I traced a design in the condensation on my glass. Shay clearly wasn’t one for openly sharing. Maybe it was a mechanism she’d put in place to create distance with her previous employer. It made sense. If you lived on the same thirty acres as your boss, a line had to be drawn in the sand somewhere. The problem was, the more she withheld, the more my curiosity was piqued.
“I guess I’ll have to learn to cook. I think I’ve got grilled cheese mastered. That should hold me over.”
Shay clasped her hands in front of her as if she were a butler waiting to be called to duty. “I’m happy to do some meal prep for you. Just let me know what you like and don’t, and when you’re running low on things in the fridge. I’m not a gourmet chef by any means, but you won’t starve.”
There was a lack of emotion to her tone that didn’t seem authentic, a cool professionalism. A canvas began taking shape in my mind. Her lines and curves stretched across it. A smoky blue mist seeping out of her mouth. But hidden within the disguise of the mist: the truth. A blue heat so hot, it would leave burns forever etched onto the skin.
“Brody? Are you all right?”
The coolness had fled from Shay’s tone, replaced by concern. I shook my head. “Sorry. Just tired from the trip. Some basic meals would be great. We’ll make sure the additional responsibilities are reflected in your salary.”
“I’m paid plenty. And I’m happy to do whatever you need.”
Whatever I needed. That was a dangerous proposition. “Well, we can revisit it at a later date. Once we’ve figured out what your role here looks like.”
She gave me a sharp nod. “I’ll leave you to rest and get settled. We can talk more tomorrow about what you’ll be needing around the property.”
Before I could even thank Shay, she slipped out the front door and headed down a path—one that would create that distance she seemed to like so much.
I reached out a hand to shake the contractor’s. “Thanks so much for being willing to start so quickly.”
Hunter gripped my hand firmly and then released it, an easy grin on his face. He’d come highly recommended by my architect and seemed to have his finger on the pulse of everything I’d need to build on this island. He looked a bit young, but his company’s website said that they’d been in business for over eight years, and they had the referrals to prove it. “No problem. Your call came at the perfect time. I just had a job fall through.”
“Their loss is my gain.” I motioned for him to follow me up the same trail Shay had led me down yesterday. It was a miracle that I didn’t trip and fall on my face. I’d slept like crap the night before. Everything was too…quiet. I’d need to get a sound machine. Something that made city noises.
“It’s going to be a bear getting supplies up this incline,” Hunter muttered.
“My caretaker mentioned there’s some sort of pulley system for heavier supplies.”
“Glad to hear it. Not all of these islands have them. A couple of years ago, my team built a house on a spot where we had to trek everything in a quarter of a mile…never again.”
I chuckled. “There’s not enough money in the world.”
“No kidding.”
I came to a stop at the spot where the trees thinned, and you could glimpse the rest of the buildings. “I believe the architect was thinking right over there.” I gestured.
Hunter pulled a tablet out of a small pack. “I’ve got the plans here.” With a few taps, we were looking at drawings that made little sense to me but seemed to be a language Hunter was fluent in. He strode forward, walking what would presumably be the foundation of the building. “The positioning is ideal. If we put in all the windows you want, you’ll have a perfect view of the water through the trees. But we’re low enough that it won’t impact the sightlines from any other buildings on the property. We’ll have to build into the incline, but I think it will be worth it.”
“How long do you think?” I was already itching to get to work. It was a foreign feeling after feeling blocked for so long. But all I could think about after last night was getting that image in my head down on canvas. Or maybe driftwood. I loved working on different mediums, but I hadn’t worked a lot on untouched natural surfaces. The idea had potential.
Hunter grinned. “One of the two questions I hate answering the most.”
“What’s the other?”
“How much is this going to cost?”
I shook my head. “I already know it’s going to be brutal.”
He shrugged. “Building on islands is never cheap. But I’ve got my full crew on this, so if we don’t run into any issues, I’m guessing four months.”
It wasn’t horrible, but it was still too long. I would have to set up a makeshift studio in one of the extra bedrooms. I had drop cloths to put on the floor. I’d have to hope I didn’t get paint on the walls. “Four months is doable.”
“Glad to hear it. We can get started in two days if that works for you.”
“It does…” I paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to say what I needed to without pissing the guy off. I went with brutal honesty. “Privacy is important. I went through some stuff back in New York. Got some press attention I didn’t like much. It’s mostly died down but—”
“I’ll have a word with my guys. We’ve worked for high-profile clients before. They know the drill. I have a one-strike policy, and I’ve enforced it before. You won’t have any problems.”
The set of my jaw eased. “I appreciate it. I’m not trying to be a prick. I just—this is a fresh start for me, and I don’t want that ruined before I even get started.” The fact that I felt the pull to create again told me that I was in the right place. And I really didn’t want to lose it.
Hunter’s gaze moved over my shoulder, and a grin stretched across his face. “Hey, Shay. Is this the island you’re in charge of?”
I turned to see her heading towards us, her hair swept back from her face, and her cheeks pink from the wind and the cool air. As my gaze traveled down her body, I swallowed. Hard. She’d clearly come from a workout. Her legs were encased in spandex, and her torso in a form-fitting top. I started reciting Mets stats in my head.
“Hi, Hunter. Yeah. This is the place.” Her expression took on a wary quality. “What are you doing here?”
Hunter shot her a smile that said he would be more than interested if she reciprocated at all. “I’m gonna be around for the next four months. We’re building your boss a studio.”
Her head snapped in my direction. “You’re building something?”
I felt as if I’d just been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. But this was my damn island. “Did I need your permission?”
Her face flamed, and I instantly felt like an asshole. “No. Of course not,” Shay hurried. “I’m just surprised, is all.”
“I need a place to work.”
I could see the thoughts flying through her head at a million miles an hour. Her gaze drifted to Hunter and then back to me. “So, I guess it’ll be pretty busy around here for a while.”