Page 16 of Oops I Fell For The Electrician Next Door

Her shoulders drop. "Fine. Five minutes."

She walks toward the cabin office, and I watch the swing of her hips until Nolan returns.

"You might want to be less obvious," he says.

"Why?"

"No reason." He crouches beside the conduit. "I remember being thirty-five."

"I'm thirty-eight."

"Then you should have learned subtlety by now."

"Hasn't been necessary."

Nolan laughs. "It may be with that one. Kelsey's had enough people underestimate her."

I look toward Kelsey. She is drinking from a bottle with her head tipped back, exposing the graceful line of her throat. Dirt streaks one cheek. She is tired, worried, and still prepared to work beside us until the light disappears.

"I don't underestimate her," I say.

"Good."

We install the new section of conduit before dark and seal both ends against additional moisture. The new conductors will arrive tomorrow morning. Until then, we secure the trench and cover it against the possibility of rain.

Kelsey remains beside me while Nolan packs his tools. "You were right about the bend."

"The plans were right. I followed them."

"You noticed what mattered. Thank you."

Praise from her feels better than it should. I have run jobs worth millions of dollars and stood beside inspectors while entire systems energized without a fault. None of those moments warm me the way five words of appreciation from Kelsey do.

Nolan leaves. The property has three cabins dark and the others glowing among the pines. Kelsey and I stand beside the lake with dirt on our clothes and a narrow space between us that feels increasingly unnecessary.

"I owe you dinner," she says.

"You fed me twice."

"Tonight was supposed to be sandwiches for the crew. Nolan took his and escaped before I could make him sit down."

"Smart man."

"Are you afraid of turkey and Swiss?"

"I'm afraid of being alone in your kitchen again."

Kelsey lets out a laugh. "You behaved very well last night."

"It nearly killed me."

She smiles, then glances toward the water. "We could eat on the dock. Neutral territory."

"The dock that threw us into the lake?"

"I fixed the board this morning."

We carry the sandwiches and two bottles of water to the end of the main guest dock, far from the electrical service and wide enough for several chairs. Kelsey sits with her legs hanging over the edge. I lower myself beside her, close enough that our shoulders touch.