Chapter 23

Did I think that when I told Sloane to name what she wanted, she'd give me an address and tell us to meet her there this weekend with our construction van? No. But Dad and I drag our asses out of bed bright and early on a Saturday to take the van to this mystery place.

Sloane did give me her number and I've been texting her non-stop telling her how much she means to me, that I miss her, and every night and morning, I tell her goodnight or good morning and I love her. My dad just rolls his eyes when he sees me with my head buried in my phone, but I don"t care. I'm happy.

We pull up in front of a large white Victorian house that needs some work. It's a gorgeous house, but you can tell it's been left unattended for a while.

"Do you know what this is?" I turn my head to look at my dad.

"This is Ali"s mom's house. I came here once so Ali could grab something, but that's it. She didn't have the best relationship with her mom."

"Well, let's see what I've gotten us into." I push the door open and step out onto the sidewalk.

The front door opens and my girl steps out. Just the sight of her has my cock twitching in my jeans. She's in a pair of tight leggings that hug her thick thighs and ass. They are paired with an off-the-shoulder T-shirt and her hair piled on top of her head in a bun with a red bandana.

"I'm slightly shocked you actually came," she greets us.

We meet on the walkway to the house and I wrap my arms around her, kissing her lips.

"I told you I'd do anything to show you how serious I am about this… about us. So tell me, baby, why are we here? Dad said this is your grandma"s house, but that's all we know."

Dad steps around the van and smiles at Sloane.

"Good morning. Does Diane still live here?"

Sloane looks taken aback and her face contorts in a mix of surprise and sadness.

"Grandma passed away. She left this place to Ali, but she didn't pay the bank, so they foreclosed on it."

"Do you need us to help you get some stuff out? We can smuggle stuff out, but it's better to do that at night," I tell her.

"No." She laughs. "This is why I was in the auction. This is my house now."

"You sold yourself to buy a house?" Dad asks.

"Yup," Sloane answers, turning to look at her house and smile. "This was the only place that was a constant my whole life. Grandma was the only person that was always there for me. I don't know why she held onto the hope that Ali would change, but she did. I lost my constant because of it, but then I saw the for sale sign and had to do something."

"Why not just get a loan?" Dad quirks a brow.

"I'm a bartender, Rip. I don't exactly scream safe bet. There was no money for a down payment either, so when the auction dropped into my lap, I jumped at it. One weekend to make enough to buy the house plus some? Seemed easy enough."

I never thought she was in the auction for anything illegal or materialistic, but hearing she did it to buy her grandma's house was not what I expected. Honestly, I don't know what I thought. Why wouldn't she tell us it was for a house when we asked?

"If it was for the house, why not tell us that?" I say the words I'm thinking.

She throws her hands up in the air. "I don't know. When it was you who bought me, it seemed, I don't know… pathetic? Like I sold my soul for a freaking house. It's just another thing in a long list of ways that Ali has fucked up my life."

I don't know what to say and obviously, neither does my dad, so I change the subject. It's said and done. She owns the house and she's happy.

"Okay. So why are we here, baby?"

"The house isn't in the best of shape. It needs some TLC. I did all the cleaning last week and honestly, I thought of calling and hiring you so I could be a bitchy boss, but then you showed up at the bar."

I swat her ass, causing her to giggle. "You wanna roleplay, baby? I can be the contractor and you be the naughty client who needs a very specific lesson."

"Atlas," my dad growls.

"Jealous?" I wiggle my brows at him.

"Enough." She slaps my chest and grabs my hand. "Come in and we'll get to work. I do plan on paying, but I want the ‘I was an asshole and a super asshole'," she looks at Dad, "discount."

"Deal."

Sloane leads us through the front door, her excitement palpable as she strides into the house. Behind us, my dad follows, his eyes scanning the space. "What are you thinking, Sloane?" my dad asks, his voice carrying a tone of curiosity mixed with admiration. The house is amazing. Needs work, sure, but the bones are good.

Sloane doesn"t miss a beat, launching into a rapid-fire description of her vision for the space. Her words tumble out in a rush, painting a vivid picture of what the house could become with a little elbow grease and a lot of determination.

"Wow, baby." I chuckle, unable to contain my amusement. "Let"s start with what ya wanna do first?"

Her smile widens, and the twinkle in her eyes makes my heart race and dick harden. "I wanna move in ASAP, so I"m thinking of starting with the master upstairs. That way, I can do the rest while I live here."

