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Wes let her focus on the task, taking in the sights of Albany. As she drove, his mind turned toward her pregnancy. This time next year she’d have a baby to care for. Was Wes ready to be a father? He’d wanted to have children someday, but he certainly hadn’t been in any kind of hurry.
Thoughts of babies led to the memory of Avery on the night of the emergency labor and delivery. It didn’t seem fair that the woman who wanted a child so badly couldn’t have one, and the woman who didn’t want a baby was unexpectedly gifted with one. He whispered a little prayer for Avery.
He really had to stop thinking about her. It wasn’t helpful. “I have a couple leads on jobs. There’s a home-improvement company looking for window and door installers.”
“That’s great. I think you’ll find the cost of living here really good.”
He’d hoped to find a position as a contractor. It paid better and he found it more fulfilling. But he’d take whatever he could get and keep an eye out for something better. The town seemed nice. Much bigger than Riverbend Gap, of course. There were several concrete high-rises in the distance and the typical Saturday afternoon congestion on the highway.
He scanned the landscape surrounding the town and found himself missing the towering mountains he’d been hiking for months. A silence had settled between them. “I’m ready to get back to a steady job and a bed I’m not carrying on my back.”
“I’ll bet. I thought I’d cook something tonight. Figured you’d probably be ready for a home-cooked meal by now.”
“That sounds great. Landon always said you were a great cook. He raved about your lasagna.”
“He was such a mooch. He’d invite himself over for dinner all the time.”
“Well, he was a terrible cook so...”
She laughed. “He really was. He wasn’t even allowed in my kitchen. Once he set off the smoke alarm reheating pizza.”
“He told me about that. He also told me if you don’t wantto be tasked with a job, just do it badly. So I’m not entirely sure that pizza incident was an accident.”
“You’re probably right. He was an expert at weaseling out of what he didn’t want to do. All that charm... the women went nuts for him. He could’ve been married three times over before he ever went to Colombia.”
“Oh, believe me, his charms weren’t overlooked there either.”
She cut him a sideways look. “I’m sure the two of you got plenty of female attention.”
“Aw, not me.”
“Ha! You’re as bad as he was—completely oblivious to your charisma. That’s part of your charm, I guess.”
Wes didn’t think he was in possession of said charisma but he let it go. He changed the topic back to her job as they drove toward the place he’d call home for at least a few months. The weight in his stomach was only fatigue from his long journey. He just needed some good sleep and a day or two to recover. Then he’d feel more like himself.
Chapter37
Wes moved the stack ofPeoplemagazines and settled on Lillian’s sofa. She’d lived in the lower-level apartment for a while. In fact, Landon had lived here with her before he took the job in Colombia.
Wes had accomplished a lot in the two weeks since he’d arrived in Albany. He’d bought a beater truck and all the tools he needed for his new job installing windows. The work was okay and the people in the office were pleasant, but he’d be glad when the stifling August heat gave way to cooler autumn temperatures.
However, once winter set in, window installs would come to a grinding halt. He’d already started setting back money to prepare for leaner months. Maybe there’d be opportunity for promotion within the company later when residential building picked up again.
Since he was a subcontractor, the company didn’t offer health insurance, and he couldn’t afford his own just yet. He hoped his back held up—the only doctor who’d offer free care was eight hundred miles away.
Wes scanned the lived-in space, taking in the piles of newspapers and socks and shoes, discarded right where they’d been removed. The kitchen seemed to have a perpetual pile of dirty dishes—he’d loaded them in the dishwasher the three times he’d been invited over for dinner. Landon had never mentioned Lillian was a bit of a clutter bug. Then again, Landon hadn’t exactly been a neat freak himself.
Wes wasn’t compulsive by any means—he’d been known to go weeks without dusting or vacuuming—but the clutter bothered him. When he built homes, he expected subcontractors to leave the work space tidy. And as a window installer, he left no traces of the job behind. He even touched up the landscaping to make sure he left it as he’d found it.
But to each his own.
He’d attended Lillian’s church twice and met a few of her friends. They seemed like nice people. The pastor was a solid preacher, and the worship was refreshing. It was good to know she had a support system.
The smell of popcorn wafted his way. He was supposed to be selecting a movie. He surfed through the Netflix guide, searching for something that might appeal to them both.Safe Havenshowed up among the selections, taking him back to the night Avery and he had watched the movie in her bedroom. He recalled the easy banter, the light teasing, the delicious tension. The sultry way she looked at him, making awareness crackle between them. The way he admitted to being jealous of that man she’d danced with—what had he hoped to gain by admitting that?
Unable to resist, he pulled out his phone and opened the photo of Avery and him on the bed. She seemed so happy, so relaxed. For that matter, so did he. He missed the comfortingway she’d rested her hand on his shoulder when he was hurt or upset. He missed their engaging conversations about politics and religion and books. Had it really only been four weeks since he’d seen her? It seemed like an eternity since he’d last set eyes on her pretty face, heard her melodious laughter, smelled that tempting tropical scent that hovered about her like a cloud.
He remembered how peaceful she’d appeared after she drifted off to sleep, the light from the movie flickering over her delicate features.
