t have to ask if she has a boyfriend. He shook his head at himself. Nope. Project first. Then you can think about other stuff. The kids are depending on you.
“I can take care of myself,” she argued with Felix.
“She’s right,” Bronson added, earning Felix’s glare. “I’ve seen her heft wood and cat-stained carpets three times her size today. I don’t think I’ll be crossing any boundaries.”
“Thank you!” Charli said, nodding her head toward Bronson. The flash of disappointment in her eye, however, had Bronson’s heart picking up pace.
This is getting dangerous.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Felix said, pointing a finger at Bronson.
Bronson met Felix’s gaze and did his best not to hide anything. “Your sister is a very attractive woman, Felix. But right now I have a pressing deadline that comes first.”
Felix nodded as Charli turned back to the truck.
“Please tell me you brought silverware,” she muttered, her back to the men.
Bronson didn’t know if she was embarrassed or honestly worried about forks and spoons, but either way, at least they had everything out in the open. It was stupid to say he didn’t like the way she looked or that he wasn’t enjoying her personality. It had to be obvious every time they locked eyes. But he really did need to help save his kids. Their well-being was definitely top priority.
“It’s on top of the dash,” Felix shouted over his shoulder.
“The dash? Felix!” Charli grumbled under her breath as she climbed up the step and grabbed what she needed.
Felix growled...actually growled, at Bronson, who immediately snapped his eyes away from the curves and extremely nice-shaped calves that Charli was putting on display.
Bronson busied himself with opening the container in his hands. The smell of fried fish hit him in the face along with a wave of heat after he pried off the top. “This is great,” he said, chancing a glance up at Felix. “Thanks.”
Felix nodded again, his shoulders relaxing.
“Your dash is a dusty, disgusting mess,” Charli grumbled when she came back. She handed a fork to Bronson. “You might want to wipe it off. Who knows what diseases he carries in there.”
Felix rolled his eyes. “You should be grateful I brought you anything at all, instead of complaining.”
“Maybe if you cooked something other than fish, I would,” Charli retorted. Her smile told Bronson that this was a common practice for them, and it fit. Both siblings seemed to have a slight edge to their personalities, but despite that, Charli was extremely likable. Bronson assumed Felix would be too, if he hadn’t caught Bronson ogling his sister.
“I’m trying to utilize our food storage,” Felix said with a sniff. “It’s not my fault you don’t know how to put the freezer to good use.”
“I’m thinking my question about you being a fisherman was right on the money,” Bronson stated before taking a bite. The fish was cooked well, surprisingly enough. “And this is really good, by the way.”
Felix smirked and folded his arms over his chest. “Glad someone appreciates it.” He ignored Charli’s snort. “And I own a fishing charter.” He tilted his chin at Bronson. “You should come out sometime. I’ll help you reel in the big one.”
Bronson barked a laugh. “With the look you gave me a minute ago, I’m pretty sure you’ll put me in cement shoes and use me for bait.”
There was a second of silence before Felix burst out laughing.
It had been a risk to tease that way, but Bronson was glad it paid off. He was usually a pretty good judge of character. It had come from working with so many teenagers with a chip on their shoulder. Most were simply trying to protect themselves or someone else. It was a human trait that Bronson saw a lot of.
Felix held out his hand again. “I think you and I are going to get along just fine,” he said, grinning even wider as he squeezed Bronson’s hand into oblivion once more.