Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Shep
The week was busy between my regular jobsite and working on my house at night. Kinsley was nearby filming as I worked on one bathroom or the other. Maya wanted to be my helper, so I bought her a toolbox and tool belt.
When I gave them to her, she squealed and threw her arms around my neck. My heart contracted as I met Kinsley's gaze. Her eyes were filled with emotion.
Did Derek not do these things for his daughter? I was getting the impression that he didn't take the time to show Maya things or buy her something special.
When she stepped back to admire the tiny toolbox and belt, I said, "You're my assistant. You need tools. But you need to wait for me to teach you how to use them."
"I know. Can I show Dad when he comes?"
"I'm dropping you off," Kinsley said, and I wondered if she didn't want Derek to know she was living with me. "You should leave your new things here so you don't lose them."
Maya's shoulders lowered.
"When you get back, I'll teach you how to use your new tools. How about that?" I asked, chucking her in the chin.
"Yeah, okay," she said, but her face was still downturned.
I wondered if she didn't like leaving her mother. Or didn't get excited about spending time with her father. "What are you doing with your father this weekend?"
She perked up a bit. "We usually hang around the house. He lets me watch as much TV as I want."
Kinsley sighed. "I can't control the rules at his house. You don't have to watch TV the whole time."
Maya shrugged. "There's nothing else to do. There's no one for me to play with."
She didn't have a sibling, and I assumed Derek didn't schedule playdates with her friends. But didn't he want to do things with her?
'"Ask Dad to play with you." When Maya didn't respond, Kinsley asked lightly, "Do you have your bag packed?"
"It's by the door."
Kinsley met my gaze. "We're going to get going. I can help you when I get back."
I grinned. "Does this mean the camera will be gone for a while?"
She waved her finger at me. "Don't do anything exciting while I'm gone."
"You don't have to worry about that. Nothing exciting happens when Maya's gone. It's going to be a boring weekend." I emphasized the word boring.
While we were walking toward the front door, I swung Maya into my arms, and she squealed, screaming for me to put her down. I slowly lowered her to her feet. "I'm going to miss you. I'm going to have to watch movies tonight by myself."
She gazed up at me with wide eyes. "You can watch with Mommy. She's going to be lonely too."
I wrapped an arm around a stiff Kinsley, pulling her into my side. "That's a great idea." I appreciated Maya's assist, even though I was positive she didn't have a clue that I was attracted to her mother.
Kinsley ducked out from my arm and grabbed Maya's bag. "We're going to get going. I'll see you in a bit."
I opened the door for them, and Maya turned and lifted her arms for another hug.
I squatted down to her level and wrapped my arms around her, closing my eyes.
I was going to miss her. I'd been dreading this weekend, wondering what I would do without my little assistant asking a billion questions while I worked.
It was going to be so quiet without her. I hated that she had to go, but her father should get to see her too.
Maya pulled back, and ran out the door and climbed into the back seat of Kinsley's car. I needed to buy a car seat so we didn't have to keep moving it back and forth. "How do you let her go?"
Kinsley sighed. "I tell myself that her father needs to see her too, and I use it as an opportunity to take some time for myself. I don't get that during the week when she's with me. I get caught up on laundry and things around the house."
I remembered that she'd said she was going to start dating. But after our dinner, she hadn't mentioned it again. Would she be going out this weekend?
"Will you be here for dinner?" Then I quickly added, "I wasn't sure if I should cook for one or two."
"I don't have any plans, but you don't have to cook for me."
I just gave her a look because it made no sense for us to cook separately.
"I'll be back soon," Kinsley said, and I waited for her to go through the gate before I headed back inside, resigned to a quiet weekend without Maya running through the house acting as a buffer between me and Kinsley.
At least I'd have Kinsley to myself this weekend.
The thing was, I didn't want her dating other people.
I needed to make a move if I wanted her to consider me as an option.
It wasn't shocking to me that she didn't see me as a viable option.
She only knew me as a guy who picked up women at the local bars.
She didn't know that most of the time, I went home by myself, and I hadn't been out in months.
I had big plans for the weekend. I needed to finish the bathroom demos, then start tiling Maya's. I asked Hudson to help with that project since he was using my house for his wedding. And I wanted to get her bathroom done so Maya could enjoy it while she was here.
