Page 55 of Cowboy's Last Stand
On Friday morning, she found him in the upstairs bathroom, replacing tiles in the shower stall.She was dressed in leggings and a sweatshirt, not her library clothes.She’d covered her hair with a blue bandanna.
“No library today?”he asked.
“Nope.My shift at the bar starts at six.Until then, I’m all yours.”
Jason set the last tile and climbed out of the stall, wincing.It was going to be a long day.As much as he enjoyed her company, he found her presence highly distracting.
“Is the shower finished?”
“Almost.”
“Are you going to shower up here?”
“Why not?”
“It’s cold.”
“The water?”
“The air.”
“It’s fifty degrees.”
“Yeah,” she said.“Brrr.”
He smiled at her idea of cold.“I don’t mind.”
“Suit yourself.”
He wasn’t opposed to showering downstairs, but he felt awkward about stripping naked in a space with toy boats and rubber duckies.It was also difficult for him to change clothes in the cramped confines.Up here, he had more room to maneuver.Although the water heater worked, the chilly air was a helpful bonus.
Another bonus had been discovered behind a section of old drywall.There was a brick fireplace that had been boarded up for reasons unknown.Jason cleaned it out, opened the flue, and found it in working order.Natalie was thrilled with the feature, which added charm and value to the apartment.
They did a walk-through of the space to discuss next steps.They’d removed the boxes and the furniture.He’d torn out the old carpet to expose the original wood floors, which had sustained considerable damage.When she crouched to inspect the wooden planks, he could see the outline of her panties through the thin fabric of her leggings.They were very brief and trimmed in lace.
“What else do you need?”
His gaze jerked from her pert bottom to her pretty face.It took him a second to realize she was talking about the floor.“I need an electric sander.I can rent one.”
“All of these scuffs and gouges can be smoothed out?”
“I think so,” he said, studying the planks.Some pieces were beyond repair.“This section has to be replaced, though.”
She rose from the squatted position.“I can’t believe how much work you’ve done.”
“There’s plenty more leftover.”
“How much?”
He estimated the time involved in tackling the flooring, electrical issues, and plumbing in the kitchen.“Several weeks at least.”
“What if I asked you to slow down?”
He arched a brow.“You want to drag it out?”
“A steady pace would be easier for me to keep up with than a frenetic one.”
“Frenetic,” he said with admiration.“That’s a good word.”
