Before Today

by Leeanna Morgan

Brooke returned Levi’s smile. “Are you always in such a good mood in the morning?”

  “Only when I’m looking at you.”

  Brooke’s heart was doing funny things inside her chest. “You’re wasted on construction sites. You should have been a writer.”

  Levi’s smile widened. “But then I wouldn’t be here, fixing your attic.”

  “That’s true.” She looked at the size of the hatch. “I know we talked about improving access to the roof, but this is amazing.”

  “I need to make sure the skylights and canopy are finished before Frank arrives with the roofing contractors. From that point on, they’ll make sure everything is watertight.”

  “It sounds like a big job.”

  “It’s not too bad. Unfortunately, the noise will get worse before it gets better.”

  “That’s okay. I’m just pleased you’re here.”

  Levi wiped the sweat off his brow. “Pastor John is arriving in a few minutes with a team of building apprentices. They’ll be working in the attic with me.”

  “Please tell me you’re not paying them from the money I’m giving you.”

  “The apprentices are part of a county training program. They’re paid from a special fund that was set up to increase job opportunities for young people.”

  “How did they know about my building?”

  “Megan was talking to Pastor John about her cake decorating class. She told him about your roof. After the Easter service, he told me the building the apprentices were supposed to be working on has been delayed. This won’t be their first construction job, so I offered to let them work here. I probably should have checked with you first.”

  Brooke shook her head. “You didn’t need to check with me. I think it’s great that we can help someone else. Do they need any food and drink while they’re here?”

  “They’ll be fine. Pastor John said they’d bring everything they need.” Levi’s cell phone beeped. “That’s probably them, now.” He checked his phone and smiled. “Your construction crew has arrived.”

  Brooke looked at her pajamas. “I’d better leave you to introduce yourself. I need to get changed.”

  “If you want to say hello to everyone, we’ll be having a break at about eight o’clock.”

  “That sounds good. I’ll bring some fudge to sweeten the deal.”

  Levi walked across to the hatch. “Don’t get them too accustomed to your fudge. They’ll want meetings with the boss every morning.”

  Brooke climbed down the ladder. “Don’t worry. I’ll save the best candy for you.”

  Levi grinned. “You’re not supposed to tease your contractors.”

  “Who said I was teasing?” And before Levi was halfway down the ladder, she rushed downstairs and into her apartment. It was time to get ready for the day.

  Levi held a two-way radio up to his mouth. “Two feet to the right will clear the wall. Over.”

  “Moving it into position now. Over.” The crane driver swung his load to the right.

  The wooden floorboards missed the brick wall with a few inches to spare. So far, everything was going to plan. Two apprentices were responsible for removing the heavy-duty straps from the load after it was positioned on the roof. Another two carried the wood into the attic.

  Levi was directing the crane, making sure Brooke’s building survived the delivery. After the wood was placed on the roof, he gave the hand signal for the crane to clear the top floor and prepare for the next load.

  “Are you there, Levi?” Pastor John’s voice crackled through the radio.

  “I’m here.”

  “The next delivery is the last of the floorboards. We’ll send up the drywall next.”

  Levi checked his watch. “We’re running ahead of time. Tell the boys not to rush.”

  The logistics of getting the floorboards, new drywall, and roofing materials into Brooke’s building had been difficult, but not impossible. Pastor John had pulled some strings in the county planning office. In record time, he’d obtained permission for Main Street to be closed for two hours this morning. The only catch was that the crane needed to be gone by eight o’clock.

  They should have more than enough time to hoist all the building materials onto the roof. Having everything close at hand before they started would make the job a lot quicker and safer.

  “The last floorboards are on their way.”

  Levi leaned over the edge of the building. “Slowly,” he said into his radio. “There’s a breeze coming off the lake.”

  “Roger that.” The crane operator slowed the delivery.

  Holding the metal pole he’d used as a guide, Levi stopped the wood from spinning. An out-of-control pallet of floorboards was the last thing anyone wanted.

