Page 6 of V is for Valentine
“Why else would I do it?” He shifted his gaze back to her, the temporary overhead light bulb casting interesting shadows over the planes of his face. Probably not the time to note that his face had changed with age and that the result was rather spectacular. This was Danny.
She pushed her hands into her winter coat pockets. “To spend two weeks calling me Felix?”
He casually shrugged a shoulder that seemed much broader than she remembered. “What else would I call you?”
“And to bait me while we work?”
“Well, it is us.”
Oh yeah, it was them. She met his gray eyes which seemed remarkably inscrutable. Moments when she couldn’t read Danny made her nervous.
“Now that we’ve settled that,” she said in her business voice, dragging her gaze away from his eyes, “my dad obviously lost time last week when he was looking for someone to replace Zach and working alone. Do you think we can get this drywall up, taped, and textured in a week and a half so that we have time to paint and handle the finishing details?”
Danny surveyed the room slowly, tucking his thumbs in the front pockets of his worn-out jeans before raising his gaze to the ceiling as if he could see through it to the floor above. “We’re going to have to.”
“I can get my sisters to help when they have time.”
“How good are they at feathering edges?”
“Awful,” she said. Feathering joint compound over a drywall seam was an art, one she’d perfected working by her father’s side through high school while Tess and Stevie were working more mundane summer jobs at the library and the city swimming pool. “How are you at it?”
“Magnificent.”
She let out a half laugh. “Then it’s just us.”
One corner of his mouth curved up in a classic Danny smile, and his gaze met hers in a way that caused a micro-jolt to go through her. When had Danny ever looked at her like that?
“Yeah,” he said in a low voice. “Just us.”
Chapter Two
“At least youdidn’t break a femur this time,” Felicity’s sister Tess murmured as she helped their dad into his recliner. She leaned down to gently raise the footrest. “Elevate,” she reminded him. “So blood doesn’t pool.”
“Got it,” Pete said, grimacing as he arranged himself more comfortably.
“I’ve got to run to the shelter to feed the animals, but I’ll be back later.” She glanced at Felicity. “Do you need anything while I’m out?”
“I can’t think of anything.”
“He’s low on coffee and bread,” her middle sister, Stevie, said as she came out of the kitchen. “Also cheese and butter.”
Felicity pointed a finger at Tess. “Wait. Get me a stack of frozen dinners. I think I’m looking at some late nights.” She pulled her wallet out of her coat pocket and pulled out several twenties. “Maybe some beer, too?”
“There’s plenty of beer in the back fridge,” Tess said.
“I wantmybeer.”
“Guinness it is.” Tess pocketed the money, then buttoned her coat. “Want a ride?” she asked Stevie.
“Wouldn’t mind,” Stevie replied with a smile. She picked up her coat from the back of the sofa, then crossed the room to the recliner. “I’ll stop by tomorrow,” she said to their dad as she shrugged into the coat. “I’ve got a substitute teaching gig, so it’ll be afternoon.”
“I should be up and about by then,” Pete said with a bit of his old spark.
Stevie gave him a stern look, then let out a sigh. “See you tomorrow, Feliss. Try to keep him under control.”
“I’ll make sure he behaves,” Felicity said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“What’s up with Stevie?” Pete asked after the door closed behind his two younger daughters. “She’s humming.”
