Murph had an unexpected day off because his bosses are heading out of town to meet a potential new client. I should have known he’d be at home today since he was renovating the spare bedroom in the morning when he usually grabs breakfast and is out the door soon after. He’s been up here quietly working away while I’ve done laundry, watched cartoons with Ben in the living room, and called my parents to check in.
The spare bedroom door was open, and instead of saying anything, I stood in the doorway, watching him. While I was downstairs with Ben, he patched all the holes, painted the ceiling, and is just now finishing the trim. In maybe three hours, he’s gotten so much of this room looking refreshed. He’ll probably have everything finished by the end of today.
There’s something intensely attractive about someone who knows how to do something so well and just… does it. There’s no hesitation. No doubt. Just a quiet confidence that comes from knowing exactly how to do a job well.
He returns his angled paintbrush to a small paint tray, stands up and stretches, a muscle in his neck cracking. He glances my way. His eyes snap back to mine in a double-take. “Hey.” A slow, pleased smile spreads across his handsome face. “Didn’t realizeyou were there. I cracked the windows open all the way, but if you smell the fumes down?—”
My cheeks heat at being caught ogling red-handed. “No. I can’t smell any fumes. That, uh, wasn’t why I was here. I heard you in here, and I was curious.” I cross my arms for something to do.
His eyes skim over me, lingering on the strip of belly that always shows when my t-shirt rides up. Two beats later, he wrenches his gaze away with the speed of a man caught doing something he shouldn’t have. He directs his full attention to an unpainted beige wall, but from the tension radiating up his spine, I swear I feel his focus still fixed on me. “It was time I got back to work. I haven’t been making time for it.”
Trying to finish renovating a house while a five-year-old is running around and being curious every chance he gets must have wreaked havoc on his ability to finish this project.
I step into the room. “Sorry. Ben likes to distract anyone he finds. You probably could have finished it if you hadn’t come to Harry’s birthday party.”
“I wanted to go. It was fun, and there’s not much left to do here now. After this bedroom, it’s just the dining room and the attic.”
“Why didn’t you start the dining room first?”
“None of us use it, but whoever buys this place will want it done.”
I frown. “Whoever buys it?”
His eyes turn hooded as I close the distance between us. “It was a foreclosure when Win and Joel bought it. I pay rent now, but it was never intended to be a permanent home for any of us.”
“Why not?”
“It’s too expensive and much bigger than what we need. We’d only ever intended to renovate and flip for profit. Not to live in.”
But it’s not too big. It’s the perfect size for all of us.
That’s strangely heartbreaking. I thought house flips were purely business transactions, using cheap materials to maximize profit when selling. There’s so much love in this house. It feels like a home.
“But it’s so beautiful.”
I’d guessed the house might be expensive. We’re within walking distance of downtown Rios, and a six-bedroom house with a massive backyard and a gorgeous porch can’t be cheap, even if it’s in a small town in Iowa.
He scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, that’s just the way things are.”
That doesn’t sound like someone eager to sell.
“When are you putting it on the market?” I ask.
“Not sure yet. Just as soon as we get the work done.”
“And then?”
He shrugs. “Look for somewhere cheaper, I guess.”
“Oh.” It’s truly soul-crushing to think of this beautiful home belonging to someone else. “Um, I should leave you to get back to work, but I wanted to say thanks.”
He cocks his head. “For?”
“Ben. You don’t have to keep him occupied in the mornings.”
He shrugs. “It’s no hardship. My days don’t usually start until 8 or 9.” He gives me a pointed look. “And if it wasn’t obvious, Ilikespending time with Ben. No one can make me do something I don’t want to. Spending time with Ben is a pleasure.”
“He likes spending time with you, too,” I admit, and there’s no missing Murph’s happiness. “But he’s high-energy. He tires everyone out with his endless enthusiasm.” Me included.