  Carefully, the crane operator lifted the load higher until it cleared the top of the building.

  “You can bring it down now,” Levi said into his radio. As soon as the pallet was sitting on the roof, he walked across to the apprentices. “Great job. The drywall is coming up next.”

  Levi had been surprised when he’d met Pastor John’s four apprentices. Each of the teens was determined to complete their apprenticeship. Between them, they’d clocked up more than six hundred hours of construction work around Sapphire Bay.

  He hadn’t told Brooke that some of the money she’d given him was going to the apprentices. They were hard workers and deserved more than the minimum wage they were earning.

  “We’re ready on the ground,” Pastor John said into the radio.

  “Roger that,” Levi replied. He told the apprentices to be ready for the pallet.

  They quickly moved to their new positions and waited.

  Levi couldn’t remember the first time he’d worked on a construction site. It felt like he’d been born holding a hammer, following his dad around building sites like a lost lamb.

  His dad owned a construction company. Over the years, Montgomery Construction built a reputation for producing high-quality work at affordable prices. There was always too much work and too little time, but his dad thrived on the pressure.

  As a teenager, Levi was aware of the responsibilities placed on his dad’s shoulders. Forty-eight families relied on his company for their livelihoods. One foolish mistake could mean bills didn’t get paid and people went hungry. Not only that, it could ruin their reputation.

  Levi leaned over the building and checked the positioning of the next load. If the breeze coming off the lake got any worse, they might have to call it quits.

  “Take it straight up and over,” he told the crane operator. His eyes never left the pallet. With a gentle nudge, he made sure the drywall was where he wanted it to be before giving the go-ahead to release the straps.

  “Good job,” he said to the team on the roof. “Three more loads and then we’ll start on Frank’s roofing supplies.”

  No one said anything, but Levi knew they were looking forward to having a break. He was hoping Brooke would take pity on him and offer to make him breakfast.

  The crane turned toward the truck. A few minutes later, a pallet of drywall was heading his way.

  “Levi?”

  “I’m here,” he said into the radio.

  “Check the drywall when it arrives. Someone left you a message.”

  Frowning, Levi looked more closely at the pallet as it rose into the air. A black piece of fabric hung from one of the straps, blowing in the breeze like a pirate’s flag.

  When the drywall was sitting on the roof, he made his way toward it. The black piece of fabric turned out to be an apron. Pinned to the front was a sheet of paper.

  In Brooke’s big, bold handwriting she’d asked him a question. Breakfast?

  He grinned at the apprentices standing beside him. “It looks as though I’m having breakfast with the boss.” And he couldn’t have been happier.

  After the last load of building supplies was on the roof, Levi headed downstairs into Brooke’s apartment. He quickly pulled on the apron she’d given him and washed h
is hands in the bathroom. As he walked toward the kitchen, the smell of sizzling bacon made his stomach rumble.

  “I’m in here,” Brooke yelled. “Is everyone ready for breakfast?”

  Levi stood on the other side of the counter and smiled. “They’ve been ready for the last half hour, but I wanted to get everything onto the roof before we returned the crane.”

  Brooke lightly slapped his fingers as he tried to sneak a piece of bacon. “You can have some soon. I’m cooking the last of the eggs now.”

  Levi looked around the kitchen and frowned. “I thought your breakfast invitation was for me. You’ve cooked enough food to feed an army.”

  “An army of construction workers.” Brooke took a container out of the refrigerator. “You can help me by buttering the toast. You were right. The apprentices don’t need fudge at this time of the morning but, bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee will probably be appreciated.”

  “They’ve brought their own food.”

  “They can have it later. Today’s special.”

  Levi knew his building team would be looking forward to more special days after they’d tasted Brooke’s breakfast. “Frank’s happy. All of his supplies are on the roof and waiting for his team. They won’t have to bring everything up the back stairs.”

