Drew Read online

  She stomped off to the bedroom and I stood there feeling like a scolded child. I shaped up after that and tried to always think of ways to make her life easier. I still messed up from time to time, but it was amazing how much better we worked when I thought of the little things that would help her out.

  It’s funny because in all the time I was with Iris, I never thought of yelling at her or picking a fight with her. She always told me what she needed from me and I patiently listened and tried to do what I could for her. I was a patient man back then. Somewhere along the line after she died, I changed. I lost all the good that she saw in me and brought out of me. I became a grouchy bastard that didn’t have tolerance for anyone, except Harper. I still wasn’t sure why I had immediately accepted her, but I had.

  I wasn’t sure if I could ever get back to the man I once was, but I wanted to at least try. I was going to have to or I would never have a chance at winning Sarah’s heart.

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  Sarah stopped by on her lunch hour to talk with Ryan and Logan. I was out at the job site working, so I wasn’t part of the meeting, which was fine. I had put my two cents in enough when it came to her life. It was time I stepped back and helped in a different way.

  I was just about to leave the job site when Ryan called and asked me to come back to the office when I was done. I was tired and didn’t particularly want to, but when the boss asked, you did.

  “Hey, Drew. Thanks for coming by. I know you’re probably tired, so I won’t take up too much of your time. Sarah stopped by to go over plans for an addition to her house.”

  “Yeah, she talked to me about it yesterday.”

  “Here’s the thing, we don’t have a crew to work on her addition at this time. We have too many other projects going on. We won’t have any crews available until the new year.”

  Well that sucked, but I wasn’t sure why he called me in here. I leaned back against the wall and waited for whatever he was going to say.

  “I don’t know how close you are with Sarah. I’m not gonna get involved with all that. I have an option for you if you’re willing.”

  “What does this have to do with how close I am with Sarah?”

  “We could have some guys do weekends at her house. I know a few guys would love the overtime. It would take a long time to complete though. There would be issues we would have to work out with making sure supplies are there when needed, but it’s doable.”

  “It sounds like a good option for her.”

  “The problem is that when we get down to the dirtiest part of the job, she’ll already have the twins or they won’t be far off. I don’t want them there when we’re doing construction. It’s just not safe.”

  “So, what’s your suggestion?”

  “How would you feel about her living with you while we do construction?”

  “I don’t have a problem with it, but I’m not sure how she’s gonna feel about it. We had a little bit of a falling out yesterday. Things are fine now, but I have a real good feel for what she’s okay with and I’m not so sure that’s going to be one of them.”

  “Okay, well talk to her about it and let me know as soon as possible. She mentioned other options, but I told her I would look into this. That’s all I have to offer her right now. If she agrees, we’ll draw up some plans and start construction within a few weeks.”

  “Alright. I’ll let you know.”

  I headed home and went straight to Sarah’s door. We were going to have to figure this out sooner rather than later if she wanted her house finished this year. I knocked on her door, hoping I wasn’t interrupting her evening.

  “Hi. What’s going on?”

  “Can I come in for a minute? I talked to Ryan and we have some things to discuss.”

  “Okay.”

  She opened the door further and I followed her back to the kitchen table where she was sitting down to dinner.

  “Would you like some? I have extra?”

  She had made lasagna. It smelled delicious and if I wasn’t mistaken, she also had homemade bread.

  “Please. That would be great.”

  After she made a plate for me, she sat down and we tucked into our dinners. I knew better than to get in the way of her and her food, so I waited until I was finished before bringing up the addition.

  “This is delicious. Did you make this from scratch?”

  “Yep. I’m pretty proud of myself.”

  “You’ve come a long way from when you first moved here.”

  “Well, when I found out I was going to have a baby, I decided that I was going to have to learn to cook. We…I ate a lot of take out before and I knew that I couldn’t do that when the baby was born. Then I found out I was having twins and I thought ‘Oh shit. If I don’t learn to cook, I’m going to go broke.’ So I’ve been practicing a lot, but this is my first attempt at lasagna.”

  “It’s fantastic.”

  I let her little slip go. She had said ‘we’, which meant there was someone else she used to live with. Perhaps it was the babies’ father. Either way, I had promised I wouldn’t push, but that reminded me of something Sean had said to me when she first moved here. I reminded myself to call him later.

  “Okay, so what did Ryan say?”

  “Well, basically, he won’t have any crews to build an addition until the new year.”

  “Yeah, he told me that.”

  “There’s another option if you’re really interested. He can form a crew to work on the weekends. The addition will take longer, but they could have it done in a few months if they got started right away.”

  “What’s the catch?”

  “It’s not safe for you and the babies to be here during construction. I mean, part of it would be fine, but that’s all the initial stuff before the babies were born. Then we get into tearing down walls and electrical work and that’s not a good environment for newborns to be around.”

  “So I would have to move out for a few months?”

