“Okay.” She added at least one tiled shower to her mental list of necessities. She’d have to see cost and possible layouts before she made a final decision on whether both suites would have them. “What else?”

She listened carefully as he rattled off item after item. She couldn’t disagree with a single suggestion he made. Fortunately, most of his suggestions were small fixes.

“Everything you’ve said sounds great, but I’m not sure it’s all in my budget.” She sighed. “Looks like the plumbing issues are a must.”

He nodded.

“On the rest of the items, I’ll need to prioritize, run the numbers, and see what will have to wait until I get Hamilton House up and running.”

“I can do most of the labor by myself, Sarah. That should save you quite a bit, since you’d only have to pay for supplies.”

He sounded so sincere, as if paying him was no big thing, that a smile tugged at her lips. “Sounds great, but I have to be able to pay you, too, Bodie.”

His mouth opened and for a moment she thought he was going to say she didn’t have to pay him. The sentiment was so strong between them, she’d swear that was what had almost come out of his mouth. Which made zero sense. He was a complete stranger, even if sitting here with him at her kitchen island didn’t feel strange at all.

It felt… natural. As if she’d known him her whole life. Yet, he really was a stranger whom she knew very little about.

“I’m in no hurry to be paid. You can give me an IOU and pay me after Hamilton House starts showing a profit.”

Assuming it ever showed a profit.

She shook her head. “You have to eat and pay for a place to live while you’re in town. Besides, how can you trust that I’ll ever get around to paying you if you let me decide when I can spare it?”

“I won’t starve or have to sleep in my truck if you wait to pay me. I know you’ll pay me eventually. I trust you.”

Sarah’s insides warmed at his claim. Bodie trusted her. Which fit with her feeling that they’d known each other much longer than a day. He had no more reason to trust her than she did him. But she wouldn’t let him work without pay.

She would pay him. Once a week, as they’d agreed to the day before when she’d hired him.

If she reached the point where she couldn’t pay him, she wouldn’t let him work. She didn’t and wouldn’t take handouts.

Her father and aunt raised her to be a giver, not a taker.

As much as Bodie made her feel as if they’d known each other much longer than a day, they hadn’t. This was the beginning a business relationship, nothing more, and she’d do well to remember that.

A week had passed. A week in which Bodie worked at Hamilton House every day. She’d tried to get him to take the weekend off, but he’d refused, stating that he didn’t have anything else to do and wanted to get the job done. He showed up early in the morning and left late each evening.