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“You should tell your mom you love her next time,” Sully said. “It’ll mean a lot to her.”
Alanna crossed her arms over her chest. “And what are you? A momma’s boy black belt or something?”
He studied the sink and shrugged. “Only child. My mom’s great… well, after she gets done catching me up on all the latest medical procedures in the extended family. You can call me a momma’s boy, but family is precious.”
Silence from behind him. Sully watched as a tear of water gathered at the lip of the faucet and splashed into the basin. The cause was obvious. The faucet’s gasket was roughly a hundred years old. It was easy enough to replace. He’d just have to swing by the local home improvement store today to pick up a new one.
“You’re so…” Alanna’s voice faltered behind him.
Handsome? Witty? Wonderful?Sully supplied for her in his mind.
“Different.”
He glanced over his shoulder again. “That a good thing?”Please let it be a good thing.
“You’re just so authentic. It’s… odd.” She wrinkled her nose, as if befuddled, then turned and left the room.
Sully partitioned the handyman list, reviewed the first five issues, then went to the hardware store for supplies. As soon as he returned, Alanna wheedled the receipt from him and immediately Venmoed him the costs. She then disappeared into her bedroom. He swore he could hear the soft tones of her voice in a conversation. Was she talking to someone in her room?
Duh,he realized.She’s got to be on the phone.A while later, she returned and set up shop once again on the couch. Her fingers clacked swiftly against the keys of her laptop, her forehead pinched as she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Sully asked from the doorway of the kitchen.
She looked up. “Who said anything’s wrong?”
“You’re frowning.”
“Hmmm.” She sat back on the couch. “Work issues.”
“You like what you do?” He’d replaced the gasket on the faucet and was adding on a new washer. Might as well. The old one was holding up well enough, but, like everything else in the house, it was old and worn.
“I love what I do.” Her voice floated from the living room. “And I’m good at it.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Oh yeah?” Her voice hitched with curiosity. “And why’s that?”
“You seem…” Sully considered his next words carefully, “like someone who puts her all into everything she does.”
“You’re perceptive.” Her voice was closer. She was standing next to the door again.
Only when I’m interested in something… or someone,he thought. “It’s obvious,” he answered instead. “At least to me.” He glanced at her and she held his gaze. She wasn’t shy or teasing. Her eyes were bold, unafraid.
“Hmmm,” she said, and returned to the couch.
Over the course of the day, they developed a delicate routine. Alanna would disappear upstairs, then reappear at intervals, always with her laptop in front of her like a shield. He could feel her watching him, her curious, unabashed gaze on his back. She rarely spoke, though, and the longer she looked, the more his blood heated.
What was she thinking? Was she interested in him or just intent on making sure he didn’t bring the house down on their heads?A million questions floated in his mind. In his imagination, he asked her,Soooooo, how long are you staying in town?AndIs your soccer player/underwear model boyfriend coming down this weekend?But the words caught in his throat.Coward,he thought to himself as he moved on to the next item on the list.
The next day, he arrived early, having been curiously unable to empty his mind during his morning meditation. What better meditation than fixing a fussy dishwasher anyway? Alanna came down 20 minutes later, her lips pressed tightly together.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he unscrewed the front panel of the dishwasher.
“Coffee first,” she mumbled and turned on the coffee machine. “Want in on this?”
“Sure.”
“Let me guess, lots of sugar?” she teased.
