Page 12 of Mistletoe Omega
“Oh, I muddle through.” I laughed, feeling self-conscious.
“You’re doing more than that. I wouldn’t know how to do any of this.” He ran his fingers down the fiberglass enclosure. “Do you need any help?”
I was surprised at his offer. “Do you know how to do this kind of stuff?”
“No.” He grinned. “But I like learning new skills.”
Rubbing my chin, I said, “Actually, if you’re willing, I could use a hand getting the back part on. It’s a little big for me to handle easily on my own.”
He straightened, looking pleased. “Absolutely.”
I moved to grab one end of the shower back splash, and he took the other side without a word. We carefully inched our way into the framed area, and with some grunting and maneuvering, we managed to shove it into position. “It should click into place on the bottom part,” I panted, holding my end up higher.
He bit his lip, his arm muscles straining as he wedged the preformed wall into the right spot. There was a snap, and he glanced up. “Like that?”
“Yep,” I said. I hoisted my side and scowled when it hung up on something on the back wall. “Shit,” I grumbled, wrestling with the heavy, unwieldy piece of fiberglass.
He moved closer and leaned into me. His clean scent caught my attention, and the press of his shoulder against my chest felt nice. I figured I probably smelled like a caveman after working on the bathroom all day long. But I guess he didn’t notice, because when our eyes met, there was a glint of arousal buried there. I tore my gaze away, and we managed to fit the wall into place.
“Appreciate your help.” My voice was gruff as I straightened, rubbing my aching back.
He cleared his throat and moved away. “I don’t mind helping some more, if you want?”
“Don’t you have to get ready for work?”
He shrugged. “My shift isn’t till six and it’s only noon. I’d love to pitch in more.”
“Well, that would be great.” I appreciated his offer. He’d been here a few days now, and he mostly kept to himself. Which was fine. I understood that he didn’t know me, and maybe he was more comfortable in his room. I had plenty to keep me busy trying to get this bathroom in shape.
“Just tell me what to do.”
“I need to snap those other pieces in place, and then I have to make the holes in that piece for the plumbing.” I grabbed my drill and laid the plumbing panel on the ground. He brushed past me and took one of the other fiberglass parts.
“Shall I insert these pieces into place while you drill?”
I smiled at his willingness to help. “Please.” I knelt down, and while he worked inside the shower area, I drilled some of the holes I needed. He finished first, but he didn’t leave the bathroom. He stood silently watching me work. Once I was done with one of the bigger holes, I sighed and set the drill down, brushing away the shavings. “That should do it.”
“It must be cool to be able to fix things and not have to rely on anybody else.”
I glanced up at him. “Yeah. I can’t do everything, but my dad taught me how to do a lot of things around the house.”
He leaned against the new vanity I’d installed the other day. “Are your parents still alive?”
I shook my head. “No.”
He nodded, but didn’t offer any personal details about himself. He avoided my gaze, instead eying the slate floor. “Did you put this tile in too?”
“Yes.” I’d have loved to learn more about him, but I didn’t want to push, and it was obvious he had no interest in sharing. “This house was a fixer upper, so I got it for a good price. You wouldn’t believe the wallpaper and vinyl flooring it had before.” I shivered. “It was pretty dreadful. This bathroom was bright pink with an orange floor.”
He widened his eyes. “Why would anyone do that?”
I laughed. “I have no idea. Maybe they were color blind.”
“Damn.” He looked around. “How long have you owned this house?”
“Three years.” I grimaced. “I had a place on the other side of town before that.”
When Ethan was alive.
