Chapter Text
Josh Harke stepped out of his truck, glancing around the quiet neighborhood with his breath caught in his chest. They were already late, and it made him feel even more anxious as he looked around him.
Hawthorne Lane was lined with pale, vinyl sided houses with more bedrooms than occupants. The lawns were cut in perfect, tidy lines. He could see manicured shrubs and carefully maintained flower boxes.
The wind rustled the leaves of the perfect Japanese maple trees lining the sidewalks, making him shiver despite his thick, Carhartt jacket. The morning sun was warm, but it wasn’t enough to shake the chill that clung to the back of his neck.
There wasn’t a soul in sight, but Josh still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched.
Maybe it was a holdover from growing up in the trailer park, but he always felt out of place in neighborhoods like this. He felt like the residents of this perfect, suburban paradise could smell the grime and cigarette smoke that had clung to him through childhood.
He was twenty-four now. He was living with his high-school sweetheart, Lacey, in a small apartment on the outskirts of Midland. Together, they were saving up for a wedding, a ring, a house… a future. He’d just received his journeyman certification in carpentry, which meant he could supervise renovations for Aster Contracting.
This was his second job as the supervisor, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was ready for something like this. But… engagement rings didn’t buy themselves.
The other door of the truck opened, and Ethan Lawrence hopped out. He fumbled with the cooler and the toolbox.
“Ow, dammit!” Ethan swore as the sharp edge of the toolbox slammed into his calf. “A little help, tall-boy?”
“Ethan, what the hell are you doing?” Josh sighed, reaching down to take the toolbox out of Ethan’s hand. Ethan shuffled with the cooler, hoisting it in front of him and sighing.
“What? I thought YOU were the supervisor on this job. Why does that make me the pack mule, huh? Why do I have to carry everything?”
Josh sighed.
“Come on, okay? We’re already late.” Josh said, glancing up at the warming sky. He double-checked the address before he locked the truck.
514 Hawthorne Lane.
“What’s the rush?” Ethan asked, rolling his eyes. “We already clocked in! We’re making money!”
“We were supposed to be here at nine.” Josh said, walking slowly up the drive. “And we would’ve been here on time if someone didn’t need to stop at 7/11 for his daily dose of Monster.”
Ethan scoffed, tapping the top of the cooler.
“Dude, you don’t wanna see me without my Monster in the morning.” He said imperiously. “I’m like… your worst nightmare.”
“You’re already my worst nightmare.” Josh teased back. “And I’ve seen you without caffeine in the morning, remember? And let me tell you, you’re a lot easier to deal with.”
“Yeah, but… I’m a shittier worker.” Ethan said, shrugging.
“Jesus, I’d hate to see you any shitter than you already are.”
“Hey! And yet you’re working with me anyway.” Ethan grinned. “Must be my winning personality.”
“Hah, yeah.” Josh said, shaking his head. “Totally. It’s all winning. No notes.”
Josh watched Ethan climb the stairs, the morning sun illuminating Ethan’s thick, red hair. The top of Ethan’s head barely reached Josh’s nose, but despite his smaller, leaner stature, Ethan was never afraid to fill the space.
He approached every situation with laughter and energy. He could turn an afternoon hauling bags of concrete into a joke so funny that Josh’s sides would hurt. He wasn’t afraid of making people angry. But his energy was only matched by his flakiness. Josh was pretty sure if he wasn’t there to reel him in, Ethan would be off drifting around the state, living out of his car.
Josh, meanwhile, stood at an imposing 6’3” and still tried to fade into the background. He hunched his shoulders, ducked his head, and stepped as lightly as he could. It felt like everybody, from partners to supervisors to strangers in the grocery store, expected someone his size to take charge, but he hated being the center of attention.
The two of them worked, in an odd-couple sort of way. Josh got them jobs, made sure they stayed on track, and tried not to knock over vases. Ethan packed the cooler, picked the music, and made sure Josh didn’t disappear.
“Come on, I thought you were freaking out about late.” Ethan said, cocking his head at the door. “We heading in?”
“Uh, yeah.” Josh said, his face warming. His throat felt dry already, and he coughed, trying to get rid of the dust that felt like it was gathering.
He reached up and knocked firmly on the door, hoping and praying they wouldn’t get in trouble for being late. He already had an excuse on the tongue if it came down to it.
“Just a moment!” A soft, feminine voice floated through the door.
