Chapter 21 #3
Eddie laughs, his genuine laugh, and some of the tension between us eases. “Could’ve told you that. Maybe you should hire someone. A real professional.”
“Hopefully soon.”
He pivots on the scaffold, bracing one hand against the wall as he searches out my gaze.
And just like that, I’m caught.
His warm brown eyes have always done me in. And for the first time since our breakup, there’s no anger in them. Just the same gentle softness that always felt like home.
“I don’t want to see you get taken for a ride. Maybe one of my guys could help you out.”
One of his guys.
It’s a generous offer, and his crew is wildly talented. I know this. Still, I can’t help the small, ridiculous part of me that wishes he’d offered himself instead.
Which is stupid.
Why would he, Kiki? You’re the one who ended things. He’s not about to show up and do free labor out of the goodness of his heart. You’re lucky he’s even speaking to you at all.
Once again, I’m on the verge of tears.
No, Kiki, you’re not going there right now.
“Thanks,” I say, forcing my voice steady. “I wouldn’t want to put you or them out.”
He shrugs. “It’s not any trouble.”
We fall into a rhythm after that, the only sounds between us the steady clanging of metal on metal and the creak of wood giving way as we work, but I steal glances at him when I think he won’t notice.
He’s still painfully handsome. His hair is a bit shaggier and he’s sporting a short beard now, which gives him a rougher edge.
I debate whether to ask about it, but he said we weren’t fighting anymore, right? This is me not fighting.
I reach over and tap his shoulder, motioning toward his face. “Is this a new look, or did you just not shave?”
He considers my question, running a hand over his jaw. “I honestly don’t know yet.”
My gaze follows his movement, dropping to his gorgeous mouth.
I remember how talented that mouth is.
Romy probably knows it, too, after last night.
Just like that, jealousy sticks in my craw. Again.
“What does Romy think about it?” I mutter.
He snaps his head toward me and narrows his eyes. “We’re not doing that.”
Heat floods my face. Yeah, definitely not one of my finer moments. A forty-year-old woman behaving like I’m eighteen. What a great look.
“Sorry. That was a stupid thing to say, and for the record, despite what you may think, I have zero desire to play matchmaker for you.”
“Good,” Eddie replies. “Please don’t.”
He doesn’t expand on it, so I’m not sure whether he hooked up with Romy last night and is in no need of a matchmaker or whether the idea of his ex fixing him up with anyone is too terrible a concept for him to handle.
Who am I kidding? I’d rather subject myself to a root canal without anesthetic than set him up with another woman.
I ease another section of trim free, desperate to move on from our little exchange. “It looks really good on you, though.”
He pauses mid-motion, the hammer hanging in the air. “I thought you hated beards.”
“On other men,” I admit. “But the truth is, I don’t hate anything about you, Eddie.”
And on that note, it’s time to switch gears to a more neutral topic.
“How’s Theo?”
Eddie softens at the mention of his son’s name. “Amazing, as always. Although, sadly, he’s worse at hockey than he was at baseball.”
I giggle, a mental image of his six-year-old swinging a hockey stick flashing through my mind. “Give him a chance. He’s built to excel. Just like his dad.”
Once again, Eddie pauses like he wants to say something.
Something deep and pointed, probably about why I’m complimenting him when I had the audacity to break his heart.
But he thinks better of it and returns to his work, gently laying another piece of trim on the scaffold. “His birthday’s coming up.”
“I remember.” In fact, I had wanted to throw a party for the little guy. Sadly, that won’t happen now. “What are you and Deirdre doing to celebrate?”
“Taking him to an indoor water park. Making an entire weekend of it.”
“That’s nice. I’m glad you and Deirdre are doing better.”
He huffs and chokes out a laugh. “I don’t know about all that. I’m still pretty pissed at her.”
“Why?”
“Because of the shit she pulled between you and me. Not that it mattered in the end, but still.”
I don’t respond aloud, although my mind screams in protest.
Trust me, Eddie, I’ve rolled through every alternate scenario in my head. If Deirdre had been the tiniest bit accepting of me, we wouldn’t be here right now. We’d be leaving the job site together. Sharing a bed. Sharing memories.
Instead, my only company is Gus. And while he’s an awesome dog, he doesn’t fill the void that Eddie left.
Nothing can.
“Also,” Eddie continues, “Theo wants this remote-controlled dinosaur thing. I can’t find it anywhere, and the last thing I want to do is disappoint the kid.”
I scrunch my nose. “Remote-controlled dinosaur thing?”
“Yeah.” Eddie fishes his phone out of his pocket, scrolls through a couple of pictures, and turns the screen toward me.
“Huh. It’s not available anywhere online?”
“It’s not available anywhere,” Eddie grumbles. “I’m hoping the indoor water park is enough. Maybe I can take his mind off it for a day.”
“Eddie!” One of the guys calls from below, breaking into our moment. “I need you to take a look at something.”
Eddie nods, then turns to me. “Can you hold down the fort for a minute?”
“Of course. I’ve got this. It’s actually therapeutic in a way.”
He snorts. “I don’t know about all that. Give it a bit. Your shoulders will be singing tonight.”
“Well worth it. Hey, thanks for helping me today.”
He pauses halfway down the ladder. “Thanks for putting up with me. I know I was a bit of a dick earlier.”
“You were busy. It’s a big job.”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I was a dick and I’m sorry.”
Not as sorry as I am.
I offer him a small smile. “No more war zone, remember? We’re going to show Nolan how magical we are.”
He huffs out a quiet laugh and offers a mock salute. “You’ve got it, boss. I’ll see you later.”
Eddie wasn’t lying. It’s not just my shoulders that ache—it’s my entire body. But the trim is saved, and I’m in a good mood.
Gus thumps his tail against the floor when I enter the cabin, and I offer him an ear scratch and some kibble before setting about on my mission.
See, I have a few remaining friends, mostly in the city, and one of them happens to be an executive at a toy company.
Maybe she can help.
The minute she answers, I dive into my request.
Here’s hoping we can make Theo’s birthday wish come true after all.