I rolled my eyes. “I do not need to date a social media consultant. I know you love the internet, but as you can see, I’m doing just fine out here with no service.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re the one that taught us all about doing videos dancing for social media. And all the different trends. And now you’re saying you don’t want to know a social media consultant?”
“I’m saying that I don’t need to be set up on a blind date. I could go on a date if I wanted to. I’m not a decrepit old man hiding in the shadows.”
No, I was just a feeble man hiding in the shadows. One that felt old. But I didn’t say that part out loud.
“I’m not doing the blind date thing.”
“You should,” Leif said.
I narrowed my eyes at the kid. “Excuse me?”
“What? If you don’t want the social media operator, then I know a few people. Models.” He raised his brows, and I groaned.
“When did you get old enough to have model friends?”
“I’m just saying they’re pretty hot.”
“And have you slept with any of them?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Annabelle coughed. “You can’t ask that.”
“Hey, I don’t want anyone that my younger second-cousin has slept with.”
“We’re nearly the same age. It might just happen.”
“I don’t know. That’s not something that I need to worry about.”
“What? We’re both bisexual. It might just happen if we hang out in the same places.” Leif just grinned, and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“I hate you. I’m not going to go on a blind date. I love you both. I love all of my family. But I’m not going to go on blind dates.”
“Then you should find a date for yourself,” Annabelle said softly.
“I don’t know. If it happens, it happens. But I’m busy. Hell, you are too. I’m surprised you had time to come out here.”
“I always have time for you.” She leaned forward, kissed me on the cheek, hugged me tightly, and when she and Leif left, after going over a few things for the project, I stood at the home that I wanted to be mine but knew it made no sense, and got to work.
The plumbing would have to be rehauled entirely to get up to the new codes, and we wanted to add more environmentally friendly aspects to the place. It would sell as soon as it went on the market. It was a great location and very sought after, and I knew that Evelyn and Robert already had a few people biting.
It was sad that I kind of wanted it to be me.
First, though, I had to go onto the roof and check a few things. I pulled out the ladder, rolled my shoulders back, and climbed up.
Today was a nice day, the sun shining through the Rockies and the giant trees around us. It hadn’t rained in over two months, and that was slightly worrying, but hopefully it would soon. We did live in a desert, even though we were against the Rockies. It just didn’t feel like that all the time, not with the green foliage.
I walked across the flat part of the roof, taking mental notes of things I would need to update or go through. The roof didn’t need to be completely redone, but there were some places I wanted to double-check.
Something moved out of the corner of my eye, and I turned to see a man in flannel, worn jeans, and dirty-blond hair walking along a path. I knew there was another house back there, from what Evelyn and Robert had said, but I hadn’t seen him before.
I couldn’t see his face, but his muscular build, broad shoulders, and very tight ass in those jeans had me swallowing hard.
Well, hell. I hadn’t had that kind of interest in a while.
I shook my head and then got back to work.
* * *
By the time I was done, all thoughts of the sexy blond man were out of my head, and the sheer immensity of things on my to-do list, let alone everything that I had to do for Montgomery Builders, was starting to weigh on me.
I took a step down onto the ladder, not looking, and reached out for the edge of the awning as the ladder twisted, somehow sliding off the rocks below.
I shouted, my pulse racing, as I reached for the gutter, and as it snapped under my hands, fragments of my life flashing before my eyes as I hoped to hell that whatever I fell on below wouldn’t kill me right away.
The ground came up far too quickly, and I screamed.