6. Shep
6
SHEP
The absolutely horrified look on Thea’s face had me fighting a laugh. She was soaked from head to toe, as if she’d decided to take a dip in all her clothes. Her mahogany hair was in complete disarray like some small animal had burrowed in and made a nest.
Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again. “The water shutoff,” she said, gesturing at the geyser behind her.
Hell.
I’d been so taken in by the woman that I hadn’t even noticed the geyser behind her. I strode across the front yard that Thea had clearly put a lot of work into. She definitely had an eye for landscaping. The blend of flowers and native plants fit perfectly with their surroundings.
I crouched low, coming at the shutoff from the side so I wouldn’t get drenched. Thea bent at my side, offering me a rusted piece of metal. “It broke off.”
Jesus. That thing was older than dirt. No wonder it had snapped right off in her hand .
“Give me a sec,” I said, pushing to my feet and striding back to my truck. The kittens were safely tucked in their carrier with the AC pumping, so they’d be fine for as long as I needed to get things shut down. Leaning over the bed, I opened the lid of my crossover toolbox and rummaged around until I found the wrench I needed.
I grabbed it and jogged back toward Thea and the geyser. She stood there, drenched and staring at the stream. I didn’t blame her. No one wanted a river in their front yard—or to drain their well’s reserves.
Crouching again, I got to work trying to close off the water at the root. The damn thing was rusted in place, and I cursed as I put my full weight into it, dousing my shoulder in the process. After a few more tries, the water flow started to slow and then stopped altogether.
I heaved a sigh as I straightened. Thea was right there. Probably the closest she’d ever been. Her scent wrapped around me, grabbing hold and burying itself deep—something floral with a hint of coconut. She stared at the water valve as if it were some sort of snake before her head jerked up, her deep brown eyes locking with mine.
It was only then that I fully realized just how close we were—close enough that I could see every wrinkle in the wet clothes clinging to her and how they hugged every lean, sinewy curve. Everything about her was alluring grace, the kind that pulled you in and held you captive.
Thea’s gaze dropped to my mouth for one beat, two. Then something snapped her out of the moment. She stepped back, hands gripped in front of her. “What are you doing here?”
It wasn’t snapped out or angry, but there was an underlying suspicion to her words that had the hairs on my arms raising.
“Rho got caught up at work and asked me to bring the kittens from Nancy.”
“Oh.” Thea’s mouth made a perfect circular shape as she said it—a shape I wanted to trace with my tongue. Fuck.
A little of the tension eased from her shoulders. “Thank you. I mean for the kittens and the water. I wasn’t sure what to do.”
“No problem.” I held my hand out, motioning for what was in hers .
Thea’s focus shot to the valve she still clutched in a death grip. She dropped it into my palm, and I studied it carefully.
“This is completely corroded.” My gaze flicked to what I could see of the pipe heading toward her house. “Wouldn’t be surprised if your pipes have damage, too.”
Thea’s fingers wove together, gripping tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her together. “I think there’s a leak in my half bath,” she said quietly.
Shit. That wasn’t a good sign. Leaks could do untold damage before you even knew they were there. “Why don’t you let me take a peek, and I?—?”
“No.” She snapped the word, and it cracked like a whip.
My brows rose at the ferocity in the single syllable. “It’s no problem.” I gestured to the side of my truck that read Colson Construction . “I do this for a living.”
She quickly shook her head. “I don’t want you in my house.”
Annoyance and maybe a little anger flared. I was trying to help her. I— That thought cut off as I saw it, the slight tremble racking Thea’s muscles. She was gripping her hands together to try to hide the shaking, but she was fucking terrified. Of me?
I took two huge steps back, giving her plenty of space. A sick wave of guilt swept through me, and fast on its heels was something I could only identify as grief. Someone had hurt Thea. There was no question in my mind about that. They’d hurt her so badly that she wouldn’t even risk me coming into her home to help her.
“Okay,” I said, making my voice as soft as possible. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. You’re in charge.”
Thea stared at me for a long moment, her eyes glistening in the late-afternoon sunlight. She licked her lips, her hands still clutched in a vise grip. “Could you tell me how to fix it?”
God, that slayed me. I knew Thea had been in Sparrow Falls for nearly two years. She’d worked odd jobs until landing with Sutton at The Mix Up and getting her part-time gig at Bloom. She was polite to everyone but had an unmistakable do-not-get-close vibe. Which meant she was doing everything alone. Had no one to help her. No one to take some of the burden.
I tried to choose my words carefully. “Maybe. Plumbing is tricky and is something you really need to make sure is done right.”
Her lower lip trembled, and she pressed her mouth into a thin line to stop it.
Jesus. “Could I look at the siding? Just the outside?” I hurried to say.
Thea’s gaze moved from me and traced the route the pipe would likely take to the house. She stared at it for a moment, and I could see that the structure was her haven. The only place she probably felt safe.
“Okay.”
The word was barely above a whisper, but I was so damn attuned to Thea I heard it as though she’d yelled it.
“Okay,” I echoed. “Gonna get a shovel from my truck.”
I moved before she could stop me, crossing to my vehicle and grabbing the shovel from the bed. When I turned, it was to find Thea watching me like a hawk. I just let her. Whatever she needed to feel safe.
My gut churned, that sick feeling spreading as I wondered what the hell had happened to her. It battled with the anger taking root. Fury at whoever had put that fear in her.
I tried to shove the rage down. The last thing Thea needed was to see that. So, I focused on the task at hand, telling her everything I planned to do and waiting for approval at every step.
“Gonna dig a hole where I think the pipe connects with the house to see if I can find any evidence of a leak.”
Thea licked her lips again, pink tongue darting across them in a nervous gesture. But she nodded.
It didn’t take me long to find it, but I saw water pooling before I even got there. Not a ton of it, but enough. It didn’t take much moisture to damage a home.
I glanced up at Thea as I knelt by the hole. Her entire body was strung tight, her typically olive skin an unnatural shade of white. “Where’s the bathroom? ”
“Right there. On the other side of this wall.”
I sighed, turning my head to survey the corroded pipe. “I can’t know for sure without getting inside, but it looks like this has been slowly leaking for a long time. I don’t see the leak here, so I’m not sure where it originated from.”
Thea’s knuckles bleached white as she gripped her fingers tighter.
God, she was the last person I wanted to deliver bad news to. It was like kicking a puppy. “You gotta be careful with leaks. They can lead to rot, mold. Both. It doesn’t have to be me, but you need to get someone who knows what they’re doing inside to look at it.”
Maybe something about me specifically triggered Thea. While the thought stung, it would be better than knowing she wouldn’t let anyone help.
Her eyes shone brighter as she struggled to get words out. “I can’t.”
That struggle, the way Thea battled back tears, sliced deep. “You’re killing me, Thorn. Let me help.”
Her whole body shuddered. “I-I’m sorry. I just…I can’t.”