I raise an eyebrow, skeptical of what she’s trying to tell me. She’s much younger than me and sounds like she has some experience. One of the hardest parts about being a couple is how much two people can change over the course of their relationship, even if they were super compatible at the beginning.
“We can only hope, Sarah,” I say, turning to help Midge, Earl’s next-door neighbor.
Someday we’ll be able to expand to the rest of the town, but for now, I’m grateful for the customers we have. Add Pearl and Max, and we’re breaking records for our business.
My thoughts drift to Max, upstairs. He keeps surprising me, and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.
The trick is not falling for him. But am I strong enough not to?
15
MAX
It feels like I’m intruding on Avery’s space when I walk inside her apartment.
The living room holds a long sofa, along with a small entertainment center and a medium-sized television. There are a few pictures along the walls, but it’s mostly landscape or random objects.
The kitchen has that look like it’s fairly new, but when looking closer, I can tell the tile is already pulling away from the cabinet top, and the paint looks like it was sloppily applied to the walls.
My stomach twists. No one should be renting a brand-new apartment and dealing with all these issues. Especially not someone I’ve come to care about.
Am I bummed she hasn’t texted me yet? I want to say no, but in truth, yeah.
I’d thought about taking her to a sandwich place on the edge of town for a lunch break. A coffee date seems a little weird since she owns the shop, and I don’t like committing to a full dinner on the first date, just so she doesn’t feel like she has to stick around if she’s not feeling it.
But I guess I shouldn’t worry about it.
What I need to do is focus on the sink. I offered to fix it, and I want to make sure it gets taken care of.
I pull everything out from under the sink and set it to the side, giving myself plenty of room to work. With my head resting on the bottom of the inside of the cabinet, I can see some dark spots on the pipes. Using a flashlight reveals rust spots in some areas. Those shouldn’t be there after only a few months, even if it’s been dripping consistently.
Rusty must’ve used old parts and pocketed the rest of the money. I grit my teeth, frustrated that things have turned out this way.
Did Aiden use Rusty for his projects? Or was Rusty the alternative because the better contractors were working on his buildings?
And now I feel even worse for Avery. She had to pay for a complete remodel instead of just the things she needs for her business. Owners who make the renter pay for that kind of stuff aren’t looking for the long-term benefits of keeping the building rented out, just the quick payoff.
I’d given her a chance to vent and she was upfront, but she didn’t whine about the problems.
“This is what we Bauer men do, son. We marry the right person and go on with our lives.”
I’m surprised by the resurgence of my father’s words in a moment like this.
What if Avery is the right person?
I blow out a breath, not comfortable with the fact my brain is going in that direction so soon.
16
AVERY
There’s a lot of clanging upstairs, and I wonder if Max is having trouble pulling anything apart.
“Why don’t you go up and help him?” Sarah asks.
“It’s not like I can do much more damage than what’s already been done.”
If only I hadn’t rushed into signing the lease before making sure things were all in order. But then again…we were staying in the B&B once Cora’s home sold, and we were ready for more permanence than take out and the laundromat. Instead of money in the bank from the house sale, Cora got nothing and is still trying to pay off the debts, which means I’m paying all the rent at this point.
