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I head back to my car and slide into the driver’s seat, my mind already racing with a list of stuff that I need to do today, but no matter how hard I try to focus, my thoughts keep drifting back to Wade. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I do know one thing. I’m looking forward to finding out.
FOUR
Wade
The morning sunwas barely peeking over the horizon as I walked up on Auden’s front porch, my hand hovering over the doorbell. I’d been up for an hour, running through all the ways today could go, planning every step of how I was going to ask her out to lunch. I figured offering her a ride downtown to work was a good start. I could show her that I was thinking of her and trying to get to know her, trying to make up for the way I’d acted when I first showed up on her doorstep.
I take a deep breath and press the doorbell, the sound echoing through the quiet morning air. I shift from one foot to the other, nervous energy buzzing in my veins, but as the seconds tick by with no response, a sinking feeling starts to settle in my gut. I don’t hear any movement inside and I sigh. I try once more to knock on the door, just to be sure, but when there’s still no answer, I step back and let out a frustrated sigh.
She already left.
I glance at my watch. It’s only just after seven in the morning. Early, but not too early for someone like Auden who clearly takes her work seriously.
Could she still be asleep?
I give it another minute before I determine that she must have already left. I try not to be too disappointed as I head over to my truck and climb behind the wheel, but it’s hard. I had it all planned out. I’d drive her to the site, we’d talk about the project, I’d ask her out to lunch, and maybe she’d start to see me as more than just a work acquaintance or her grumpy neighbor.
I should have woken up earlier or mentioned driving in together yesterday, but I didn’t think that she’d be gone so early. She was probably already at the site, getting a head start on the day, just like she’d done yesterday. I should have known better. Auden Reed isn’t the type to wait around for anyone. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. I’ve always admired that about her.
I shake off the disappointment and come up with a new plan as I head into town. I’m not going to let this throw me off. I’ll just have to find another opportunity to talk to her and to show her that I can be someone that she needs. I need to show her that I could be a good match for her, and maybe, if I was lucky, I’d get that chance today.
The drive to the Montgomery property was quiet, the early morning fog clinging to the trees as I weave my way through the familiar streets of Lilac Harbor. The town hasn’t changed much in all of the time that I lived here. I liked that. There was a sense of comfort in the familiar, in knowing that some things stayed the same.
As I pull up to the property, I spot her car parked out front. Of course, she was already here. I grab my tool belt and head inside, the old wooden floorboards creaking under my boots as I make my way through the entryway. The building is quiet, thekind of quiet that only comes in the early morning hours, when the rest of the world is still waking up.
I pause, wondering where Auden could be, and then I hear it. There’s a sound of shuffling, of someone moving around in the next room and I quickly follow the noise to the back room and find Auden there, struggling with a box of paint samples.
“Hey. Need a hand?” I ask, stepping into the room.
She shrieks, nearly dropping the box and I lunge, grabbing it before it can land on her toes.
Auden looks up at me, startled, her green eyes wide as she takes in my presence. “Jeez! You almost gave me a heart attack. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I just got here.”
I turn, setting the box down on the counter.
“Thanks,” she said, a little breathless as she eyes the box. “That thing was heavier than I expected.”
“Of course. So, what’s the plan for today?”
“Well,” she starts, glancing around the room like she was mentally ticking off items on a checklist, “I want to start with the colors, especially since it won’t matter on this wall that you have to replace the boards on. I’ve got a few ideas, but I’d love to get your opinion. And then I was thinking we could start on the electrical work, get the old wiring out and start fresh.”
I nod, liking her plan. The wiring in this place is ancient, and it needed to be updated before we could do anything else. “Sure, sounds like a plan.”
We get to work, and as we move through the building, something starts to shift between us. It wasn’t just the awkwardness of the night before melting away; it was something more. We were falling into a rhythm, a partnership of sorts, where the back-and-forth was easy, comfortable. I find myself glancing over at her as she moves through the rooms, takingmeasurements, holding up color swatches, and talking through her ideas.
She was good. Really good. Not that I was surprised. I knew Auden had always been talented, but seeing her in action, watching her take this old place and breathe new life into it, was something else entirely. It was mesmerizing.Shewas mesmerizing.
As I was working on the old electrical box in the back room, she walks in with a few paint samples in her hand, holding them up to the wall.
“What do you think of this one?” she asks, showing me a soft gray that had just a hint of blue.
I paused, looking at it critically before glancing back at her. “It’s nice.”
She nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes.
“Are you sure? You really like it?”
