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LIBBY
Holy hell. It’s hot in here. And it’s not just because the windows are all shut and the air is stale. It’s because my intruder has turned out to be a six-foot and change handyman who knows his way around a house.
He shows me the issue with the wiring upstairs and then reminds me to get the screens fixed and lock the back door.
“You don’t want people sneaking in here,” he tells me.
“People like you.”
He grins. I’ve long since forgotten about the pepper spray. I figure if he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already. And he certainly wouldn’t have cleaned up my wound first.
But he still hasn’t told me why he’s here.
“I can fix it for you, if you’d like,” he says.
“Hold on. Wait.”
He stops what he’s doing by the wall and looks up. “Yeah?”
“I’m Libby. I should have introduced myself before. But, you know, you’re a criminal and all…”
He grins at my joke and walks over to hold out his hand. “I swear, this is the first time I’ve ever done this. I’m Carson.”
“I guess it’s nice to meet you.”
“I guess it’s nice to meet you, too.”
I fold my arms and lean against the wall. My leg aches some, but it’s barely noticeable when Carson’s eyes are on me. Maybe I cut myself deeper than I thought, or lost way more blood because I’m not thinking clearly. There’s a strange man in my house. He stayed the night here against the law. And now I’m practically flirting with him?
I have issues. But he knows about houses and right now, I need advice. I need to make sure I’m safe here and then maybe I can see if he knows anyone who can help me.
“You said this is the first time you’ve ever done this,” I prompted.
He grimaced and knelt by the wall again. “I did say that.”
“And you told me you’d be honest with me about why you were here.”
“I said that, too.” He sighs and glances over. “I found out last night that my girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend. My best friend who’s also my business partner. Long story short, I lost my girlfriend, my business, and my home all in one night.”
I swallow. “Damn. That is a rough night. I’m sorry.”
He doesn’t make eye contact, but nods. “Yeah. Well…it is what it is. But I was driving by this place and thinking ‘Damn it, why didn’t I buy it when I had the chance?’”
“Wait, you wanted to buy this place?”
This time, he does look over. “I did. But you beat me to it.”
“You wanted to live here or flip it like I am?”
“Flip,” he says, “but living here wouldn’t kill me either. Too much upkeep probably, though. And it’s meant for a bigger family.”
I hear something that sounds almost like longing in his voice. Then dismiss it. Carson might be helping me out, but he reminds of someone. No, three someones. My dad, my brother, and that asshole Kyle who charmed me into agreeing to work with him and then decided not to show up.
Maybe I’m wrong about Carson, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. He’s a classic charmer. And I’ve been burned more than once by a charmer in the past.
Still, he did just get cheated on, so I should probably have more sympathy for him.
“Anyway,” Carson continues, “I knew this place was empty. Figured I’d have a day or two to recoup and figure out what’s next. Then you showed up.”
I smile at him. “I bought the place right out from under you and then decided to actually show up in my own house. I guess that makes me an ass.”
“Hey—you said it, not me.” He glances over again. “You said you wanted to flip this place. This a lifelong dream or what?”
“I…” I shrug even though it’s more than that. “It’s a profession that runs in the family. This is my first place. On my own.”
He whistles. “Big project.”
“Trust me, I know.”
I more than know that. My brother laughed when I told him I’d bought house with more square footage than my first two apartments combined. And it’s on a huge lot just outside of New Orleans. He said I should have started with something smaller. A cute little one-bedroom cottage by the water. Something easy.
I don’t want him to be right. I want to prove to him and my dad—the whole world—that I can do this. I want to knock their socks off with how amazing this place looks when I’m finished with it.
“So…” I begin, getting my act together. “I figure you owe me.”
“Owe you?”
I nod. “Yep. I let you stay here last night rent-free. You owe me.”
He rests his forearms across his knees. “Okay, what do I owe you?”
“Contacts.”
“What?”
“You know, like…you seem like you know what you’re doing with the wires and the structural stuff and all that. Do you know people? Someone who can help me fix this place up?”
He narrows his eyes. I can tell something is going on in his head, though he doesn’t say what. “You want to flip this place, but…you don’t have a contractor? Or a team to help you?”
I bite back the snarky comment. Just because he’s pointing out my obvious mistake doesn’t mean he’s like my brother or my dad. “I did have someone. I did my research and there’s a lot I can do on my own. But for the bigger stuff, I had a contractor. And he, sort of…bailed on me this morning.”
Carson stands and leans against the wall, mirroring my pose. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Well, it’s business. He said he could get to the place in a few weeks, but I need someone now. He was supposed to start right away, but…whatever. I figure, if he can’t stay true to his word, he doesn’t deserve my business.”
“Good for you. I agree completely, by the way. That’s not professional what he did. Screw him.”
I nod, but it feels half-hearted. “Right. But that means I’m left without help. Give me a paint roller and some paint and I’m good. I can even build a wall. Or tear one down. But I don’t do electrical and plumbing. It’s a little out of my league—though I’m willing to learn.”
“In this business, you’re going to end up learning a little bit of everything whether you want to or not. At least until you have enough money to delegate.”
“No,” I say. “I don’t want to get to that point. Don’t get me wrong, once I’m bringing in the money and I’m financially stable, it’ll be great. But I’m a hands-on kind of person. I want to be here in the thick of it. To be able to say I had a part of it.”
I swear his eyes drop to my lips before his own curve. “I’m a hands-on kind of person myself.”
And now we’re talking about two separate things at the same time.
Damn. Just when I thought we were getting somewhere. But then he straightens abruptly and it’s back to business.
“I know someone who can help,” Carson says.
“Really? Who?”
“Me.”
“You?”
“Yep. I know what I’m doing. Your electrical and plumbing—no problem. I got it. I’ve done all this stuff before more than once. And I know a few guys in town. I can get discounts, I can get extra hands when we need them. It’s a big project, so it’s going to cost you some, but I’m willing to bet it’ll be less than the other guy was going to charge you.”
I narrow my eyes at him. It sounds too good to be true. “You said it’s going to cost me. What did you have in mind?”
“First off, a place to stay. I don’t have anywhere else to go, and honestly, I’d rather live on-site. That way I can get to work right away, work when I chose, and get a feel for the place.”
“But…I live here. I mean, I want to live here while we’re working on things.”
I just said, “while we’re working on things” like he’s already hired. He can’t live here, can he?
“The place is huge,” he says. “Don’t see how it’ll be a problem. Besides.” And there goes his grin again. “I make an excellent roommate.”
“I’m sure you do.”
He crouches down again. “Tell you what. I’ll fix your wiring for free because I owe you that much at least, and then we can negotiate the rest. Sound good?”
“We’ll see,” I say, though I’m halfway there to giving in. I need help and Carson knows how to do the things I can’t. Still, I can’t rush this. I need to be smart. Professional.
I know how much Kyle was charging, so I want to get a discount on Carson’s labor. Especially if he wants to stay in the same house. It’s kind of smart now that I think about it. The work will get done faster, and I need it done ASAP.
“All right,” I say, “let’s talk. I’ll let you finish up here and when you’re ready to negotiate, I’ll be in the kitchen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I hear his chuckle as I turn and walk down the stairs, rolling my eyes as I spot the giant hole in my living room floor.
At least my morning is starting to look up. To make it even better, I decide to call the water company so I can get some water in here. No time to waste.