“Maybe. You’ll have to measure the distance to see. I’m certain you have a tape measure handy.” Her voice is brimming with laughter.
Storming over to where she neatly drove her axe beautifully between where my axe hit and the center growth rings serving as center. My shot is completely outclassed by a slip of a woman, and to be honest? I couldn’t be happier.
My laughter rings out, echoing off the lake. “Where did you learn to throw like that?”
Meadow’s smile eclipses the sun above us as she saunters toward me. For a moment, it’s like the wheels of time are careening crazily. We’re in the past, we’re in the present. We could have a future. And without a doubt, I know why I’m standing here with a ridiculous smile spreading across my face.
Because much like the imposing home behind her, Meadow is everything I dreamed a home could be: strength, laughter, and most importantly, brimming with love.
Life may have changed us both, but together we can mend. Just like Nature’s Song.
“Well, now that you’ve kicked my ass at axe throwing, how about we finish the walk-through? Then I’ll take you to lunch?”
Her smile holds a note of gratitude that I hope disappears soon. I’m not doing this because of the damn house.
I’m here because of her.
“What does milady care to dine on?” I bow at the waist as Meadow approaches from her vehicle where she grabbed her purse.
She shakes her head in silent laughter. “There’s a diner a few miles up the road Russell mentioned was good.”
“Your boss?”
“Yes. He mentioned in my welcome packet that he and his wife go there for breakfast at least once a week. Apparently, I have to try the huckleberry pancakes, but with everything that’s been going on, I haven’t had the chance. Oh, that reminds me.” I stop as Meadow pulls her phone from her pocket. She scans her messages. “Russell pinged me while I was kicking your ass at axe throwing.”
I press my hand against my chest. “Rub it in, why don’t you.”
“Just be glad I didn’t take any pictures,” she retorts.
“Fair point. What did he want?”
“Just an update on how things were. Any idea on when we’ll be able to get an estimate?”
“What time are you meeting with him?”
“Around three.”
I won’t have any drawings ready, but I can meet that timeline. I think back to the estimate Greta and I built together and realize I can easily scratch about a third off based on the condition of the house. Maybe more if… My mind starts whirling. Abruptly, I ask, “Do you want to take one vehicle there? We can swing by here and grab yours before you need to meet with your boss.”
“Sure. That works for me.” She reaches for the door handle.
Then I remember. Crap. “Wait. Maybe, we should ride in your—” Just as she opens my passenger door and debris from my eight-hour road trip tumbles out. I can feel my cheeks warming. “I meant to clean that out.”
Meadow bites her lip, but her shoulders start to shake.
“Give me just a second.” Quickly, I move forward and grab an already full bag of Coke bottles and try to jam candy and beef jerky wrappers alongside.
“Here. Take these. I mean, what if you get lost and need an emergency bite to eat.”
Oh crap. I was so anxious to get here to bail her ass out I forgot my truck looks like the inside of a trash can. I face her to find Meadow holding out two Slim Jims and a packet of M&Ms toward me. Her eyes are sparkling beneath the cloudless blue sky. And in my head, I can hear her voice softly saying, “Here, Kody, we were at the convenience store. Even though you didn’t ask, I know how grumpy you are when you’re hungry.”
“Just had these on hand?” I ask, stunned, because somewhere inside her soul, she had a part of me with her—the same way I always had her with me.
“Are you kidding? I have boxes of them at home. They’re some of my favorites.” Then to my delight, Meadow flushes. “Why don’t you hand me that trash, and I’ll toss it out?”
Scooping up the last bit, I scoot back so she practically has to squeeze between me and the truck to get by. “Why don’t you get in and I’ll toss this in the dumpster. I’m certain it can handle a few more things.”
“Smart aleck,” she says primly, right before she reaches over and pulls the door closed.
Suddenly ravenous, I trot over, dump the trash, and race back to the truck to take Meadow out to eat.
Meadow
“So, do I get a discount for kicking your ass?” I ask as I pop a fry in my mouth, moaning as I chew the bite of crispy saltiness I feel no compunction in wolfing down with vigor. “You have to try this huckleberry ketchup. So good.” I shove the plate across the table at a bemused Kody.
“I’m not sure I trust you anymore since you totally sandbagged me. So, Brad taught you to throw like that?”
“He said it was an imperative life skill. I think he just wanted to show off his skills to Rainey. He never expected me to take to it the way I did.”
Kody chuckles. “How many times have you clobbered him?”
“This year alone? Oh, quite a few. It’s great therapy.” I swirl another fry in ketchup before chomping down on it.
Kody guffaws. “I’d have paid good money to have seen it.”
“I’m sure there’s video somewhere. But knowing you, you’ll share it with the guys.”
“Of course I will. That’s what we do.”
I smile before snagging another fry and biting into it.
“It’s good to see you eating,” he remarks before snatching one off my plate, dipping it, and popping into his mouth. “You’re right. This is incredible. Want me to bring them to work every day?” he asks like it’s a done deal we’ll be working together.
“I eat,” I protest, but it’s weak at best.
