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“Why?”
“Because it’s distracting and fries my brain, just like your kisses.”
A huge smile curves his lips. “FYI, I just made a mental note to throw away all my shirts when I get home. Be prepared for some serious brain frying.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“You and I both know I most certainly would.”
“Ugh. Why do I get the feeling you’re going to bulldoze me into saying yes?”
“Because you’d be abso-fucking-lutely correct there, darlin’.”
“Will you bring your mum and brother in on the mission?”
He’s quiet for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin like he’s seriously considering it. “I think I will. Those two can be ruthless.”
I throw my arms in the air dramatically. “I guess I don’t have a choice then.”
The lawns are mowed, and Nolan even convinced me to have a go on the ride-on mower. I’m using the blower to clear the grass clippings off the concrete paths while he loads all the green waste bags into the caged trailer hitched to the Ram.
Once everything is packed away, I remove his phone from the tripod that’s set up in the driveway and follow him to the front door.
I wait at the bottom of the steps while he knocks. A few moments later, the homeowner answers with a toddler perched on her hip.
“I’m all done,” Nolan says.
Her bottom lip is already trembling as she steps onto the front porch. “It’s been a long time since my yard has looked this neat. The kids will be thrilled when they get home from school. They haven’t been able to play out the back in months.” She presses her lips together, fighting back tears. “Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“You’re welcome.” He slips a business card from his pocket and offers it to her. “Now that everything’s under control, it’ll be easy to keep on top of it. Give me a call when it’s due again.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t,” he replies. “I offered.”
She looks down at the card in her hand. “You’re very kind. It’s the little things that mean the most. Things I never appreciated until now.” She lets out a shaky breath. “I hate having to rely on other people.”
“Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let someone help you.”
A tear escapes despite her efforts to hold it back. “My husband and I never had much, but we always managed. When our eldest needed new glasses, he’d pick up extra shifts.” Her gaze drifts across the yard. “I’m hoping that once my two little ones start school, I’ll be able to return to work so we can finally get ahead.”
“You’ll get there,” Nolan says. “Until then, there’s nothing wrong with accepting a bit of help. Everyone needs it sometimes.”
“Thank you,” she says again before turning to me. “And thank you too.”
“You’re welcome.”
As a single mother, my heart aches for her. I know how quickly life can change, and how hard it is to carry the weight of a family on your own. All I can do is pray that life will be kinder to her and her children from here on out.
I switch off the recording and hand Nolan his phone as we walk back to his truck. I have a newfound appreciation for this man. He really is something else. I knew today would be rewarding, but I never imagined it would be this emotionally draining as well.
He opens the passenger door for me, and I climb into the cab. As I drape the seatbelt across my torso, Nolan leans in, and for a split second, I think he’s going to kiss me. Instead, he pops open the glove box and retrieves his wallet.
He opens it, slips out a few hundred-dollar notes and folds them into his palm. “What are you doing?” I ask.
“Just in case her eldest needs new glasses,” he says.
Before I can respond, he tosses his wallet back into the glovebox, closes the passenger door and jogs towards the woman, who’s still on the front porch admiring her freshly mowed yard.
