Mouth pinched with disapproval, Edward said, “We have to move on this soon or we could run into problems with the permits. That could mean serious delays, and delays cost.”
Damn, Trey missed having Brody to deal with this shit. Not that his replacement wasn’t qualified, but he didn’t have Brody’s years of experience. “I swear I’ll look it over tonight and get back to you tomorrow.”
It took another fifteen minutes to get off the call, and Trey had to get borderline rude to manage it, but eventually he signed off and headed for the church.
Since yesterday, someone had gotten busy with chainsaws and removed the tree from the building. The hole was covered with a series of tarps that flapped in the evening breeze. Trey parked beside Brody’s truck and headed inside. Following the murmur of voices, he stepped around the open door and into the damaged sanctuary. Someone had strung caution tape to block off the entire left side of the church. Besides the tree itself, it didn’t appear the debris had been moved. And there was an astounding lot of debris—from the overturned pews all the way up to the splintered beams that arched along the vaulted ceiling. Brody had his work cut out for him.
Sandy stood with Brody at the altar, deep in conversation. The overhead light cast a halo on her blonde hair, which she’d bundled into some kind of messy knot since this morning. She’d always been beautiful, but as Trey approached, it struck him that she’d settled into herself and found a confidence that was truly stunning.
Sandy’s gaze swung toward him as he approached. “I do.”
The longing hit him square in the chest. Me too. Trey’s stride hitched, just a little at the thought. Oh yeah, he had it bad.
“What’s going on?”
“Brody’s got concerns.”
The younger man spoke up. “I’m not sure I can round up enough qualified people or get the materials in time to pull this off. My crew is largely tied up on other jobs at the moment.”
“How many do you need?” Trey asked.
Brody named a figure.
“Done. Anybody in particular you want?”
One dark brow winged up. “Morales and Jacobsen would be excellent crew leaders and allow us to break the whole thing up into three shifts for round the clock project management.”
“I’ll get them here.”
“But what about whatever projects they’re on? I don’t want to cause you delays.”
“It’s no problem. And whatever supplies you’ll need, we’ll get—even if we have to fly something in. Just let Louis know.”
“I’m not sure something like that is in the church’s budget,” Sandy interjected. Her tone said it definitely wasn’t.
“I’ve got it covered,” Trey promised. Something like this was a drop in the bucket.
She frowned. “But it’s not your financial responsibility.”
“It’s a tax deduction and a goodwill gesture toward the community. That’s good business,” he assured her.
“You might as well let him,” Brody told her, his lips curving into a smile. “Once he gets the bit between his teeth, there’s no swaying him.”
“We’re settled, then,” Trey declared.
“What’s settled?” a voice called from the back of the sanctuary. Norah strode up the aisle, hand linked with Cam’s.
“The plan for repairing the church.”
Sandy stepped forward to hug them both. “Gerald and Brody are making arrangements for all the necessary supplies and manpower to see that it’s done in time for your wedding.”
“You know it’s in just over a week, right?” Cam asked.
“It’s a tight timeline, but not the worst I’ve ever faced,” Brody said.
“I’ll see that he’s got whatever he needs to make it happen,” Trey added.
Norah’s eyes went suspiciously glassy. “You’d do that for us?”