Page 69 of Knight With Benefits

The tension in my shoulders eased as I turned to face him, pasting a smile on my lips.

“Yes, thank you. It’s this one over here.”

I pointed around the corner before leading the way to the front of the building.

“It’s been like this since I bought the place, so I’m not sure what caused it. I’m hoping it won’t be too much trouble to take care of.”

He shrugged off my worries, passing me to get closer to the window. Pressing on the glass along the cracks and edges of the frame, he muttered under his breath before turning back to me.

“Won’t be too hard, but I’ll have to go inside to tape it so we don’t end up with glass everywhere.”

Nodding, I stepped out of the way as he started walking back toward his truck. His lips were moving again as if he were talking to himself, and his eyes were a bit unfocused as he looked past me.

“I understand. I can let you in.”

I waited at the door as he retrieved a roll of what looked like plastic wrap from the back of his truck. The roll was almost as thick as my leg, but he hefted it to his shoulder with the ease of long practice, slipping tools into the loops on the work belt he wore before joining me.

“The front is to the left.”

I wanted to kick myself as soon as the words were out of my mouth since he already knew where the broken window was, but he didn’t bother to point out that I’d stated the obvious. Following him inside, I lingered in the short hall between the front and back of the building, chewing on my lip as I wondered if the place looked as ready to him as it did to me. I’d seen the state it had started in a month ago when I began the renovations, and it had come a long way since then, but would anyone else see a business waiting for the finishing touches, or would they see an empty building with no potential?

My knuckles popped as I clenched my hands together, dragging my attention to what I was doing. Pulling in a steadying breath, I shoved the insecurities away and strode further into the dining area.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

He didn’t bother to look at me as he grunted a no, but I tried not to take it personally. He was already stretching the wide roll of plastic tape across the window, presumably to keep the glass from breaking more. He placed a piece horizontally from edge to edge before placing another vertically, from as high as he could reach to a few inches from the bottom.

It seemed to take no time at all for him to scrape off the sealant along the edges, brushing it onto my clean floor and making the omega part of me want to hiss. I itched to get the broom and clean it up, but I knew I’d be in the way if I did, and it likely wasn’t the only mess that was going to end up on the floor while the window was being replaced.

Knowing I’d only get anxious and be in the way if I stood around watching him work, and too distracted to focus on shopping lists or bills, I collected the paint and brushes to work on the reading nook. I’d gone with a smokey blue for the walls but was painting the inside of the built-in shelves sky blue for a contrast to help the books they’d eventually hold stand out. The couch and chairs I’d ordered were a dove grey that I might come to regret since it would stain easily, but they’d looked too nice to pass up. I planned to add some accents that matched the color of the dining area to help tie the two together, and had found some pretty light fixtures I was hoping Carl could install that would give the space a cozy atmosphere.

I set to working with one ear on the banging and cracking coming from the other room. Some of the noises were concerning, making my heart skip a beat when I pictured cracks in the wall or more of the windows breaking, but I forced myself to stay out of the way unless I was called. Carl trusted the man, so I was willing to set my worries aside until there was a reason not to.

Most of the shelves were finished by the time I heard the man calling for me. The light flooding through the opening from the dining area made my heart race, and I couldn’t stop a grin when I spotted the clear glass letting in the sun.

“Oh, that looks wonderful! Thank you so much!”

The beta glanced at his work and nodded, wiping his hands on a rag.

“Everything is sealed up, it just needs a day to cure. It isn’t supposed to rain, so it should be fine. The sealant on the other windows was all dried out and flaking away, so I went ahead and re-did those, too.”

My eyes widened and I struggled not to tear up, blaming the surge of emotion on the nearness of my heat. I was used to people doing as little as they could get away with, not going beyond what was expected, but I was learning more and more that it was simply the people I’d been around. Not everyone was like that, and some still cared.

“I can’t thank you enough! Can I give you extra for your time?”

He was already shaking his head before I finished speaking, stuffing his rag into his pocket.

“It’s already taken care of. Carl and I help each other out when we can, and I don’t do a job halfway. It’ll be nice to see this place open again.”

Surprised he knew it had been closed for a while, I studied him closer to see if I recognized him, but I couldn’t place his face or frame. He was average enough to be easily overlooked, especially as a beta, but it wasn’t like I’d been in the area long enough to meet the locals. I hoped that would change once the café was open.

“I really do appreciate it. Feel free to stop in for a complimentary cookie once we’re open.”

Bushy brows rising, his eyes lit up.

“Is this going to be a bakery? We haven’t had a good bakery around in forever.”

His excitement had my own stirring, and hearing there was even one person who was interested in what I’d be offering had the aches in my body fading as if I hadn’t been working for a month solid to get the place in shape. It had me itching to get things done even faster.

---