Page 11 of Searching for Love

ChapterFour

There was so much Lucas wanted to tell Avery. So many things about his life—the stories, the happiness, the darkness, everything. He wanted—no, needed—her to understand him better. And he wanted to know everything about her.

Still, he doubted that a crowded pizza place, with them covered in a layer of dust, was the best place or time to get to know one another further.

After they finished their pizza, he walked her to her car and then walked back into his place.

Stepping into the dark building, he still had a smile on his face, and the enormous list of items that still had to be done no longer weighed as heavily on him as it had earlier that day.

As he headed up the stairway that led to the upstairs apartment, he was thankful that he’d at least managed to get the shower upstairs working.

Since he’d moved into the apartment full-time, he hadn’t had any time to unpack. His furniture and his motorcycle, an old Harley he’d refurbished, were still sitting in the storage unit in Edgeview until the majority of the remodeling was done.

His mattress sat on the hardwood floor with a stool next to it on one side and a box on the other that he used as his nightstand.

Standing there with a towel wrapped around his hips, he realized just what a disaster it would have been if he’d invited Avery upstairs.

He pulled on some shorts and went to work trying to make the apartment a little cozier. Thankfully, he’d brought his kitchen table and chairs with him on that first trip.

The living room was a little more put together by the time he crawled into bed. His back hurt from the work, but he knew that it would all be worth it. Soon, he was going to have his very own business.

The years of scrimping, working extra shifts, and saving would pay off. Soon.

Early the next morning, he woke to his phone buzzing with a message that his mother, sister, and grandpa were on their way.

By the time they stepped through the front door, he had grabbed a large box of sweets and a few cups of coffee from the bakery down the street.

While his sister chatted about school, friends, and her life, his grandfather added a few other ideas to the growing list of potential names.

Sophia had chopped her hair into a stylish bob a few years back. The style suited her. As did the streak of bright blue that ran through her bangs. She’d pierced her nose a few weeks back and was wearing Doc Martins with checkered pants. Her style was unique. He’d never been popular in school, but Sophia was the most popular kid in her class.

He was just about to tell his family that Avery was going to stop by and help them that day when she walked through the front door.

Part of him was thankful he hadn’t mentioned her to his family beforehand. He hated getting teased by them about a woman he liked. Besides, he liked seeing their genuine first impressions of her on their faces.

After quick introductions, they split into three groups. His grandfather and Avery prepped the walls in the main room for painting. His mother and sister cleaned the kitchens, while he headed over to the local hardware store to pick up the large sander he’d rented to strip the floors.

When he returned, it was to laughter. He’d seen Parker’s truck in front of the store and knew that he and his crew were working on the roof and in the basement on the plumbing and electricity already.

His mother and sister almost had the kitchen cleared of all clutter and trash so he could start deep cleaning in there soon.

He hauled the sander in and set it in the middle of the floor. “So,” he asked Avery, “you’ve done this before?”

She smiled and nodded. “With this exact machine. About two years back.” She walked over and tapped the handle. “Do you have masks? It’s going to get dusty in here.”

He nodded. “They’re upstairs. We can start after lunch, once my family leaves. Until then, why don’t we all head to the kitchen to start deep cleaning?”

Everyone piled into the massive kitchen, which was almost twice the size of the rest of the space. The appliances would be replaced soon. He’d ordered them from a local store in Edgeview two days before. They would take a few days to get there, which would hopefully give him enough time to have everything ready.

The floors in the kitchen were old, cracked, brown tiles that he hoped to replace. Later. When his budget allowed for it.

After the down payment on the building, the new appliances, new booths, paint, fixtures, and all the repairs that Parker and his crew had to do, he had just enough to hire a kitchen crew and waitstaff, get supplies, and open for business. The money he’d make on Hannah and Wyatt’s wedding would help stretch his budget.

If everything went as planned, maybe he could spend that extra money on remodeling the patio area.

The five of them worked in the kitchen until it was cleaner than the last kitchen that he’d worked in. Then everyone headed over to the Golden Oar for burgers.

“I like her,” his grandfather said softly while Avery chatted with his sister.