My stomach flipped completely inappropriately at the brief eye contact we’d had then.
I swallowed had and focused back on my work.
The sooner this room was done, the sooner I got my space back.
***
Hours later, all the paper was off, and the first coat of base paint was on Ellie’s room. An obnoxious shade of green had been the paint beneath the paper—yellow and red in Eli’s room—and it was going to take several coats of white just to cover it up.
I hadn’t been anticipating that. And that little detail had screwed with my plan, because I needed at least one more day to get that done, which pushed back my timeline by probably two or three. There wasn’t a chance in hell I was putting that floor in until the walls were done, done, done.
I yawned as I dumped my stuff in the back of my truck. I’d left the paint and roller after cleaning it in the bathroom, because I knew that would be my day tomorrow: painting and more painting.
What I needed right now was a hot shower. My shoulders killed from all the scraping and holding my arms above my head, and my neck was aching from it, too.
And a nap. God, I needed a nap. Or three…or four…
The most terrifying thing about this was the fact I kept wondering…Would I have to battle the kids all the time? Or did Brantley hear my silent questions to keep them away? Soon enough, I’d be doing more work and bringing other people in to fit the floors and do the electrics. I had my friend, Eric, coming in on Wednesday to look over the electrics of their rooms.
With any luck, he’d keep them out of the way.
I had a burning question: What the hell was he doing here, in Rock Bay?
I knew his wife died, but was that enough of a reason to move here? Colorado to California wasn’t exactly the other side of the country, but it was far enough from his family, whom I presumed still lived in Denver.
I had no place wondering it. It was none of my business, but I had a big issue when it came to what was my business and what wasn’t. More to the point: I didn’t care. I was like a dog with a bone when there was information to be had, and I blamed that on living in such a small town.
I always knew everything about everybody, so when I was faced with a situation where I didn’t…I didn’t like it much.
In fact, I was kinda twitchy about it.
Brush it off, I told myself. Forget about it. It really, really was none of my business.
I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel as I pulled into my driveway. I pushed the stick into neutral and killed the engine with a twist of the key. The echo of my keyrings as they jingled through the cab of the truck, and I sighed, sitting back in my seat.
After staring at the side of my house for a moment, I pulled my cell out of my pocket and texted Jayda.
Me: Are you at work?
Jayda: About to start. Got 5. What’s up?
Me: Tell me that Hot Dad’s reasons for moving here are none of my business.
Jayda: Hot Dad’s reasons for moving here are none of your business
Me: THANK YOU
Jayda: But they are my business
Me: I take it back
Jayda: Why did Hot Dad move here?
Me: Idk. That’s the point
Jayda: Find out
Me: You’re supposed to be making sure I DON’T
Jayda: It’s Hot Dad or Mr. Kinky Sub’s
Me: Don’t even
Jayda: I know your MatchPlus password
Me: You’re a bitch
Jayda: *devil emojis*
Ugh.
I locked my phone, refusing to reply, and hopped out of my truck. This wasn’t what I signed up. Had Jayda even seen him, or was she operating solely on the Rock Bay Gossip Vine?
Wait—no. I knew the answer to that. She’d probably been grocery shopping an hour after him and now she was a fucking expert in the Hot Dad.
Damn my life, I needed to stop calling him that. It wasn’t going to help the awkwardness I felt around him.
I didn’t know a hot guy that wasn’t my friend. And I absolutely had no time in my life for someone with children.
Hadn’t I just turned down a guy on the dating site because he had a kid?
Yes. Yes, I had. I was shallow and selfish, and I was okay with that. I didn’t picture my life with kids in it. I was the person who, when asked, “When are you having kids?” said, “Never. I don’t want them.”
At least, not right now. Maybe that would change in the future, but right now, in the place I was in my life, I was happy with my choice. Jayda was desperate to meet Mr. Right and settle down, but all I wanted was Mr. Oh-Right-There unless he didn’t want kids either.