  “It was a good idea to use the crane. What are you doing next?”

  Levi left the butter knife on the counter and turned to Brooke. Before she could step away, he wrapped her in his arms. “I’m going to kiss my boss.”

  “That sounds like an excellent way to start the day.”

  Brooke’s mischievous smile was almost his undoing. The quick peck on her lips was replaced with a slow, sexy, exploration of her mouth.

  But Brooke wasn’t prepared to let him have it all his way. Each kiss became longer and deeper, until Levi had no idea who was leading who astray. By the time he’d nibbled his way down Brooke’s neck, they were both out of breath.

  The smoke alarm screeched.

  Brooke’s gaze shot around the kitchen. “The toast is burning!” She wiggled free and rushed toward the toaster.

  Levi threw open the windows. The last thing they needed was the fire department arriving on their doorstep. With Mabel working a few buildings away at the general store, Sapphire Bay’s Facebook page would be swamped with stories about why they’d been distracted.

  Brooke threw the toast into the sink, then stood on a stool, waving a dishtowel under the alarm. “That was close.”

  They still weren’t safe. Levi turned the range hood onto maximum speed, hoping the fan would suck the rest of the smoke away.

  As the room cleared, Levi sighed. Next time, he would check the toaster, stove, and anything else that could catch fire before kissing Brooke.

  Even thinking about kissing her made his blood run hot. “What have you got planned for today?” If a change of topic didn’t settle his hormones, nothing would.

  Brooke didn’t look as though she was the least bit affected by their romantic interlude. She jumped off the kitchen stool and threw the burned toast into the trash. “Kathleen and Daniella are coming into work early so that I can make more candy. After that I have some online orders to process, then I’m spending the afternoon serving customers.”

  “You’ll be busy.”

  “So will you.”

  Levi pulled out his phone and sent a text to Pastor John. “It will be great having so much help. I’ve let John know that breakfast is ready.”

  Brooke picked up a pot mitt. “We’d better get everything out of the oven. Would you take the plates across to the table?”

  “No problem.”

  When everything was in the dining room, Brooke smiled. “That’s it. Can you ask everyone to stack their dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turn it on when they’ve finished?”

  “Aren’t you having breakfast with us?”

  Brooke shook her head. “Not today. I need to start baking candy. If I’m not here this evening, I’ll be at Megan’s. We’re triple-checking all the wedding arrangements.”

  Levi opened a carton of orange juice. “Good luck with that. From what William said, everyone is slightly paranoid about the wedding plans.”

  “They’ve spent a lot of time trying to make it a day everyone will remember.” Brooke took some cutlery out of a drawer and cleared her throat. “Since we’re talking about the wedding, would you like to go with me? I know it’s not much fun when your date is a bridesmaid, but I’ll spend as much time with you as I can. And Caleb and Gabe will be there.”

  Levi froze. Going to a wedding with Brooke would seem strange—especially after she’d run away when he’d asked her to marry him.

  “What time does it start?”

  “Two-thirty, but I have to be at Megan’s house by ten o’clock to get ready. We could meet at the church.”

  Levi rubbed his forehead. Going to Megan and William’s wedding shouldn’t be a big deal. He knew a few people in Sapphire Bay and there weren’t that many events where you could dance the night away. But if it was such a no-brainer, why was he worried?

  “It’s okay if you can’t come with me,” Brooke insisted. “I know it’s short notice. If you’ve got something else—”

  “I’ll be there,” Levi said quickly.

  The smile on her face was worth the agony he was feeling. Maybe being with Brooke when her friend got married would inspire her to think along similar lines. And maybe, when the time was right, she might say yes to his marriage proposal. If he was lucky.

  Chapter 10

  By the following Friday night, Brooke was exhausted. She’d spent every available hour helping Megan and William with last-minute wedding details. It was frightening how much time had gone into planning their wedding. Between the church organist, the wedding reception, the photographer, and the florist, Brooke’s head was spinning.

