Page 51 of Scoop Me Up
“Sam!” He strode over to me in a way that was entirely too reminiscent of a puppy chasing a ball. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Hi, Luke. Are you my project foreman?”
“Looks like it. Are you ready to get to work?”
Miles cleared his throat and interjected. “I guess I’ll be off then. You two call me if you have any issues or need anything at all. Sam, Luke has the new owner’s requirements in mind, so don’t worry about a thing. If Luke says it’s possible, he can make it happen.”
We said our goodbyes and I watched as Miles left, heading out onto the sidewalk in the direction of Sparky’s.
Luke rubbed his hands together. “Okay, then. Let’s get started.” We took a walk around the building, me pointingout things I’d like changed, Luke talking me through necessary renovations, and the two of us agreeing on things like the layout and equipment hook-ups. The more we talked, the more excited I got, the vision coming together in my mind.
“What do you think?” Luke said as we finished our tour.
“If you can pull this off, you’re amazing.”
He shrugged. “We can definitely make it happen. You’ll have to pick out flooring, fixtures, wall colors, that sort of thing once we get closer, but for now, we can get started on the big things.”
I shook his hand and thanked him. “Can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
As I turned to go, Luke called me back. “Wait!” When I looked at him, he gestured up, toward the second floor. “The apartment is in pretty good shape, considering, but if you want us to work on that, too, we’ll need to do a walkthrough there soon.”
“That would be amazing. Can I go up there now?”
With a laugh, he nodded. “Of course. Your name is on the lease for the whole building. It’s effectively yours.”
Mine.I hurried up the stairs to look around. The apartmentwasstill in good shape. Dated and dusty, but things worked—the water ran without the faucets leaking, the lights came on without flickering, and when I turned on the air conditioning, cool air blew from the vents. The possibilities were really hitting me. I could live there. There were only two bedrooms, but I didn’tneeda third bedroom. It had always been a luxury. And if I sold or rented my house and moved into the apartment, I’d have funds for the shop, at least enough to carry me for a while.
On my way downstairs, voices echoed up the stairway, including a voice that I recognized immediately asnot Luke. I stepped out into the vast area and my suspicions were confirmed—it was the mayor.
“Mayor Axlerod,” I said, trying to cover my surprise. “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
She waved away my comment. “Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. I saw Luke in here and thought I’d swing by and see if there was anything you needed from me.”
I was touched by the offer. She certainly didn’tneedto stop by and check in on me, and I was reminded that there were good things about living in small towns, too—not just the annoying things, like local gossip.
“I’m good, thank you. I appreciate the offer, though. I’m glad you stopped by.”
“Me too,” she said. “Listen, Sam. I just want you to know, we’re behind you. The whole town is. Professionallyandpersonally.”
Here we go again,I thought. “Thanks, Mayor.” It was genuine appreciation for her, despite my mild annoyance. We exchanged pleasantries for a few more moments before she took her leave. Once she was gone, I said goodbye to Luke and got in my car to head home.
As I drove, the weight of everything crashed into me like a lead vest—more oppressive than calming. I was giving up a stable career for… what? To chase a dream? A dream that very well might fail? My stomach felt sour as I let my mind spiral to places I didn’t want to go.
As I pulled into the driveway, I mentally switched gears to focus on Gabe. I was falling for him. I knew I was. The thought of coming home to him brought me joy. I couldn’t wait to share my day with him and hear how his had gone. I shook my head, knowing I was gettingwayahead of myself. I was falling for a straight guy. A straight guy who might not even be around much longer. And I had no idea how I was going to cope if he left.
Chapter 20
Gabe
Sam had come home bubbling over with news about the ice cream shop and as I listened to them share, warmth settled on me, a type of secondary happiness. I loved being included in the important things in their life, and to my surprise, I enjoyed spending the evenings with them, instead of being alone. Most of my evenings in Burlington had been spent alone, and I truly hadn’t realized how much I missed the company until I had it again.
The next few days were filled with little things that made me stop and take notice. As I woke up each morning, I heard Sam bustling around the kitchen, the scent of coffee reaching me as Sam got ready for work each day. Getting up, I noticed their toothbrush next to mine in the bathroom and it made my heart skip a beat.I could get used to this, I thought as I brushed my teeth and got ready for my workday. Our evenings were also full of little things—bumping shoulders as we washed dishes, soft teasing, getting tangled up together on the couch and ending up kissing each other breathless.
On Friday, I got up early to have breakfast with Sam before they went to school. “One more week,” I said as they passed me a steaming mug of coffee they’d poured for me.
Sam nodded, their eyes sadder than I’d expected. “One more week,” they echoed quietly.
“Hey.” I put my hand on their upper arm. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
