Chapter 3
Chapter Three
JESSE
I sat up, smashing my pillow and lying back down, trying to get comfortable. Instead of getting a long, much-deserved night’s rest, I couldn’t relax.
And it was all Casey’s fault.
She had left, and I’d shut off the lights and pulled on some sweats, heading to bed since I was exhausted.
But as soon as my head hit the pillow, the thoughts started.
I wondered where she would sleep tonight.
On the floor? The old sofa?
There was no bed upstairs since Lou had taken it with her to the home. In fact, all her bedroom furniture had gone and was donated afterward. All that was left in the place were a few odd pieces, including a small table and the old sofa that I recalled being pretty lumpy.
I reminded myself it wasn’t my business.
Then another thought hit me.
Did she have towels if she wanted a shower? Soap?
How would she make coffee in the morning?
Did she drink coffee?
I cursed and sat up, yanking on my hair.
Did she lock the door?
Would the creaks and groans of an older house worry her?
Did she have some pain meds to make her back hurt less?
“Jesus, shut up!” I snarled to myself, once again taking my frustrations out on my pillow and trying to relax. I shut my eyes and sighed. Counted to ten. Then one hundred.
Did she have a pillow? A blanket? The nights were still chilly since summer hadn’t officially begun.
With a low growl, I sat back up, listening. Earlier, I had heard the water running and the muted sounds of her moving around. Now, it was quiet, which meant she was fine.
Right?
“None of my business,” I muttered.
I thought of her indignation about being female and needing help. She would probably laugh if she knew I was at all concerned.
I remembered her teasing, the thought of it making me smile now. How she didn’t take any of my rebuffs to heart. In fact, my gruffness seemed to delight her somehow.
I hadn’t always been this grumpy. But too many hurts and disappointments had made me bitter, and I was no longer the man I had been years ago.
I wondered how old Casey was. I guessed about twenty-eight, which would make her seven years younger than my thirty-five.
Although some days I felt more like sixty-five.
I shook my head as my phone buzzed with a text.
I looked at the screen, nodding to myself at the reply to the message I had sent earlier to one of my firefighter buddies, asking if he’d be available in the morning to help hang some cabinets.
Mark’s affirmative reply and confirming he’d be here at ten was good.
With the two of us, we’d get the few cabinets installed on that wall quickly.
The counter was already waiting. I could get the sink plumbed, and Casey would have a working kitchen.
Once that job was complete, we wouldn’t have to see each other much.
I had already painted the upstairs a neutral color and done the same in the living room and kitchen.
I hadn’t gotten around to the front entranceway yet, but I would arrange a time to do so.
I lay back down, rested my head on my bent arm, staring at the ceiling. I had no idea how long she planned on staying. Tomorrow, I would go through the lists of rules and her rent. Give her boundaries. Tell her mine.
She’d simply be the tenant next door, and I could ignore her for the most part.
Satisfied I had it all worked out, I finally fell asleep.
In the morning, I was groggy and in a bad mood. My dreams had been fractured and odd. Blue eyes, dark hair and a teasing voice kept intruding. Lou’s voice would suddenly fill my head.
“Keep an open mind. Be patient.”
Had she been talking about Casey? What did she mean?
Surely to God, she didn’t think we’d be friends. She knew there were few people I allowed to get that close.
I sighed, pouring a coffee and taking a long sip. I had heard noises from next door, so I knew Casey was awake. I was sure I’d heard her SUV leave at one point but hadn’t gone out to check. It was none of my business what she was doing. She knew I’d be there to work on the kitchen, and I had a key.
I finished my coffee and grabbed some tools, looking at the time. It was just past nine, so that gave me an hour to get things organized before Mark arrived.
I used the back door, knocking first and, when there was no answer, used my key to get inside.
I set down my tools and looked around. I was surprised to see the old wallpaper torn off the kitchen wall already.
I frowned at the paint cans I could see in the living room, and I went to investigate.
I stopped, seeing the pillow and blanket folded neatly on the old sofa.
I knew now where Casey had slept.
She had pushed the furniture closer to the window, and perched on the arm, staring at me, was her cat.
He was a tabby—big, with a round face and bright-green eyes.
He stared back at me, nonplussed, then stood, stretched, and jumped down, crossing over to me.
He sniffed, then wound around my legs, meowing.
“What do you want?” I asked.
He meowed again, using my leg to stretch, his paw reaching up. Unsure, I scratched his head, shocked when he jumped, leaving me no choice but to catch him. He climbed my chest, resting his head on my shoulder, purring loudly.
