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24
The garage door was open,the inside cleared except for the pile of lumber on the concrete floor to make the riser, ramp surface, and the posts and pieces for the handrail.A circular saw was plugged into a wall outlet, and an electric drill and boxes of nails sat next to it.
Chase looked up as Timmy bounced into sight, Katie closely following.
“He wanted to help…” Katie said, her voice lamely trailing.She skidded to a stop, surveying the materials spread on the ground.“Where are you building the ramp?”
“I’ll attach the ramp to the landing here, which is flush with the door threshold.”Chase walked over to the door that opened into the garage, pointing to the existing landing and the two stairs.He knocked on the outer wood railing.“And I’ll remove this handrail to create the ramp access, while the other handrail attached to the wall remains.The ramp will also have these rails, with one against the wall.”
“It’ll be wider than the steps,” Katie observed from a closer distance.
“And safer.”
They were interrupted by a grunt and a yell in quick succession as Timmy struggled to pick up a piece of wood before dropping it on the concrete, making a loud thunk.
Chase rushed over to a red-faced Timmy.“Are you okay?”
“I just wanna help.”
“This piece is too heavy for you.”Chase picked up a shorter, lighter piece of wood.“Tell you what… can you handle these short spindles for the handrail?”
Timmy reached for it, and grinned when he succeeded.
“Okay then, can you bring them over there to the garage stairs?”
“Yeah.”
“Good,” Chase said, patting the child’s back.“You’re a big help.”
“What can I do?”Katie asked.
“How about you hand the pieces to me when I need them, except for those heavy ones?”Chase glanced at the largest pieces of lumber.
The three ofthem worked steadily and in rhythm.Katie stole side glances at Chase out of the corner of her eyes as he busied himself with measuring and marking, cutting wood, and driving in screws.
She couldn’t help thinking about last night.Did it really happen?Or was it a figment of her imagination and lust?It took all her will to act naturally in the presence of little Timmy and her family.Since Chase had arrived, they hadn’t had a chance to be alone—not even for a minute.She wasn’t going to bring it up.She considered it, wondering if it was even wise, and if she did, what would she say?They’d had a future together and had talked about it and planned for it—a long time ago.Katie blamed herself for not reaching out, but her pride had held her back.She had broken up with Chase, and she wouldn’t be the one to call or beg him to come back.She had pushed it out of her mind and turned off the replay button.She still had memories, but they were archived when it concerned the two of them.
She hid a smile, bending her head down as last night’s memories flooded her thoughts unbidden.These recent memories were still fresh, and she couldn’t shake them off yet—and didn’t want to.
Chase hardly talkedwhile he was working on building the ramp.He’d explained to them he needed to concentrate, especially when taking measurements and cutting.It was true.But he knew he was putting off the inevitable, and Katie was bound to bring up last night.
In the bright light of day, he tried to make sense of the night before—those emotions gripped him so powerfully, churning and playing with his heart, heating to new heights under the light of the moon.He felt as if he were under a spell, and there was no way out except one.The pull was magical as he gazed deeply into her soft eyes, inhaled her maddening scent, and cradled his head in the valley of her chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, not letting him go.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts.Nope, he wasn’t going down this path again.He’d learned his lesson.Ten years without hearing a single word from Katie, and now, she’d shown up again.Resentment crept back in.He’d given her his love once, but she’d dropped him cold and cut up his heart into pieces.It’d taken almost all this time to forget and patch his broken heart.He’d vowed he’d never let her hurt him again.The bitterness had left an ugly taste in his mouth.
It was Timmy who had healed him—the innocence and love of this child had given Chase the ability to love again.More than anyone in this world, Timmy had opened his heart.
