Page 10 of Christmas Crisis
He placed the heavy dresser down carefully on the concrete. “Hi, Miranda.” Puffing out a breath, he straightened. “Everything okay? Can I help you carry anything?”
“No, thanks. I’m just sort of taking a minute to…sit with all of this.”
His eyes softened as he wiped an arm across his brow. “Gotcha. Sorry for intruding.”
“Oh, no. Don’t even worry about it. You’re not intruding. Truly. I’m not feeling sad…only being mindful of the moment.”
He dipped his chin. “I’m sure your sisters appreciate that you’re here for this. I’m glad to help as well. Marley’s told me some great stories about your mom.”
I hummed. “She was really something special. And as much as I agree with donating her things so Marley can move into the big bedroom—it is her house now, after all—it’s still hard.” I ran my palm over the dresser. “When I’m away at school, I can almost convince myself Mom's still here, waiting for me. Then I come home, and each time, it’s like she’s slightly more…gone.”
Leo put his hand over mine, patting it gently. “You’re still grieving, and it’s okay to take it slow. The fact that you’re helping Marley move into your mom’s old room tells me you’re probably doing okay, even if it’s a lot to take in.”
The acceptance in his eyes settled me. My sisters and I talked about our mom all the time, and of course we’d mourned together, but it was nice to hear from an outside source that it wasn’t an overnight process.
Or a linear one.
The sinews of Leo’s forearms rippled as he picked up the dresser again to wedge it closer to the boxes, tightening the space. Impressive. That thing was solid wood and weighed a ton. But I assumed he possessed the strength to match his size. He stood at least six foot four without shoes and appeared to be made of bulky muscle. With his longish blond hair and beard, my mind immediately conjured an image of Thor. I bet he got that a lot, with the likeness so uncanny. The thought made me snort.
“What?” he asked.
“Honestly? I was wondering how often people compared you to Thor.”
His right cheek lifted. “It’s happened once or twice.”
I guffawed. “I suppose there are worse things.”
He stacked a plastic bin on top of another and exhaled. “I’m girding my loins to bring your mom’s old mattress down here. The junk company won’t pick it up until after Christmas, but I think Marley wants it out of the house so she can set the room up.”
“Girding my loins” with a straight face? I liked this guy more by the minute.
“It’s really nice of you and your family to help move everything.” Leo and James’s parents, Chris and Deanna, were upstairs sorting clothing.
“James is crazy about Marley. We all are. Feels like helping family.”
He meant it. Leo was obviously kind, like his brother.
“Who do people compare you to?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“You know, like I get Thor a lot. I’m guessing with your blond hair and how beautiful and outgoing you are, you get…Barbie?”
I cracked a smile. “It’s happened once or twice.”
“I’ll bet.”
With any other person, I would have interpreted his words as flirting, but his delivery was so neutral, I didn’t think that was the case.
“For the longest, it was Elle Woods,” I said, “but lately, it’s been almost exclusively Barbie. Probably because of the movie.”
“Elle Woods?”
“Legally Blonde?” He stared blankly, and I shook my head with a laugh. “Never mind.”
We stood across from one another, our poses mirror images as we each bent one knee to rest a boot against the carport’s support posts.
“Do you like the comparison?” he asked.
