3. Nick
Chapter three
Nick
Nick grunted as they pulled out the old window and eased it onto the floor. Since he’d broken the windowsill, they would start in the kitchen and work their way around the house.
He braced himself as they ripped out the surrounding plaster, removing the worst of the water damage. The floor seemed solid, but they’d be lucky if there wasn’t rot hiding beneath their feet.
“I guess you didn’t need superhuman strength to break this windowsill,” Grant joked. “The salt air and rain gave you a head start.”
“This might take longer than we thought,” Nick said, staring at the gap they’d exposed. They needed to rip out more plaster to check the wall studs for damage, and patch it all back up. “A lot longer. We’ve never had to gut a house before.”
Grant shrugged his shoulders. “We’ve got the whole winter, and no other jobs. I want to do this right.”
Nick felt a rush of relief as they finished ripping away the ruined plaster. The surrounding wall studs and floorboards were still solid. They had a big job ahead of them, but at least the house seemed structurally sound.
He was turning to share his thoughts with Grant when Nick heard little feet pounding across the floor. Jack rushed toward them.
“Hi! Hi! Our window is gone,” the boy said, pointing and laughing at the hole in their kitchen wall.
“Jack, get back here right now! Sorry about that.” Jessica grabbed for Jack’s hand, pulling him to the doorway of the kitchen. “We’ll be out of your hair soon. I’m meeting an old friend for coffee.”
Nick tucked his hammer back into his tool belt and nodded. “There’s no rush. Do you want to watch us fix your house, kiddo?”
“Yeah!” Jack cheered, tugging out of his mom’s grasp and rushing toward the men. “Can I help?”
Nick chuckled, shaking his head. “We don’t have extra tools, but you can hand me the nails when I’m ready for them.”
The three worked quickly over the next half-hour. Nick and Grant lined up each piece of plywood, then hammered the new wall into place as Jack handed them nails.
It was time to slide the new window into place when Jessica spoke up. “Jackster, it’s time to get going. Tell our friends thank you, and go find your coat.”
“Thank you,” the boy parroted. “It was a lot of fun!”
“Come back in ten years. I might have a job for you when you’re older,” Grant promised, holding his hand out to offer a high-five. “You were a big help today.”
Nick held his hand out, too. “I’d take him on my crew,” he agreed, letting the boy slap his hand as hard as Jack's little arm allowed.
Jessica let out a laugh, pointing her son toward their winter coats. “Get your shoes and coat on, Jack. I need to talk to Jack for a minute.”
Uh-oh. Nick’s heart beat faster. It sounded like he was in trouble. Maybe she’d found the card in the mailbox. Anonymous letters might not be the best way to get someone’s attention.
She gestured to the side of the room, away from Grant. “I got a letter yesterday,” she confirmed. “The person didn’t sign it. Was it from you?”
Nick pinched his lips together, trying to decide if it was better to come clean. “A letter? That sounds friendly. Written communication is becoming a lost art.”
Jessica put her hands on her hips and stared him in the eyes. “Friendly. Sure. It said ‘welcome home.’ But while it was very thoughtful, I’d like to know who sent it.”
He fiddled with his tool belt and wondered how mad Jessica would be about the card. But if he lied about it, she’d be even more angry. “It was me,” he admitted, nodding his head. “I wanted to welcome you and Jack to the neighborhood.”
“You do this for all your customers?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
Gosh, the woman looked even more stunning when she was annoyed. How was that possible? Nick held back a grin as he realized that his attraction to Jessica hadn’t faded with space and time. Instead, it was growing stronger each day. She was intelligent and beautiful, and would do anything for her little boy. Jessica was something special—and worth risking his heart.
“Not every customer,” he said, smiling as he leaned against the wall. “Just the ones I’d like to know better. What do you say? I could take you both to Scoops and Cones after lunch. Or we could grab a meal there, too. They’ve still got burgers and hot dogs, and lots of kid-friendly food.”
He held back a laugh as Jessica’s eyes widened with surprise. What had surprised her more—that he admitted to leaving the card? The invitation to lunch? Or that he wanted to include Jack? Jack seemed like a great kid, and any guy who got close to Jessica should know her son was the most important thing in her life.
Jessica bit her lip and glanced over at Grant, then shook her head. “I shouldn’t keep you from work. Jack and I will figure lunch out when we get home. Besides, hot chocolate is enough of a treat for one day.” She hesitated, a small smile tugging her lips into a curve. “Thanks for the offer, though.”
Nick felt his heart stutter. She hadn’t said “no”—that was a start. But as Jack rushed back into the room, his confidence wavered. Was he ready to pursue a woman with a child? As much as he liked Jessica, this was way more complicated than matchmaking. This was tying three people together instead of two.
“Mommy! My zipper broke again.”
Jack stood in front of his mom with the zipper askew, making Nick chuckle. Who was he kidding? He was ready for this—the mom, the kid, the entire package. If Jessica accepted him, they’d be a ready-made family. That might make him the luckiest guy in town.
He watched Jessica struggle with the jacket for a moment before kneeling down to join them. “Can I try? I’m an expert at fixing things.” Nick heard Jessica’s soft snort of laughter as he eased the zipper back down its track, breaking it free from a snag. He hooked the teeth back together and tugged upward, sliding the boy’s coat shut. “See. Most things can be fixed with a little time and patience.”
He turned to smile at Jessica, but the mom wasn’t smiling back at him. Instead, she watched him with a curious look.
“Thanks for fixing his coat,” she said. “We’re stopping by the town’s daycare after coffee, but we’ll be back around noon. I can’t do Scoops and Cones today, but we’ll see what happens later this week. Jack keeps my schedule full.”
Nick could read between the lines. No lunch or ice cream today, but hopefully soon—and her boy came first. He could respect that. If Nick was lucky enough to have a child, he’d always take care of his family first. He couldn’t expect anything less from Jessica.
Nick grinned as he watched the pair walk out the door. He was falling hard for the pretty mom and her little boy. Who knew they would claim his heart so quickly?
Grant walked up beside him and cleared his throat. “Anything you want to tell me? What happened there?”
“Not much to tell. Like I said before, I’m husband material. I’m going to marry that girl one day. I’ll be a great dad for that little boy.”
Grant raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “You’re moving too fast, Nick. Jessica’s life is complicated right now. And to date someone with a kid?” He shook his head, his lips twisting into a frown. “Be careful. This isn’t a game. There won’t be any winners if you walk away.”
Nick nodded as he walked toward his bag and pulled out another card and envelope. “I know. But Jack’s not a complication. He deserves to be treated well—just like Jessica.”
He set the card on the counter and began to write.