Page 94 of Axe Backwards
I couldn’t keep this up forever, but day in and day out, I talked to people who needed help. Children, mothers, the elderly. It felt wrong to even consider paying myself.
So far, I was doing fine living off the money Graham had given me for the condo and my alimony. I hadn’t asked for a lot,and thankfully, he hadn’t really put up a fight. Mainly because he’d been fucking half of Boston.
Eventually, I’d need to figure out my finances, but tonight, I didn’t want to taint this feeling by allowing anxiety to creep in.
No, tonight I’d relish in the love and support this community possessed.
I’d eat my pizza, joke with my friends, and enjoy Noah’s comforting embrace. And the warm fuzzies I got every time he kissed the side of my head. Which, by my count, was seven times today.
“Can I take you home?” Noah asked once our friends all packed up and headed for their cars with promises to return to finish up tomorrow.
He pulled me to my feet and kept his hands locked with mine once I was steady. God, he was sexy. Even sweaty and dirty and wearing a ratty old ball cap. My legs felt like jelly as I looked up into his heated gaze.
“Yes, hotshot. Take me home.”
Chapter 30
Noah
Side by side, we collapsed on the couch. Mom had brought Tess over to the food pantry today to see how the chicken coop had turned out. Then we’d gone out to celebrate the successful weekend build. We headed for celebratory burgers at the Moose with Alice and Becca and their kids.
My little girl was off her schedule and fussy, so it took several rounds to get her to sleep in her crib, but we did it.
I needed a shower and eight hours of sleep, but when I was in such close proximity to the exhausted, beautiful woman next to me, I wanted something else so much more.
“Thank you,” Vic said, her voice raspy. “I’m amazed by how it all came together.” She sat up, her dark eyes shining. “Truly. You worked so hard.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “Of course. You’ve got me wrapped around your finger. You know that, don’t you? I’m in too deep now. And that means I’ll build you all the chicken coops you want.”
I leaned over, gently tickling her ribs. Which drove her crazy.
“Or a pigpen.”
“Or a goat barn.”
She writhed beneath me, and suddenly I felt a hell of a lot less exhausted.
“How do you feel about alpacas?”
She giggled as I pulled her into my lap.
“Or a greenhouse? Whatever you need, I’ll be there.”
I leaned down and kissed her softly.
“I really thought the Gagnons were gonna dunk on you Heberts,” she teased, wearing a big grin.
“But I got Jude,” I protested. He’d been quiet but frighteningly efficient.
She tilted her head and squinted at me, skeptical. “Jude’s great, but Adele showed up with heavy machinery on a trailer. That was pretty badass.”
Okay, fine. It really was. And she was my sister-in-law, so I supposed I had to tip my hat.
She took off my hat and ran her hands through my hair, lighting up every nerve ending in my body. “But then you brought Gus. Next-level.”
She mimed her mind exploding.
I nodded, proud of my oldest brother. “He’s talented.”
