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I was weird, and I was okay with that. At least according to everyone in Rock Bay I was weird.
But I was a handywoman, so I was automatically weird in their eyes.
I let myself into my house, dumped my keys on the side table, watching lamely as they slid over the back of the table and onto the floor with a clink.
“Whatever,” I muttered to myself, leaving them there until I had to lock the door later.
This was Rock Bay. The closest thing to robbery that had ever happened here was when Mr. Jenkins forgot his pants—outer and under—and ran down the middle of Main Street with his manhood swinging side to side.
What was stolen?
My eyesight. Albeit briefly.
Actually, now I though about it, I didn’t think I’d been able to look him in the eye for two years.
Maybe that was for the best.
I pulled water from my fridge and stared at the bottle before opening it. I was too tired to even do that. The work had been more rigorous, mostly thanks to the twins’ major fail at getting any paper at all off the walls and Brantley having to finally leave me alone to get it done.
Brantley.
Turquoise eyes flashed in my mind.
I shook off the thought and swigged the ice-cold water. By the time I swallowed it, the memory of his eyes had disappeared, and I made the executive decision in the Life of Kali to order pizza from the local pizza place.
Ten minutes later, I was on my sofa in yoga pants. Discarding the water for wine—I’d give Jesus a run for his money if I didn’t have to use my fridge to change it—I put my achy feet on my coffee table and leaned right back against the back cushions.
With Friends season five on my TV, I set my phone on my lap and tapped the dating site’s app.
That was my first mistake.
My second was reading my messages.
The first was okay—cringey, but not bad, as far as it went.
The second?
“Hot, horny cuckold for you and your dom partner. Will let you chain me to your floor while he fucks you and pretends I’m your boyfriend.”
I hit delete before my face had wrinkled in disgust.
Yep.
That was enough MatchPlus for tonight.
Maybe my entire week.
Chapter Six
Two days passed without me seeing either Brantley or the twins. By the time Thursday lunchtime rolled around, I’d finished the base coat on Ellie’s room and was about to start the final two coats in Eli’s room. Eric was in Ellie’s room measuring her floor and weighing up what he needed to do to fix it up.
“Kali?” He poked his head in Eli’s room, his dark-blond hair swishing in front of his eyes. “I have a lunch meeting. Do you mind if I come back when I’m done?”
I put down the paint can and looked at him with a smile. “That’s fine. You’re working on your time, not mine.” I winked at him. “I’d just like Eli’s floor done so I know when I need to finish painting.”
He held his hands up. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ve got you covered. It doesn’t take me half as long as it takes you to figure out some flooring.”
“Do I look like flooring is my expertise?”
“No.” He grinned lopsidedly. “Plenty of other things, though…”
I threw my cleaning rag at him. He caught it with one swift movement and tossed it back to me.
“Don’t make me tell my daddy on you,” I warned him.
“Your daddy would marry you off to me in a heartbeat.”
“As long as you could abstain for six months without sex with other random women.”
He paused. “Point well made. See you in ninety minutes?”
Ha.
I rolled my eyes. “See you then, Eric. Come alone, won’t you?”
“I can’t promise I’ll come alone, but I’ll sure show up alone.” He tossed me a wink before he headed out of the door.
So much for that business meeting.
I shook my head and dipped the paintbrush in the paint and began the arduous task of edging around the base boards between the wall and floor. It was the worst job, and not one I could screw up even now. I had to paint the base boards eventually, and cleaning them up was no joke. The less paint I could get on them now, the better.
I’d barely touched brush to wall when I heard the sound of the door opening and muffled voices downstairs. Since Eric hadn’t left yet, it had to be Eric and Brantley.
Crap. I hoped Brantley didn’t mind I’d had him here without telling him. In fairness, he was happy to let me get on with it. And by get on with it I meant navigate boxes until I reached the twins’ rooms.
I made myself focus on the edging above the base boards before the door shut again. Silence reigned for a few moments before footsteps sounded on the stairs. It was suspiciously quiet for the middle of the day.
