4

Adam finished applying the last of the touch-up paint on the baseboard in the sunroom. He’d had the guys place the furniture where it had been before they’d painted. From the little he knew of the new tenant, he probably could have saved a lot of time and effort by waiting until she got here to arrange everything. But the guys were working on another project today. Once she got settled in, he’d have them come back if she wanted anything rearranged.

A familiar SUV pulled up into the driveway and parked behind his pickup. Then a rental truck turned in behind it. Angela Taylor, the new assistant principal of CBCS stepped out of the SUV. She wore jeans and a sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked years younger than she had the first time they met. Of course, his memory might have been affected by that knock on his forehead.

A guy climbed out of the truck. Friend? Boyfriend? Brother? He walked up behind her, put his arms around her waist, and nibbled her neck. Well, that answered that question. She leaned her head back against his chest… So now he’d stooped to voyeurism. Adam shook his head and went into the kitchen to rinse off the paintbrush.

The doorbell dinged and then the front door whooshed open. “Hello?”

Adam turned off the water and walked out of the kitchen.

The lovebirds stood in the doorway.

“Come on in.” Adam gestured toward the back of the house.

Her gaze swept the living room.

“The guys put the furniture back where it was before we painted. They can come back after you get settled if you want anything moved.”

“It’s lovely. I like it just the way it is.” She smiled.

Loverboy cleared his throat.

“Oh.” Her cheeks pinked. “This is Will Jernigan. Will, this is…”

She didn’t remember his name. He leaned forward and offered his hand. “Adam.”

They shook hands and then Will drew her close.

“Yes. Adam’s, um, the handyman.” She nodded.

“Contractor.”

Her cheeks moved from pink to bright red. “Contractor. Sorry.”

“Well, take a look around and let me know if you’ve got any questions.” He made a show of pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the display. Then he looked up. “I’ve got a little time before my next appointment, so I’ll be glad to help you carry in any of the big stuff.”

As the two headed down the hall, Adam went back into the kitchen. He couldn’t wait to see how she reacted to the paint in the bedrooms. Before he could turn the water back on, she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“The, um, paint in the bedrooms…”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Not sure exactly what happened. When the painters opened the cans, every one of them was that light blue.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And we didn’t have the budget to replace it, so I guess you’ll just have to live with it.”

A knowing look crossed her face and she grinned. “Thank you.”

For the first time, he saw her real smile. Warm and sweet. “You bet.” He grinned back.

~*~

Adam lay face down stretched out on the massage table at the chiropractor’s office. This would feel extra good today. All the hauling had made his back tight and sore. That last piece—some monster of an antique desk—just about did him in. He closed his eyes and escaped into the world of soothing, repetitive, never-ending music.

John tapped on the door and then entered. “So how’s it going?” Even his tone relaxed Adam.

“A little sore. Helped somebody move.”

“Probably not the best choice.” John slipped onto the stool at Adam’s head. “How about some hot stones today?”

“Sounds great.” He closed his eyes while John worked out the kinks.

“Still swimming?”

“Yep. And some water aerobics. It’s a little weird. Me and some women. Could’ve been a good dating opportunity if they weren’t all my mom’s age.”

John laughed. “I hear ya.”

“Seriously, the water seems to help more than anything else I’ve tried. Plus the baked goods I get are a real bonus.”