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“Cat, this looks so fucking good.”

Spencer was standing in the dining room of the Brown Street house, and it was like an entirely different place than when he’d first walked in. He expected that maybe one day he’d be immune to this feeling of complete awe, but today wasn’t that day.

“Of course it does.”

She spun a roll of blue painter’s tape in her hand. “Was there anything else you wanted to mark?”

They’d spent the morning sticking blue tape to anything that needed a final touch-up before they handed the keys back to Ian. They did this with every client, but Spencer knew they both felt a special connection to this project. Cat wanted things to be nice for Ian, too.

“I think we got it all. Can I start bringing furniture in on Wednesday, or is that going to be in your way?”

“Nah, it’s just a few paint touch-ups and the light fixtures in the bathroom.”

She leveled a glare at him. “Be careful not to break the stained glass.”

Spencer groaned up at the ceiling. “I know I deserved that, but if you just fucking jinxed me at this stage of the project . . .”

Cat slapped the back of her hand across his chest. “Spence.”

The wobble in her voice made him look down.

“Fucking fuck.”

She was brushing tears out of her eyes with her fists.

Spencer looked down in horror. “What is happening right now?”

“It’s just, this house changed your life, you know? And I’m so fucking proud of you for making that happen.”

“No. No no no no no.”

Cat latched on to him, squeezing him so tight he could barely breathe, which was likely what was forcing the tears out of his eyes. “I love you, friend.”

“I love you, too, asshole,”

he whispered into her hair.

Cat stepped back and offered him one of her overall tissues.

“I cannot believe you fucking did that.”

“What? You were on the verge of tears, anyway, with how seamlessly I got the trim back into place like it was never moved.”

To be fair, the trim looked great, but he certainly wasn’t going to tell Cat that now.

“I sincerely hate you so much.”

“Not one person here believes that.”

Spencer shoved her toward the front door. “Come on. You owe me a pretzel.”