Page 12

Chapter twelve

Noah

A fter we left the shower, I’d called one of my buddies in the tree business. The storm brought in a lot of work for them, but given the tree blocking Declan’s driveway, he offered to bump my job to top priority.

We’d tipped back our tea in relative quiet. My mind was chaotic with how much had changed overnight, and Declan was sinking into his own space. And then, since we had electricity, he hopped onto his work laptop, and I checked out the damage to his walls. I already had my truck here with all my supplies, so I could at least complete some steps of this job. My boss had left me messages on my phone, but I didn’t want to listen to them. Guaranteed, Brandon would be pissed. Mom and my sisters had called too, but I had handled everything through text.

There was no way I’d be fielding any distractions while I had this perfect moment with Declan. Even the way we split off to do our separate tasks felt natural, and too easily, I could imagine being in each other’s spaces on a regular basis. Anyone else, I might feel like I was letting them down with how often I got drawn into social things, but Declan hadn’t lied when he said he was self-sufficient. He savored his alone time.

If I could work with anyone, he might be the one person I could pull off a relationship with.

I chipped away at the rotting masonry outside. The motions were familiar, and I lost myself in the process of preparing the wall. With the way the flooding had dripped into his basement last night, he’d need this work done ASAP. Once everything dried, I’d get the mix ready and pour so it could set.

As much as my heart crawled out like a hermit crab from its shell, one thing kept me popping back inside. When we’d discussed our date, hesitation had lingered in Declan’s voice. He truly believed I’d blow him off. That I wouldn’t be able to tell work or my family no. And I hated that his concern had validity. I hadn’t in the past when it came to the guys I’d been with. Yet none of them had ever gripped me like Declan Brannon did.

I hadn’t been lying. If anyone was worth the effort of setting those boundaries, no matter how much doing so made my anxiety rise, it was him.

The beeping of a truck signaled my attention, and McCarthy’s Landscaping pulled into view. James and another guy hopped out of his truck, and they let out a low whistle.

“Damn, Noah,” James said. “You guys got real lucky this didn’t crush the cars or the house.”

“I know.” I shook my head as I strode over. “Want me to help?”

“I’ll knock some off the bill if you do.” James flashed me a grin. “We’re overstretched a bit, but I wouldn’t leave you hanging.”

“Thanks, man.” I clapped him on the shoulder.

“I’ll pass you a chainsaw, and we can get this thing cleared in no time,” James said.

I nodded, even though my heart thumped hard. Staying here forever was impractical, but part of me didn’t want this bubble of being with Declan to end. However, right now, I had work to do.

I lost myself in the motions, and by the time James, Gary, and I had cleared the tree, sweat was pouring off me. Still, it had been quicker work than I’d expected, and we’d piled the wood into the back of James’s truck. He promised to haul it for us, no charge. He’d be taking it to the mill right after.

All too quickly, James and Gary were clearing up, getting ready for their next job.

“Shit, you sure you don’t want to work in landscaping?” James asked. “That was so much easier with your help.”

I shook my head. “I like what I do.”

“Brandon doesn’t deserve you.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze and headed off. “I’ll throw you the bill later.”

“Thanks, man.”

He fired up his truck and drove off with Gary. James’s words lingered, though. The truth was, I’d been tired of working for Brandon for a while now. He relied too heavily on the fact that I picked up his slack, and hearing the other day that he’d called me in so he could go to a concert had rubbed me the wrong way.

I glanced at my phone. He’d left a few more voicemails instead of responding to my text. Ugh. I was going to have to deal with this discussion. Better do it now before I went back inside to deliver the news to Declan that his driveway was clear.

I leaned against the wall of the house and stared up at the blue sky, all vibrant and filled with cotton balls. So different from yesterday’s scorched storm clouds. The transformation was stark and complete, and I couldn’t help but feel a kinship to it. How the storm had changed…everything.

My heart thudded hard.

Right, the call. I pressed Dial, and the phone began to ring.

“Hey, man—” I said.

“Where the hell are you, Langston?” Brandon bellowed.

“Didn’t you get my text?” The aggression had me standing upright, my shoulders squared.

“Couldn’t you get a ride? There are jobs you should’ve been completing this morning.”

I bristled. I never called out. Always took on other people’s slack. And when I had an actual situation where I genuinely couldn’t show up for work, he treated me like this? “Sure, I could get a ride, but I wouldn’t be able to transport all my shit in my sister’s car. My work truck was blocked in my client’s driveway.”

