Gone Country by Lorelei James Read Free Book Online Page A

deep brown, almost black. His blond hair also held a hint of curl. If their eye color and hair color weren’t complete opposites, Rielle would swear the men were twins. “Everything is finalized on the addition and we’ll start next week since we had a three-week hole in our schedule.”
    “Seems…coincidental the opening just happens to be the same time Gavin needs a project finished.”
    Remy shrugged. “Sometimes things just work out like they’re supposed to. But that’s not why we’re here.”
    Rielle twisted the top off the gallon jug of water and took a long drink before she answered. “What’s up?”
    “After we got the phone call from Gavin, we revisited the building plans for your place since we hadn’t looked at them in a while.”
    “And?”
    “And the design is solid. We’re able to design all the eco features you’ve asked for. However…”
    Chet and Remy exchanged a look, then Chet said, “It’ll be very labor intensive, which we all knew going into this project. So we updated materials costs and reworked our original estimate…”
    She held her breath because this wouldn’t be good news.
    “The cost has gone up twenty percent.”
    “Shit.”
    “We refigured it a couple different ways,” Remy said, almost apologetically, “but the price didn’t change.”
    Due to her miserly ways, she could afford to pay additional costs, but she was kicking herself for putting this off. “Thank you guys. The cost of everything has gone up.” She offered a wan smile. “Not happy, but not surprised. So that’s the worst of it?”
    Chet leaned forward. “Nope. With the building site location, and the time of year, and what’s already on our plate, there’s no way we can get to the project until next spring.”
    “And that doesn’t have anything to do with us takin’ on Gavin’s garage,” Remy added. “Colby and Channing hafta wait for spring for the addition on their house too.”
    “I should’ve set a firm date for the start date.”
    “Well, we don’t blame ya for waiting. You were already taking care of a house, even if technically it wasn’t yours.”
    “Did you tell Gavin about my building delay?”
    “Nope. It’s between us, Ree, you have our word,” Chet said. “And no matter what you decide, whether or not to proceed in the spring, and why or why not, it’ll stay strictly between us.”
    Her sharp gaze moved between the brothers. “Why would you think I’d back out?” She bristled. “I assure you, I may have had some rough times in the past, but I do have the money now—”
    “Whoa, there, that wasn’t what I was insinuating at all.” Chet blushed and looked at Remy.
    “You’re insinuating something…worse?”
    “Let’s just back up,” Remy said. “One of Gavin’s main stipulations for hiring us was to keep this project in line with your original plans for the B&B outbuildings you didn’t get to implement due to your financial situation at the time.”
    “Gavin respects you. It’s there every time your name comes up,” Chet assured her. “And we’re to defer all the dirt work changes and landscaping to you. You have total control.”
    “Our whole point is…even before we talked to Gavin, we believed you’d be better off waiting until after calving season to break ground. A lot of things could change between now and then.”
    “What kind of things could change?” she asked Remy suspiciously.
    Remy gave an embarrassed laugh. “Now, Rielle, darlin’, don’t take this the wrong way. You are a damn attractive woman, but you don’t date. We know you’ve said no to all guys who’ve asked you out, not just us. Now you’re living with a man who saved your bacon a few years back?”
    “You think I’m interested in Gavin because he’s rich?” Goddammit. Was that what everyone in the area would think? She’d assured Gavin it wouldn’t bother her…but faced with assumptions, she wasn’t so sure.
    Both Chet and Remy burst out laughing.
    “No,