“I don’t think so. It would only be hurtful, I think.” She unwrapped the top blanket and pushed it behind her. “Unless Iris starts reaching out to her directly, thinking my being here will be an opportunity for them to reconnect. I’d rather not be confrontational with Iris, but I won’t let her take advantage of Gran, either.”
“Good.” He pushed up out of the chair. “I’m starving, so I’m going to rustle up something to eat.”
Lucy stood abruptly, almost falling over as the blankets tangled around her legs. “I’m sorry. I had to wait to call my mom because of the time difference and I didn’t realize it was so late. I should have made something.”
Nick paused with the screen door half open to look at her. “I don’t expect you to make me supper, Lucy.”
He was so close she could see his eyes weren’t as dark as she’d originally thought. The lighter shades of brown captured her attention, and she might have stood there staring if he hadn’t cocked an eyebrow.
“Sure,” she said, trying to gather herself. “But even if you don’texpectit, I should make dinner. I mean, you’re letting me stay here and you work all day and I’m doing…nothing.”
“You’re not doingnothing. You’ve been through a lot and you drove a long way. Taking a few days to rest is not a bad thing.” He stepped inside and held the screen door for her. “Let’s go throw something on the grill.”
“There’s a grill?”
“Of course there’s a grill. Who doesn’t own a grill?”
Lucy just rolled her eyes and followed him inside. At least he hadn’t offered to make her a bologna and tomato sandwich.
Chapter Five
Looking for a recommendation for a local-to-you builder who can remove my parents’ front steps and put in a wheelchair ramp. They estimate my dad will clear physical rehab in three weeks. I’m in Vermont, but I can do Zoom meetings because my mom has her hands full. I know it’s a tight timeline. Thanks in advance!
First comment: They might be too busy but you won’t get many recs besides Slater & Sons Construction if you want local to Wayward Harbor.
—Wayward Harbor Online Community Group
Four days later, Nick stopped by the cottage during his lunch break to grab a list he’d left on the nightstand. He thought he’d typed it into his phone, but that particular list of measurements he’d written on a notepad. He tended to bounce between the two, knowing his life would be easier if he just chose between digital and analog, but old habits were hard to break.
As soon as he stepped through the door, he spotted Lucy on the couch. She’d been stretched out—wrapped in a blanket, of course—and she sat up immediately. Judging by her confusion, she’d been asleep.
“Oh, I must have nodded off,” she said over the sound of the television.
He wasn’t sure what she was watching, but a lot of rich women appeared to be yelling at each other about something. There was an empty bowl on the table, along with two candy bar wrappers and an open bag of chips.
Lucy was wallowing again.
A day or two of wallowing was one thing. Everybody needed to wallow once in a while, especially after a long drive that ended in disappointment. But Helen wasn’t going to be back for weeks and, at the rate she was going, Lucy would be one with the couch by then.
“Oh good, you’re up,” he said with a pointed look at the antique clock on the wall. It was purely decorative, but he made his point. “I have to do some errands, and you’re going to help me.”
Lucy clawed her way out of the blanket and then ran a hand over her hair. It didn’t help. “I don’t know what kind of errands builders do, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be very good at them.”
“Think of it like this—while Helen’s away, she rented the cottage to me in exchange for labor. The way I see it, since I’m the one who let you stay—because I’m a glutton for chaos, apparently—you’re also bound by that contract. So it’s time to get to work.”
“I think you’re underestimating how bad I am at building things, or anything DIY, really.”
“I didn’t say I was giving you a nail gun or a power saw.” He might be a glutton for chaos, but he wasn’t reckless. “Five minutes.”
She laughed. “Has anybody ever told you you’re very bossy?”
“I’m not only the oldest of four boys, but I run the company we all work for. Being bossy is pretty much my entire personality at this point.” He went into the bedroom and grabbed the list he needed from the nightstand. Lucy was carrying her dishes to the sink when he passed back through the living room. “I’ll wait for you outside. Four minutes.”
She was laughing when he closed the door behind him, which probably didn’t bode well for her appearing anytime soon. He didn’t mind, though, because he really enjoyed her laugh. If it wasn’t so warm inside, he would have been tempted to stand in the living room and count down the minutes.
But he was wearing one of the newer Slater & Sons Construction hoodies, and he didn’t care what Beck said, they weren’t the same fabric. The one he was wearing didn’t breathe as well, and he overheated too easily.
Fifteen minutes later, he had regrets. He’d left the jobsite intending to grab the list, hit the hardware store, and then go straight back to work.