Page 37 of Only One I Ever Wanted

She kissed my cheek. “I can bring Danny to school if you want.”

I turned. “Are you sure?”

“Definitely. If he’s okay with it.”

“I’m okay with it,” Danny said from behind us.

“I’ll go get dressed.” She ruffled Danny’s hair and disappeared down the hall.

“Thanks.” I glanced over at him. “Can you feed Trouble?”

He nodded and went to the pail where we kept the dog food while I tabbed through all the jobs and organized them in my usual categories of emergency, high priority, and low.

Nora rushed back in, her hair still tousled, but from the neck down she was fresh as last night. “I’ll call you later?”

I stood up, following them downstairs to the front door. Danny had on his backpack and was out the door before Nora. I grabbed her around the waist and dragged her in for a kiss. Her hazel eyes were blurry and shocked when I pulled back. “I’m not sure how late I’ll be, but I want to see you tonight.”

“Then, we will.” Then she was gone, leaving me with Trouble laying at the top of the stairs, head on his paws.

“He’ll be back in a little while.” I scratched his ears, and he popped up and followed me into the dining room.

I spent the next few hours on the phone as I called back people. Some had already found another handyman to cover them, but there were a startling number who still wanted my services.

I opened up my brother chat and called out an SOS.

Cash: How many jobs?

Me: 90

Kai: FML, how many? Since when? How many are hot babes?

Me: Just get here. I need an all hands-on deck. And if it keeps up, you might actually have to stay.

Cam: I have a few more weeks in Daytona. Sorry, man.

Me: That’s cool. I’ll see where we’re at.

Gus: It’ll take me a minute to finish up this job in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica? What the hell? My brothers were wanderers by nature, unlike me.

Rip: I’ll stop by in a few. I’m in ‘toga.

Me: thanks. Kai, where are you?

Kai: Ma already is on my ass. I’ll be there in a few days.

Me: Good enough. Thanks, guys.

Between scheduling and figuring out materials, the rest of my day was insane. I had to call in reinforcements with my mom to pick up Danny after school.

It was well after seven by the time I wrapped up the third job of the day. And all three requested a shirtless option. I told them it wasn’t on my work order.

They were disappointed, but they paid, anyway. The first job was definitely a bored housewife with a honey-do list that should have been taken care of by herself or her husband, but I was more than willing to take her money.

Even if she stared at my ass the whole time.

The last job included an invitation for a beer and possibly a nightcap, which I turned down.

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