As if remembering all at ohat she and I were still practically strao each other Mia suddenly stiffens in my arms then pushes away from me. Stepping back she turns her blushing face away from me and whispers. “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m never gonna pin about free hugs.” I quip.

  Smoothing her dress with her hands she takes aep away from me, shifting subtly closer to Heather. “I didn’t get much sleep st night.” She says softly. “I’m…a little emotional today. I’m sorry.”

  “Mia.” I say in a kindly tone. “It’s cool.”

  With a sheepish ghat sts no more than a sed she nods. “Thank you.”

  “Rex, sweetie.” Heather steps in to take her embarrassed nie her arms. “Elliot is a warm and uanding man. He won’t judge you.”

  “I’m in no position to be judging anybody.” I admit. Laying a hand on Mia’s shoulder just for a moment I say. “It’s ia. I’ve had those nights too.”

  With wide, green eyes she looks at me but says nothing. Sensing the fragile state that she was in and pig up on her need for Heather’s gentle fort I make a graceful exit so that the women could be alone.

  Taking my ptes to the sink I say. “I think I’m gon a start on that yard work before it gets too hot out. Everything I need out in the shed?”

  Heather smiles as she reizes what I was doing. “Yeah, baby. The key’s in the front pocket of my purse.”

  “Great.” I trot into the spare room to grab some of my tools. On my way back to the front door I see that Heather had started the kettle and pulled doweapot while Mia browsed the sele of teas and tisanes. I catch Mia shyly trag me from the er of her eye as I walked by. “I’ll be around if you need me.”

  “We’ll be here.” Heather says back. After I slip into my sneakers she and I share momentary gaze which gets us both a bit flustered, though it certainly put a spring into my step as I stride out the door.

  As I pass uhe kit window on my way around the house I just catch Mia saying. “He smells nice.”

  That makes me smile. Tempted as I was to eavesdrop again I respect their privad carry on with my chores. In the back yard I find the dipidated old shed to be sitting at a skewed angle. Ms. Hancock’s fence seemed to be the only thing holding it up. The lean made opening the right half of the double door a challe with some effort I manage. I shook my head at the trast between the heavy steel padlo my hand and the flimsy, deteriorating door it had just e off of. Anyone wanting to steal something inside could have just ripped the doors off the hinges without much trouble if they wao. The inside of the shed was in even worse dition, if that was even possible. The wood was gray and crag and everything in it except for the mower itself was covered in dust and cobwebs. Heather might have bee and tidy on the inside of her home but it was clear that, with the exception of her flower beds, her care for the outside was g.

  Leaning in I look around at the wall and ceiling. With what I’d already learned from my new job I was sure I could build a far better rept in just a day or two. Hell, I could probably do it mostly with some of the scrap lumber from the site. Stepping back I look across the fend think again about the roof I wao build over the parking area. The two projects coalesg in my mind I begin to wonder…could I build her a whole damn garage?

  That was when it hit me. Not for her, for us. This was my home now. My true, real, forever home. I wasn’t rooming here and this pce wasn’t rented. A strange sort of rush courses through me as I begin to look arouh fresh new eyes. The pce could use a coat of paint, so could the fence. And of course there was the shed and the parking area. The wn was green but not as lush ahy as it might be and a couple of the paving stones were cracked. Nobody else was going to do anything about them, so why not me? And over there, against the house, that sure would be nice pce frill and some outdoor furniture where Heather and I could enjoy lovely nights like st night. For the first time in my adult life I felt a sense of ownership, of e, with the pce I was living. Suddenly I had a whole house on which I could tio my heart’s tent! And while the inside was always going to be Heather’s I had a feeling that she would not mind otle bit if I cimed the eerior as my own person vas for projects or…whatever I wahat is so…fug…COOL!

  Feeling like the king, or pri least, of my own little domain I grab a screwdriver from my tools and approach the back gate with its finicky td set to work. I am almost disappointed when fixing the tds up being as simple tightening a few screws and so I just keep w my way along the feo firm up the nails and make note where we needed new ones. We. God, I loved that.

