Page 57 of Forbidden Dreams
He smiled. "I'm her favorite at the moment since I started dating Reina. But it doesn't hurt to earn a few brownie points."
"Whatever you earned, it's more than I will." I never seemed to do what my parents wanted me to.
He sobered. "Mom and Dad love you."
"I'm sure they do." They just weren't pleased with my life choices.
"I bet if you met someone, they'd be happy," he said hopefully.
I rolled my eyes. "It would have to be the right sort of person. You know, the stuffy type who works in an office."
He raised a brow. "You work in an office."
I looked around the space. "Ugh. You're right. I've become part of corporate America. The one thing I swore I'd never do."
He shrugged. "Eh. You work for a small town. I wouldn't say it's corporate America."
"That's something at least."
Morgan made his way to the door. "I'll see you this afternoon."
"See you later," I said as he walked out.
I should check on the renovation, and what better time then now? I'd already lost my focus since Morgan interrupted me.
I walked toward the inn and through the lobby. They were serving breakfast in the restaurant. I pushed open the doors to the ballroom. I followed the sounds of construction to the bathrooms. There were materials and supplies on the floor, and people walking in and out.
One of the members of the crew stopped to ask, "You looking for Hudson?"
"Is he here?" I asked, pleased that he hadn't mentioned Cooper.
The man disappeared inside the women's restroom, and Hudson appeared a few seconds later. "You want an update?"
"That's why I'm here," I said, wondering where Cooper was this morning. Did he not work on the renovation itself? Was he only here during demolition?
"Everything's been removed, and we're working on replacing the pipes."
"Are we on schedule to complete everything before the winter ball?" I asked, trying to sound professional even as my mind was racing with questions about Cooper's role in construction projects.
He didn't have a specialty like most of the Sterling brothers. He wasn't an electrician or a plumber. My understanding was that he'd done general construction work since he'd started working summers when he was in high school.
"We're working round the clock to ensure that happens. Cooper insisted that we meet the deadline."
"Good. I'm glad to hear that." While the construction was going on, Natasha couldn't rent out the space or host other dances or fundraisers. I wanted to ensure that it was quality work, and it was done in time.
"Cooper's not working on the project himself?"
"He's the supervisor. The one who keeps us on task and orders supplies. Occasionally he'll chip in, but mainly when we need help or we're under a time crunch. So you might see him before the renovation is complete. Why? You trying to avoid him?"
It was the exact opposite, but I couldn't tell my brother that. "He was here for the demolition. I was just curious. This is all new to me."
"He likes to get his hands dirty with demo. We all enjoy it. It's a good way to work out any frustration or aggression."
Was Cooper frustrated because we'd just started seeing each other? Did I drive him as crazy as he drove me? That was a nice thought.
"Did Morgan talk to you about getting a tree this afternoon?" Hudson asked
I sighed. "He did."
