Page 22 of Almost Home
“Of course I do. Hence the mug.” I raised it in an air toast gesture.
“Fair enough,” he said, and then he did the thing.
He’d had this knack ever since he was about fourteen to look at me and make me feel like I was the only person left on the planet. Like I was dinner and dessert and rainbows and every good thing, everything he’d ever wanted.
He did that now—no escaping the explosion of butterflies and anticipation that shot to every part of me. It poured a triple shot of energy into my bloodstream and sent me buzzing. The spotlight ofthislook had always done things to me, and seeing its effect only magnified by his age and maturity made me actually weak in the knees for the second time today.
He dipped his head closer to me so our heads were only a foot apart—way too far for a kiss or even another brush of his hand against mine, and yet it felt like if I just tipped my chin up he’d move. He’d take my mouth like I’d wanted since I saw him months ago. He’d close the distance between our lips, and in doing so, somehow banish the space that’d filled years between us.
“I can’t disagree,” he said, then slipped the carafe back onto the warmer of the coffee maker and left.
And I stood there scrambling for what he meant he didn’t disagree with. It wasn’t until a few minutes later when I finally realized it had to be that he didn’t disagree with my mug. Thinking about him finding reading sexy made me all kinds of shifty and unfocused for what felt like a solid hour, until I eventually lost the adrenaline pushing me and had to take a break.
Wilder stepped around the front desk before I even noticed he’d entered the room and began loading firewood into the hearth. “Do you like the fire?”
“Yes. Yeah. I just, I wasn’t sure if I should start it or not.”
Facing his work, he explained, “Up to you. I’m sure we’ll have some no-burn days so not then, but otherwise, whenever you want, go for it. And if you need me to start it, just let me know.”
“Or you could show me? Teach a man to fish and all.”
He knocked his head to the side, which I realized was all the response I’d get. Heated moment earlier or no, Wilder still wasn’t about to chat my ear off. Ignoring the flutter in my chest, I jumped up and hustled around to kneel where he crouched. He showed me where he’d stuck newspaper for kindling and explained where to stick the match.
“You can also just flip on the natural gas and toss a match in. It’ll pretty much guarantee you get it lit.”
He must’ve seen my scowl, because his face split into a smile. My heart exploded in excitement and satisfaction and borderline glee at having elicited that response, and frankly, at how stunningly beautiful it was. Even with his mangey beard and his hat pulled low on his head, his broad, white smile was mind-meltingly beautiful.Wow.
The crinkles around his eyes and weathering on his face only served to add to the picture. He’d always been very handsome—broody at times, quiet, and very intense. Just my cup of coffee, always. But now? With maturity and years on him, he was downright gorgeous.
I’d known it’d be fatal to me, and sure enough, his smile had knocked me dead. One flash of his pretty teeth and my flimsy defenses were kindling.
“That’s not fair,” I whispered to myself as I slipped back into my desk chair.
“What’s not?” he said from where he stood watching the fire crackle.
“Nothing. I—yeah. Nothing.” Aaaaand definitely not about to explain the utter disaster zone of my brain in the wake of his smile, so I scrambled for something else. “I was just about to review the schedule and make sure I’m on top of everything for meeting Bruce and stuff.”
He brushed off his hands and nodded, folding his arms. “Sounds good. I’m going to check out the Reynolds house and a few other things. I won’t be back until later.”
“Oh. Of course. Hope it all goes well. I’ll hold down the fort!” It only could’ve been worse with a salute, but at least I stopped myself from doing that. Or maybe I could’ve said, “Aye, aye, Captain!” and made myself look like even more of a weirdo?
He gave me a nod, and I focused on my computer carefully so as not to blind myself with the view of his retreat. I didn’t need to be ogling his backside as he left, even if the temptation was incredible. I’d already had a Wilder smile mind melt, so it was borderline miraculous that I’d managed to keep it together andnotcheck him out.
With Wilder gone, I got to work once my brain eventually recovered. I didn’t have a ton of tasks just yet, but I could tell that when business picked up, I would. I spent my time reviewing every piece of information I had access to in the shared information drive and then moved to studying everything Wilder had told me about Bruce.
Hours later, I answered the phone on my desk—the first time it’d ever rung as far as I knew.
“Saint Securities, how may I help you?”
“Sarah. It’s me.”
My pulse spiked. NotIt’s WilderbutIt’s me.That word choice felt like… something.
“Hi. Are you okay?”
A slight pause before “Yes. All good, but I’m not going to make it back in. Can you close up? Feel free to go ahead now—nothing’s happening in the next half hour.”
“Sure. Sounds good.” Normally, I’d hesitate but he’d reiterated that I’d be paid the working hours whether he closed up early or not and that without me there, he’d be closing whenever he left the building, so that gave me some peace of mind.
