“Murphy said he’d be here a few minutes ago, so probably in ten minutes,” Owen said with a grin.
“I heard that, asshole,” Murphy said as he strolled in. Their younger brother had brushed his hair at least, but other than that, he looked like a slightly smaller version of Graham. He’d also let his hair down so it lightly brushed his shoulders, and since he’d shaved his beard fully a month or so ago, it hadn’t come back all the way yet.
If Jake had been there with his scruffy beard and messy hair, the four of them would have probably looked like they needed to be locked up somewhere—up to no good and with no responsibilities. But looks weren’t everything, and even though they were inked, pierced, and not the cleanest cut, they were well on their way to making Gallagher Brothers Restoration into something more than the small yet profitable business it was.
Owen flipped Murphy off and handed him his coffee. “I know you heard it. I said it loudly enough for you to. It’s amazing what happens when you’re observant and hear a truck park.”
For that remark, Graham flipped Owen off, as well. He looked between his brothers and the old mansion that hadn’t been cared for in far too long. It needed a complete overhaul so it would be safe for anyone who wanted to live there in the future, as well as keep in line with the century it had been built so it could remain on the list for historical landmark status.
It was going to be a bitch to work with, and if it had been any other house with any other backstory and politics attached to it, Graham would have been first in line to work on it.
Now, though, he wanted nothing to do with it.
“We’re not taking the job,” Graham said with a growl.
It was an old argument. One he hadn’t won yet. Because they hadn’t signed the final papers, they could still back out and take a job that wouldn’t make his brain hurt and his hands twitch. The heiress and final land owner of the property would be there soon to go over the final details, and because of the way the place had been caught up in litigation with one thing or another, they hadn’t met her yet.
He wasn’t in the mood to deal with a spoiled princess who couldn’t be bothered to care about the place she’d grown up in.
“We’re taking the job,” Owen said, this time without his normal patience.
As usual, Murphy stood back and let Graham and Owen fight it out. Graham wasn’t sure what side Murphy was on, but he had a feeling it wasn’t his.
Damn it.
“We’re not taking the job,” Graham repeated.
“We’re taking the job,” Owen said right back.
“No, we aren’t.”
“We need this,” Owen said, frustration lining his voice. “This is our big break. We can make Gallagher Brothers a name in the business. We’ll be along the lines of Montgomery, Inc.. A legacy in our field, where we won’t have to worry about finding jobs because they’ll find us. We’ll be safe. Secure.”
“Not with this job, Owen. I’m the oldest Gallagher. The boss. What I say goes.”
Murphy and Owen shared a look, and Graham sighed, knowing he’d lost before he’d taken his first sip of coffee.
They were taking the damn job.
“Fine,” he growled. “Whatever.” He drained the rest of his cup and tossed it in the trash bag Owen held out. Seriously, the man thought of everything.
“Want to take a look around before she shows up?” Murphy said with a small smile. “I mean, if we have to take the job, we might as well see what we’re working with.”
“We already did,” Graham said. “And you’ve been poring over the plans for months, Mr. Architect.”
Murphy was the company’s lead architect, though all three of them worked on plans. Owen was their manager, the one that kept them organized and sane. While Graham was the foreman, the one in charge of the day-to-day building and bossing around the rest of their crew to make sure they knew what they were doing. When Jake joined them on projects, he did the classical restorations and woodworking that none of the rest of them had the talent or skills for. It worked for the four of them, even if sometimes working with his brothers day in and day out was a little much. They kept him steady, though, and that had to mean something. Especially this month.
Murphy shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s a little different when we’re about to sign the papers. Come on. It’ll be fresher for us so we can jump right in.”
“He’s right, you know. We should at least do a walk through before she shows up, in case there are any issues we didn’t address in the initial documentation.”
Graham blew out a breath but followed his brothers as they began their way through the sprawling mansion that had seen far better days.
“Like you’d let anything escape your attention before this,” he said to Owen with a small smile.