Chapter Nine
Gwyn
U sually dragging myself from bed in the morning took an effort of will, unless I was running from nightmares of the past, but I jerked awake with a buzz under my skin that had me rushing through my morning routine and waiting at the door well before Carl was due to be there. I hadn’t thought about his bike when he’d offered to pick me up, and I was prepared to argue for hiring a ride instead, so I deflated when David’s old pickup pulled to the curb in front of my house, confused until Carl’s large form stepped out of the cab. We couldn’t exactly pick up roofing supplies on his motorcycle, but I hadn’t expected him to have planned ahead. I needed to give the man more credit.
“David lets me use his truck when I need to pick up materials, but I’ve got to get it back to him before three. Jason is going to meet me at the café in a couple of hours to help. He’s one of the guys you’ve probably seen at The Hangout. The himbo.”
I’d closed the distance between us as Carl rounded the truck, holding the door open for me, but I paused at the unfamiliar word.
“The what ?”
Carl’s eyes danced as a chuckle rumbled from his chest.
“The male version of a bimbo. Nice to look at, but nothing between the ears.”
I was torn between gasping and laughing, my mouth hanging open as I struggled to decide if I was insulted or amused. I’d heard the derogatory word used for a woman before, but Carl hadn’t felt like the type to talk about women that way. He seemed to like teasing people, which made it feel harmless when a laugh escaped my control.
Carl must have caught my hesitance because he shook his head as he shut the door after I’d heaved myself into the truck.
“Don’t worry, he encourages the impression and takes it as a badge of honor. He’s a little brighter than he pretends to be, unless there’s a pretty skirt around to chase.”
Huffing out another quiet laugh, I bit the inside of my cheek to control the bubbly feeling in my chest. If the years that had followed hadn’t tainted the memory, it was how I’d have remembered feeling the first time Anthony had picked me up to take me on a date.
That date had been nothing more than a cheap burger from the place on the corner, and then him groping me within the confines of his car, but as young as I’d been, it had been exciting. The risk of being caught with anyone, much less an older alpha, had been a thrill, and I’d been stupid enough to chase it.
“Ready?”
I startled, jerking my head up from where my gaze had fallen to meet green eyes nothing like Anthony’s plain brown. The mirth had left Carl’s face, as if he could feel the way my mood had swung, so I pasted on a smile as I nodded.
“Yep.”
I hated that my memories always found a way to intrude and ruin when I was in a good mood, but I tried to give myself some grace. I’d spent more than two decades in Anthony’s shadow, bombarded with his disgust and greed and anger through the bond I hadn’t wanted, and it had been less than a year that I’d been free of it. I hoped it would only be a matter of time before everything stopped reminding me of him as I wrote new memories to replace his.
Carl had fallen quiet, focused on driving as he pulled off the quiet side streets onto the main road. It wasn’t the heavy, oppressive silence I was familiar with, but it still made my nerves dance with discomfort.
“So, are you going to just cut out the soft spots you mentioned on the roof?”
Shooting a glance at me before looking ahead again, he shook his head.
“No, we’re going to replace the whole thing. I have no idea when the last time that roof was replaced, and you generally have to do it about every fifteen to twenty years, depending on how well it’s maintained. That building is at least thirty years old, and been empty for probably half that time, so I’m willing to bet that’s the original.”
“Oh.”
I wasn’t sure what else to say. I’d thought he’d just be repairing the places he mentioned had problems since he’d made it sound like a simple thing, and I swallowed hard at the sudden worry over what it was going to cost. Replacing an entire roof couldn’t be cheap.
“I’ve got a business license, so I can bill your insurance, and they should cover it. You do have insurance already, right?”
The fist around my chest loosened as I dipped my chin.
“Yes, they made me get it before I closed on the purchase. I forgot it would cover things like that.”
Carl shot me a smile as he turned a corner.
“Yeah, repairs to the building itself will mostly be covered, although it can affect your premiums if we run too much through it. They’ll be expecting a certain amount, but they won’t cover things like building a new wall in the dining room.”
I nodded again, breathing easier. Once the business was open, my premiums being a little higher wouldn’t matter so much, and it was a relief to know I wasn’t about to lose a chunk of my savings, even if I knew the expense was necessary.
“It would be the same for my duplex, right? If the roof hasn’t been done in a while and there’s damage, insurance would cover it?”
