Page 23 of Reaching Roland

“I am. I could do it another time, though.” Disappointment surged through me. I’d already begun looking forward to spending more time with him away from the salon and other people. “What about Wednesday night after you get off work?”

“What? Really? Are you sure?” I asked, excited at the prospect of seeing him before his Thursday appointment.

“Yeah, why not? I have a job for one of Miss Georgina’s neighbors tomorrow night, but I could pick up a pizza and head to your house after we both get off of work on Wednesday.”

Without thought, I blurted, “Let me make you dinner.”

“I don’t want you to have to do that after a long day on your feet.”

“Then you can’t come fix my fence,” I said stubbornly. “We either trade dinner for you fixing the gate or nothing.”

He chuckled, the sexy sound making me tingly.“It’s a deal, shortcake. Text me once you’re home.”

“Sounds good,” I said, feeling inordinately pleased at getting my way.

“Okay, I’m going to sleep. You should get some rest, too.”

“I will, Daddy. Thank you. Good night.”

He hung up, and I fell back on my bed. Why was he so perfect? And what the hell was I going to make him for dinner?

Chapter Eight

ROLAND

As I pulled up in front of Kenny’s place, a smile spread across my face. While I enjoyed helping out anyone and everyone, it gave me a different kind of pleasure doing something for Kenny. I could have easily come over anytime and fixed it without him home, but it was nice having someone to spend time with outside of my family.

Wait. What?I frowned. I loved my people and was so thankful that Cameron and Indie came around so much, but… it was different now. They had each other and were building a life. Eventually, Kenny would meet that special someone, too, I had no doubt. Knowing how epic it could be, I needed to encourage him not to give up on finding love, but for now, it was nice to have another single person to knock around with.

As I pulled my tools out of the back of my SUV, a blonde woman about my age with her hair in a ponytail and wearing athletic clothes came out of the side door of the house and waved. “Hello. Are you Roland?”

Smiling, I strode toward the fence. “I am.”

“I’m Evelyn, Kenny’s landlady. Well, I’d like to think we’re friends, too, but I rent him the apartment over the garage. He said you were coming to fix this pesky latch for him.”

Holding out my hand over the gate, I shook her hand. “I am. It’s nice to meet you, Evelyn.”

Up close, I realized that Evelyn was probably closer to sixty than fifty, but she obviously took care of herself. She definitely wasn’t the old woman I’d expected based on Kenny’s casual references to her.

“It’s so nice to meet you.” She fiddled with the latch, much like Kenny had and opened it with a triumphant, “Voila. I know Kenny’s cooking up there, so I kept an eye out for you. This thing has been a pain in the butt for as long as I can remember, so I wasn’t sure you’d be able to get in.”

I’d had my doubts, as well, so I’d planned on calling Kenny to rescue me if it gave me too much trouble. “I appreciate that.”

“I don’t want Kenny to pay for this, so what do I owe you?”

Smiling, I patted my stomach. “No worries there. Kenny’s feeding me in trade.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh. Well, that’s so nice of you.”

I shrugged one shoulder. “It’s no big deal. I’m kind of an amateur handyman. Besides, a meal with Kenny makes it more than worth it.”

She looked over her shoulder up at the apartment, then turned back to me with a sly grin on her pretty face. What the hell was that about? “Then don’t let me keep you from him. If you decide to become a professional handyman, let me know. I have several things around this old place that need repair, but I haven’tgotten around to it.” She sighed. “My husband used to take care of these things.”

I recognized the tone of loss in her voice. “He passed?”

“Yeah, about eight years ago. That’s why I started renting out the apartment over the garage. Originally, it was for my parents to have a place to stay when they visited, but they’re long gone now, too. I couldn’t imagine moving out of our home, but I didn’t love the idea of being on the property by myself, so…”

“I understand that. I lost my wife years ago, as well.”

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