I never cared about the days or nights before. It was always the same thing for me. But as I sat over a giant plate of eggs and a large cup of coffee, I caught myself looking to Aunt Millie’s fridge, wondering how close it was to the next weekend.

“You hear what I’m telling you?” Uncle Tom asked. “I’m trying to give you some advice here.”

I looked at him. “We’re good. Lance and Doc are taking charge of it. I’ll work with the outside hires.”

“Give them hell, Ramsey. I know it’s a tough business for all of us, but time really is money right now.”

“Why don’t you eat your eggs before they get cold?” I asked.

“In other words, shut up,” Aunt Millie said as she walked to the table with a stack of bacon almost two stories high.

“Who the hell is eating all of that?” I asked.

“You are,” she said. “You need to work hard today.”

"I work hard every day, Aunt Millie,” I said. “This guy over here though… he’s not so fast in his old age.”

“That’s it,” Uncle Tom said. He slammed his elbow to the table. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?” I asked.

“Arm wrestle me.”

“Arm wrestle you?” I asked, starting to laugh.

“Easy, my big love,” Aunt Millie said in a soothing voice.

She touched his shoulder and he instantly calmed.

I watched the way they loved each other. How the hell they stuck through the storm called Ramsey I’ll never truly know. Raising me was probably the hardest thing they’d ever done. And even after I was all grown up, I still managed to fuck things up and break their hearts.

That’s why they didn’t talk about my house. They knew it existed. They just didn’t want to talk about it. The house was meant for something else and it didn’t happen. Because of me.

Uncle Tom went back to his breakfast and Aunt Millie gave me a quick smile and a long stare down, looking at all the food she cooked. There was only one choice when it came to Aunt Millie and her cooking. You ate until you were beyond full. If you weren’t at the point of feeling sick, you weren’t eating enough.

And no matter what I did wrong, or how many times I’d leave and say I was never coming back, one thing that always held true was that Aunt Millie had a meal waiting for me. All the time. I loved her for that and would forever keep that in my heart.

When I had my fill of breakfast, I left before Uncle Tom to get a jump on the working day. I had to work with the plumbers and electricians. Sometimes I missed the old grunt type days where it was nothing but physical labor for ten hours a day. Stopping only for a sandwich and some water.

Doc stood in the middle of the gutted living room of the house, surveying the place. Lance was in the kitchen, working. The rest of the guys were a mix of outside and part-time hires for Uncle Tom’s company.

“What are you thinking?” I asked Doc.

His old head turned, and he nodded. “There’s a leak in the ceiling over there. Always told your uncle these kind of projects were touchy.”

“Nothing that can’t be fixed, right?”

“Everything can be fixed, Ramsey.”

“Good,” I said. “Fix it.”

He made a comment under his breath, grumbling, and I knew it wasn’t worth the time to ask what he said. I joined Lance in the kitchen and went right to work.

That was always the only thing that kept my mind at ease. Focusing on work and wasting away time.

Before I knew it, everyone was breaking up to grab something for lunch. On top of having Doc and Lance there, Ed and Matt showed up too.

I was walking through the house when Matt stood up from working on something with the floor.

“Hey, Rams, got a sec?”

“Nope,” I said and kept walking toward the door.

Matt chased me to the porch. “I think Mary is with someone else.”

I froze. “What?”

“Yeah. At her parent’s place.”

“She’s still there?” I asked, finally looking at him. He looked tired and all beaten up to hell.

“Yeah,” Matt said. “Her parents never liked me, man. And they’re allowing her to do this…”

“How do you know she’s doing anything like that?”

“I was messing around online last night.”

“Don’t do the online thing, Matt,” I said. “Call her. Talk to her. You two are married. There’s no way she would mess that up.”

“I already messed it up,” he said. “Soo fucking bad.”

“Listen,” I said. I grabbed his shoulder. “My life isn’t one to look at for examples on how to make things work. But you two married each other. Maybe time apart is good. Maybe it’s bad. But you need to call her and talk to her. Even if it’s just a few minutes a day.”

“Yeah, maybe I should do that.”

“I’m taking off for a minute. Don’t fuck up that flooring.”

“Thanks,” Matt said.

“No problem,” I said.

I left, with one intention in my mind.

This wasn’t my normal routine as I stopped to get a coffee. I had no intention of drinking that coffee either. If anything, I was in the mood for a cold beer and the rest of the afternoon off to do nothing.

I respected the boundaries Jordyn put up when it came to protecting herself and her son. I wasn’t going to be the guy that destroyed those boundaries. But I had no problem leaning against them just to see how she would react.

