Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1)

I looked at the picture on the top box while Max sniffed the perimeter. It wasn’t a terrible color. Kind of a light brown. But it didn’t seem to fit this house. “I assume the color your wanted is darker?”

“Yeah, a richer brown.”

“Do you pick the colors yourself?”

“Mostly. If I’m not sure, I ask my sister, but I can usually tell what will work and what won’t.” He pointed to the opposite corner of the house. “The kitchen will be over there. We took out a wall to open things up and create more space.”

“It’s hard to imagine what it would have looked like with a wall there.”

“Too dark and closed off.”

I wandered to where the kitchen would be. The walls looked like large portions had been repaired. “What happened here?”

“I got in a fight with the cabinets.”

There wasn’t a hint of humor in his tone but one corner of his mouth hooked ever so slightly.

“Who won?”

“Me.”

I laughed. “I can see that. And the wall was collateral damage.”

“Yeah, it’s not ideal.” He ran his hands over a seam. “More work but there wasn’t much I could do.”

“What’s it going to look like when it’s done?”

His eyes brightened a little. “I’m thinking walnut cabinets. Rich without being too dark. We’ll do an island here and I might paint it for a pop of color. And a statement light fixture. Something bold enough to be interesting without making it look cluttered.”

“Wow. That sounds amazing.”

He rested his hands on his hips and glanced around. “It’ll be a hell of a lot better than when we bought it.”

“I bet. And a lot less naked than it is now. I’m excited to see it come together.”

“Yeah.” His mouth hooked in that almost smile again. “Me too.”

I glanced around, looking for Max, but I didn’t see him. “Max? I think he might have gone upstairs.”

“That’s okay, it’s just as empty.”

“He’s like a toddler. Out of sight and quiet is dangerous.”

Josiah led the way up the stairs. The walls were intact but the floor looked just as unfinished. A small landing led to a short hallway with several doors—bedrooms, a bathroom, and what was probably a closet. We found Max sniffing a few tools in one of the bedrooms.

“There you are, Max. Silly dog.”

Josiah leaned against the door frame. “So, you work at the newspaper?”

My heart did a little skip at his apparent interest. “Yeah. It’s – interesting. I’m still figuring things out.”

“Have you always been in journalism?”

“Not exactly. It was my major in college but I’ve done a few different things, mostly in PR and marketing.”

“Then how’d you end up at the Tribune?”

“Weird, right? The truth is, I got laid off from my last job and couldn’t seem to find anything. I fully admit, I took this one more out of desperation than because it’s my dream job.”