Page 4 of Single Dad at Mountain Creek Ranch
Eden and the girls pull up the dirt drive an hour later. From the barn, I can hear Abbie and Sophie talking a mile a minute at Eden as they get out. My heart rate picks up at the sight of her walking towards us. She's pulling up her hair into a messy bun on top of her head, and her shirt rides up a bit, allowing me a view of the soft, creamy skin hidden beneath.
“You’re drooling.” Landon chuckles behind me.
I clear my throat and try to look busy as they approach.
“Dad! Eden took us to the hardware store and bought us candy and kites!”
I glance over at Eden, and she pulls a face. "I hope you don't mind. I had to pick up some supplies for the ramp I'm trying to build for my mom. She just had her knees replaced, and the back steps are hard for her to get up and down to go to physical therapy.”
“You’rebuilding the ramp?” I ask skeptically.
She puts her hands on her hips. “You say it like I can’t do it.”
I chuckle and hold my hands up in surrender. "You're right. I'm not being fair, but seeing as I know you through Willow, my least craftsman-like sister. Forgive me for presuming the job might be harder than you think." A crease forms between her brow, and I can see she's now questioning her abilities of the task ahead of her, but not wanting to admit it to me. This would be the perfect way to see Eden again. "Why not, as a thank you for watching the girls, let me come over tomorrow night and help you build the ramp. What do you say?"
EDEN
Why did I agree to let Nash help me build the ramp for my mom? I mean, besides the obvious reason that I’ve never built anything in my life. Even Eddie at the hardware store laughed when I told him that I would be doing all the work myself. I want to say it was either the beautiful mountain of muscles in his chest and shoulders or the pheromones coming off him in waves that messed with my brain, allowing another part of my body to dictate how I answered.
The doorbell rings, making me jump. I give myself one more glance in the mirror. It's taken me an hour to put together an outfit that looks hot but also doesn't look like I'm trying. I settled on cutoff shorts, a V-neck shirt, and my hair in a loose braid that rests over my shoulder. The bell rings again.
“Honey! Someone is at the door,” Mom calls from her room.
“I got it,” I yell as I run down the steps and past her door to answer it.
I pull open the door and see Nash standing on the other side of the screen door holding a pizza in one hand and a six-pack of beer in the other. Pizza and beer are among my top three meals, but somehow, they aren't the most delicious thing on the other side of the door.
“I hope you’re hungry.”
I let him in. “You didn’t have to bring dinner.”
“I figured we could toss it in the oven to keep warm while I,”
“We,” I correct him.
He chuckles. “Whilewework on the ramp. It will be a nice reward for finishing. There’s plenty to go around so your mom could join us if she wants.”
I shake my head. “She’s in bed for the night.”
Nash glances at his watch. "But, it's not even seven o’clock.”
“She’s in bed watching TV. The newest installment to her favorite true crime docuseries is out on Netflix today, and she plans on binging it all night. I was told that unless my hair is on fire, not to bother her."
“Wow,” he laughs. “I take it she’s a bit of a true crime fan?”
“She said they call themselves ‘Murderinos.’”
“Who’sthey?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “But when I asked her, she said that only a true fan would know.”
"Okay, then, should we get to work?"
“Let’s do it.”
As expected, Nash does most of the work, leaving me with the job of handing him nails and tools. I’m grateful for his help. I’m not skilled enough to put this ramp together on my own, which will make getting around for my mom so much easier.
Just as Nash finishes up, I emerge from the house with the pizza box and beer. Nash sits down on the ramp, and I sit next to him. We eat and chat about my mom's surgery and some of the changes around town I've seen since I've been back in Centennial Springs.