I walked into the real estate office and was blasted with the fake pumpkin spice smell, the garland of fake leaves, and the fake pumpkins stacked in the window. A clean smelling office.

Definitely the opposite of the grungy construction office I had been working in most of my life.

As I approached the counter, I spotted Jordyn. She was on her phone but tucked away in a corner, trying to hide it. I put the coffee down and patiently waited. She had a purple shirt on, one that was made for hugging the natural curves of her body. Not to mention another pair of jeans, that in some strange way, almost made me jealous because of all the curves they got to touch.

Jordyn ended her call and dropped her phone to the counter. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

I cleared my throat.

She turned and let out a gasp. “Ramsey.”

“Hey, darling,” I said. I pointed to the phone. “Bad call?”

“Can’t remember the last time I got a good call,” she said. “What’s up? Having another meeting?”

“Nope,” I said. “Brought you this.”

I slid the coffee across the counter.

“You brought me coffee?” she asked.

“Yeah. That a problem?”

She looked reluctant to take the coffee. As though I had poisoned it or something.

“You okay?” I asked as she slowly lifted it off the counter.

“Why did you do this?”

“I felt like it,” I said. “I took a break from work and wanted to see you. It’s been more than a few days. I know we’re not quite at the second weekend yet. Is this wrong to do?”

She swallowed hard. “I guess not.”

“So, I found a loophole in your rules.”

“A loophole? Seriously?”

“Looks that way. I can just bring you coffee every day. I’ll get to see you then.”

“For only a few minutes.”

“It’s worth it.”

Her cheeks turned a little red. “Rams…”

I put my hands out. “Hey, I understand what you’re doing. I’m not going to go against that. I just want you to know that I’m thinking about you.”

“This is really nice,” she said. She looked at the coffee. “I’m not used to this.”

“Get used to it.”

“Hey, Jordyn, did you find that escrow…” A man in a suit came from nowhere. He stopped dead and looked right at me. “You’re Tom’s kid, right?”

“Nephew,” I said. “And I have a name. Ramsey.”

“That your last name?”

“Are you planning on hiring me?” I asked. “With the thousand questions?”

“Can you sell houses?” the man asked.

“If I can build them, I’m sure I can sell them.”

“Fine. You’re hired. Go sell something then.” He looked at Jordyn.

“I put the files on your desk,” she said. “Ramsey, this is Mike. He owns this place.”

“That’s why I can’t live without you,” Mike said. “She’s the best, right?”

“The best,” I said.

“You two want some time alone?” Jordyn asked.

“Is she always this mean?” I asked Mike.

“Always,” Mike said. He pointed at me. “When you get bored hammering nails and want to make real money, let me know.”

With that, Mike was gone.

“Looks like I just scored a job,” I said. “We can work together now. Talk about temptation.”

“Shut up,” Jordyn said. “You couldn’t cut it here.”

“That guy seems to like me,” I said.

“You think everyone likes you.”

“What about you?” I asked.

“What about me?”

“Do you like me?”

“Thanks for the coffee,” she said.

She took a drink and turned to walk to the printer. She playfully pressed a few buttons and the printer whirred to life. She glanced back, once, raising her eyebrow as she did.

Flirting with me, trying to test out how fast she could make the heart I didn’t have race.

She was good at that.

I left without saying goodbye.

Because I’d be back again soon.

* * *

I skipped out on the job site after the plumbers finished up their work. Doc had everything under control. He and Little Billy could handle the workload. Uncle Tom put Matt, Lance, Chris, and Ed at another job. He hadn’t been feeling too good, so Aunt Millie quarantined him on the couch with some of her famous chicken soup. That stuff could literally cure diseases.

It was almost worth getting sick, just so she’d make it for you.

After stopping for another coffee, I went to visit Jordyn again.

I couldn’t get enough of her because of how headstrong she was. She was supporting herself and her son, working damn near two jobs, her focus fully on him. She thought I was crazy for giving a damn about her, and I probably was. It frustrated the hell out of me that I couldn’t sweep her away for a random night out, but that made it even more intriguing.

When I arrived, Jordyn stopped working and sat there with a smile on her face. It was a what the hell are you doing to me? kind of smile, but it was one hundred percent genuine. That alone was worth waiting to see her again.

“Same as before,” I said as I put the coffee on the counter for her.

“You know, I’m going to get used to this.”

“That’s the point, darling.”

She looked up at me.

There were a few quiet seconds between us before the phone started to ring.