Technically, my…boyfriend’s?

The thought made my heart pick up even faster when it already raced from Brandon freaking out.

“Did you at least finish the job?” he asked, an anger in his tone that had me on edge.

“No, because the walls are too wet for me to pour.” Why the fuck did I need to explain that to him? He’d been working in masonry for years and knew as well as I did that the weather mattered.

“Right, so now you’re behind there too,” he growled.

I set my jaw. Brandon and I had been friends for a long time, but over the years, he’d started to take advantage of my inability to say no. And his reaction now painted the truth in stark light. I ran myself ragged for someone who didn’t care. Someone who didn’t ask if I was okay after getting stuck at a client’s house all night. Who just barked at me because I wasn’t working at optimal efficiency .

“The driveway got cleared out, so I’ll head to the next job,” I responded woodenly, even if everything in me wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. But it wasn’t like I had work lined up to jump to. Maybe it was about time I started looking. My chest squeezed tight at the thought.

“Do that. You’ll need to pull overtime this week to catch up.”

With that, he hung up. For a moment, I stared at the phone. When had he become such an asshole? When we’d started and he’d taken over his dad’s business, he hadn’t acted like this. But over the last few years, he’d changed in a significant way, and he’d been relying on the fact that I picked up his slack a little too much.

If I was going to get to my next job, I needed to let Declan know I was leaving.

The idea of going sawed at me. So much had shifted since last night, had brought realizations to light I’d only ever dreamed of. And I didn’t want to leave. If I could stay here for eternity, I would. Because I was terrified we wouldn’t last. That when we faced the outside world, this burgeoning flame we’d found would be extinguished.

I ran a hand through my sweaty strands and stepped inside the house. Tapping came from the other side of the house, and I followed the rhythmic click-clacking to Declan’s office.

Declan sat behind his work laptop, the sheen of the screen glinting against his glasses. His brow furrowed and his lips pursed in concentration.

Warmth squeezed my chest tight. When he was focused on something, he barely broke away. I leaned against the door and watched him for a few minutes. Maybe I should be rushing out the door, but the way Brandon had freaked out made me want to drag my heels even more. Declan continued typing at his laptop, a few strands of hair drifting over his forehead. He hadn’t realized I was in the room yet, and if anything, that made him even more endearing. He hadn’t been lying when he said he was self-sufficient, that he didn’t need me to hold his hand or entertain him every second of the day.

And his directness. God, it made me swoon. The ease I felt around him, knowing he’d tell me what he needed and how he set his boundaries, was the goddamn sexiest thing. The safety and comfort I experienced around him was unparalleled.

Declan coughed and glanced away from the screen.

“Hey,” I said.

“Oh shit.” He almost jumped in his seat. “When did you get there?”

“Been here a bit.” I grinned, amusement fluttering through me. “Your driveway is clear, and I’ve got to get to my next job.”

He stared at me, chewing on his lip. “So you’re leaving.”

My chest squeezed tight. “I don’t want to.”

“Thursday is in two days.”

“Too damn far away.” I crossed the room, hating the distance between us. I didn’t want to leave. The fear that everything would shatter the second I walked out of this house grew to a fever pitch as I closed the space between us. I tipped Declan’s chin up and pressed my lips to his. He moaned into my mouth and melted for me at once. Heat rushed through me as I kissed him with everything I was worth.

I lapped into his mouth, tasting his sweetness, the lingering sharpness of his tea. He gripped the arms of his office chair, moaning again. God, I’d never met a more perfect man in my life.

And I wouldn’t find another like him.

I’d tried.

I drew away at last, even though my chest ached at the separation, however brief. Declan wanted to try dating. I had to hold on to the reality he’d offered, the truth of his words, that he wouldn’t try to fabricate for my benefit. Declan was honest, even when the truth hurt, but that aspect of his personality also meant I could trust him.

“Thursday, okay?” I said. “Nothing will keep me away.”

“When?”

“The second you’re done work, I’ll be here to pick you up.” I brushed my lips over his one more time in a soft kiss. I savored it, then drew away again.

“What will we be doing?” he asked.

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” I winked at him and walked to the door. I didn’t look back. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to make myself leave. With each step away from him, my fears rose, that I’d somehow imagined everything that had happened and the next time we saw each other, he’d stare at me blankly. But I could still taste him on my tongue, could still feel the phantom sensations of his hands on my body.

Declan had promised we could try, and I needed to place my trust in him.

Truly, Thursday couldn’t come fast enough.