6. Abby
Abby
I wiped the sweat off my brow and frowned.
This was not the sexy date I’d thought we would have. Especially after our seriously cute impromptu movie night the night before.
But in a way, it was better.
A part of me understood what he was doing and liked it. Not only was he showing me a side of what he did on a daily basis, sharing what his life was like with me, but he was taking my fear of pools away.
One step at a time.
His company built in-ground pools, and he had employees who also maintained them. It was a little after two in the afternoon, and we had already been to three different sites. Each stop had been at different stages of an install. It wasn’t glamourous in the least, but I had enjoyed it. Being outdoors in the fresh air even with the hot summer temps had been a nice change of pace for me. Not to mention the way he insisted on reapplying sunscreen on me. I loved his hands on me and the way they rubbed the lotion in; it felt like he didn’t miss a spot.
I enjoyed watching Abel interact with his employees.
It spoke volumes about the man when all his men genuinely seemed to not only like him but get along with him as well. I’d shared a little bit about my accident, omitting the fact I had somehow dreamt him up at the site. That he had been what I saw when the water started to rise right along with my panic.
I turned and looked over my shoulder. Abel was working next to me. The sun shined brightly over us, and I was sweaty and dusty but happy. Genuinely. Just the sight of him calmed me. Soothed me. I felt relaxed in a way that shouldn’t have been possible with an almost stranger.
But he wasn’t a stranger.
He didn’t feel like one, anyway. I’d never clicked with someone the way I did with him. I wondered if this is what people mean when they meet that special person they just know.
“Careful.” His eyes met mine. I blushed, wondering if he knew what I was thinking by looking at me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, noticing I had almost hit my foot with the shovel I was using. We were digging up a couple of holes for some rose bushes the homeowners wanted installed. Abel said he usually worked with a third party to do it, but I had asked if we could, and he’d agreed.
“We’re almost done.” He grinned, and I nodded. “You okay? Should I get you some water?”
“I’m okay, Abel.” And I was.
“You sure, princess?” I nodded. “You know this wasn’t my intention when I planned today out.”
On our way to his original date, a hike through the hills that ended up at some local waterfalls, he’d received a phone call. One of his foremen had called out sick and a couple other guys had been no-shows.
“I know, but I like this.”
“Do you like gardening?” he asked, and I shrugged.
“Kinda. I mean, I like being outside. I used to do this at my Abuela’s before I went off to school. When I came back, I don’t know… I got busy.” I shrugged. “I have a plant in our backyard. Well, it’s a succulent. I’ve propagated it a couple of times and haven’t killed it yet, so I’m getting a little better at it,” I shared, and he nodded.
His eyes kept dipping down to my lips, and I swear they tingled. I loved the way he looked at me. The way I lit up from the inside out around him.
“Do you like gardening?” I asked, and he grunted.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s okay. I didn’t get to give you the grand tour of my house this morning, but next time you’re over, I’ll show you around.”
“Next time,” I repeated coyly, and he winked. And just like that, my heart and stomach fluttered with so much excitement the summersaults they did could have competed and won gold at the Olympics.
There was going to be a next time!
And I couldn’t wait!