Page 35 of Oops I Fell For The Electrician Next Door

“Then I will trust you to come back.”

The teasing leaves his expression. “You can.”

“I know.”

The words are new and frightening, but they are true.

Marc kisses me beneath the moon while the Fletchers laugh around the fire behind us. When his mouth moves over mine, I feel all the risks I have been counting since he arrived. I also feel the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath my palm. For once, I allow myself to count that too.

Chapter Fourteen

Marc

Sunday morning, I turn over the lakefront project a little after ten a.m. The owner shakes my hand, my boss signs the final report, and the men who have spent the week working beneath me scatter toward trucks, flights, and the next assignment. I should feel the familiar pull to follow them. Instead, I drive back to Eight Pines.

Kelsey is kneeling beneath the kitchen sink in Cabin Three when I find her. A stack of towels lies on the floor, the cabinet doors are open, and water drips steadily into a plastic pan.

“What happened?” I ask.

Her head appears beside the drainpipe. “A supply line began leaking. I shut off the valve, but it has been dripping long enough to soak the cabinet. The plumber is on his way.”

“What do you need?”

She looks at me as if the question surprises her, then points toward the porch. “There is a box fan in the laundry room at my cabin. Bring it here, please.”

I retrieve the fan, position it where she directs, and plug it into the wall. The outlet is protected and the cord remains clear of the wet area. I check both without commenting because I am capable of being useful without turning every moment into a professional consultation.

Kelsey crawls out from beneath the sink and sits back on her heels. A streak of dust crosses one cheek. “Project finished?”

“Signed, tested, and officially someone else’s problem.”

Her smile is immediate. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

She stands and slides her arms around my waist. I hold her against me, breathing in the clean scent of her hair beneath the damp wood and industrial fan. This is what I came back for. Not an emergency or a job waiting to be solved. Her.

“You called the plumber before trying to rebuild the sink yourself,” I say.

“I know my limits.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Careful. I can still reach the wrench.”

I kiss the dust from her cheek. “I also came to say goodbye before I leave for Denver.”

Her arms tighten once before loosening. “When will you be back?”

“Monday night if the meeting ends on time. Tuesday morning if it doesn’t.”

“Cabin Seven will be waiting.”

“So will you?”

Kelsey meets my eyes. “Yes.”

One word shouldn’t have the power to rearrange a man’s chest. In this case, it does.