responsibility within the company, they’d gotten to do less of the actual work, and Brandon was surprised to discover he missed it. “So what’s the budget?”
“I’d like to keep it under fifty thousand, not counting your time.” Dennis handed his son a credit card he’d allocated to the project. “Do you think you can do it for that much?”
Brandon tucked the card into his back pocket, scratched his head, and took a good look around again at the downstairs apartment that would be his for the time being. The carpet had to go, the bathroom and kitchen would be torn out and replaced, everything needed paint, and this was just one of the six apartments. “I don’t know. I can try. We’ll get quantity discounts on a lot of it since there will be six of everything. If I’m getting close to fifty, I’ll let you know. So where do the tenants live when I’ve got their places gutted?”
“Well,” Dennis said, his eyes twinkling with amusement, “I was thinking you could do this place first so they could take turns staying here while you do theirs.”
Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “So I get to live in chaos to keep the tenants comfortable?”
“Something like that.”
“I definitely have ‘sucker’ written all over me, don’t I?”
Dennis became serious. “I thought you might enjoy this, but after what we talked about yesterday, I don’t trust myself to make that decision for you anymore. If you really don’t want to do it, you certainly don’t have to. I can put it back on the market.”
“I was just thinking that it’s going to be fun,” Brandon confessed as he realized he was committing to a project that would take much longer than a month or two. “It’s the kind of stuff we used to do in the summers before we grew up and became important.”
Dennis laughed. “Yes, and it’s exactly what Aidan’s doing in Vermont.” His smile faded at the mention of his oldest son.
“What?”
“Something’s up with him. Your Mum called him just to say hello this morning. She could tell something wasn’t right, but he wouldn’t tell her anything.”
“Maybe she just caught him at a bad time.”
“No, it was something more than that.” Dennis looked up and went pale as a willowy blond walked past the window where they were standing. He grabbed his son’s arm to pull him back from the window.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Da?” Brandon asked, tugging his arm free.
“ Shhhh , she’ll hear us. She already saw the trucks, so she’s looking for us.”
“Who is?” Brandon whispered, feeling like an idiot.
“The tenant from hell,” Dennis whispered with a look of sincere fright on his face.
“Mr. O’Malley?” a woman’s voice called from the hallway. “I know you’re here somewhere, and you’re hiding from me, but I can wait all day if I have to.”
“Shit, shit, shit ,” Dennis whispered.
It was all Brandon could do not to dissolve into laughter. “Are you seriously hiding from a woman? After living with Mum for forty years?”
“That woman makes your mother look like a pushover,” Dennis whispered.
“This I have to see.” Brandon moved to the door.
“ Brandon! ” Dennis continued to press his huge frame against the wall between the windows. “Do not open that door!”
With a withering look for his father, Brandon opened the door to the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen. And she was some kind of pissed off.
“Is Mr. O’Malley hiding in there?” she asked, hands on slender hips. Golden brown eyes narrowed with anger as she tried to look around Brandon into the apartment.
“I’m Mr. O’Malley.” Brandon extended a hand to her. “What can I do for you?”
She ignored his outstretched hand and appeared briefly unnerved to be dealing with another O’Malley.
Brandon’s mouth went dry when, in a gesture of anger, she tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, revealing high, full breasts under a form-fitting tank
“I’d like to keep it under fifty thousand, not counting your time.” Dennis handed his son a credit card he’d allocated to the project. “Do you think you can do it for that much?”
Brandon tucked the card into his back pocket, scratched his head, and took a good look around again at the downstairs apartment that would be his for the time being. The carpet had to go, the bathroom and kitchen would be torn out and replaced, everything needed paint, and this was just one of the six apartments. “I don’t know. I can try. We’ll get quantity discounts on a lot of it since there will be six of everything. If I’m getting close to fifty, I’ll let you know. So where do the tenants live when I’ve got their places gutted?”
“Well,” Dennis said, his eyes twinkling with amusement, “I was thinking you could do this place first so they could take turns staying here while you do theirs.”
Brandon’s eyes narrowed. “So I get to live in chaos to keep the tenants comfortable?”
“Something like that.”
“I definitely have ‘sucker’ written all over me, don’t I?”
Dennis became serious. “I thought you might enjoy this, but after what we talked about yesterday, I don’t trust myself to make that decision for you anymore. If you really don’t want to do it, you certainly don’t have to. I can put it back on the market.”
“I was just thinking that it’s going to be fun,” Brandon confessed as he realized he was committing to a project that would take much longer than a month or two. “It’s the kind of stuff we used to do in the summers before we grew up and became important.”
Dennis laughed. “Yes, and it’s exactly what Aidan’s doing in Vermont.” His smile faded at the mention of his oldest son.
“What?”
“Something’s up with him. Your Mum called him just to say hello this morning. She could tell something wasn’t right, but he wouldn’t tell her anything.”
“Maybe she just caught him at a bad time.”
“No, it was something more than that.” Dennis looked up and went pale as a willowy blond walked past the window where they were standing. He grabbed his son’s arm to pull him back from the window.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Da?” Brandon asked, tugging his arm free.
“ Shhhh , she’ll hear us. She already saw the trucks, so she’s looking for us.”
“Who is?” Brandon whispered, feeling like an idiot.
“The tenant from hell,” Dennis whispered with a look of sincere fright on his face.
“Mr. O’Malley?” a woman’s voice called from the hallway. “I know you’re here somewhere, and you’re hiding from me, but I can wait all day if I have to.”
“Shit, shit, shit ,” Dennis whispered.
It was all Brandon could do not to dissolve into laughter. “Are you seriously hiding from a woman? After living with Mum for forty years?”
“That woman makes your mother look like a pushover,” Dennis whispered.
“This I have to see.” Brandon moved to the door.
“ Brandon! ” Dennis continued to press his huge frame against the wall between the windows. “Do not open that door!”
With a withering look for his father, Brandon opened the door to the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen. And she was some kind of pissed off.
“Is Mr. O’Malley hiding in there?” she asked, hands on slender hips. Golden brown eyes narrowed with anger as she tried to look around Brandon into the apartment.
“I’m Mr. O’Malley.” Brandon extended a hand to her. “What can I do for you?”
She ignored his outstretched hand and appeared briefly unnerved to be dealing with another O’Malley.
Brandon’s mouth went dry when, in a gesture of anger, she tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, revealing high, full breasts under a form-fitting tank
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