Page 41 of Mulberry Hollow (Riverbend 2)

“Are you feeling good—the fatigue is all gone?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling great. Don’t worry about me.”

“Uh-oh, one of the munchkins is up. I should go.”

“All right. Keep your chin up, hon. Everything’s going to be all right.” After she said good-bye, he tapped the Disconnect button and pocketed his phone.

This roof wasn’t going to shingle itself. As he came carefully to his feet, a figure on the ground caught his eye. Avery’s brother Gavin was inspecting the new windows.

“Hey there.” Wes propped his hands on his hips. “What brings you by today?”

“Just checking in.”

Checking up, more like. Gavin seemed to wear a perpetual frown—or maybe that was just Wes’s effect on him.

“Home-center windows?” Gavin asked.

“Seven-eighths inch with low-E and argon. Fusion welded and Energy-Star rated. Not top of the line, but Avery didn’t want to go to that expense.”

The man stepped closer to inspect Wes’s work. He’d meticulously wrapped the old wood trim around the window with vinyl aluminum coil and laid smooth lines of caulk to fill the seams in the window frame. His work could not be faulted, not even by a former big-city contractor.

“They’ll do, I guess.”

Wes gritted his teeth. “I appreciate the use of your tools.”

Gavin stepped back from the house, taking in the roof’s underlayment and flashing. “You took off all the shingles?”

“Every last one of the three layers.”

“What are you putting the new ones on with?”

Wes held up the nail gun. As if he’d cheat with a staple gun. Some not-so-nice feelings roiled inside. Sure, Gavin was looking out for his sister—couldn’t fault him for that. But surely he could see by now Wes knew what he was doing.

Funny how Wes’s dad had gotten away with so many scams, yet Wes, who would never cheat Avery, was being regarded with such suspicion. It didn’t set well with him. He was good at what he did. You wouldn’t find a better window wrapper, and darn it, his caulk lines were smooth as silk.

“Any other questions?” Wes asked.

Gavin raised an eyebrow.

Okay, so his tone had been a little combative. But he’d spent his entire adult life trying to be an honorable person—and his work spoke for itself.

“Can’t blame me for looking out for my sister.”

“Has she had any complaints?”

“She wouldn’t know a Phillips from a flathead. That’s whyI’mhere.”

Wes wanted to remind him he could’ve been the one doing the work since he was so qualified, but he bit back the comment. “I take pride in my work, and I’d never rip off Avery.”

Gavin gave a brief nod. “I don’t know squat about you other than you came off the trail and ended up in my sister’s employ.”

“Well, now you can see I’m capable of installing a window and know my way around a roof. But feel free to stop in any time—you won’t find anything amiss.”

“Fair enough.”

Before Wes could respond, the sky opened up and rain pounded the roof.

“Got a tarp?” Gavin asked.