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Hourslater,Iamso exhausted I can’t even sit down because I am terrified I won’t be able to get up again. For the most part, all the random crap in the building has been cleaned out. Josie and I had tag-teamed the locker rooms and offices while Bryce and some of my crew worked on getting the bigger things out. All the dumpsters we had on-site were full, with piles of random lumber and other equipment that needed to be taken away or donated. The parking lot looked as chaotic as the building looked this morning, but it felt good to see proof of our hard work.

Josie calls my name as I enter the indoor pool, snapping pictures of the progress to include in the email I send Thomas. I look over to find her sprawled out on one of the bleachers, looking uncomfortable but unwilling to get up. Bryce and two of the other guys are in the pool, cleaning out the debris. We would definitely need to replace the pool, as the cracks were a lot worse than I initially thought.

“Girl, you need to sit down,” Josie decides when I come closer. “I don’t think I’ve seen you sit down once since we started.”

She isn’t wrong. I barely ate lunch, deciding to take my share of the pizza I’d ordered in an office with me as I made notes on things that will need extra focus and what will need to be tackled tomorrow. It was easier to work through the hard, long days, and then collapse into an exhausted mess when I got back to the rental. I snap some pictures of the area before taking a seat next to Josie. I don’t let myself relax to the same degree as her, though.

“Bryce is going to have to carry me home.” She’s still staring up at the ceiling when she makes her declaration. “And then I’m not moving for a week.”

“You’re not coming tomorrow? There’s more demo to be done.” I’m barely paying attention as I send some pictures to Liam, letting him see everything unfold.

Josie lets out a groan, followed by a tired whimper. “I can’t do it. I’m so tired.”

I laugh, turning to look at her. “But tomorrow is the fun day. Tomorrow we get to break shit. I have some concrete that needs broken up and a few of walls that need to come tumbling down.”

She lifts her head just enough to peer at me, her brow furrowed. “Are you lying to me?”

I shake my head. “I got a sledgehammer with your name on it.”

Glee fills her gaze. “I think I can rally enough to be here tomorrow.”

“That’s very brave and considerate of you,” I reply. “I can’t thank you enough for the help you’ll be giving me.”

“If I’m not allowed to use power tools, should you be allowed to use a sledgehammer?” I look up to see Bryce approaching the two of us, water bottle in hand. “If you ask me, that seems just as unsafe.”

“Who says you’re not allowed to use power tools?” I ask.

“Me.” Josie takes his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her into a seated position. When he sits beside her, she sinks against him. “He’s an amazing swimmer, graceful in the water—fast and strong—but he will hurt himself if he uses a power tool. I just know it and I don’t need to find out how good his insurance is yet.”

I laugh, but don’t know what to say to that. It’s late enough that I’ve already sent some of the crew home for the night, and there’s no reason for them to stick around. So, I tell them they’re free to go.

“Are you sure?” Josie asks, but Bryce has already stood. “Is there anything you need our help wrapping up?”

“Nope,” I assure her. “I just need to wrap up and send two quick emails, then I’ll head out, too.”

“Great!” Bryce is already tugging Josie to her feet. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Kat.”

As Bryce leads Josie to the exit, she waves at me over her shoulder. The remaining members of the crew have also cleared out of the pool area, and I’m left in total silence. It’s a weird sort of echoing silence that makes me realize just how big a space like this is, big and empty.

I take a deep breath. Day one is done, and it’ll only be uphill from here thanks to my planning.

I look down at my phone to find a message from Liam, telling me how good the place looks so far and thanking me for the update. The message makes me realize there’s someone else who might want an update. I’d never even considered texting a client, but it’s what Carter asked for.

So, without thinking about it too much, I find his contact, and send him a quick message with some photos of the place. It’s more than I send Liam, but hopefully it’s not overkill.

To my surprise, he replies a second later:

It looks great, Katrina! Thanks for the update. You got a lot of work done today. Make sure to get some rest!

And I don’t know why—I’m not sure I can even begin to find the words to explain it—but his response has me smiling.

“Thatallneedstogo!” I motion to the bleachers lining one side of the outdoor pool. “There are a bunch of safety concerns and they’re old as hell. We’re getting new ones.”

Carl, one of the guys on the crew, glares at them with an annoyed grunt. “Are you sure? They’re bolted in there pretty good; it might set us back a day or two.”

Stretching my shoulders back, I place my hands on my hips and shake my head. “Absolutely not. This demo needs to be done by the end of the week. The deck is getting redone too, so bring in whatever equipment you need to take them down. I want them out of here by tomorrow afternoon, Carl.”

He grumbles under his breath more but doesn’t argue as he ambles away to tell a few of the other guys leaning against the bleachers what we’d just talked about. I know the moment he tells them the bad news because they all start groaning, but I don’t care. I’m here to do a job and get it done on time. I’m not meant to be anyone’s best friend.