Page 32 of Structure of Love

Asher smiled, appearing hopeful. “Can I come with you? I want to see it and get some ideas for colors and whatnot.”

“Sure.” I’d figured he’d want a walk-through at some point. “In that case, Cohen, you’re driving.”

He shrugged, knowing he was the one with the king cab on his truck. “Fine by me.”

“I want a solid estimation of the work when you have it.” Riggs looked as if he didn’t trust us, which based on history was fair. “I know they’re wanting back in before snow hits, but I wasn’t sure if we could promise that. We’re juggling multiple projects as it is.”

“Truly.” Cohen made a face. “I’m not sure how feasible that is either. Depends on what the structure is doing. That back kitchen is looking really…slanty.”

Uh-oh. I hadn’t seen the house in person, just pictures. “How slanty?”

“If you set a marble down by the door in the kitchen, it’ll be out the door before you can catch it.”

“That slanty, huh? Uh-oh.”

Asher mused aloud, “Bet you anything this was a porch originally, then renovated over into a kitchen.”

“That’s worse.” Porches weren’t built with the same kind of support a kitchen needed. Kitchens wereheavy, especially modern ones. If this was a “Honey, I fixed it!” type of porch, it likely didn’t have the right beams or footings in place.

Damn, it was going to take time if we had to rebuild the kitchen from scratch. Time we might not have.

“Let me know,” Riggs repeated. “ASAP, if possible, because I need to schedule that house out. For now, any other questions?”

We all shook our heads.

“Dismissed.”

I stood but my brain was already on potential problems. “Asher, Cohen, can you leave now for the house?”

“I mean, I want my laptop first, but sure,” Asher said.

Cohen shrugged. “I’m topping off my coffee. Meet you at the truck.”

My phone dinged with an incoming message. I checked it automatically, then groaned.

Mom:Did you pay the mortgage yet?

I growled under my breath, frustrated as I typed out my response.Your mortgage, your money, pay your damn bills yourself. I’m not responsible for you.

Then I muted her chat. I couldn’t believe she still tried to treat me like her husband. I wasn’t responsible for paying her bills!

Logan would be proud of me for sticking to my boundary. I was proud of me, for that matter.

Shaking the message off, I focused on work, not wanting to keep the other two waiting.

We all grabbed things and met at the truck, with Asher playing nice enough to sit in the back to accommodate my long legs. Cohen typed the address into the GPS and we were off.

I received another text, but this time it was one I felt happy to see.

Kryptonite:Tonight still good?

Me:Still good. Can’t wait to see you

Kryptonite:Me too. Day feels like it’s dragging, waiting to see you

Asher leaned between the seats, and much like a gremlin starting mischief, said, “Soooooo? Things are still going well, clearly, and I’m too impatient to wait until DnD tonight to drag out all the details.”

“I’m not going tonight. I have a date.”