Page 14 of Sea Glass Serenade

“Sure. And at least you haven’t painted this wall yet, right?” He gestured to it, raising his brows.

“True!” She shuffled her position but stayed leaning against the wall. It was almost as if she felt that she needed an anchor of some kind, or she might float up to the ceiling. Whenever he was over in her house, she felt giddy with happiness like some teenager.

“Let me just go back out to my truck to get a ladder and some tools. I’ll be right back.”

“Do you want any help?”

“Hm. Itisall really heavy. I’m not sure I can manage it alone.”

“Well, good thing you have me here.”

“A very good thing.” He grinned at her, and her stomach swooped.

She followed him outside to his truck. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and birds were chirping in the trees. It was early enough that the neighborhood around them still seemed hushed and sleepy, and she felt almost as if they were the only two people around for miles.

Jacob opened the back of his truck and easily pulled out his ladder with one hand.

“Too heavy, huh?” she teased.

“Aww, this guy’s made of plastic. It’s those big bad tools I definitely need help with. Here.”

He handed her a long piece of metal with something that looked like a spigot on the end.

“This is all you need help with, huh?” She laughed.

“Yup. I got the rest of it.” He grinned at her as he grabbed a big bag of tools and closed the back of his truck with one hand. Then he grabbed the ladder again and they started back toward the house.

“What is this thing?” she asked curiously, holding it up to the light.

“It’s a torch.”

“It’s a what?” she squeaked. “As in, fire?”

He belted out a laugh. “Don’t worry, I won’t start anything on fire. You trust me, don’t you?”

“Oh, I do. I definitely do. I’m just surprised. That’s how you fix pipes, huh?”

“Mm, hmm. Sometimes, anyway.”

They smiled at each other as they stepped back inside the house. She felt comfortable in a way that she didn’t feel with anyone else, and he made her feel light-hearted and cared-for in a way she treasured. She wondered for a moment what it might be like to date him. She had a feeling it meant that she would worry a great deal less about all of life’s little problems.

I like him so much, she thought, watching as he set up his ladder and started to climb it.He’s so kind, and capable, and good-natured.

Her heart fluttered as she thought about what Alexis had said—that there was a good chance that Jacob was interested in her, based on how much time he’d spent fixing things for her in the past few months. It was definitely true that he’d been looking out for her, and maybe it really did show that he was interested in her. The thought bolstered her courage as she considered what to do.

“Just give me a minute to cut out some of this drywall,” Jacob said. “I’ll start with a little piece, so I can take a look at this pipe. If I need to replace it—which I’m guessing I do—then I’ll have to take out more of the wall.”

“Do whatever you need to, I trust you.” She smiled at him, even though his back was turned to her as he started to work on the wall. “I wish I could bake cookies or something while you’re working, but Alexis has my stove Saran-wrapped.” She looked with a chuckle at the plastic sheeting covering her stove.

He laughed. “No need for cookies, although I appreciate the offer. Sounds cozy—me cutting the wall open while you bake cookies.”

She laughed breathlessly, wondering if his comment had a flirtatious edge to it. It sounded like the kind of thing a couple might do, and for a moment she felt almost dizzy as she wondered if he liked her in the same way she liked him. She took a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to say something to him about how interested in him she was.

At that moment, Alexis stepped into the kitchen. She was about to say “good morning”—Hazel could see her lips starting to form a “g”—but then she stopped when she saw Jacob on the ladder. Alexis was wearing soft socks, and since she hadn’t spoken, Jacob didn’t seem to be aware that she’d come into the kitchen, because he didn’t turn around and greet her.

“He’s here!” Alexis mouthed at Hazel, grinning from ear to ear. “You should say something to him!”

“What?” Hazel mouthed back.

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