Chapter 10
Adam checked his email. He had one from Mel. With a sinking heart he saw a new match. Did he really want to do this again?
When clicking on the attachment, he saw a picture of a woman, Laura, who looked a lot like Anita. His first reaction was hell no. His second reaction was to read the bio.
He scanned the contents, but his eyes kept drifting back to the picture. Nope, there was no way he could date this woman. It was like looking at his ex’s long-lost twin.
He quickly composed an email to Mel and then deleted it. He’d tell her in person when he went back to work at her place. It would give him a good reason to talk to her again. Maybe he should ask her out for ice cream or something else equally innocuous.
Checking his cell, he saw Will and Tim had texted saying they’d meet him at his place. It wasn’t often he had to ask for help, but his buddies knew setting the posts would be challenging without the extra hands.
He got up from his desk and, hopping on his right leg, made his way to the sofa. He sat down and picked up a gel-padded liner. Starting just under what was left of his kneecap, he rolled it up his thigh and into place. He then took the soft cotton sock from the coffee table and slipped it over the liner. Finally, he positioned the prosthesis and stood up. Bearing down, he waited for the series of clicks, confirming it was secured in place. He rolled his pant leg over the hard plastic and titanium.
Adam had come to terms with his prosthesis, but it wasn’t something he wanted to broadcast to the world. He was one of the lucky ones: he’d survived only to have lost people under his command. But only in the privacy of his apartment did he wear shorts, no matter how hot it was.
After picking up his lunch bag, baseball cap and keys, it was time to head out. It felt good to be physically tired at the end of a productive day. In another week he’d be done at Mel’s and moving on to his next project. Maybe he’d talk to her again about the fancy chicken coop she dreamed about so he could have an excuse to see her again.
The sound of slamming doors drifted through the open window. He could hear Tim talking to Will. The sound of boots thumped on his stairs, and he opened the door. Will was halfway up. “Hey, slowpoke, Tim’s here and we’re ready to roll.”
Adam held up his lunch bag and jingled his keys. “I’ve been waiting for your slow butt to show up.”
Will backed down the stairs. “Tim, I’ll ride with you?”
“Morning, Adam,” Tim called out.
“There’s the groom-to-be.” Adam stepped off the bottom step and gave his buddy a playful slug to his arm.
Tim chuckled. “Yeah, Molly is like a whirlwind planning our wedding. She wants to get married on the island at her parents’ place. I keep telling her we don’t have enough time, but well, you know my girl. Once she gets something in her mind, off she goes.”
Adam opened the passenger door on his truck. Stowing his stuff, he asked, “Why the rush to get married this year?”
Tim casually leaned against his SUV. “Molly wants a Christmas-themed wedding and wants to get married near the ocean, and that doesn’t work for December at her parents’ place. And something about it being an even-numbered year is good luck. But I’m concerned the place will be booked being we’re so late to plan.”
“You are a man in love,” Adam stated. “And it will all work out.”
“You’ll find out when you meet that special someone too.” Will chuckled. “Look at me and Stacey. I’d do anything to put a smile on her face.”
Tim nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I want Molly and me to have the wedding of her dreams.”
Adam clapped him on the back. “Well, since you two make finding a great girl so attractive, it’s a good thing I’m working with Melinda. If she can help the two of you find the perfect girls, I’m a slam dunk with my good looks and charm.” He climbed into the truck and slammed the door. “Guys, we’re going to be late, so let’s get going. Time is money.”
“Yes, Major.” Will gave him a stiff salute.
With a hearty laugh, Tim said, “And in case you forgot, we’re working for free. On a Saturday too.”
Adam hung his arm out the window. He set his mouth in a firm line. “We’ve been over this. I’m paying you and you’re going to take it.”
“Not necessary. Besides, I’d rather have you keep your money and help me renovate the basement. Stacey has an idea about a craft room and I’m sure a few other ideas will pop up.”
Adam felt his insides relax. Will wasn’t looking at this job as pity help. It was more of a barter situation. With an easy smile, he said, “That I can do.”
Tim said, “Hey, can I get in on this action, like when we buy a house you could help us out?”
“Sure, Tim.” He tapped the truck door with his hand. “Let’s get going before Melinda thinks we’ve taken the day off.” He started the truck and watched in his rearview mirror as his buddies got in Tim’s SUV and backed out into the street. Adam followed them on the short ten-minute drive to Mel’s. He parked in front of her house as Tim pulled into her driveway.
All looked quiet. He wondered where Mel was—maybe she wasn’t home. Not that it mattered, he reminded himself. He was here to work on her house.
Tim and Will grabbed the toolbox and ladder. Adam strapped on his tool belt. They were ready. As an after-thought, he grabbed an ancient-looking portable radio. He thought he’d put the ball game on while they worked.
Following the guys around the back, he saw Mel was up to her elbows, happily digging in her garden. He called out hello, but no answer. He crossed the yard as quickly as he could, making sure his gait was smooth, just in case she looked up. He tapped her shoulder.