Brow creasing, the next look he gave me was more concerned.
“Are there issues at your house, too? I know you said you had done a little work to it but…”
He trailed off at my sigh, waiting for me to explain.
“The realtor who sold me the properties was good at his job. I guess. There are spots on my ceiling there too, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in the same state as the cafe.”
Carl switched lanes, turning into the next parking lot before backing up. A low rumble filled the cab of the truck, making the hairs on the back of my neck rise as my entire body tightened.
“What are you doing?”
My voice was squeaky, drawing the focus of the alpha beside me. His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath, his eyes flashing orange before settling back to green as the growl faded away.
“It would be easier to get everything at once, so I was going to go back and take a look at your roof. Do you only own your half?”
Swallowing and loosening the grip I’d taken on the door, I tried to calm my racing heart so I could respond.
“No, I own the whole thing. I’ll eventually rent out the other half, but it would be better if you did both sides at once I guess.”
He grunted and turned to focus on the road as he pulled out, heading back the way we’d come. We had already been more than halfway to the hardware store, but it made sense to take care of both at once, especially since he was borrowing David’s truck to pick up the supplies.
“I don’t have a ladder there either. Sorry.”
It was habit to apologize for causing an inconvenience, and while I was still a little tense from his previous reaction, the way his lips quirked eased any fear that I had done something wrong.
“It’s no problem. We can swing by The Hangout first. Can’t have your house falling down around you while we work on the business. Is there anything else that needs done at the duplex?”
I kept my breathing slow and steady, letting my instincts relax as I considered the question.
“There are a few little things on my side, but they’re mostly just inconveniences. The other side needs more work since there are holes in the drywall and the pipes leak, but I’m not worried about any of those things yet.”
I also wasn’t sure my comfort with Carl would extend to allowing him into my home. I’d never had anything that was just mine before, and I wasn’t sure I could give up that sanctity. His scent would linger even after he’d left, and I didn’t know if my muddled feelings could handle that.
A shiver passed through me at the thought of what it would do to me, to have his scent near my nest. Even if I kept him out of the bedroom, the fantasies would follow me to bed.
It only took Carl a moment to hop out of the truck at The Hangout and grab the ladder, loading it into the back and tying it so it couldn’t slide around. I stared over at the place that held all my hopes, wondering if it would ever turn into what I saw in my head. Painting the kitchen had helped, and I loved the new brightness in there, but the outside was still a dreary, drab building with boarded windows.
Old and neglected.
The way I felt.
I swallowed my sigh as Carl climbed into the cab, the truck rocking as it took on his weight. Curiosity ate at me, but I wasn’t sure if it was polite to ask what his animal was, and I bit my lip to keep the question from blurting out without permission.
The silence as we drove back to my house was easier than the previous one, and I let myself sink into the scent of him. As much as I wanted to be independent, I had to admit I felt better when he was around. As an omega, alone, my instincts were always on edge. Anxiety was a constant companion, fear close behind.
But with Carl, that part of me uncoiled. Despite my past with alphas, I felt safe in his presence, but when my mind intruded to remind me I didn’t know him, it left me unsettled.
I stepped out of the truck when he did, sucking in air not filled with sweet chocolate and smokey alpha pheromones. It was stupid to fight the way my omega side reacted to the big man, but I needed more to soothe the logical side that wouldn’t stop worrying.
Carl was on the roof before I could collect my thoughts, moving cautiously as he paced the length of the home. Giving the roof attention for the first time, I could see where there were gaps from missing shingles, and I shook my head over not noticing it before. There was so much I didn’t know since I’d never been responsible for any of it before, but I needed to learn.
It didn’t take long for Carl to get whatever information he needed, and the grim line of his mouth let me know it was just as bad as I’d thought.
“Does it need replaced too?”
He tried to smile but it didn’t reach his eyes, and I couldn’t stop my groan.
“We’ll take care of it tomorrow. If Jason isn’t free, I’ll grab someone else to help, then you’ll be all set. Those limbs over your roof need cut back too, since there’s a risk of them breaking and falling through, but they seem sturdy enough. That’s a little trickier than I’m willing to risk, but I know someone who can take care of it.”
Drawing my shoulders back, I nodded. It might be another blow I didn’t need, but I’d face it and keep going.
“At least the roofs are covered by insurance.”