“Meadow, the last time I saw you, you looked like…”
“What?” I challenge him, shoving another fry into my mouth before I snap at the man who’s about to rearrange his life’s schedule to help me out of a massive problem.
“You. When we saw each other last, you were a walking memory coming through Brad and Rainey’s door.” Even as I try to calm my heart which has problems processing his words, he continues. “So don’t sit there and tell me your clothes are now hanging off you because you’re starting a new fashion trend.”
I turn my head to study the mountain landscape in the distance. “For now, can we just leave it as divorce isn’t the easiest road I’ve traveled so far?” When I face him, Kody’s jaw is clenched. Without thinking, I do something I’ve done a million times before and haven’t done in years; I touch him.
My fingers slide across the table and brush his fisted ones lightly. “I’ll be okay,” I whisper.
“Did he hit you? Physically harm you or the kids?”
I blink rapidly before my heart softens. “No. There are different ways you can be hurt, Kody, but I swear, the sledgehammer we found next to the granite would have been used on him if he had physically touched any of us.”
What’s frightening to me is feeling the weightlessness as I put the miles of Juneau behind me. I haven’t acknowledged until now the emotional weight I’ve been carrying until I could breathe again. And, my stomach settles a bit knowing as bad as things are now, they’ll get better. Mitch has left such toxicity in all of us—especially Elise and MJ—that as sure as I know my own name, I know that we will heal once we have time. I’m ready to be a family once again, and I don’t give a damn what tests my kids need to put me through to reach the other side. I’ll take their silence and sharp words just as long as in the end, I have my children.
Kody’s hand turns and captures mine with a quickness that startles me. Chills shoot up my arm at the feel of his calloused fingers against my skin. My nipples begin to tingle, and I want to curse because despite the untried feelings I recognized I had for him all those years ago, this shouldn’t be happening. I treasure his happiness too much to rui
n it. His face gives nothing away.
Sliding my hand away, I wrap my arms around myself. “Please, Kody. I know the friendship between us has been strained at best…”
“Why do you think that is?” he grates out.
“I always assumed you just moved on with your life.” I falter.
“We’ll add that to our list to tackle later as well.”
That sends equal amounts of excitement and anxiety surging through me. I clear my throat. “We’re making a list? Of things to talk about?”
He shrugs nonchalantly, picking up his coffee. “We’ll have plenty of time.”
“As I was saying… Wait, what do you mean?”
“You’re looking at about eight weeks if I bring a full crew out, Meadow.” My heart lurches in my chest as Kody drops a price.
“There’s no way. I have just shy of half a million to cover that. And you were saying things about importing tile from Italy,” I wheeze. Fortunately, I only had to refund one reservation since we’re not into high season yet.
“Which is why I’m about to recommend we bring the crew in for the big-ticket construction, and then I stick around with a smaller team to help finish the job, closer to eleven weeks. You’ll also pitch in.”
“You? You have a company to run. And what makes you think I know how to do home repair that extends beyond putting a nail in a wall to hang a picture?” I do know some stuff beyond the basics, but what is he thinking?
Kody clutches his hands against his heart before gasping, “What? No picture hangers? You’re slaying me Meadow.”
Without thinking, I pick up a fry and throw it at him, nailing him square on his forehead. “I’m not a perfectionist in my home, Kody. There’s no need to string up wire behind a school photo.”
“There’s also something called alligator clips, and they’re intended to provide stability. You could have used those,” he counters.
“Why are we discussing this anyway? Cleanup, I’m a champ. Even breaking down boxes, I’m good. Tell me what you want from me, and then let’s see whether or not it’s feasible.”
But Kody isn’t done. “Why didn’t Mitch…”
I give Kody a look that has enough heat to set fire to the restaurant and get my wallet out of my bag. “I don’t want to get into this.” As I yank out some cash, I knock my elbow into my ice water, not spilling it completely but sloshing it over the sides. It drowns the remainder of my delicious fries. “I guess the conversation made sure I wasn’t really hungry anyway,” I try to joke as I rein in my emotions.
“Meadow.” Just my name, but regret and the one thing I don’t want from Kody lace his voice.
Pity.
“Mitch wasn’t around, Kody. And my family helped when it came to the big things. Things that mattered like watching Elise and MJ so I could work. Yes, I was taught how to install a new toilet and lay some tile, which allowed me to redo the bathroom when Mitch was working. That money saved allowed me to go back to school. If I wanted a damn picture hung quickly, it didn’t matter to me if it had a clip. What mattered was whether the picture was up. I can never repay—”
“Family doesn’t expect repayment. They don’t keep an accounting.”
Wearily, I reply, “I know. But don’t you understand? I was supposed to have someone by my side.”
“And what did you have?”
Shoving myself out of the booth, I grab my bag. “Two amazing children who made my marriage worth it for as long as it lasted. Now, if you’re ready, I’d like to run by the office to go over these numbers with Russell if you have an actual printed estimate and contract. Then we can get everything settled. I’m willing to do whatever I can on-site—except screw up anything at Nature’s Song.”
He merely stares me down until I’m fiddling with the strap on my bag. Getting to his feet, Kody’s body doesn’t intimidate me. No, the muscles encased in his chambray work shirt invite me to lay my head down and lean on him. I struggle against the urge because I know what a good guy Kody is. He’d let me lean on him, but that’s not my right.
