Chapter 2 Tool Belt and Timid Eyes
Coffee and Curiosity
Liam woke before his alarm.
For a few seconds he lay still beneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling while rain tapped softly against the bedroom window. The storm had weakened overnight, but the skies outside remained gray and heavy.
Then he remembered the previous evening.
The burst pipe.
The flooded kitchen.
The emergency repair.
And the plumber.
Mason.
The name appeared in his thoughts so easily that it surprised him.
Liam rolled onto his side and reached for his phone.
Seven-thirteen.
Earlier than usual.
Normally he would have stolen another hour of sleep before dragging himself toward class preparations and studying. Instead, he found himself climbing out of bed.
By seven-thirty he was downstairs.
The kitchen looked significantly better than it had the night before.
Most of the standing water was gone. Fans hummed quietly in the corners of the room, helping dry the damaged areas. Towels covered portions of the floor, and several cabinet doors remained open.
The damage was still there.
The panic wasn't.
That alone felt like a victory.
Liam started a pot of coffee.
The familiar smell quickly filled the room.
He told himself it was for his own benefit.
Not because a certain broad-shouldered plumber was arriving in less than an hour.
Definitely not that.
By seven-fifty, he had already checked the driveway three times.
At seven-fifty-eight, a familiar work truck pulled into view.
His stomach performed an odd little flip.
Liam frowned at himself.
Seriously?
It was a plumber.
A very helpful plumber.
Nothing more.
He ignored the thought and opened the front door before Mason reached the porch.
Mason stepped out of the truck carrying a large tool bag over one shoulder. He wore faded jeans, heavy work boots, and a dark long-sleeved work shirt rolled to his forearms.
The rain had dampened his hair slightly.
For some reason Liam noticed that immediately.
"Morning," Mason said.
"Morning."
The deep voice seemed even rougher this early in the day.
Mason climbed the porch steps.
"You look less stressed than yesterday."
A laugh escaped Liam.
"I think that's because my house isn't actively flooding."
"Fair point."
For the briefest moment, amusement softened Mason's usually serious expression.
Then he stepped inside.
Liam found himself smiling long after the expression disappeared.
The realization made him immediately stop smiling.
What was wrong with him?
Mason headed directly toward the kitchen.
Professional.
Focused.
Like yesterday.
Meanwhile Liam was standing there acting like he'd never met an attractive man before.
Which wasn't true.
His ex had been attractive.
Unfortunately, being attractive and being a decent human being weren't remotely the same thing.
Mason set his tool bag on the floor.
"Coffee smells good."
The words caught Liam off guard.
"Oh."
He glanced toward the coffee maker.
"I just made some."
Mason looked at him.
The silence lasted only a second.
Then he asked, "Offering?"
Liam immediately nodded.
"Yeah. Of course."
"Then I won't say no."
Something warm settled unexpectedly inside Liam's chest.
It wasn't a big moment.
Just coffee.
Yet the simple exchange felt strangely normal.
Comfortable.
A few minutes later they stood at opposite sides of the kitchen island holding steaming mugs.
Mason took a sip.
A look of approval crossed his face.
"That's good."
The compliment shouldn't have mattered.
For some reason it did.
"Thanks."
Mason leaned one hip against the counter.
"How much studying did you get done after I left?"
Liam groaned.
"Not enough."
"Big exam?"
"Literature."
"Sounds painful."
Liam laughed.
"I could say the same thing about plumbing."
"Fair."
The conversation flowed more easily than it had the night before.
Perhaps because neither of them was standing ankle-deep in water this time.
Mason eventually set his mug aside.
"Time to see how bad the rest of this place is."
The statement instantly reminded Liam why Mason had returned.
The hidden damage.
The unknown problems.
The inspection.
Liam followed as Mason began moving through the house.
Watching him work turned out to be unexpectedly fascinating.
Not because of the plumbing itself.
At least that was what Liam told himself.
The interesting part was the confidence.
Mason never hesitated.
He moved through each room with certainty.
Opening access panels.
Examining walls.
Checking pipes.
Taking measurements.
Every action seemed purposeful.
Deliberate.
Like he knew exactly what he was doing.
Liam couldn't remember the last time he'd felt that sure about anything.
Certainly not his future.
Certainly not himself.
"What's university like?" Mason asked suddenly while checking a section of piping in the laundry room.
The question pulled Liam from his thoughts.
"It depends on the day."
"Good answer."
Liam smiled.
"Sometimes it's great. Sometimes it's stressful. Most of the time it's expensive."