Hudson would be here any minute, so I needed to stop thinking about my weekend alone with Kinsley.
I was unscrewing the toilet in Maya's bedroom when Hudson rang the doorbell. He had the code to the gate. I texted for him to come in because I hadn't bothered to lock the door.
I heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs before he popped into the bathroom. I picked up the toilet to take it out to the dumpster.
His expression was one of awe. "The dumpster out front is full."
I maneuvered past him, setting the toilet on the cardboard I'd placed over Maya's floor that ran from the bathroom to the doorway since she wasn't here this weekend. "Yeah. I gotta call them to come pick it up."
Hudson admired the empty room. "You've been busy."
I gave him a pointed look. "I'm on a timeline apparently."
He tipped his head to the side. "You still think you can get everything done before June?"
I wiped the sweat from my brow. "I don't see why not. I'm working every night and the weekends. If I have some help here and there, we should be good to go."
"It's all hands on deck for the kitchen."
"That will be a project. I want top-of-the-line everything and tons of space to move around and cook." I enjoyed cooking for Maya and Kinsley, and I wanted to make the most of the space.
"Is that what you want? Kinsley said the designs for the bathroom were more traditional."
"You got me thinking about our legacy. This is our family's home, and I want it to be the center of family gatherings."
Hudson crossed his arms over his chest. "You want to host holidays?"
I felt a little self-conscious. "Sure. Why not?"
His brow furrowed. "I didn't mean to say that you had to do that."
I shrugged, uncomfortable with his scrutiny. "Maybe I want to, and it has nothing to do with Grandma."
I hefted the toilet and carried it down the stairs.
Hudson followed me out to the dumpster and helped me hoist it over the edge.
I brushed off my hands. "Mom and Dad are getting older, and I'm sure they'd appreciate sharing the load of hosting."
Hudson headed toward the front door. "What are we working on today?"
"Tiling Maya's bathroom." I led the way upstairs, through her bedroom, and into the bathroom. I'd already set up everything we needed to start right away.
"Maya's bathroom, huh?" Hudson said in the doorway, his gaze on Maya's room, which now had a pink comforter, shelves for her books, and bins for her toys. It looked like it was hers, and I liked having her things here.
"Where is Maya?"
"She's at her dad's, so it's the perfect time to work on her bathroom. I wanted hers to be done first."
"Because she's staying here temporarily," Hudson huffed.
"Yes." It was a good motivator for me. If I didn't have a deadline or a reason to finish something, I wouldn't. I knew myself well enough to realize that.
But Maya living here was a good reason to get her bathroom done, and I wanted her to enjoy it.
"What are you planning?"
"A standing shower, separate soaking tub, double vanity." I pointed at each space so that he'd know the design.
Hudson whistled as he looked at the design I'd taped to the wall for reference. "This is going to be nice for a guest room."
The tension between my shoulders amped up. "We have to keep with the aesthetic of the house. This isn't a new build."
"No. I get that," Hudson said easily. "I assume we're installing the pan, then framing the shower and tiling?"
"You got it." I hit Play on a music playlist that I preferred when I worked. I grabbed the shower pan, and together we moved it into place.
We worked in a companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Hudson said, "When do I get to pick the music?"
"You know the project manager gets to pick," I said, used to this particular complaint from my brothers. We had to come up with a solution a long time ago.
Before Hudson could grumble about my musical choices any further, Kinsley appeared in the doorway. "You already started."
I stretched my neck, working out the kinks. "I put Hudson to work."
Kinsley brightened. "Do you mind if I film the both of you working together? I think viewers will love your banter."
I raised a brow. "You mean they'll enjoy us fighting with each other?"
Kinsley grinned as she set up her phone on the stand that was always present in any space we were working. "It's viewer gold."
I shook my head. "We don't have any viewers yet."
Hudson looked from Kinsley to me. "You started filming already?"
"She insisted." I hadn't put up much of a fight because I enjoyed when she was nearby, and the camera guaranteed that she'd be checking the feed.
"Is anything ready to post yet?" Hudson asked, his voice rising with interest.