“Yeah. Want to check it out? It’s in the truck.”
She pressed her lips together. “I’m kinda…” She fluttered her hands to encompass the chaos. “Can it wait?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Disappointment slapped hard.
“I’m just kinda in the zone, you know?”
“Yeah, totally get it. How many times have I done an all-nighter?”
“Right?” She gave me a half smile and blew the curl out of her face.
The phone rang and she popped up. She was wearing a pair of the artfully stitched jeans. This one was bright pink thread on dark washed denim. A matching bright pink tank peeked from underneath the oversized dark sweater she was wearing.
I wanted to step forward and kiss the slash of skin showing.
But that definitely wasn’t happening. Not when she practically sprinted to get to the phone when just a second earlier, she’d practically told me to buzz off.
“Stupid,” I muttered to myself. The call was business, but still, it felt as if she didn’t want to be in the same space with me.
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I shifted to see her at the ancient avocado-green wall phone. The cord was stretched to the limit as she ducked in the back.
Private conversation?
“You are seriously losing it over this chick.” I twisted my hat around. “And talking to yourself.”
I backed up. My big boots would probably crush something up there if I got any closer anyway. Her low voice floated out of the back storeroom. Seemed like a customer call.
I sighed and took the box with the large pendant lights to a rare naked corner in her place. I’d outfitted the ceiling with various hooks for just this kind of thing. I pulled the little stepladder out from behind a heavy curtain. She’d wanted to soften the brick and cut down on some of the echo of the large room.
Yet another thing I’d helped her with. Just how blind had I been about this woman?
I pulled my multi-tool out of my pocket and quickly hung the lights. I’d already checked the guts of the unit to make sure the lightbulb wouldn’t start a damn fire. Just what this place needed, another fire hazard.
The brass patterned box around it was pretty cool, all things considered. Maybe she’d notice it.
I stepped down and tucked the ladder back on its hidden hook. Kin was still in the back. Today was definitely not my day—again.
Just as I got to the door, I noticed her peeking around.
Looking for a customer? Or to see if I’d left?
I slammed the door behind me and headed back down to my shop where shit still made sense.
Three days later, I was staring at the Art Deco console in the corner of my shop again. Part of me wanted to do the rehab on it and then bring it up, the other half wanted to see Kinleigh’s reaction first. She got such a kick out of old, broken pieces that she could make new again.
My heart kicked under my ribs. That side of her used to annoy me.
“Think it’s going to talk or something? Does the wood do that for you?” Jared whispered out of the side of his mouth.
I couldn’t fight back my grin. “Where’d you come from?”
“St. Marie’s Ave.”
“Smart ass.” I straightened and tossed my rag at his stupid large brimmed hat.