She jumped up and pulled ear buds out. “Adam, hey.” She glanced toward Will and Tim. “I didn’t realize it was so late.” She gave him a sheepish grin. “I tend to lose track of time when I’m puttering in the dirt.”
“It’s no problem. I just didn’t want to scare you.” He reached out and brushed a smudge of dirt from her cheek. “You really dig it.” He smirked. “Sorry about the pun. I couldn’t help myself.” He wondered if the gesture would bother her. It felt natural to him to wipe the dirt from her face.
She pulled her wide-brimmed hat from her head and laughed. “If it’s only one streak of dirt, it’s a record for me.”
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I need to get to work.”
Melinda dropped her tools in her garden cart and grabbed it by the handle. Adam reached out and took it from her. “Allow me.” They walked toward the guys, who were busy setting up sawhorses and extension cords.
“Hi, Melinda,” Will said, while Tim focused on testing the ladder.
Melinda looked down at Adam’s legs. Concern filled her eyes. “Are you limping?”
“No. Just a minor muscle cramp. I’ll walk it off.” His stomach clenched. Did she have to pay such close attention?
“If you say so.” Melinda took the cart from him and stowed it near the garage door. “I have to get into the office, but I’ll pop out later to check on you guys.” She opened the back door and paused. “Remember, there are water and snacks in the kitchen. Help yourselves.”
“Thanks, Mel.” Adam waved his hand in acknowledgement.
The door closed behind her and Adam discovered the guys watching him watch her. “What?”
Will asked, “Since when did you get so relaxed around her and start calling her Mel?”
With a shrug he said, “It just sort of happened.”
“Interesting.” Tim winked at Will. “Nicknames now…”
“She’s working as my matchmaker. It’s only natural we’ve become friends.”
Will crossed his arms across his chest. “If you say so.”
“But do me a favor, don’t call her Mel.” Adam turned his back on his buddies. Briskly, he said, “Let’s get to work.”
Melinda combed out her damp hair and twisted it into a knot at the base of her neck. Wearing capris and a lightweight top, she padded into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She needed to get into the office since she had two appointments after lunch with potential new clients. Maybe she’d get lucky and one of the ladies would be a good match for Adam.
She could hear the deep murmur of male voices drifting through the open window as the guys worked. Last week Adam had set the cement pads. He said it wouldn’t be long now and her patio would be complete.
Leaning against the counter, sipping her coffee, she watched as the first column was positioned into place. Adam was using a level to make sure it was straight and Will was knocking the post with a hammer near the ground. Tim seemed to be hanging on to the other side of the post. She hoped it was safe for all of them.
It started to move. Her heart flipped. Adam.
Shaking off the worry, she heard him grumble, “Hold on to it, Tim.”
She breathed easier when it stopped moving. Turning away from the window, she picked up her phone and hit a few buttons. She listened as it rang several times until a female voice said, “Hello.”
“Hi Stacey. It’s Melinda.”
“Hey, girl. What’s going on?”
“Did you know your husband, Adam and Tim are working extra hard at my house?”
With a laugh Stacey said, “I’m sure you’re getting anxious to get things back in shape.”
Melinda grinned into the phone. “You know me so well, but that got me thinking.”
“Do tell.”
Melinda knew she’d piqued Stacey’s curiosity. “What if I host a small shower for the engaged couple?”
“That sounds like a great idea, but only if you let me help.”
Melinda said, “I’d like that.”
Stacey asked. “Do you want to get together soon and we can pick a date, make up a guest list and food options?”
“Yeah, since the wedding is right around the corner, we shouldn’t waste any time.” Melinda walked over to the wall calendar. “We’ve got less than two months until the big day, so maybe we could target four weeks from now?”
“I’ll send Molly’s mom a text and see which weekend she thinks is best. Then we can make definite plans.”
Melinda asked, “Do you want to meet at my place or yours?”’
“After I talk to Molly’s mom, I’ll give you a call, and if you want to swing by the house we can get Will to weigh in on the plans.”
After agreeing, Melinda said goodbye and hung up. A sharp knock on the back door caught her attention. “Come in,” she called out.
Adam popped his head in the door. “Mel, we’re putting the next column up. Would you like to watch?”
She looked at the clock and then at Adam. “I do. My boss can spare me for a few more minutes.” He held the door open for her and she stepped out. “Hi, guys,” She was pleased to see it was coming together. “I see you’re making steady progress.”
Tim grinned. “Adam is a slave driver. He wants to have all the columns up before the end of the day.”
Will nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s right. He is.”
Adam leaned toward Melinda. His voice warmed her cheek. “Don’t listen to them.” He joked, “We’ll have them done by dinner or I’m bringing in flood lights for us to finish.”
Melinda looked from Tim to Will and then Adam. “I think you three will spend too much time razzing each other to finish today.”
Adam arched an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”
Melinda laughed. “We all have to work today. I need to get into the office and you all”—she pointed to each one — “need to be careful.”
Adam grinned. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am.” His buddies were in position to hoist the next post upright. “You heard the lady, now we work.”
She felt her cheeks grow warm and his laughter followed her into the house. She traced the smile on her lips. This almost felt the same as when John’s friends used to hang out at their house. Almost.