We follow her up a short staircase, then another, until we reach the master suite.

"So the floors need to be refinished, and fresh paint wouldn"t hurt. But I want to replace all the trim with larger, white trim," she explains, gesturing around the room. "I also have a new lighting fixture to put up."

My dad whistles appreciatively as he takes in the scope of her plans. "Do you have all the materials?"

"I have the lighting for the whole house, tile for the kitchen and baths, and I"ve ordered appliances. The bathroom vanities should be here Monday, according to the shipping log. But trim and kitchen cabinets and counters? Not yet. I can"t use a tape measure to save my life," she admits, a blush tinting her cheeks.

"Okay, well, we"ll need a sander for the floor, and you"ll need to pick out a stain. Let"s go to the store and get that. Before we go, we'll measure the house for trim and cabinets," my dad suggests.

"Okay!" Sloane"s excitement bubbles over, and she practically bounces with enthusiasm.

"I"m not asking to be an ass, Sloane, but do you have the money for these things? I don"t know what you paid for the house," I question, wanting to ensure she"s prepared for the expenses ahead.

"Yeah, I have like two hundred thousand left. Will that be enough?" she replies.

"Yeah, that is more than enough," I assure her with a smile.

"Okay, let"s go then. I"m excited," she squeals, darting down the stairs and leaving us alone in her bedroom.

I exchange a glance with my dad, knowing that we"re both thinking the same thing. "She"s not paying us a dime. I"ll put the materials on our company card, we'll write it off on taxes," he suggests.

"Agreed." I nod in approval. "I can"t believe she did all that to buy a house."

"I can," he replies. "The girl has always been a go-getter and independent. She wanted this house, and she made it happen, no matter what. There"s respect in that. She also did it so she won"t have a house payment. Smart."

I smile as I head downstairs, the echo of my dad"s words lingering. He may not want to admit it, but he"s impressed. And who wouldn"t be? Sloane is a force to be reckoned with. He wants her. I can see it in his eyes and the way he looks at her, and hear it when he speaks about her. He just needs to separate her from Ali and lighten up.

With measuring tape in hand, my dad and I set out to tackle the task of measuring the house for trim. Sloane joins us, armed with a notebook and pen to document every detail.

As we move from room to room, Sloane"s excitement remains infectious, her love for this house evident. With each measurement taken, the vision for the house begins to take shape, and I can"t help but feel pride knowing that we"re helping Sloane bring her dream to life.

With our task complete, we head to Sloane"s car to make our way to the home improvement store. As we approach her car, I can"t help but laugh when I see a little PT Cruiser parked in the driveway.

"No fucking way am I getting in that thing," my dad grumbles.

"Well, your van can"t fit three people, so yes, you are," Sloane retorts, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Fucking hell," my dad groans. "I"m driving."

Sloane shrugs and tosses him the keys. I climb into the backseat, and before Sloane can move to the passenger door and open it, I pull her into the backseat with me, snuggling her into my arms.

She doesn"t resist, just melts into my touch. Dad starts the car and pulls out onto the road. I can"t help but notice the way his eyes keep flicking to Sloane in the rearview mirror, his gaze lingering a little too long each time. I know he"s lying to himself, trying to deny the attraction he feels toward her, but it"s written all over his face.

He"s an asshole for pretending otherwise, and he knows it.

With Sloane nestled against me in the backseat, the car ride to the store passes in comfortable silence. I relish the warmth of her body pressed against mine, savoring this moment.

Once we pull into the parking lot, my dad brings the car to a stop and we all climb out, eager to get started.

Inside the store, we split up to tackle our lists. My dad heads off to find the materials for the trim and floor, while Sloane and I make a beeline for the kitchen section to pick out cabinets and countertops.

Sloane"s eyes light up as she checks out all the options, running her fingers over the countertops and opening cabinet doors to inspect the storage space inside. With my input, she narrows down her choices, selecting cabinets in a sleek rich wood, modern style, and countertops in a dark green marble pattern.

Afterward, I lead her to the stain aisle, where she quickly chooses a dark oak stain for her floors. It will be a nice contrast to the white trim she wants.

With our shopping complete, we meet up with my dad at the checkout counter, where he"s busy ringing up the materials for the trim. I distract Sloane with questions and kisses in line so she doesn't notice when Dad swipes his Duttin Construction card and doesn't ask her for money. She's giggling and swatting me away from her, and doesn't bat an eye when we leave the register.