  “His suggestion is that you stay with me until construction is done.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  “Sarah, you know I’m okay with that. I would even switch houses with you for a few months if you didn’t feel comfortable staying in the same house with me.”

  “No. I could never kick you out of your house. That’s ridiculous.”

  “My house has three bedrooms upstairs and a den downstairs. It could be converted into a temporary bedroom while you’re staying with me. If you found a nanny, she could stay there also so that you wouldn’t have to wait until construction is over.”

  “Well, it would be nice to have someone from the early days to get comfortable with the babies while I’m around.”

  “It’s totally up to you. If you aren’t comfortable with it, Ryan said he could put you on the books for January or February.”

  Sarah blew out a breath and her hair flew around her face for a moment. “Let me think about it. I’m supposed to meet with Harper tomorrow to talk about someone she knows that might be looking for a job and a place to stay. After I talk to her, I should have a better idea of what I want to do.”

  “Alright. I’ll let Ryan know.” I got up and took my dishes to the sink and rinsed them before putting them in the dishwasher. Old habits and all. “I’m gonna head home. Thanks for dinner.”

  I was about half way to my house when I pulled out my phone and dialed Sean’s number.

  “Hello.”

  “Sean, this is Drew.”

  “I know.”

  “Remember you told me when Sarah moved here that you had a lead on who she might be?”

  There was a pause and I looked at the screen to see if I had lost him. “Yeah. I remember.”

  “Did you ever find anything out?”

  “I did.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Figures. No one can tell me anything.”

  “Who exactly are you referring to?”


  “Sebastian. He told me the same thing. Is there anyone else that knows about Sarah, but can’t tell me anything?”

  “I didn’t know that Sebastian knew anything about her, but I’m sure he has the same reasons I do.”

  “Fine. Are you keeping an eye out for whatever it is that you can’t tell me?”

  “You know I am. Don’t worry. If anything comes up and I can tell you, I will. I really don’t think it will though.”

  “Alright. Later, man.”

  I was just about to walk in the door when the phone rang. I answered without looking, thinking it was Sean calling me back.

  “What’d you forget?”

  “Drew! You have to come back here. Now!”

  Sarah’s voice was panicked and my heart did a stutter step at the fear I heard. I turned and sprinted back to her house, pushing the door open before I could even consider knocking.

  “Sarah! Sarah!”

  “I’m in the kitchen.”

  I ran back to her and saw her sitting on her knees on the the kitchen chair with a frying pan in her hand.

  “What’s going on?” I looked around the room, thinking there must be an intruder if she was wielding a frying pan. “Where is he?”

  “Under the fridge!”

  I started for the fridge and then stopped suddenly. “What?” I looked back at her in confusion. “Sarah, who’s under the fridge?”

  “The mouse! There was a mouse and he ran over my foot with his little, tiny feet. It touched me!”

  I tried. I really did, but nothing could keep the laughter from breaking free from my throat. Sarah glared at me as I laughed for a good five minutes. I had tears streaming down my face and I was doubled over with stomach pains. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed like that. It had been years.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I thought something was wrong and I ran in here expecting you to be on the ground or having to fight off an intruder.”

  “Something is seriously wrong. There is a mouse in my house!”

  I laughed again and then walked over to her and gave her a big hug.

  “Thanks, sweetheart. I needed that.”

  I picked her up and started toward the living room.

  “Drew! Put me down. What are you doing?”

  “Well, you didn’t look very comfortable on that chair, so I’m taking you to the living room. I’ll go back to my place and grab some traps.”

  She looked at me with a horrified expression. “You’re leaving me here? Alone? With that mouse?”

  “I’ll be gone five minutes.”

  “I am not staying here with that mouse!”

  “Well, the traps won’t catch him right away. I’m sure he’s not going to come out again until you’ve gone to bed.”

  “You mean that mouse will be with me all night long?”

  “Yeah, but you don’t have to worry. He’ll probably hang out in dark corners. It’s not like he’s gonna crawl into bed with you and take a nap.”

  She shivered and I had a feeling that was not as reassuring as it sounded in my head.

  “Do you want to stay at my house tonight?”

  “Yes!” She said, stepping off the couch. I had expected some snarky comment, so that was wholly unexpected.

  As if she had just remembered that she had a mouse in her house, she leapt back onto the couch and furrowed her brow.

  “I’ll grab a bag for you. What do you wear to work?”

  “Um. I should have some black pants on my bed and shirt in the closet. Just grab something that matches.”

  I saluted and started down the hall. “Oh, and some underwear and you better not laugh at the size. Remember I’m carrying twins.”

  “I’m well aware, and don’t worry. I think your ass is the perfect size.”

  She narrowed her eyes, but a blush worked its way across her face. “I’ll also need my makeup bag. Oh, and face wash. And lotion. It’s on the counter by my makeup bag. And..”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t miss a thing.”