Sliding a pair of sunglasses on over my eyes, I make my way outside. I want to laugh at the irony of the blazing sun shining down on me while inside I’m struggling with who I am amid the tumultuous storm swirling the darkness up inside me.
Kody doesn’t say a word until we get to his truck. Unlocking the doors, he helps me into the cab, but before I can close the door, he places his hand on the jamb. “We’re going to be working together, Meadow. That’s going to require us building a level of trust we haven’t had before or someone’s going to get hurt.” With that, he steps back.
My response is to yank the door shut. I want to turn the clock back in order to make him understand it isn’t him I don’t trust. It’s myself. I’m broken in the prime of my life, and the last thing I want to do is to drag him down with me.
As he walks around the back of the truck, I regulate my breathing. When he opens his door, I immediately tell him, “I’m not worried about trusting you on the jobsite.”
“Then what are you worried about?” he challenges me.
“Oh, Kody.” I shake my head. “If you knew the answer to that, you’d never bid on the work.”
He scowls.
“For now, let’s just get everything settled. Add it to your list of things to ask me about later,” I suggest.
And for some crazy reason, that restores the good humor to his face. “Don’t think I’m going to let you out of answering that.” He starts up the truck.
I turn my head to stare out the window as we head back in the direction of Bigfork. Great, another thing to worry about—Kody Laurence figuring out my feelings.
Meadow
“Fortunately, I know more about the way the house was originally built than any of the previous contractors who bid for the work,” Kody informs us.
Russell and I are looking at the detailed bid Kody emailed to us a few moments ago which I printed out in triplicate. I’m in shock over the difference. “The floors?” I stammer. “Everyone else said…”
“That they couldn’t be saved?” There’s a sneer playing on his lips. “I just bet they did. Those floors are custom-made. That’s why they wanted to rip them out. They don’t know how to replicate the pieces to match. When the team originally laid them, the original homeowner wanted the house to feel like a log cabin. We ran them through an on-site portable sawmill to hand craft the lumber. As unfortunate as it is that you lost a few due to rot, it shouldn’t be a problem for Lenny, my woodworker, to replicate them before we do an overall sanding and restain them.” He frowns. “The only problem is going to be a color issue. I’d like to make sure the new owner is comfortable with the choices.”
I begin to feel a thrum of excitement pulse through my veins. “And what about the kitchen?” I point to the largest-ticket item on the list.
Kody places his forearms on the table, stretching his shirt across impossibly broad shoulders. He taps his thick fingers and pulls up something on his tablet before turning it around to face me and Russell. “This is a kitchen I just finished on a recent build. The one in Nature’s Song based on the pictures online was outdated. This is a perfect opportunity to modernize the kitchen with an upgrade while we’re here. I could replace what you have for about half the price, but why go through the expense and not do it right when it’s ruined anyway?”
That makes sense to me, but I still glance at Russell to get his reaction. “Why is there such a discrepancy in final totals?” Russell taps the two final totals.
“I explained to Meadow over lunch the higher number is if I keep a full crew here. I have to account for a stipend, hotels, and their salaries. If I send the majority of them home as I no longer need them to complete work, electing to finish the punch work myself with her assistance, then I can lower the price,” Kody explains.
“What can Meadow do?” Russell asks.
Kody barks out a laugh. “Well, as long as she doesn’t plan on taking a box cutter to the final prod
uct…”
I flush hotly. “That was to get rid of the existing carpet, Kody Laurence. And you know it.”
He flashes a wicked grin my way before explaining. “Inevitably there’s small projects like reattaching switch plates, touch up paint, attaching knobs to cabinets, and a massive cleaning. It’s always things like that which are necessary at crunch time that can slip a schedule. These are just a few of the final items on our final punch list before we turn the house over to the homeowner.”
“That makes sense. Meadow’s already shown a willingness to pitch in,” Russell agrees.
“So I heard when I learned about the job.” Kody’s voice remains calm, but when his eyes meet mine, there’s something burning in their depths I’m not ready to explore. Dropping my eyes to the papers in front of me, I try to calm my racing heart.
Standing, Russell holds out a hand. “Let me go make a quick call. If you don’t mind waiting with Meadow, Mr. Laurence?”
“Make it Kody, and no, I don’t.”
Russell smiles before leaving us alone in the small conference room. The minute the door closes, I turn on Kody like a whirling dervish. “Who told you about the work?”
“Brad and Jennings.” I open my mouth, but before I can speak, he continues. “And before you say a single word, they didn’t mean to. We were harassing my sister for going to prom with one of Nick’s fighters when Brad got the call from Rainey.”
“Oh.” His words deflate any kind of argument I could make when suddenly I grin. “And big brother Kody couldn’t let his baby sister go to prom without harassing her date?”
“Something like that,” he grunts.
“How bad did the Jacks make it?” Now I’m enjoying myself as a flush begins to ride his cheekbones.
“There’s only two people in the world I know who refer to us as that.”
“Kara and Maris. They shared during our FaceTime and wine session we have each month.”
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