Page 27 of His Hot Mess

By the afternoon, without having thought of Sadie at all outside of scheduling, I considered myself cured against whatever thing I had going on in my brain… and other parts. I was ready to hit the lumber yard with my list for her place and was feeling good at being able to pull this off without getting weird about it. I really did want to help her create the shop of her dreams. That’s what I loved about working at Grayscale: we made beautiful spaces people dreamed about being in.

But as I waved goodbye to Graydon and headed toward my truck, I let myself slip. I thought about Sadie, recalling that she’d said it was important for her to drive the creation of it. She was getting help from me, but that didn’t mean she needed to sit around and wait for me to deliver things. What would really help would be if I included her in more steps of the process.

I picked up my phone before I lost my nerve. Before I could remind myself that going on a shopping trip with Sadie Fulham wasn’t exactly keeping her at arm’s length.

“Hi,” Sadie said on the second ring.

A single, innocuous word. But I hadn’t heard her voice since I’d been sitting next to her while she dried her tears; tears that I made happen.

All my resolve vanished into nothing at the sound of her voice.

“Hey,” I said. I felt like a teenager calling up a girl for the first time. Probably sounded like one, too.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Huh?”

“With the supplies. Are you at the lumber yard?”

We’d texted yesterday. She knew the plan. I let out a breath.

This was a stupid idea. I should make something up. But instead I said, “I’m just on my way and… I thought you might want to join me. If you’re not too busy. I know you were tidying up…”

“Are you saying I should focus on cleaning? That I’m messy?”

I was silent for a minute, my heart pounding. How the hell had I messed this up too?

Then she laughed. “I’m kidding, Chris.”

“You have a weird sense of humor,” I grumbled.

“You were the one who said I was messy.”

“Never mind. I’ll see you after I’m loaded up.”

“Wait—I didn’t say no.”

I hesitated, my foolish heart lifting.

Remember the album.

I forced myself to remember the memories of the last time I felt like my heart was made of air.

Did I ever feel quite like this with Jess?

“Yeah, I’d like to come,” she said.

I grinned, despite myself.

“Can you be ready in ten?”

“I was born ready.”

* * *

I spottedSadie on the curb when I stopped at a light half a block away. She hadn’t seen me yet. A gust of wind whirled along Main Street, ruffling the blossoms on the trees lining the sidewalk and blowing a flurry of white petals over her. Sadie’s hair and gauzy dress lifted, gliding across her skin, the blossoms swirling around her like magic dust.

My stomach seized. She was so fucking beautiful.

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