“Ooh, a lady.” Ethan said, shifting his grip on the cooler. “She sounds hot. Think she’s hot?”
“Does it matter?” Josh sighed. “She’s married. And I’ve got Lacey!”
“Yeah, didn’t answer my question.” Ethan winked. “You’ve got Lacey, but I’m single, man! Maybe she’s into younger guys!”
“Right, yeah. Because the thing every rich lady wants is a short, twerpy contractor.”
“Hey, don’t speak for her!” Ethan shot back. “You never know, okay? That’s your problem!”
“I don’t have a problem.” Josh said.
“Right.”
Ethan bounced on his toes.
“So… hot? Or not?”
“Okay, well, she lives here, so probably hot.” Josh said, annoyed. “But she’s probably crispy and with those big Botox lips.”
Ethan tapped his lip.
“I don’t know, I could be into that.” He smirked. “I like my KFC extra-crispy instead of original recipe. Think that matters?”
Josh groaned, but when he opened his mouth to respond, the door opened. His heart leapt into his throat, his words dying on his lips.
The woman in front of them was not crispy. She was beautiful. She was shorter than Ethan, with the kind of body shaped by Pilates and yoga and tennis in the park. Her hair was long and honey-blonde, curling softly over the shoulders of her pastel blue Lululemon jacket.
But most striking was her eyes. They were so blue they were almost gray, lined only with, long, soft lashes.
“Hello, how can I help you?” She asked in a gentle, melodic voice.
Ethan’s mouth opened, his cheeks going pink, making his freckles stand out against his pale skin. Josh jumped in before Ethan could say something stupid.
“Uh, good morning ma’am. I’m Josh Harke, here with Aster Contracting. F-for the bathroom renovation?”
Her expression shifted from vague interest to something pleasant. She smiled, showing a row of perfect teeth.
“Oh, of course! Come in, I’ll show you right up. I’ve already gotten things set up for you.” She stepped back, waving them in.
Josh followed, ducking through the doorway.
The living room was sparse, but carefully decorated. It was filled with crisp white furniture that Josh felt like he’d leave dirt on if he touched. There was a fruit bowl in the center of the table, and real art on the walls.
Lacey would have loved this. It looked like something out of one of her magazines.
“Jesus, this is a nightmare, huh? Freakin’ white furniture and shit.” Ethan whispered. Josh glanced at Ella’s back, his chest clenching. She hadn’t heard him, had she?
“Shut up.” He whispered back.
The three of them walked up the stairs, past perfectly posed family portraits on the wall. Josh took each step like it might break under his thick, steel-toed boots.
They passed a little girl’s bedroom. A small, delicate face peered nervously out at him from the cracked door. Josh caught a glimpse of blonde curls and pink cheeks. He smiled down at her, and she darted away, the door clicking closed.
His ears burned, and he looked away, trying to put it out of his mind.
“In here.” The woman said, motioning them into the master bedroom at the end of the hall.
It was as tasteful as the rest of the house, with clean lines and muted colors. The bathroom was already cleaned, with a blue tarp spread out on the floor.
Josh stepped in, setting the toolbox on the tarp, kneeling down to begin to unpack.
“My name is Ella Young. Please, let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you. If you’re hungry, or thirsty, come downstairs and I’ll fix something up for you.” She said.
Josh nodded, his voice still stuck in the back of his throat.
“Uh, thank you.” He said politely, trying to fight another cough. He looked up, meeting her eyes.
Her gaze lingered on him, tracing his boots, his jacket, his shaggy dark hair. Her eyes caught on his, and they narrowed slightly. Her smile never wavered, but Josh felt a chill pass through him. He felt like he was being evaluated, somehow. He swallowed dryly.
Then the look was gone. She turned, pausing in the doorframe.
“I’ll be downstairs in the kitchen if you need me.” She said, looking at Josh one more time before leaving the room.
The two were silent for a moment. Ethan cleared his throat.
“Okay, I was wrong.” He said, pushing his hair out of his face. “She’s freakin’ gorgeous! Think I have a shot?”
Josh didn’t answer. He was still thinking about the way she’d looked at him. He hoped he hadn’t offended her already.
She hadn’t looked offended. She’d looked… curious, maybe. Or something else.
“Dude, you good?” Ethan asked, nudging Josh in the arm. Josh blinked, then shook his head.
“Y-yeah.” He said, quietly. “Come on, let’s get started.”