“I’m going to have three houses to renovate in the next few months, so those items will save my ass.”
Cal took a bite of pizza, wiped his mouth, and nodded. “Brady scored an addition job downtown, so I’ll be starting on that next week.”
“And Sandy Harper’s dad hooked me up with the Bingo crew. A bunch of them saw his deck and want one for themselves, so that’ll keep me busy awhile,” Dalton said.
“The Rosenthals will be doing a spread in Home Style magazine, so the publicity should bring you new clients,” Morgan said. “Will it be enough?”
“To turn a profit for the first year? Hopefully. We have two more months to hit it hard.”
“We’ll make it,” Dalton said with confidence.
“What about you, Morgan?” Tristan asked. “Gonna take some time off, or do you have another client?”
She glanced at Cal. He stiffened, but there was a determination in his eyes. They were going to make it work because there was no other way. They needed each other. When Tiffany Taylor emailed her, asking if she’d complete an entire renovation on her three-million-dollar house in LA, Morgan knew Cal was right. One mix-up with the Rosenthals wouldn’t have broken her. Now, with the successful redesign, she’d proved she could deliver even when there was an error, which only made her worth go up. It was a glamorous project she’d normally jump on. But last night, considering the next few months, Morgan experienced a lightbulb moment. A way to give them both what they wanted. She was just a bit nervous about bringing it up, just in case they didn’t like the idea.
“Actually, I considered sticking around here for a bit.” They stopped eating and stared at her. “Seems like Pierce Brothers is expanding. With all the properties Tristan wants to buy, and the renovation projects piling up, I was wondering if maybe, well, maybe you’d need some help?”
Cal grinned. Tristan and Dalton high-fived.
“Is that a yes?”
“Hell yes!” Tristan said. “Are you kidding? I’d love to work with you, and I’m looking at pushing in right on the edge of Harrington. The possibilities are endless.”
“Are you sure you won’t get bored?” Cal asked. “Harrington isn’t glamorous. There’s not a lot of celebrities hanging around, looking for million-dollar houses.”
“No, I think the people in Harrington are even better.” Morgan smiled. “They’re real people who want a home. A beautiful home. I’d like to be a bigger part of making their world a better place.”
“Welcome to Pierce Brothers,” Tristan said.
Morgan stared at the men around the table. Tears stung her eyes. They had her back like she was part of the family, calling in favors and working twenty-four hours a day to make sure the Rosenthals’ house was done within ten days. It had been her fault, and they could’ve walked away, knowing their part of the contract had been met. Instead, they refused to blame her and did everything to help, like she belonged to them.
“Thank you,” she said. Her voice came out ragged. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Tristan and Dalton looked nervous, eyes filled with wariness. “Umm, Morgan, we’re good. Please don’t cry. We can’t handle that shit,” Dalton
said.
She blinked furiously and gave a half laugh. “Okay. But you mean a lot to me.”
“Back atcha,” Tristan said. “Besides, you belong to Cal. Which means you now belong to us.”
And that did it.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and a choking sob came from her throat.
Cal groaned. “Dude, did you really have to get mushy? Look what you did.”
“I’m sorry! Shit, don’t cry.”
She laughed and cried until Cal gave an irritated sigh and pulled her into his arms, patting her back. “It’s okay. I would cry, too, if I was stuck with the three of us.”
Morgan held on to Cal in the middle of his kitchen, surrounded by his brothers, and felt like she was finally home.
epilogue
This doesn’t feel kinky, Cal. It just feels creepy. Can’t I take the blindfold off?”
“No. We’re almost there.”
She gave a long, dramatic sigh and he grinned. His truck bumped along the uneven road as they climbed a hill that was half-hidden in the trees. Finally he pulled to a stop and faced her. “We’re here.”
“Good. I’m getting carsick.”
“Sorry, baby. Hang on.”
He got out of the car, opened her door, and eased her out. Cal ignored his racing heart. It was ridiculous to be nervous. Stupid, even. She’d like it. Wouldn’t she? His gut lurched, but he manned up and decided to see it through. Couldn’t put her back in the car at this point anyway.
“Cal? Can I take this off now?”
“Yes. One minute. Okay, here we go.”
He pulled the scarf from her eyes. She blinked in the sunlight, taking in the scene before her. The acres of land were untouched, and high weeds choked the lot. The barrier of thick woods lined the back, and a small pond lay to the right. The view from the hill gave a tantalizing view of the harbor in the distance. It reminded him of the Rosenthals’ property but set further back.
“Well?” he asked impatiently. “What do you think?”
Morgan turned around to see the full plot of land. “This is beautiful, Cal. How’d you manage to buy it? Most of this property was taken. When I was looking into building for the Rosenthals, we had limited options.”
“My father bought this piece of land years ago,” he said. “There were three separate lots to go to each of us, with no restrictions on how we use them. We could sell the land or build on it.”