“Excuse me,” she said. She reached for the phone. “Bicker Real Estate, this is Jordyn, how can I help you?”

I stepped away from the counter.

The office had random pictures of houses on the walls. All the cliché stuff you’d expect. A country house with a red barn in the background. A colonial style home with a stone front porch and hand planters with bright colored flowers. A ranch style home with a basketball hoop in the driveway and a red tricycle in the yard. All the fantasy stuff that so many people wanted.

Each picture felt like a little punch to my heart.

What could have been so long ago. What could have been not that long ago.

What could still be…

“Which one is your favorite?”

Jordyn damn near scared me. She somehow snuck from the desk to stand next to me, coffee in hand.

“The farmhouse,” I said.

“Good choice,” she replied.

“Want to get some air for a second?” I asked.

“Sure. I’m due for a break anyway.”

I opened the door and held it for her.

The autumn air hit us, and it was cool yet crisp.

Jordyn walked to the side of the building and stood there, sipping her coffee.

“How long are you going to do this for me?” she asked.

“As long as I feel like,” I said.

“Can I ask what you get out of this?”

“Seeing you smile.”

“Oh, please,” she said. “That’s so dumb, Rams. Sorry.”

I laughed. “You don’t take compliments well, do you?”

“You know my situation here. I can’t let words like that get to me.”

“Fine,” I said. “What if I told you I have no fucking idea… that I just feel like it. I had a great time the night we met. And every time I get to see you…”

“That’s bullshit too,” Jordyn said. “You punched a guy. And then the next week we’re together, I’m fighting with my ex. That’s not exactly romantic.”

“Maybe I’m not looking for romantic.”

“So, you’re looking for coffee and casual conversation?”

“Yeah. Exactly.”

Jordyn shook her head. “I can’t figure you out, Rams.”

“That’s part of the fun.”

“This is fun for you?”

“Best fun I’ve ever had,” I said.

“Now I know you’re lying,” she said. “At least the coffee is good.”

“Better than my company?”

“Oh, totally better than your company,” she said. “I’m only talking to you so you don’t get jealous of the coffee. Also so you’ll bring me more.”

She could push back hard at me and that drove me crazy.

I moved toward her and she turned, putting her back against the building.

She did that quick lip bite thing again and I sucked in a breath.

“I have plenty of other reasons to get jealous with you, darling. Coffee’s not one.”

“Oh yeah? Like what then?”

“Anyone that gets to hear your voice on the phone,” I said. “Or gets to see you in person. Everything about you. Don’t ask questions about why I’m here or why you’re here. We just are, right now. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be. But I’m here.”

She slowly lifted the coffee cup to her lips and took a drink. Trying to be so collected. Yet I could damn near hear her heart thudding in her chest.

Or maybe it was just mine.

“Yes, you are here, Rams,” she said. “But nothing is going to change for me. You know that.”

“I know,” I said. “And it baffles my damn mind.”

“Mine too,” Jordyn said. “You kind of took over my mind a little, Rams.”

“So, you think about me when I’m not around?”

“Yeah.”

“I would never ask you for the kind of trust you’re scared to give. Because I don’t know if I trust myself, darling. But being near you feels good. So, I’ll bring you coffee during the week if you keep your free weekend open for me.”

She swallowed hard again. “I think I can make that work.”

“Good,” I said. There was this growl in the back of my throat. Like I had smoked an entire pack of cigarettes without a break.

I inched forward and gently pressed my lips to hers.

There was no way in hell I was leaving without a kiss.

I tasted her soft, naturally pouty lips, tasting coffee. My body tightened and the desire to press forward against her raged inside me.

When I backed away, she stood there, one hand flat against the building, the other hand barely holding onto the coffee. It was tilted almost far enough to spill.

“Only two days to go,” I said. “I’ll see you Friday night?”

Her lips moved for a few seconds before she said anything. “Okay…”

“I promise we won’t go to Shammy’s. I have something else in mind.”

“I take it you’re going to do the whole surprise me thing?”

“Of course I am. Build the suspense.”

“I can build suspense too, Rams.”

“How so?”

“That kiss you just stole? That’s all you’re going to get. Because I love suspense.”

I nodded and curled my lip. She could get to me in a way not many could. She could stand up to me. She could even get close to winning against me. And in some way, I wanted her to do that. To push at me. To make it hard for me to get what I wanted. Because I wanted to push back and know more about her.

But if I did that, she’d want to know more about me.

And if she knew everything about me, she’d run like hell.