Chapter 15 #3
“All right.” Cooper gestures to the chairs he hauled in, which are now stacked next to the bar.
“Zoey, maybe you can arrange the chairs in rows to face here.” He points at the wall behind us.
“Matt and I will continue setting up tables for food. Leave some space in the front,” he adds. “We’re gonna build a stage there.”
I give him a single nod. “Got it.”
For the next two hours, I move back and forth, placing the chairs in neat rows while Matt and Cooper haul the wooden planks onto the sawhorses set up against the wall.
I don’t know how many chairs I carry, but the number is far more than my arms were built for.
The temperature in here is still brisk, but I’m sweating, and flakes of dirt stick to my skin.
I’ve never been this gross in my life. God, I’m sure I smell.
“Bend your knees,” Matt calls as I lean over, legs straight, to pick up two chairs stacked on top of each other. “You’ll hurt your back if you don’t.”
“I know how to lift things,” I shout back.
I don’t. My lower back is already screaming at me.
Once the guys are done, Cooper heads outside, and Matt waves me over.
“Where is Cooper going?”
“I brought flowers to add a bit more warmth to the place for tonight. He’s getting them from my truck,” Matt says. “Here, come help me with this.”
He positions two pieces of wood to make a forty-five-degree angle. Then nods to the hammer sitting on the table near us.
Wincing, I pick it up. “ Uhhh , what do you want me to do with this?”
He holds a nail to the top of the boards, point side down. “Hit it. We’re going to build a makeshift stage for the fundraiser.”
I adjust my grip. “I want to preface by saying I’ve never held a hammer in my life.”
“It’s not rocket science, Zoey. Come on, drop it on the nail.”
I stare at the nail, then his fingers.
“What is this fundraiser anyway?” I ask.
“Remember Carl and his once-a-month trips to the forest with the kids?” He nods at the pieces of wood. “Go ahead.”
Giving in, I lower the hammer and hit the wood right next to the nail, only millimeters from Matt’s fingers.
“Okay.” He exhales sharply. “Careful, all right? I’d like to keep all my fingers if I can.”
“I’m so sorry.” Panic washes over me, and I drop the tool onto the table, hands shaking. “I told you I’ve never done that. Are you okay?”
His expression softens and his lips stretch into a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, Zoey, breathe.” He puts the nail down and takes my gloved hands in his, bending to meet my gaze. “I’m fine, see?”
I nod. “Okay, yeah.”
With a quick squeeze of my fingers, he releases me. “Lower the hammer slowly onto the nail first, to make sure you’re lined up with it. Then give it a sharp blow. Like this.”
He picks it up and shows me. When the nail is halfway in, he moves his fingers away and hits it again.
Smiling easily, he hands it over. “You’re good?”
“Yeah, I think so,” I say, tensing up as I take the tool and follow his instructions. This time, I drive the nail straight in.
“You were mentioning that Carl is involved with the fundraiser?” I ask as he sets up another one.
Matt dips his chin. “He’s planning a week-long expedition this year, with the help of Oliver and his girlfriend, Charlee.
They’re taking the ninth graders from Pine Falls’ school on a scientific research trip to investigate soil quality in the Great Bear Rainforest. They’ll study how climate change is impacting the habitat of many species there.
Coop offered to host the fundraiser for the trip here. ”
“It’s gonna be a great night,” Cooper chimes in from where he’s setting a floral arrangement on a table. “We’re gonna raise a ton of money. You know,” he says, waggling his brows at Matt, “Patty is excited about it.”
Matt responds with a groan.
Frowning, I hammer the next nail. “Patty?”
“The lady who owns the hair salon.”
“Oh.” I straighten, still confused. “Why would she be excited?”
Matt pinches the bridge of his nose and huffs. “No reason.”
“You’re gonna have some competition tonight, Zoey,” Cooper says. “Hope you don’t mind a little fight.”
I whirl on him. “What? Why?”
“I’ll fill you in later,” Matt grumbles.
I drop the subject at the sound of his annoyed voice, and we continue to work on the stage.
“Thanks again for breakfast this morning,” he says, glancing at me as Cooper disappears toward the truck to retrieve another arrangement.
And once more, it feels like he’s saying thank you for more than just the pastries.
“Don’t worry about it.” I focus my attention on the next nail, ignoring the warmth that spreads through me. “I had to talk to Mia anyway. Figured I’d drop off a little treat for you guys on my way back.”
It’s not a complete lie. I did need to see Mia. But yeah, part of me wanted to do something nice for him, but showing him I care makes me want to barf.
He hums. “It was still a sweet gesture. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.” I look back down at the nail and hit it with the hammer.
Once we finish the stage, the venue is finally ready. Cooper gets the beers out, and for a moment, we’re quiet, each of us taking a well-deserved swig.
“Oh, this is good.” Matt tilts the bottle to his mouth again.
Cooper chuckles and follows his lead. “Figured a blonde would be the perfect choice after all that sweating. But hey, seems like brunettes might be more your style.”
I flush and quickly change the subject. “I can’t believe we did all this.” I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand, taking in all our hard work.
Cooper even strung lights along the wooden walls, adding a cozy touch to the atmosphere.
“You did great.” Matt surveys me, a flicker of pride shining in his eyes. His gaze drifts up to my forehead and the corner of his mouth lifts. “You and I need a good shower if we’re going to look presentable tonight.”
“I brought a change of clothes, but I didn’t think I’d need a shower.” I scrunch up my nose. “Do we have time to go back to the cabin?”
Matt pulls out his phone and checks the time. “Shit. Doesn’t seem like it. The event starts in an hour.”
My shoulders slump a little. Oh well. Surely there’s a sink around here somewhere. I can at least wash my face and rinse my armpits. Though seeing how catastrophic my first impression on the town was, it would’ve been nice to freshen up properly so I could redeem myself.
“You guys can use my bathroom,” Cooper says. “There’s only one, but it shouldn’t be an issue, right?”
Matt and I exchange a silent look. We have no good excuse to say no.
But the mere idea of being locked in a small room with this man while he showers on the other side of a flimsy curtain is doing things to long-dormant corners of my body. Corners I’d rather not wake up, thankyouverymuch .
I don’t want to think about him naked, lathering up—while the shower stream drenches his long hair and rinses the dirt off his body—but I also can’t not think about it. And by the way Matt’s pupils have dilated, I’d say his mind has wandered in a similar direction.
Well, one of us needs to respond to Cooper, and my gut is telling me Matt isn’t keen on making the decision for me. That thought triggers entirely different emotions that bubble up inside me, but I push them aside for now.
Clearing my throat, I paste on a smile. “Thanks, Cooper. That would be amazing.”
Matt’s swallow is audible, but he nods and holds out his hand to me. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”