9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Simeon
F or someone accustomed to working alone, I was sure feeling lonely this morning. Gio finished painting the main room yesterday. He’d come back when I was done with everything to do touch-ups, but he was mostly finished. I could’ve done the touch-ups, but he liked feeling useful. Feeling accomplished. Since he wouldn’t take money for those things, I couldn’t exactly complain. He claimed the work was part of the entire package.
I’d finished the laminate in the bedroom. Late yesterday, the appliances arrived. The specialist came to hook up the dishwasher, and the over-the-oven microwave, as well as the washer/dryer in the closet.
Not much space to hang clothes, but this prefab was supposed to only ever be a temporary place to stay. A few days or maybe a week. If someone needed to move in, they could always get a wardrobe. Although it would be a tight fit with the dresser, two nightstands, and queen-sized bed in the bedroom.
The sectional couch had a pullout bed as well. Rainbow said that was in case one of her sisters wanted to crash while her parents were visiting. Between the spare rooms and pullout couches in the great room of the ranch house… I did the math in my head. Yep, just about every Dixon sister would have a bed.
That’s a lot of people .
I eyed the flooring for the main room of the prefab.
You could hire someone. A kid with good knees…
Hell, Gio would be happy for the extra work. He’d let me know how much those rings cost. I’d blinked, trying to take that in. No wonder he worked every job he could get.
My phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Maddox.
—So…—
I waited.
—Violet tried to flush her plushie down the toilet. —
I winced.
—In my bathroom. While I was dealing with Victor. —
Uh-oh.
—I didn’t realize until the water leaked down the hall. —
Oh dear.
—Could you come? I’ll pay double. I’ll pay triple. —
I had to answer, holding back the smile.
—I’m not a plumber. —
—I know. It’s the floor in the bedroom. Ravi’s working an extra shift, and I’ve got both a deadline and two hellacious toddlers…—
I waited.
Nothing more came. So I sent a text.
—Let me talk to Rainbow and see if I can take a day off. —
My phone buzzed again.
—I’d really appreciate that. —
I smiled. I ensured everything was secure in the prefab and was locking the door when I heard a sigh. I turned.
Ryan stood before me. “Sorry.”
“F-for what?”
He cocked his head. “Rainbow said you were expecting me yesterday.”
I was pretty sure I hadn’t said that to Rainbow. Maybe she’d read my disappointment when I discovered Ryan wouldn’t be there to share Nanny’s lasagna. That everyone swore was the best they’d ever had. Compliments I’d shared with Nanny.
But I’d missed Ryan.
Which made no sense because I’d only spent a couple of hours for two days with him. I had no right to expect him to return. He was under no obligation to me. “N-no. All good.” I pointed to the ranch house. “I have to t-talk to Rainbow.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” He looked miserable.
“C-come with me.” On impulse, I beckoned him.
After a moment’s hesitation, he followed, looking less unhappy.
Rainbow stood by the riding ring, her cowboy hat shielding her eyes from the drizzle. Damp weather with cold rain was back in full-force. Our three days of reprieve were long over. She spotted me and waved. “Hey Simeon. I see Ryan found you.”
Likely her way of saying she’d directed him. Possibly also her way of asking if I was okay with it. After my disappointment yesterday, she’d likely have figured I’d be eager. And I had been.
I stopped just before her. “M-Madox texted.”
“Yeah?”
For expediency, I brought up the chat and handed her the phone. I didn’t have anything in the chat I was worried about and no way would she snoop.
She giggled, pressing her hand to her mouth. “Oh dear. Poor Maddox.”
Ryan cleared his throat.
Rainbow smiled as she handed me my phone back. She met Ryan’s gaze. “Our friend, Maddox Baker, has two-year-old twins with his husband Ravi. One of those twins thought she’d flush her…plushie…” She frowned.
I nodded.
“Right. Down the toilet. And apparently Maddox wasn’t aware and, uh, the plumber has fixed the clog problem…”
I nodded.
“But there’s water damage to the floor. Maddox has a bad knee from an old injury, and Ravi’s a pediatric nurse at the Abbotsford Hospital who works insane hours…”
Ryan gently nudged me. “He’s asked you to help?”
“Y-yep.”
Rainbow handed me the phone back. “Of course you need to go. My God, Simeon, you’re weeks ahead of a nonexistent schedule—we don’t need the place for months. You’ve been working flat-out, and don’t think I didn’t notice you were working on Remembrance Day.” She lightly smacked my biceps.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. Hard to miss my truck—but I’d hoped they hadn’t noticed. To me, it had just been another Friday. A day to remember our veterans and soldiers, for certain. But staying home and missing a day of work didn’t make sense. I’d said a quiet prayer of thanks then settled into doing something that would help others.
“Do you…?” Ryan glanced down at his running shoes. “I mean there’s not much I can do, but…”
While his head remained lowered, Rainbow did some weird nod with her head.
Encouragement?
Could I find courage in that?
“P-please.”
Ryan gazed up. “Yeah?”
I nodded vigorously.
“Except I don’t know where the guy lives.”
Rainbow pointed toward the house. “Let me draw you a map.”
I frowned, still holding my phone. Why would I just not give him the address and he could look it up with his GPS?
Slowly, Ryan pulled out his flip phone so I could see it. Quickly, he slid it back into his pocket.