Mason laughed quietly.
"That bad?"
"You have no idea."
The words slipped out before Liam could stop them.
Mason glanced toward him.
Student loans weren't exactly first-date conversation.
Not that this was a date.
Obviously.
Still, something about Mason made honesty easier.
"My tuition payment is due soon."
Mason nodded.
"That'll do it."
"Feels like I'm constantly borrowing money from Future Liam."
"Future Liam sounds annoyed."
"He definitely is."
A small grin appeared on Mason's face.
The sight caught Liam completely off guard.
The man looked different when he smiled.
Younger somehow.
Less guarded.
More approachable.
The realization made Liam look away.
Fast.
Mason thankfully returned his attention to work.
By late morning, they had inspected most of the first floor.
The news wasn't great.
Several sections of wall showed signs of moisture damage.
Parts of the plumbing system would need additional repairs.
Nothing catastrophic.
But definitely not simple.
Liam followed Mason from room to room carrying a notepad and writing down recommendations.
At some point he stopped feeling like a nervous homeowner and started feeling like an assistant.
The thought made him laugh.
"What?"
Mason looked over his shoulder.
"Nothing."
"That usually means something."
Liam hesitated.
Then shrugged.
"I feel like your unpaid intern."
Mason barked out a short laugh.
"You taking notes?"
"Yes."
"You asking questions?"
"Yes."
"Then congratulations."
"What?"
"You're officially an apprentice."
Liam laughed despite himself.
The joke stayed with him for the rest of the afternoon.
Around lunch, Mason brought several large storage containers from his truck.
"We need to move some things away from the walls before I can inspect properly."
Liam immediately stepped forward.
"I can help."
Mason opened his mouth.
Probably to argue.
Then closed it again.
"Fine."
The next hour passed moving furniture and supplies throughout the house.
The work was more physically demanding than Liam expected.
By the time they finished, his arms ached.
Mason barely looked winded.
It was unfair.
Genuinely unfair.
Liam was carrying a plastic storage bin toward the dining room when the accident happened.
Nothing dramatic.
Just bad timing.
He stepped backward at the same moment Mason stepped forward.
Their shoulders collided.
The container tilted dangerously.
Mason reacted instantly.
One large hand caught the side of the box while the other settled briefly against Liam's waist to steady him.
The contact lasted less than a second.
Maybe two.
Long enough.
Heat shot through Liam before he could stop it.
His breath caught.
Mason stepped back immediately.
"You okay?"
The concern sounded genuine.
Liam forced himself to answer normally.
"Yeah."
His voice came out slightly higher than intended.
Embarrassing.
"I'm fine."
Mason nodded.
The moment passed.
At least for Mason.
Liam wasn't nearly so lucky.
For the rest of the afternoon, he remained painfully aware of every movement.
Every glance.
Every word.
When Mason finally packed his tools and prepared to leave, Liam stood by the front door.
"So tomorrow?" he asked.
Mason adjusted the strap on his tool bag.
"Tomorrow."
"Eight?"
"Eight."
The answer should have felt ordinary.
Instead, Liam found himself oddly pleased.
Mason stepped onto the porch.
Rain had started falling again.
Not hard.
Just enough to blur the world beyond the driveway.
"Try not to flood anything tonight," Mason said.
Liam laughed.
"I'll do my best."
"Good."
Then Mason headed toward the truck.
A few moments later, the engine started.
The vehicle backed down the driveway and disappeared onto the street.
The house immediately felt quieter.
Liam closed the front door and leaned against it.
For several seconds he stood there staring at nothing.
Then his gaze dropped toward his hands.
The same hands Mason had guided earlier while moving supplies.
The same waist Mason had steadied.
The same shoulder that had brushed against his.
The memory returned with ridiculous clarity.
Liam groaned softly.
This was not good.
Not good at all.
Because for the first time since his breakup, he found himself genuinely looking forward to seeing someone again.
And that someone was coming back tomorrow morning.
More Than a House Call
Mason arrived the following morning a few minutes before eight.
The rain hadn't let up.
Low clouds hung over the town, turning the entire neighborhood gray. Water dripped steadily from rooftops, and puddles covered the streets from another night of storms.
Normally, weather like this didn't bother him.
It came with the territory.
Plumbing emergencies always seemed to multiply whenever heavy rain hit Oregon.
Today, however, his attention wasn't entirely on the job waiting for him.
That realization annoyed him.
He parked in the driveway and grabbed his tool bag.
The moment he stepped onto the porch, the front door opened.