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Chapter 22
It had been a week since I saw Grant. We’d texted back and forth and had a couple of small conversations on the phone, but it didn’t feel like it used to. He kept me updated on the house, and I was polite and responsive. It wasn’t our typical joking around and I could tell he was walking on eggshells around me. His last text to me was about the house only needing paint and trim, and that it would be finished in the next week or so.
I spent the last week making myself as busy as possible. The longer I was away from my phone, the less temptation I had to call Grant. I finished cleaning and organizing my classroom, I had coffee with Ashley as much as I could, I hiked trails, went to two painting classes…if there was a local event going on, I was there. Anything to get my mind off Grant.
I was conflicted. I thought at this point I would be super excited about my upcoming move. In reality, I hadn’t packed a single box yet, and I was currently sitting on my living room floor in Grant’s T-shirt drinking my sugar-free Vanilla Coke and singing Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Dreams’ a little too loud- and certainly off-key.
I heard my phone ding and I reached for it, expecting it to be Ashley calling me back. Instead, I was met with a random number.
“Hello?” I answer slowly, expecting a spam call.
“June? It’s Beau.” Oh. Beau had never reached out to me through the phone other than when Grant had hurt his arm. My mind immediately went to a dark place and I started to think about what could have happened for him to call.
“Oh gosh. What happened?”
His deep chuckle filled the speaker of my phone. “Nothing happened this time, we just need you to come to the house and check on something.”
Curious, I placed my drink on the end table and stood up to pace the room.
“Well, can’t I just come by tomorrow morning?” I needed more mental preparation to see Grant and the house.
“No!” He practically shouted in my phone and I was taken back. “It’s got to be decided on tonight because we have to have it done before trim.” I was suspicious, but I don’t hate the idea of having an excuse to see Grant, and the house, of course.
“Okay, well I can be there at about six-thirty, will you still be there then?” He confirmed the time and told me they would be waiting for me.
I pulled on some leggings and threw a denim jacket on to cover my oversized shirt.
Pulling up to the house, I only saw Grant’s truck in the driveway. Since I was last here, they painted the siding white, added wood shutters, painted the front door a sage green, and replaced the gutters. There was also finished landscaping around the bottom of the house, including mulch and some cute, trimmed bushes. The house was hardly recognizable, and I was amazed at the amount that had changed since I was here last.
I knocked on the backdoor before cracking it open. “Hello?” No one stood in the kitchen, and only one small light in the hallway shined through. I slowly walked through the house, slightly spooked at the silence.
There was sudden loud drilling in the bedroom across from me. I pushed on the door slightly to find Grant crouched down, looking at some baseboard trim. Obviously, he had no idea I was standing there, so I took a minute to take in his features. His hat was backward, and his forehead was covered in sweat, dripping on the floor. His eyebrows furrowed as he focused on his task. His back strained.
I knocked twice on the door, lightly, so as not to scare him. His eyes darted across to mine, and he looked confused, grabbing a random rag and wiping his forehead off.
“Hey. I didn’t know you were coming by. It’s late, isn’t it?” I checked the time, and it was only six-thirty, but he knew it was later than I would usually go out.
“Beau called; he said you guys had something for me to look at?”
Grant rubbed his eyes in evident frustration and let out a deep sigh. “No, I wasn’t aware you were coming. Sorry, he didn’t mention it.” My cheeks flushed, embarrassed that I came over here when there wasn’t a need to, but I supposed seeing Grant in person wasn’t exactly a con to this. I would certainly need to call Beau after and thank him.
“Oh, okay. Well, I guess I’ll just go, let you get back to work.” I turned my back to him and headed down the hall, feeling lightheaded to even be in the same room as him. “Don’t work too late.” I knew he had a habit of working way past everyone else to distract his mind, and although my comment may not send him home, it couldn’t hurt.
I felt his hand wrap around my arm. “Stay. I can show you the updates we’ve done.” I had been so focused on him that I hadn’t really taken a look at the rest of the house. My arm burned where his hand wrapped around me, my chemistry with him was undeniable and I was immediately reminded of the night in his place. I looked at him, and judging by his dark gaze, he felt the same.
“Oh, yeah I’d love to.” His hand dropped from me and hid in his pocket. Grant guided me through the house, showing me where he had updated electrical GFCIs and the new cosmetics. He told me about Beau doing all the outside work and the extra guys on the crew doing the finishing touches. A couple of months ago, I would have jumped up and down seeing this house and all of the new renovations. Don’t get me wrong, I was still excited about it, but Grant’s presence had me so high-strung I could hardly focus on my surroundings.
His mouth was moving but I had no clue what he was saying. I just stood there staring at his jawline move as each word came out of his mouth. His hands were in the pockets of his dirty dark gray pants, and his work boots made him a good three inches taller than usual. I was surprised he even fit in the doorways in this house. The bedrooms are all good sizes, but Grant made them feel like we were in a coat closet.
“You know?” I certainly had not been listening, but I just nodded my head along.
“Right. Right.” Grant’s face held a small smirk as if he knew I had been out of focus during the entirety of our conversation. I felt the heat rising up my neck and I had no doubt my face was bright red. I turned from the guest room and walked back to the kitchen and living area, needing some kind of space between the two of us.
I could practically feel the heat radiating off of Grant, and although it had been a week since we last saw each other, it clearly had no effect on my natural reaction. I decided to take off my denim jacket in fear I might spontaneously combust just by staring at the man in the room.
The open space flowed right into the dining room with the wall torn down in the kitchen. I leaned my backside against the new granite countertops and felt the cold solid surface on the tips of my fingers. Grant stopped a couple of feet in front of me, staring intensely at me from my head down to my chest. I looked down, realizing I was still wearing his shirt.
Grant stepped closer, leaving hardly any space for my boundaries—both physically and mentally. His hand reached up to brush against the hem of my shirt, which really was his shirt. His eyes stared at my abdomen, and even though the large shirt was three sizes too big for me, I felt as though I was the prettiest girl in Lakeshore.
