Kim Watters - Home Sweet Home

But her lopsided attraction wasn’t the only thing that made her squirm when she picked up her slice. After Cole helped himself to his own pizza and wings, he folded his hands together and bowed his head. Heat creeping to her cheeks, she quickly set down her food and mimicked Cole’s movements. At least he hadn’t asked her to say the prayer.

“Dear Lord, bless this food and this house. May the restoration go quickly and easily. Amen.”

“Amen.” Abby found herself saying the word. She didn’t choke, nor did any lightning bolts appear from the sky. Having heard it many times, she discovered it wasn’t as foreign to her as she’d thought. Abby had just never felt the urge to say it before tonight. Maybe she should go through more carefully the packet Delia gave her and explore the possibilities of religion when they finished the house. If she could open her practical mind and believe… Right.

If God truly existed, why did He let such bad things happen around the world? Why did He take her mom?

Abby picked up her slice again and bit into the pizza. As anticipated, the varied toppings exploded across her taste buds. “This is wonderful. I’ve never had such a combination before.”

“Really?” Cole rested his arms against the side of the table and searched her face. “I thought it was pretty standard. I would have gotten mushrooms, too, but I wasn’t sure if you’d like them.”

“I do, actually.” Abby fell into his warm and inviting gaze. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips and the flame’s reflection danced in his brown eyes. The combination of the candlelight, the inviting scent of pizza and the light sound of classic rock music from the old radio she’d found in the kitchen loosened her tongue. “But a lot of toppings are expensive. When my mom could afford to buy a pizza, we only got cheese. And that wasn’t often.”

Cole’s expression shifted in the flickering light. “I’ll remember that next time. Things changed in my family, too, when my parents split up. Going out to eat, taking in a movie, or even getting the bare necessities like winter gloves and a scarf was a challenge.”

“So that’s why you shoveled my grandparent’s walkway.” Abby gladly shifted the conversation back to Cole. She didn’t want to dwell on the next time or the idea that they had anything similar in their backgrounds because that would probably make her like him more than she already unwillingly did. “And probably why you moved to Phoenix.”

“Among other reasons. I couldn’t wait to get out of this place.”

Abby’s heart stalled at his words. All her life she’d wanted to stay in one place for more than six months. To have what her temporary classmates had. To belong and have a place to call home. She couldn’t imagine wanting to leave Dynamite Creek, and now that she’d found it, she would do everything in her power to be able to stay.

She chewed another mouthful of pizza, realizing she knew nothing about the man next to her except he was about her age and a contractor. If they were to work together, having more background information could only be helpful. Right. She forced herself to swallow, knowing her interest was more personal than professional. “How old were you when you left?”

“Nineteen.” A frown twisted his features as he placed another slice on her plate.

Unused to being served, his action addled her brain. The gentle way he scooped up the wayward bit of sausage and set it back in its place sent her pulse fluttering. If he treated her house that way, or even herself, Abby would have a hard time not falling for him and the way he seemed to care for everything around him. “Thanks.”

His gaze captured hers and Abby couldn’t pull herself from the depths of uncertainty or the hint of despair. Instinctively she leaned closer, wishing she could erase the haggard lines creasing his face, but to do so would be crossing the barrier she’d erected to keep people at a distance.

“I may as well tell you the truth before someone else does. I made some bad choices and got into some trouble here. Vandalism. A prank gone bad. One of my old neighbors intervened with the judge and hooked me up with his brother who owned a construction firm in Phoenix. I liked what I was doing and enrolled in trade school. A few years after I graduated, I struck out on my own.”

“Interesting.” Abby leaned back, any lingering intimacy shattered by Cole’s revelation. Not good. It reminded her of her mother and why they’d had to keep moving. Her head buzzed and her appetite disappeared. Trouble seemed to follow him. Or maybe he actively sought it out?

She should release him from his obligation, but then she’d never get the house done on time or anywhere close to the beginning of May. Would her association with him help or hurt her chances of fitting in? Judging from the few people she’d met, it could go either way, yet she didn’t have the heart to turn him away because she couldn’t reconcile the man sitting next to her with what his partner had done or the poor decisions he’d made in his youth. His actions spoke differently, which was why she needed to give him a chance.

Their conversation turned back to the house as she forced herself to eat the last slice of pizza. At the end though, she still struggled with her curiosity. “What made you decide to do restoration work instead of new construction?”

The clink of ice shared the space between them as Cole lifted his goblet to his lips and drank. Abby couldn’t stop staring at the strong column of his neck or the way his Adam’s apple bobbed as he emptied the glass. Finally her glance shifted to the cleanly shaven skin covering his angular jawline and then upward to his firm lips. She wondered how they would feel against hers.

Her breath hitched. The atmosphere in the house only added to her confusion. Going along with Helen’s scheme and eating dinner with Cole had been a bad idea, especially since she couldn’t think of the last time she’d shared a meal with anyone other than lunch with one of her ex coworkers. Yet he sat at the head of the table like he belonged there. As if this space which had been built over 135 years earlier had been constructed with him in mind. He fit into her house, but from what she’d discovered, would never fit into her life. She had to remember that so she wouldn’t get hurt again.

Cole placed his goblet on the table and stared at it intently. His finger traced the intricate pattern cut into the crystal. “Look around you, Abby. This place is a work of art. Unlike the boxes being built today, it has character and life. I’m the artist, dedicated to bringing back the vision that the original builders had in mind. Nothing more. Nothing less. I built my reputation on that and I think that’s why your grandparents hired my company. They wanted to leave you a legacy.”

Her fingers mangled the pizza crust. “I doubt it. As far as I know, they didn’t even try to look for my mom or me. It would have been nice to know I had more family somewhere.”

Cole removed the remains from her hands and wiped her fingertips gently with his napkin. His actions made her dizzy and breathing a chore, yet she didn’t want the moment to end. “There’s always two sides to every story. Maybe someday you’ll discover them. Until then, let’s keep moving forward on the house.”

The house. Good idea. Focus on what’s important. Not the niggling notion that maybe things weren’t quite what they seemed.

Releasing her hand, he pushed the plates to the side. Abby knew it was for the best and willed her heart to quit its frantic beating. She inhaled sharply, forcing her attention from the man to the candle gracing the center of the table and blew out the candle. A puff of smoke wafted between them, temporarily breaking the spell.