“Yeah.”
“Motherfucker. No one calls my sister names. You should have laid one of your karate moves on him, Ava.”
“You know karate?” I asked, surprised.
“I have a black belt,” she confirmed.
I was impressed. “Holy shit. Remind me not to piss you off.”
She patted my knee. “I’ll be gentle.” She turned to Ronan. “I just wanted him gone. If I had engaged, it would have escalated. And if I’d flipped him, which, believe me, I wanted to, he would have sued. I think you and Brayden made your point. And Addi, when she tore up the contract.”
“I sort of roughed him up a little in the elevator. Brayden might have covered the camera,” he confessed. “He’ll think twice about calling anyone that name again.”
My respect for Ronan grew, and I stopped looking for the lid. He deserved some of the delicious pasta. We ate for a while, then I spoke.
“So, are you stalking me now? That’s three days in a row you’ve been here, Ronan.”
“You track my sister’s visits too?”
I lifted one eyebrow. “For totally different reasons.”
“Ew. Never mind. I brought a set of plans to show you.”
“Already?”
“I had time. Beth was out last night, so was Evan. They left again this morning, so I had lots of free time. And like I said, your plan was pretty simple. You can look it over, I’ll make any changes needed, and you can submit for approval.” He winked in a conspiratorial way. “Once they see my name attached to the plans, it’ll be pushed through fast.”
“Such humility.”
He stretched out his arms. “Just speaking the truth.”
“Okay, let’s see these plans.” Without thinking, I kissed the top of Ava’s head. “Excellent spaghetti, Little Dragon. Thanks.”
Ronan laughed as he stood. “It was awesome, Little Dragon. Just what I needed.”
“Shut it and go get the drawings,” she muttered, pushing him off the steps.
I leaned down, pressing my lips to her ear. “Hide the spaghetti while he’s busy.”
Her giggle made me smile.
* * *
“These are awesome, Ronan. Exactly what I pictured. I even like the deck extension wrapping around the house.”
“You don’t have to extend the roof over the deck. Add a pergola around the back half and run it along the side. Use some climbing vines, and as they fill in, the shade will be there. That way, you can start the foundation. Save yourself a ton of cash.”
“Great.”
He shut the computer. “I’ll print these up with the specs and drop them off Monday. You can take it to Milly and get your permit. Who are you using to pour the foundation?”
“I spoke to Smithers Corp and Davenport Co.”
“Davenport is better. Local, straightforward.”
“All right. Thanks for the tip.”
“Roof?”
“I’ll do it myself.”
Ronan lifted one eyebrow but didn’t say anything. “Framing?”
“You’re looking at him. I’ll hire a couple guys to help for the heavy stuff and finish it on my own.”
“Big jobs.”
“I know what I’m doing,” I informed him.
Ronan laughed. “No doubt. Still, big jobs to tackle on your own. Get my number from Ava. Call me. Liam and I will swing by and help. So will Paul and Jeremy. Happy to help a neighbor.”
I hesitated, my irrational need to say no immediately hitting me.
Ronan held up his hands. “No pressure. But many hands and all. And free labor as long as there is beer and pizza.” He nudged Ava. “Or spaghetti.”
I smiled although it was forced.
“Aylmer’s Electric does good work. Again, local. Honest. Tell Hank I sent you. He’ll look after you.”
“Okay.”
He stood and hugged Ava quickly, then headed to the door.
“Enjoy the rest of your day, kids.”
He left, the sound of his engine fading away.
Ava looked at me nervously. “He was just trying to be helpful.”
“I know.”
She sighed. “You don’t trust many people, do you? Especially my family. Why?”
I blew out a long breath. “Long story.”
“I’m not in a hurry to leave. Unless you want me to go.”
I met her gaze. “No.”
She reached across the table and gripped my hand. “I just want to understand.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure I understand myself.”
“Try me.”
“I’ve never told anyone about my past. Not a soul.”
“I think I might be a little different from just anyone, Hunter.”
She had a point. What she was, exactly, I couldn’t say, but she was different. Still, it made me uncomfortable.
I stood and paced, already feeling my nerves stretching taut. “My mom was a wild child, from what I understand. I guess she gave my grandparents a lot of trouble.” I indicated the room. “My grandparents lived in town and owned this place. They used it as a cottage. They moved here when she was about twelve, hoping that a little distance from town and some open space would help her.” I barked a laugh. “It didn’t.”
Ava stayed silent.
“Long story short—the trouble kept happening. Then when she was sixteen, she got pregnant with me.”
“Ah,” Ava breathed out.