  I turned and headed back for her bedroom, grabbing several clothing options and everything that was in her bathroom. There was no way I was coming back because something wasn’t packed. I came out of her bedroom five minutes later with a duffel bag that could have packed a week’s worth of clothes for a guy, but only an overnight stay for her. She rolled her eyes at me, but smiled.

  “I’ll come back and set the traps and I’ll even call an exterminator in the morning to see if they can plug up any holes.”

  “You’re the best, Drew.”

  She linked her arm with mine as we walked home and then headed straight up to my bedroom where she proceeded to take over my bathroom. I was about to get a good look at what it would be like to live with her if she chose to stay with me while her addition was being built.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Sarah

  I THOUGHT A lot about Ryan and Drew’s suggestions last night. I wasn’t any closer to making a decision, but I couldn’t deny that it wasn’t a bad idea. I didn’t want to wait until January to start construction because I wanted someone with the kids right away, to learn what my expectations were and help out from the start. It was going to be hard enough having a new baby on my own, but two was bordering on impossible. Harper and I were getting together today to talk about a potential candidate she had in mind. All she told me was to keep an open mind.

  Drew and I had stayed in the same room since his other rooms weren’t set up yet. I had to admit, it was nice to stay in his bed. Not only was it extremely comfortable, but having him close was comforting. Nothing happened between us, but I woke up with his erection poking me in the ass. I let him believe I was still asleep because I knew he wouldn’t want me to be uncomfortable. Honestly, it was nice to know that he was attracted to me and helped me to reconcile the idea of being with him and my hesitancy because of Todd. There was no doubt that I was attracted to Drew. The wetness between my legs this morning proved that. When my heart and my brain finally caught up with the rest of my body, I knew I would be ready.

  Drew had packed a whole array of clothes and bathroom products for me and I smiled to myself when I saw how neatly he had organized everything. I quickly got ready and headed downstairs for some coffee. I really liked tea, but I doubted Drew was the type of guy to have tea on hand. The smell of bacon and eggs hit me about halfway down the stairs and my nose started twitching at the smell. I practically ran to the kitchen and found a large plate of food waiting for me at the table. I licked my lips as I walked over to the table and sat down.

  “So, if I move in here for a few months, can I expect this every morning?” I teased.

  “Sure. I’d make you breakfast every morning.”

  I looked at him expecting to see a lighthearted smile, but he looked totally serious. Okay. That was one point in his favor. I doubted I would be up for cooking too much right after the twins came and staying here with someone that would willingly cook for me? Major points in his favor. It suddenly hit me that I was way more relaxed about him giving his help this time. For some reason, I had easily accepted his invitation last night when at another time I would have done the whole brave woman that can do it on her own thing. I didn’t examine the reasons behind this sudden change too closely.

  “Rise and shine, beautiful. I made you breakfast in bed.”

  “Wow. You’re really going all out here, aren’t you?”

  “Well, I’m trying to impress this woman I’m seeing, so I thought I’d test out some things on you.”

  I grabbed my pillow and threw it at him. “You ass.”

  He laughed at me and then pulled me in for a kiss. “You better eat before your food gets cold. Eggs aren’t very appetizing cold and bacon is best when it’s still hot.”

  “I could have gotten up and made my own breakfast. You didn’t have to go to all the trouble.”

  “Usually when someone does something nice for you, you just say thank you.”

  “Thank you
, Todd. I appreciate the effort.”

  “You’re welcome. You know, you are so damn stubborn. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with you.”

  “Well, I guess you’ll just have to keep me around for awhile and see what happens.”

  “Yeah, about that. I wanted to ask you something.”

  He looked nervous as he ran his hand over the back of his neck. Surely, he wasn’t breaking up with me. He just made me breakfast in bed.

  “I want you to move in with me.”

  Okay. I was not expecting that. “Todd, I don’t think so. You leave for another six months in two weeks. That’s not a good idea. What would I do in your space for six months?”

  “Well, it wouldn’t be my space, it would be ours. Besides, I want you here when I get back. I like knowing that you’re here with my stuff. It makes me feel like you’re with me.”

  “And what happens when you don’t come home?”

  It was one thing to date a military man. It was another to become fully ingrained in his life. Moving here would be take me too close to the reality of his world.

  “Sarah, I will always do everything I can to come home to you. Please tell me you’ll give me this.”

  After a few days of considering all my options, I gave in and moved to his apartment. It was horribly lonely when he left and I was surrounded by all his stuff. The upside was that I had his shirts to wear to bed. They all smelled like him and it brought me comfort when I didn’t hear from him for weeks at a time.

  “I put in a call to an exterminator and they should be out sometime this afternoon.”

  Drew’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts and brought me back to the conversation and my breakfast. I cleared my throat and did my best to cover up the fact that I had just been off in a different world.

  “How long do you think it will take before all the mice are gone?”

  “I really don’t know.”

  “Well, I’m not going back there until they’re gone. There is no way I’m living with mice.”