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I was so stupidly relieved I felt tears pricking my eyes. To cover, I ducked into the back. “I’ll just get that key for you.”
Once out of sight, I pressed a hand to my heart and uttered asilent prayer of thanks. Knuckling away the couple of tears that dared escape, I grabbed the key from my purse and took it back out to him. “Here.”
Our fingers brushed as he took the key, and for a moment we both froze, staring at each other. Then he dropped his hand and took a hasty step back.
“I’ll head over there now and see what’s what. I’ll probably get started today.”
I wasn’t sure if that was because, despite not being the kind of guy who’d kick a woman out in the cold, he didn’t want me in his space any longer than necessary, or if it was because he was eager to get back to work and make things right. Either way, I was ecstatic to have somewhere to stay and didn’t have to worry about becoming homeless. I made a mental note to do whatever I could to minimize my presence in the house so as not to inadvertently step on his toes.
“Thank you, Gabe. For everything.”
He jerked a nod and strode out the door.
My fingers still tingled from the brush of his callused ones, and I was back to actually pondering Austen’s absurd suggestion of what I should do with this period of cohabitation. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get to know him better. I always had. I didn’t think I could bring myself to actually make a move, but maybe Austen was right and forced proximity would work some kind of magic.
FIVE
GABE
After returning the car I’d rented to get my ass home, I spent the day assessing the damage at Felicity’s house and cursing Terry the Weasel eight ways from Sunday.
It was bad.
The damage would have been considerable, even if someone had been able to deal with it immediately. But between the volume of water that had poured down the wall and through the ceiling from the second floor and the fact that it had been allowed to sit and sit and sit, we were looking at only a few steps above catastrophic.
Sheetrock had bubbled and sagged in multiple rooms. The ceiling had collapsed in part of the living room, clearly dumping a fuckton of water over everything. Water stains covered Felicity’s furniture. A bookcase against one wall had clearly taken the brunt. Shelves were warped, and the books themselves were stained and rippled from getting wet. The floors were bowed and curling. The only thing that had actually been dealt with was the original burst pipe. Small mercies, as plumbing wasn’t my strong suit. But I’d be ripping things out from top to bottom. I’d already pried off some of the molding and ripped up someof the floor to check the status of the subfloor. That needed replacing, too. It was gonna be a hell of a job.
The dumpster would be delivered tomorrow, and I’d spent most of the rest of the day making preliminary estimates of time and materials. I knew it would likely change once I got deeper into things. There was no telling what additional problems I’d uncover when I started demo. Either way, it was going to be a very expensive proposition. Nana had received a check from the insurance company that would cover a fair chunk, but I knew it would end up costing more due to the delays. No question, I’d cut her a break on my time so it didn’t turn into too big a hit on her budget. I could afford it.
By my estimation, rehab was going to take at least a month. Probably more. It’d take less if I brought in help, but help was an expense I didn’t feel like we had the money for. I wasn’t doing anything to cost my grandmother more than this shit show already was. It was my poor judgement in backup that had contributed to this situation. The whole thing would take as long as it took, and I just needed to adjust myself to the idea of having a roommate for that span of time.
I thought back to the look on Felicity’s face when she’d verified I wasn’t kicking her out. It bothered me she’d been so convinced I would. Did she think I was such a heartless ogre? I mean, I knew she didn’t know me all that well, despite the fact that we’d been in each other’s orbit for years. But I didn’t think my reputation as a surly bastard wasthatbad. I wanted my space, but not at the expense of her being afraid of me. She had a right to be comfortable where she was living.
Felicity’s car was in the driveway when I got home. I could only blame my exhaustion last night for not noticing it parked on the pad beside the garage. I was sure she’d want an update on the house, but my first priority was a shower and a beer. Maybe abeer in the shower…
My plans for multitasking were derailed the moment I stepped inside. The house looked bare. No plants anywhere. The extra pillows and throw that had been on the sofa were gone. Frowning, I wandered through, noting that all the leafy green stuff had disappeared. Had Felicity decided to move out after all?
Trudging upstairs, I knocked on her door. A moment later, she opened it to reveal that her room had been transformed into its own little jungle.
“Hey.”
Confused and a little annoyed, I frowned at her. “Do I look like a plant murderer to you?”
Her mouth fell open. “What?”
I gestured behind her. “You moved all your plants.”
Her cheeks deepened to a rosy pink. “No, I just… You clearly weren’t asked about this, and it’s not reasonable to encroach on your space.”
Jesus. Was I really such an inveterate asshole that she was this afraid of somehow setting me off? I struggled to keep the bite out of my tone. “They’re plants. It’s not like you’ve left your underwear scattered all over the place.”
Felicity stared at me, eyes wide.
I replayed what I’d said and regretted it as my errant brain offered up a vision of her underwear draped wherever it had fallen because I’d stripped it off her. What delicious secrets would I uncover if I did? Damn if that didn’t make things stir again south of the border.
Scowling at my own lack of control, I snapped, “Put them back. You live here, too.”
Before she could reply, I did an about face and marched down the hall to my room and the shower to get myself back under some semblance of control.
