l right.” She wiggled past the grout bucket. “Be back soon.”
I turned back to the tub. “Work,” I mumbled. “Just fucking work.”
That night I ate quickly, praising Olivia’s cooking before running for the barn. She had brought out another bottle of wine, but I turned down the glass she offered. I would wait until she fell asleep before I headed back to the house for a shower.
Being around her was killing me. It was torture to have her right in front of me, but I couldn’t touch her. I couldn’t make her mine.
I needed a side project at night. Something to keep my hands busy. Otherwise they were going to end up on her.
The workshop in the barn was well equipped with tools. I rummaged through the supplies, examining a stack of teak wood stashed under a cabinet. I held one of the pieces between my hands. It was good wood. The veins of the cut would make a nice piece of furniture.
I turned to the saw and came up with a plan. This would be perfect. I drew out a diagram and got to work.
A few hours later I climbed the stairs to the apartment. The wind had picked up and I looked out the window, waiting for Olivia’s bedroom light to go black. The branches swayed. Finally, her light went out. I picked up my shaving kit and made the trek across the yard.
This was the way it had to be for now. I let himself in the house, listening for any sounds that Olivia might be awake.
I walked to the bathroom, locked the door behind me, and started the shower. I tried to ignore the fact that one story up Olivia was sleeping in her bed.
10
Olivia
Jake had been at the house for three weeks. I kneeled on the porch, running a paintbrush over the new wooden beams he had used to replace the rotting pieces.
I couldn’t figure him out. I couldn’t figure any of it out. He had landed on my doorstep ready to do anything I asked. He was here as some sort of gift from Elliot.
The light switch in my room worked. The step had been replaced. The dryer didn’t make a rattling sound anymore. My shower didn’t leak. The gate opened. The porch swing was hung. Right now, Jake was on the roof, tacking down new shingles.
Every morning we had breakfast together. Every afternoon lunch. And at night I made dinner. Not just any dinner. I tried recipes I had never attempted. Heavy Italian sauces. Grilled combinations with special herbs and spices. I dusted off my old cookbooks. I did everything I could to impress him with my cooking. But after every meal he cleaned the kitchen and hit the door for the barn.
It didn’t make any sense. His eyes were always on me. I hadn’t been with many men, but I knew when eyes were undressing me. And Jake Crane was always undressing me.
I shoved the paintbrush back in the can and stood back to examine my work. Once the paint dried it would blend in with the rest of the railing.
“Hey.”
I jumped then spun around.
“You scared me.”
“Sorry.” He grinned. “Done on the roof.”
“How did you do that so fast?” The bridge of his forehead was sweaty. Damn he was the sexiest sweaty man I had ever seen.
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought. But I did notice some brick missing around the chimney. I’m going to head to the store and get some. Be back.”
“Want me to ride with you?” I offered.
“Nah. I got it.”
I watched him climb into his Jeep and speed off down the driveway. I put my hands on my hips. Maybe there wasn’t much to figure out. Jake wasn’t interested. The sooner I accepted that, the easier it would be to spend time with him every day.
I had been dreading it, but Elliot’s room wasn’t going to pack itself. I pushed open the door, armed with cardboard boxes and a trash bag.
“I can’t believe you left me this mess,” I spoke to the empty room.
Once Elliot joined the Army, he had made the house his legal residence and moved everything from his apartment into this bedroom. He said there was no reason to keep an apartment or to buy another house. He was a drifter as long as he was a Ranger.