Total pages in book: 187
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 873(@200wpm)___ 698(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
I struggle with the idea that, as I eat the banana, my eyes are directed toward the hall where I know her room is.
She doesn't appear by the time the fruit is gone, and since I'd never go knock on her door, I throw the peel in the trash and head out the front door of the clubhouse.
Glancing toward the shop, I realize that being holed up and alone is the last thing I want right now.
I'm more than a little emotionally stunted from my childhood, but I figure being around others, something I'm not normally comfortable with, might pull my mind from the choices we made last night.
I clear my throat, attempting to force down all that unfamiliar shit and clear my brain.
I pay close attention to the flower beds, the gravel in the parking lot, and the fence line as I walk toward the construction noises down the street.
Nearly three dozen houses pepper this property, so it wasn't very far off from thinking of it like a small village. Each house has a nice yard, just as any other residential area would. The houses aren't stacked right on top of each other, giving each homeowner a little piece of their own paradise.
Roads have been built as the number of houses increases, making the furthest houses—the couple that are still under some level of construction—several blocks from the clubhouse. All the houses are done on the inside except for Landon's and Rick's. The others need things like landscaping and shutters hung, but are already occupied.
The only things missing are street signs and mailboxes. Since no civilians have access to the property, the signs aren't necessary, and all mail and packages are left at the front gate.
More light poles have been installed than you would see on a regular residential block because seeing is safety, especially at night.
Looking at each of the individual houses makes me wonder if this is the direction things will go in Tennessee. They already have five members of that chapter who have paired up. Jericho and Aspen have their little boy, and there may come a time when they want space just for their little family. I have no idea how that would work, but if there's anyone who could make it happen, then it would be something that Cerberus is very capable of doing.
I arrow for Landon and Rick's house, knowing this is the one they're working to get the inside finished.
Laughter, conversation, and the sound of hammering greet me from the open doorway, and it feels a little weird to walk inside without knocking or announcing myself, but I know it wouldn't be expected.
I step into the back bedroom, drawing the attention of Legend, Signal, and Thumper.
All noise stops as they look at me, but instead of putting a voice to their surprise, I lift my hand in a small wave.
"Anything I can help with?" I ask, feeling like an asshole for being here for two weeks already and not offering before now.
"Do you know anything about hanging sheetrock?" Thumper asks.
"Enough to get by," I answer.
"Can't be any worse than Signal," Legend says with a smile.
Signal chuckles, not taking offense to being called out.
"Know anything about amputations in the field?" he counters instead.
Legend laughs. "Enough to get by."
I grin at his echoed response.
"What about you?" Signal asks, directing his attention at me.
I shrug. "They're usually dead when I'm done."
Signal pauses, his eyes locked on mine as if he didn't expect the response.
"He means teammates," Thumper adds for clarification.
"Oh," I say, hating that the newer teammate might've thought I didn't have my guys' backs if they were injured. "Enough to get by."
A round of laughter rumbles in the room.
"I'm trying to learn," Signal says. "But these two keep giving me shit about my skill level."
"I wasn't giving you shit," Legend says. "But you were trying to use the skill saw with the same precision as a scalpel. My point was it just isn't necessary for something that's going to be slathered with joint compound and covered with drywall tape."
Signal shrugs, but there's still a smile on his face.
"I can cut the sheetrock," I offer. "Just anything you guys need help with."
They could easily question why I'm getting involved now, but they don't.
I head into the living room area where the pile of sheetrock and saw are, waiting for them to holler out measurements for the next piece since all the bigger pieces have been hung and they're working inside the closets now.
The day moves quickly as I cut sheetrock and carry the pieces to them to be hung.
Signal has been given the job of sanding the joints to smooth them out, and he seems just as content to do that as I imagine he would with any other task he has been given.
"How's the combat training coming?" I hear Legend ask him as I enter the room with the final piece for the closet.