  She dipped the thermometer into the fudge. When she wasn’t helping Megan, she was making more candy. Tonight, she was creating a special order of fudge for one of her regular customers. If she overcooked the mixture, the fudge would be hard and brittle. If it were undercooked, it would be too soft.

  The kitchen door swung open.

  Brooke almost dropped the thermometer into the pot. She looked over her shoulder and took a deep breath. “You gave me a fright.”

  Levi frowned. “Not as much of a fright as you’ll give Megan if you’re not at the wedding rehearsal. I thought you’d left an hour ago.”

  “I forgot to make some fudge for one of my customers. At least if it’s cooked, I can wrap it when I get home.”

  “Aren’t bridesmaids supposed to arrive at the church early?”

  “Not for the rehearsal.” Brooke glanced at the candy thermometer. Thank goodness the fudge was ready. “It doesn’t start for another half hour. If I’m lucky, no one will realize I’m not there.”

  “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but everyone will know you’re not there. Megan only has two bridesmaids.”

  He was right. If she didn’t leave soon, everyone would be worried. “I won’t be too much longer.”

  Levi rolled up his sleeves. “What can I do?”

  Brooke lowered the pot into a sink of cold water to cool the fudge quickly. “There’s a box of cellophane bags on the shelf beside the kitchen door. If you could leave it on the counter, that would help. And there are some blue and pink ribbons in another box on the bottom shelf. They can go beside the cellophane.”

  “What will the fudge look like after you’ve wrapped it?”

  She made sure the pot was okay before walking across to another set of shelves. The courier would be collecting these orders tomorrow and taking them to her customers.

  Carefully, she opened one of the boxes. “These are the table favors for a client’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. The fudge I’m making now will look the same, except it will have blue and pink ribbons.”

  Sitting in the center of a sparkly cellophane parcel were half a dozen pieces of Russian fudg
e. Gold ribbon held the cellophane together and cascaded down the side of the bag. Attached to the top of the gift was a cream card with her company’s logo. It was simple and elegant, and the candy would be delicious.

  While Levi was admiring the table favor, Brooke checked the fudge. Another few minutes and it would be ready. “The fudge I’m making tonight is for a baby shower. My client wants thirty bags.”

  Levi smiled. “I guess that’s why you’re adding the pink and blue ribbons.”

  Brooke nodded and plugged in the electric beater. “Did you finish drywalling the attic?”

  Levi returned the bag of fudge to the box. “Not quite. The apprentices are doing a great job. Did you see Frank this morning?”

  “I did. The roof looks fantastic. He’s coming back on Monday to show me everything they’ve done. But for now, I’m happy the building is watertight.”

  “William came to see what we’re doing.”

  Brooke’s eyebrows rose. “How is he feeling?”

  “Surprisingly calm for a man who’s getting married tomorrow. You’ve all been busy this week.”

  “I guess that’s what you get when you only give yourself a few months to organize a wedding.” Brooke took the fudge out of the sink and started beating the mixture. “Everything has come together really well.”

  Levi leaned against the kitchen cupboards. “When is this order being collected?”

  “Tomorrow morning at eight o’clock. I have to be at Megan’s house by ten, so it worked out okay.” A few minutes later she slowed the beater and tested the fudge. Perfect. With the spatula in her hand, she tipped it into a pan.

  Levi rechecked his watch. “I hate to tell you this, but you’ve got fifteen minutes before the wedding rehearsal starts. Do you want me to call Megan and tell her you’ll be late?”

  “As long as I’m driving toward the church in the next two minutes, I’ll be fine.” Brooke quickly ran the spatula over the top of the fudge, smoothing out the thick, sweet treat. “Are you happy to meet me at the church tomorrow afternoon?”

  “I’ll be there by two-thirty.”

  She took off her apron and handed it to Levi. “I won’t be home for a couple of hours. If you haven’t had dinner, there’s some extra food in the refrigerator, and—”