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“I’m going to move my ladder – and cut the power. Let me get a flashlight out of my truck and my toolbox,” he suddenly announced and jumped to his feet quickly, practically darting out of the doorway.
That was strange,she thought, stringing the crystals, and tying them off… only to realize that he’d been gone for several minutes. Getting to her feet, she peered out the door to see him standing there, leaning against his truck, with his head resting on the door with his eyes closed.
Was he tired?
Opening the door, she felt immediately guilty.
This could all wait, she thought. She’d hired him to help her paint, but never expected him to do the lights or put in the toilet. No, she had her money’s worth from him, and if he was tired? He was free to go…
“Kyle?”
He leapt away from the side of the truck and looked at her nervously.
“Sorry, was just thinking for a few minutes…”
“We can be finished here today,” Reyna said quietly. “I really appreciate the help but if you are tired, it’s okay.”
“I’m not tired,” he said, looking confused. “This was nothing. I climb ladders, race up flights of stairs, and wear fifty pounds of equipment on a daily basis. Why would I be tired?”
“You had your eyes shut and…”
“Ever have those moments where you just need to think out something because you’re afraid of making a mistake?” he said quietly, looking at her.
“Yeah,” she replied easily. “I hate working with electricity and it scares me. I mean, what if the wire still has some current to it and I get shocked? I was going to hire an electrician and…”
“The electricity…?” Kyle interrupted, nodding, and looking a little taken aback. “That’s it – the electricity. I was thinking about that and getting everything wired in safely for you.”
Reyna hesitated – realizing that maybe he wasn’t talking about the electricity, and wondered what was on his mind, if that wasn’t it.
As he hefted up his toolbox and tucked his Maglite into his back pocket of his jeans, he walked up to the doorway that she held open… and hesitated, looking at her.
“I don’t mind helping at all, you know…” he said softly, his eyes searching hers. “This is a nice change of pace and gives me a chance to do something nice for someone.”
“But you’re a firefighter,” she whispered numbly, feeling herself drowning in those beautiful eyes of his. “You save lives and…”
“I do,” he replied. “I give and give of myself – and do so willingly, because it makes me happy to be of service. I feel proud when the fire is out, and people are safe… but this? All of this?” he looked away from her, glancing around, before looking back at her.
“I get to spend my time with a friend,” he said softly. “This is for me, Reyna, and I’m really enjoying your company.”
Before she could say anything, he gave her this incredibly soft smile that caused anything she was about to utter, to suddenly melt away as she stared at him openly.
“… Even if we both had to pay for me to do this,” he teased. “It was worth every penny.”
“We?” she asked in confusion.
“I matched your price so the auction could be over,” he admitted, looking away nervously. She stood there, her mind processing what he was saying, and then hesitated.
“You matched the price, so the auction would end… with me as the winner? You did that… to spend time with me?” she whispered softly, stunned, and touched by the sweetness of the unexpected gesture.
He’d done that to spend time – with her?
Kyle angled his head to the side, looked at her in confusion, and then hesitated before he nodded.
“I guess I did… didn’t I? I was thinking more that I needed to get off the auction block before Mrs. Kendall started bidding, but sure. I guess? Yeah, I did match the price you bid to spend time with you… in a fashion.”
Ouch,Reyna thought, wincing as she released the door.Yeah, he’s not interested in me at all,she mused, feeling her ego deflate physically.
He looked at her strangely and then let out a sigh, before turning back to the light fixture to finish putting it all together. A few minutes later, he stood back up.