Holy shit…they still make those things? I’d bought one of the first smart phones on the market and always kept up with the latest one. The more communication I could do on my phone, the easier my life. “M-map.”
He nodded as we turned to follow Rainbow. I had a bag of the stuff I’d need, plus I still wore my tool belt.
Only as we got to the house, did it hit me. “Y-you can follow me.” Traffic was nonexistent up here. He’d have no trouble. In fact, if it hadn’t been far out of my way to return here later, I would’ve just offered Ryan a ride there and back.
“Better he has a map.” Rainbow opened the sliding glass door. “I’ll include how to get back to his home so you don’t have to lead him.”
Aw crap. I hadn’t thought of that. It would’ve been a hassle for me to drive down to Ryan’s place with him following me when we were done…assuming he lived somewhere in Mission City proper. I would’ve done it, but I liked not having to. I drove an electric truck, and we got our power through hydro, so I used only clean energy. I still preferred not to drive more than necessary.
For Ryan, though, I’d do it.
Rainbow emerged from the hallway leading to the administrative office—where I’d filled out piles of paperwork—sliding a piece of paper into a clear sleeve. “That’s everywhere you might need to go. I hope you don’t mind…I snagged your address from your file.”
Ryan laughed. “You’re helping me out. I don’t mind in the least. Am, in fact, grateful.” He took the sleeve from her. “This is a great map. Thanks for marking out the route. Saves a lot of squinting at the one I bought. I had to go to the visitor center to find one. They used to sell them at gas stations, right? Everything today, though, is through the phone. It’s so impersonal.”
I wasn’t certain how GPS could be impersonal . That being said, Dean helped me find an Aussie voice I liked, and so my GPS spoke in this super sexy accented voice. Dean was delighted by the whole thing—understanding I didn’t have a crush on him—just an affinity for the sexy intonation. “I’ll m-meet you there.” I waved.
“Yeah. I’ll follow you out to the car.” He nodded to Rainbow. “Thank you. Thank…everyone.”
She blinked. “Anytime, okay? We’ll see you on Monday. Oh, and Friday’s the decorating party.”
This time, Ryan blinked. “Decorating party?” His voice had a confused and disbelieving quality.
“Well for Christmas, of course. I’ll need you both to help. Four o’clock. We do hors d’oeuvres, eggnog, and we adorn the counseling center and the offices. Oh, and the tree.”
“A real tree?”
She shook her head. “Nah. Way too much work. We’ve got an amazing fake white one that I just love. Nice and tall to fit the space.” She eyed me.
“I c-can help.” I’d planned to be here anyway. I had about a week’s worth of work to finish. Things were moving quickly, but the flooring was going to take a big effort, and I could only do so many hours a day before my knees gave out.
“Oh, Simeon, that would be wonderful. And we need someone to help sort the lights. We’re always so careful when we put them away, but they get tangled, and we need an expert to untangle them.”
Ryan smirked. “I’m not an expert, but I think even I can manage a string of lights.”
If the tree was as high as she suggested, it might be more than one.
“Perfect. I’ll mark you both as helpers. Eggnog okay?”
I nodded excitedly and Ryan bit his lower lip. So I quickly added, “He prefers t-tea.”
He blinked.
Rainbow grinned. “Perfect. We’ll have plenty of that—Kennedy drinks tons of decaffeinated Earl Grey in the afternoon, and I think Avery’s going to have her favorite cinnamon and vanilla.”
Ryan cocked his head. “I haven’t tried that.”
“It’s some white tea. There’s another flavor I can’t remember…anyway. Like, thirty varieties to pick from.”
“I appreciate that.” He met my gaze. “I appreciate people remembering.”
I wanted to tell him that I remembered everything about him. That he was important to me. Still, we had to get moving. “Y-you can follow me. But having a m-map to get home is good.”
“Great.”
We waved to Rainbow and headed to the parking lot. An older Ford sat in the space next to my truck. Older was an understatement. My grandparents had owned the same car. Like, thirty years ago. I remembered riding in the front seat when Bops took me out. I’d been seven. These days, kids weren’t allowed to do that because of airbags. I doubted the car even had air bags. I glanced inside.
“No p-power anything?”
“No power steering, braking, or windows. It does have airbags.”
Relief flooded me. I couldn’t imagine driving without the other three, but they were creature comforts. Well, power braking meant fewer skids…right? I could barely remember. “D-drive safe.”
He nodded to my hulking truck. “I think you’re safe.”
I flinched. “Not necessarily. Size isn’t everything.”
His face was instantly contrite, with his mouth opening. Then shutting. Then opening again. “Right. Sorry about your folks.”
“Sh-shit happens.” I winced. “Sh-shouldn’t have said that.”
“Shit?” He grinned so wide his face nearly split. “I love a fucking good swear word.” He gestured to the clinic. “In public I try to keep the swears to a minimum. When I’m with Justin? I get to let’em rip. Like back when…” He trailed off. His face fell—the smile disappeared and his brow knit. “Just…before.”
“You c-can talk to me.” I longed to reach out and touch him, but I feared he would shatter into a million pieces. “I’m a g-good listener.”
“Yeah.” He flipped his keys in his hand. “I’ll follow you.”
Well, I knew a dismissal when I saw one. “G-great.” I got into my truck, and soon we were on our way to the Baker household.
It’s really nice to have someone around.
Even if he’s not staying…