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LIBBY
It’s not finished but it looks like a dream. The kitchen has a shape, cabinets—and soon a countertop. The wide, deep farm sink is going in today with a little help of one of Carson’s friends at the hardware store, and we’ll have brand new appliances soon.
I’m almost sad I have to move out of this place once it’s finished.
But, I remind myself, it’s just a stepping stone to financial freedom. Once I’m on my feet, solid, and I’ve proven to my family I can do this just as well as them, I’ll invest in my own house. With a master bedroom and bath to die for a kitchen so spectacular it’ll make everyone drool.
When the doorbell rings, I angle my head. Carson’s friend? I didn’t even know the doorbell worked.
I walk to the front of the house, admiring our new floors. Dark wood, perfect for the house. And it matches the upstairs flooring, what we were able to salvage from underneath the carpet, perfectly.
I open the door, then squeal. “Cheyenne!” We come together in a hug. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking out your place. You are still planning on letting me sell it for you, right?” she asks, stepping inside.
“I thought you said this place was a money pit.”
“I changed my mind. I mean, sure, you need some curb appeal but I’m your friend, right?”
“You just want to snoop around and see what I’ve been up to.”
“I do.” She looks around and nods. “And I have to say, it’s a good thing I changed my mind. The place looks great so far. I love these floors!”
“Come see the kitchen.”
She follows me to the space at the back of the house, and then walks around the island and takes it all in. “Great layout—way better than how it was before. And I love that you took out the wall. It’s so much more open in here. And brighter. Good idea.”
“Not my idea.”
“No?”
I point out the window, where Carson’s working with the saw. “His.”
She walks closer, her eyes getting wider. “Holy hell, is that your new contractor?”
“Yes.”
“How do you get anything done with him walking around?”
I grin as we both watch him, muscles flexing as he runs a board under the circular saw. “I don’t sometimes. It’s a full-time job watching him. And…other things.”
“Wait—what?” She smacks my arm. “Are you holding out on me? What do you mean it’s a full-time job—watching other things or doing other things?”
“Yes and yes.”
“Oh my God! This is like a porno. You and the contractor and his big hammer.”
I laugh. “And think of all the puns.”
“Oh yes, screws and nails and all that. Damn.” Her eyes widen when Carson takes off his shirt. “Okay, yeah, I’ve died and gone to heaven. I definitely need to change my line of work—nobody does that when they’re trying to sell a house.”
“Maybe you’d sell more houses that way.”
She chuckles. “Never thought of that. But seriously…are you two—you know—a thing? What is this?”
“I don’t know. It’s…we’re enjoying each other right now. Nothing serious. But it’s nice. No pressure.”
She nods. “Okay. I can’t really see that about you, but okay.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, usually you take things more seriously. Not that this is a bad thing. You deserve to enjoy life.” She points out the window. “And the finer things in life.”
I follow the point of her finger and sigh. “He is fine.”
Carson looks up at the same time, sees us both, and waves before he starts into the house.
“Oh, God, here he comes,” Cheyenne says. She fluffs her hair. “Please tell me he has a brother.”
Carson walks in shirtless. “Sorry—I didn’t know we had company or I would have come in to say hi before I got sweaty.”
Cheyenne smiles at him. “It’s really no problem. It looks hot out there.”
He meets my eyes and chuckles. “It is. I was just going to grab another bottle of water.”
I walk to the refrigerator and do it for him so Cheyenne can have another minute to ogle Carson. But I don’t miss my chance to do a little ogling myself. He is a fine specimen of a man, and lucky me—I can look at him all day long if I choose.
Cheyenne is right. It’s a wonder I’m managing to get anything done at all.
Carson accepts his bottle of water, kisses me on the cheek, and walks back outside.
“Hot and sweet,” Cheyenne says when he’s gone. “What am I missing?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean he was a perfect gentleman and he’s a handyman god. I’m not lucky enough to land a guy like that. With my luck, there’d be something wrong with him.” She narrows her eyes out the window. “Though he does look familiar. He live in town?”
“Oh, uh…” This is the awkward part. “Actually, he sort of lives here.”
She turns to me. “Sort of?”
“He wanted to be on-site, which I get. He gave me a discount on labor because I let him stay here.”
“Eating, sleeping, and working together all under the same roof. This is more serious than I thought. You know much about him?”
I shrug. Not a lot. But he doesn’t know much about me either.
“I’m trusting my gut,” I tell her.
“Damn. Yes. Now that I look closer, he really does look familiar. Where’d he live before this?”
“With his girlfriend,” I tell her. “But they broke up. He used to work with someone else, too, fixing up houses.”
“Oh. Maybe that’s where I’ve seen him.” She nods. “Probably around town working on some house or another.”
“Probably.”
Though now that she brought it up, I’m curious. He doesn’t talk about his past much at all, except for his mom. I wonder who he used to work with. Do they still work in town, too, and that’s why he likes to stay out here? To keep his distance?
Nope. I cut off those thoughts, too. I trust Carson and we’re working well together. No sense in questioning things—especially when I made it clear to Cheyenne that we’re not serious. We’re just enjoying ourselves.
“I should probably head out,” she says. “You know, work like a normal person.”
“Must be rough.”
She grins. “It is. I don’t get a good view like you do.”
“You should come for dinner some night. We can test out the new kitchen.”
“Really? Use those pretty appliances before you sell the place?”
I laugh. “We’ll order take-out.”
“Good girl. See you.”
I walk her to the front door and watch her get into her car, and then turn back to the house. I stand in the middle of the living room and sigh. It almost looks like a different house. Good thing I remembered to take pictures on the second day here so I can have before and after shots. Carson will probably appreciate those, too, so he can use them for prospective clients in the future.
The thought strikes me harder than I expect. Other clients. After we’re finished here, we’ll both go our own separate ways.
I rub my cheek and shake my head. Nothing to worry about now. We’re just enjoying each other, right?
I smile to myself and head toward the backyard. Might as well go enjoy him then.