I had no idea what to do. Usually, cats avoided me. Not hugged me.
“Oh, he likes you!” Casey’s voice startled me, and I turned to face her.
She was in jeans again, a long plaid shirt tied at her hips. Her Doc Martens were in place, and her hair was swept up in a long ponytail, a ribbon of silk hanging over her shoulder.
I blinked.
A ribbon of silk?
What the fuck was I thinking something like that for?
“It jumped up,” I said.
“He only does that if he likes you.” She set down a few bags and another can of paint.
“What is the paint for?” I demanded. “I just painted.”
“I know. It’s a little bland. I wanted to add some color.”
“We need to establish some rules,” I informed her.
“Okay,” she said, perching on the same arm of the sofa her cat had just vacated.
“First off, no renovations or painting without permission.”
“Got it.”
“You’re responsible for paying your utilities on time.”
She nodded. “Right.”
“Your rent is due first of the month.”
“How much is it?” she asked.
I floundered since I hadn’t thought about that.
“Five hundred.”
“Okay.”
“No parties.”
Her lips quirked. “Since I don’t know anyone here, not a problem.”
“No drugs.”
“Even Tylenol?” she asked.
I had a feeling she was laughing at me.
“Hard drugs,” I amended.
“Of course.”
“No wild orgies or overnight guests.”
Her eyebrows flew up. “Doesn’t that sort of fall under the whole ‘no parties’ thing?”
I had no idea why I’d said that. The bottom line was, I had no right to tell her no overnight guests. But somehow, the idea bothered me.
I grunted.
“Gotcha. Anything else?”
“I do shift work. Three days on, four off right now. I’m at the station during my shifts since they’re twenty-four hours. My days off, I like to sleep. Keeping the noise down—” I paused and cleared my throat “—would be appreciated.”
She frowned. “I’ll be working from home, so that isn’t an issue. And I don’t listen to loud music, smoke, or do drugs. Wine on occasion, and not very often.”
“Good to know.”
We stared at each other, not speaking. Her eyes were really incredible.
A shade of deep blue with a ring of black, and set off with long lashes.
With her dark hair and paler complexion, she was beyond attractive.
She was stunning. A lick of fire raced down my spine as the silence stretched between us, and Casey’s pretty eyes widened.
The back door swung open, and Mark called out a greeting. It shattered the intense moment happening. I stepped back, realizing how close we had moved to each other. I pulled her cat off my shoulder, ignoring his protesting meow.
“One more rule. Keep your cat out of my way today.” I paused. “And he’s not welcome in my place.”
“What about me?”
“I told you last night wasn’t going to be a habit.”
She saluted me. “Okay, Thorne.”
I knew now she was laughing at me.
I turned to go.
“Thorne?”
“What?” I snapped.
“Do you need first and last before I unpack my SUV?”
“Tomorrow is fine.”
“Great. Thanks.”
I stomped into the kitchen. Mark was waiting, trying not to grin.
“Let’s get this done.”
I wanted to ignore her. Work and not pay her any attention.
But she kept interrupting. Offering to help. Asking questions.
Mark thought she was great.
I wanted to punch him.
“I can build a cupboard,” she said, coming into the kitchen.
“We got it,” I grunted.
“Would you mind if I painted these once they were up?” she asked.
“That would give them a nice finish,” Mark mused. “Make them less stock-looking. You should upgrade the hardware too.”
“Good idea,” she said, sounding pleased.
“Neutrals,” I muttered.
“Of course.”
She left, and Mark’s gaze followed her. “Eyes up here,” I snapped.
He chuckled. “Sorry. That ass, though.”
“Your wife know about your wandering eye?” I asked.
He snickered, not at all put out. “She knows I appreciate a fine ass. None finer than hers, though.”
“Keep it to yourself,” I hissed.
He looked past me. “Hey, you need help?” he called.
I turned to see Casey carrying a box. I tamped down my instinct to hurry over and take it from her. One, I didn’t want her to think I cared, and two, I liked my nuts where they were.
“No, I’m good,” she replied. “I packed them and carried them to the SUV, so I can carry them in here.”
He noticed my glare. “What now?”
“Cupboards. I got you here to install the cupboards. Not make nice with the tenant.”
“What crawled up your ass this morning?” he asked as we lifted an upper cabinet into place.
“I wanted a few days off of peace. Not doing this.”
Casey’s voice came from behind me. “You can have your days off. I’m not in a rush.”
“No,” I refused. “I’ll get this done.”
“Okay, Thorne.”
Mark chuckled, and I shot him another glare.