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She moved toward my dining room where one of Emmett’s large farm tables rested unused. “This fixture is great.”
It was a wood beam hanging by ropes from the ceiling, and candles rested inside. “I’ve never had an occasion to light them.”
“You should invite your family and host a meal,“ Holly said, but I couldn’t imagine doing that without her here.
“Emmett made the table and the cabinet.” I gestured to the only other piece of furniture in the room.
“He does good work. You and your brothers are so talented.”
“We like to tease Sebastian because he’s only good with spreadsheets.”
“That comes in handy, though, doesn’t it? I’m awful at the numbers side of things.”
“I’m sure he’d take a look at your books if you wanted him to.”
“Maybe.” Holly pursed her lips as she moved around the room, pausing to look out the window by the front porch. “It’s so private here. Quiet.”
I tipped my head to the side. “I never really thought about it. But I guess it is.”
“You spend all of your time in the shed with machinery running?” Holly said as she turned, a smile on her face.
“That’s about right.” My heart beat a little harder at the fact that she was inside my cabin. It was something I’d dreamt about but never thought would happen.
“I have to sit for a minute.” Holly brushed past me and into the sunken room with the fireplace I almost never used. She perched on the ottoman of the sectional, stretching her neck first in one direction, then the other.
“Still stiff?”
“Yeah, I tend to stay in the same cramped position when I’m working.”
“Do you mind?” I knelt behind her on the cushion and rested my hands on her shoulders.
She smiled over her shoulder. “Are you giving me a shoulder massage?”
“If you’re okay with that.” I didn’t want to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with.
She squeezed my fingers. “Go ahead.”
When her hand fell away, I kneaded my fingers in her tight muscles, and her head dropped back slightly, her eyes closed, and she moaned softly. “That feels amazing. Your hands are magic.”
I could have joked with her, said some off-color remark about what else my hands could do. But we were past all of that. This thing we shared was deep, even if it was mired in hurt.
I worked on her muscles as best I could without any formal training. I just knew how I felt after a long day at work and attempted to ease her stiff muscles.
When I worked through the tension, she said, “Thank you, Talon. That was nice.”
Holly turned to face me on the cushion, her leg brushing against mine. I was all too aware of how close we were in this position.
I cleared my throat and stood so I could create some space between us. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable or make her feel like I was pushing her for anything beyond friendship. “Are you ready to go?”
She smiled softly. “I think I’m more ready for a nap than anything else right now.” Then she slapped her hands on her thighs. “But I can muster up some energy.”
“How about some coffee?” I tended to drink caffeine all day long if I was working on a project. Then I had trouble sleeping.
“I’d love some,” Holly said as she followed me into the kitchen.
I poured her a cup and pulled out the milk. “I don’t keep creamer on hand. I don’t get many guests.”
“I’m surprised you remember how I take my coffee.”
