He didn’t. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and continued to loom.

“I’m here to talk about the gala,” I said. “We can do it on the front steps or you can invite us in and be civilized about it.”

Lexi squinted at me. Her expression was suspicious and at odds with the fresh-faced Rosie the Riveter look she was rocking with her honey-colored hair tied up with a blue bandanna, baggy jeans, flannel shirt, and work boots. She didn’t look old enough to buy alcohol, never mind be in charge of building a housing development.

“Micah, do me a favor and walk around the site and make sure nothing else has been tamp . . . er . . . um, make sure everything is okay,” she said.

He looked us over. “You sure?”

She nodded, flashing him a quick smile. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

They both stepped aside, allowing us to enter the trailer, which looked just like every other construction office I’d ever been in with desks, tables, chairs, and a refrigerator all crammed in, forcing people to walk sideways to get from one end to the other.

As Micah passed Jackson, I saw them size each other up. Standard gym rat behavior. I hid my smile when Micah jerked his chin at Jackson in acknowledgment and left the trailer, letting the door bang shut after him.

I glanced at Annabelle to see if she was okay. She looked bemused, taking in the interior of the trailer while casting surreptitious glances at my sister. Another of her curls had escaped, making my fingers itch to catch it and pull it taut just to see if it sprang back when I let go.

Clearly, it was a damn good thing that she was going to be very busy in the near future. I needed her out of sight until she moved out, for both of our sakes. I was in no place to have anyone in my life who wasn’t on my payroll. Period.

“I’m really busy,” Lexi said. She glanced at her watch. “So if you could make this less than five minutes, I’d be super grateful.”

It was weird to be out of my house after so many months and not sitting in a waiting room. I wondered if I was becoming a touch agoraphobic. My tension ratcheted up and I felt vulnerable not having my wheelchair nearby. A jolt of electricity shot up my leg, followed by a numbness that made my knee wobble. Oh, hell no. I was not doing a face-plant in front of Lexi.