  After the fence I pull the mower out of the shed. It was aric with the extension cord sloppily looped over the top. With the mower out of the way I step into the shed and take stoear the front it was all gardening stuff, pots, pnters, gloves, trowels and the like, but in behind just stacked against the walls were a bunch of tools from a time wheher and Alexander owned a much rger property. Taking it upon myself tahe space I hang what I on the rusty nails stig out of the exposed two by four frame and the rest I group as I thought ropriate. It was like hitting the jackpot when I move a dusty tarp and discover a jar full of shiny new nails. Jar in one hand and hammer iher I head back out to repce the nails in the fence I noticed missing earlier.

  I was having such fun that I’m not even sure how much time had passed before I hear a soft clearing of a throat behind me. Spinning around I discover Mia at the er of the house with a tall gss of lemonade in one hand and a pte with two freshly baked ses iher. I wondered just how long she’d been standing there watg me. When our eyes meet her cheeks immediately darken and she ot hold back a sweet smile frhtening her face.

  “Excuse me, Sir.” She says, extending the gss and pte. “We thought you might enjoy these while the ses were still warm.”

  Tug the hammer into my belt I hurry over. “Nice! You guys are the best.”

  Her already smiling face brightens as I take her . “Um…I made the lemonade.”

  Taking a sip I smack my lips. “Delicious!” She stares at me for a couple of seds….then spins on a heel to disappear back around the building. “Uh, thank you!” I call after her.

  I hear some sort of peeping reply but damned if I could make it out. Mia clearly liked me but was also intimidated by me. Fuy like me this was such a role reversal from the norm. Mia was so damned pretty. If she wasn’t held back by her special biology she’d be turning down guys WAY hotter tha was so weird, and wildly fttering, to be sidered intimidating by somebody that normally would have been out of my league. In this family I was going to have to work hard to keep my ego in check.

  Squatting down in the shade of the shed I sip my queng cold drink and gobble down the delectable buttered raspberry ses. Daaaamhey good!

  It wasn’t long after that that I see Heather e swooshing around the er.

  “I heard you out here hammering away.” She says as she slips into my arms. Resting her hands on my chest she gazes deep into my eyes. “My handy man.” She kisses me.

  “Mmm.” I smile.

  “I have to run down to the store.” She says. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’ve got someohat helps out on the weekends but she needs a bit of supervision.”

  “I’ll walk you to work.”

  “No.” She rubs my chest. “Stay. Do your thing.” She giggles. “You looked so happy puttering away out here.”

  “I am happy.”

  “Mia’s going to be inside w on her own stuff for school.” She says. “She shouldn’t get in your way.”

  “I’ll be lucky if I see her.” I chuckle. “She’s a shy one, isn’t she?”

  “You are something pletely new for her. New and wonderful. You’re a lot for her to take in.” She says cheerfully. “She thinks you’re terrific. She’s really happy.” After taking in a long sniff of my aroma she says. “Be geh her, Elliot. She’s not aced to men and yh and rowdy ways.”

  “Rough and rowdy?”

  “Men are different.” She snickers and kisses my cheek. “Even the soft ones.”

  Her face bees serious. “Yoing to be extremely entig to her. It’s natural for women like us. Don’t think of her poorly. Be firm but…please be gentle.”

  “Oh!”

  Looking into me she says in a gently firm tone. “If something does happeween you…use prote. Uand?”

  “Heather! I just met the girl. And I haven’t even decided if I’m…doing that yet.”

  “I know. And she’s not expeg anything, but…” She pets me. “You’re so handsome. She’s so pretty. And you’re both young and full of beans. A girl her age…whoo! I remember what it was like.”

  “Beans?”

  “Just use prote! If it es to that.” She boops me. “Prote either way. If you get Mia pregnant God help you. I’m not sure even I could protect you from Rebecca’s wrath. She’s going to be upset enough as it is, but if you…ooooh boy. Hell hath no fury.” She pinches my and gives my head a little shake. “And I ’t be having Mia cumming inside you and g you first. I could probably overpower it if I got to you quiough but…I’d rather not put that to the test.” Fixih a stare she says in no uain terms. “You are MY man, Elliot. Mine.” As quick it went hard her expression softens once more. After a tender kiss to my lips she says. “And don’t you fet it.”