Hammer & Nails Read Online Free PDF

and park. I look out my window to see that there is a light on in my soon to be office. What the hell? It’s ten at night, no one should be here. I glance around toward the driveway and see that Harley’s truck is parked in the driveway next to the dumpster. Dammit, that is the whole reason I came here so late; I wanted to avoid seeing her and dealing with her. So, do I stay or do I go? It’s been a week since I stopped by and I’m dying to know what kind of progress has been made. Screw it, I’m going in.
    I get out of my car and start for the front door, quietly opening it and walking in. I hear Harley grunting and huffing. What in the world is she doing? I walk over to the doorway that leads into the office and almost have a heart attack. Up on a high ladder in the center of the room is Harley. She’s holding up a sheet of drywall with the top of her head and one hand, while she tries in vain to screw it in place with the other. Is she out of her mind? She can’t do something like this by herself!
    “Jesus Christ, Harley!” I snap and rush over to the ladder.
    I quickly climb up behind her and plaster myself against her back as I reach up and hold the drywall up to the ceiling. Harley pants out a “Thanks” and finishes screwing the drywall into the joists. After that’s said and done, we both climb down the ladder. I watch Harley as she wanders over to the other drywall sheets stacked against the wall. She pulls out her measuring tape and stretches it across the board, making little marks with her pencil here and there. She completely ignores the fact that I’m standing here or that I just helped her.
    “What are you doing here so late?” I ask.
    She lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Working,” she says without looking away from what she’s doing.
    I walk over to her. I’m really confused by her behavior. She’s very subdued right now and it’s kind of freaking me out. I gently take her arm and turn her toward me. She sighs heavily and keeps her eyes downcast.
    “You could have seriously injured yourself and there would have been no one here to help you if I hadn’t not stopped by. What were you thinking?” I ask softly.
    “I’m trying not to think, that’s the point. Working helps me not think,” she murmurs.
    I frown. “Why would you not want to think?”
    “Because today is a bad day and I don’t want to think about it, okay? And I don’t want to talk about it, either.” She huffs, finally lifting her emerald green eyes to meet mine. Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look so sad.
    She extracts her arm from my grip and turns back to the drywall.
    “Listen, you can’t be doing this on your own…”
    “So help me then.”
    After a moment’s consideration, I concede, “Okay.”
    Her only reaction is a lift of her eyebrow but she doesn’t say a word. I pull off my button down shirt so I don’t mess it up, which leaves me in only a black T-shirt and jeans. Over the next hour and a half, we work in comfortable silence. The only talking is Harley giving me directions. Once the ceiling is finished, Harley starts to clean up her tools. I help by handing her things. I’m utterly confused by her. I never thought she had the capability to remain silent for so long. I really can’t take it anymore. It’s not natural. As much as she annoys me, this just isn’t right.
    “So why is today such a bad day?” I ask into the silence.
    She rolls her eyes at me. “Didn’t I say I didn’t want to talk about it?”
    “Come on, I just helped you put up a ceiling, don’t I deserve a little reward?” I huff, motioning to all the white dust on my black T-shirt.
    Her lips twitch as she fights off a smile.
    “Alright fine, but if I answer, I get to ask you a question, too,” she says.
    I nod in agreement. “Okay.”
    “It’s my birthday today.”
    I give her a confused look. “Uh, happy birthday. Why is that so bad?”
    The sadness in her eyes deepens. “My mom died shortly after