and finishing their drinks after the meal, Jasmine came downstairs. She didn’t look their way. She just grabbed her glass of wine from the family room end table and walked to the patio doors off the kitchen leading to the outdoor deck. May and Will exchanged glances.
“She needs a little more time,” she said.
“Why don’t I help with the dishes?”
He detected approval in her expression, though whether it was from his offer to do the dishes or because he didn’t just leave, he couldn’t say. Either way, it couldn’t hurt to stay in her good graces.
She proved he was right once they were done cleaning. “Did I mention there are some loose boards on the deck?” she asked when she caught him looking toward the patio doors. “They’re a real safety hazard.”
“Well, we can’t have that,” he said. “I’ll take a look before I head out.”
“Thanks, Will. Really.”
He sensed from her tone that her gratitude extended beyond just the home repairs. Nodding, he collected his tool bag and carried it outside. Jasmine turned from where she stood leaning over the deck’s railing with her nearly empty wine glass between her hands. Her dark brows drew together when she saw it was him.
“Just nailing down a few loose boards before I go,” he said.
Her lips pursed, but she didn’t comment. She returned her gaze to the small garden behind the duplex. He wisely left her to her thoughts.
Because the building had a daylight basement where the laundry was located, the deck was raised one story from the ground. He walked down the stairs off the side of the deck, testing each one as he went. There were several loose nails that he hammered back into place. If he’d had his deck screws with him, he would have reinforced the stairs with them. Nails were never best for wood decks.
As he returned to the top of the stairs and started making his way around the deck’s railings to test their sturdiness, a head suddenly popped up over the wooden lattice separating May’s deck from the neighbor’s. The guy looked like he was around Will’s age. He had long, ginger-colored hair tied up in a man-bun and a scruffy beard that looked years away from filling in.
“Yo, man,” the guy said. “You know what you’re doing with that hammer?”
Not sure how to take the question, Will shrugged and said, “Yep.”
“Don’t suppose you might have time to come over and do that same thing on this side, would you? The fucking landlord’s a lazy asshole.”
Jasmine’s light snort of humor boosted Will’s mood. “So I’ve heard,” he replied. “I’d be happy to take a look.”
“Thanks.” The guy paused and cleared his throat. “Uh, how much are the girls paying you? Honestly, I don’t have much.”
“One serving of delicious chicken stir fry.”
The neighbor’s face brightened. “I’ve got some leftover pizza. It’s all yours.”
“I’ve had enough to eat, thanks. You don’t have to pay me.”
“You sure? I got a little weed if you want that instead.”
He could practically hear the team’s coaching staff screaming in protest from wherever they were right then. “Nah. It’s all good. Let me wrap up here and I’ll walk over.”
“Thanks, bro.”
Will turned and caught Jasmine looking at him once the guy disappeared. “Did you hear that?” he asked. “Who says bro anymore?”
Though she didn’t reply, he saw the humor in her lovely eyes. It boosted him even more as he nailed down everything he could on May’s deck and headed to the other half of the duplex. His bro’s deck was in similar shape to May’s, requiring the securing of a good number of nails. By the time he finished, the sun had almost set. He scented citronella as he made his way back over to May’s deck and saw the flickering lights of several tiki torches.
Jasmine had moved to one of the deck’s two cushioned rattan chairs. She sat with her legs curled up to the side and held her wineglass propped on the seat cushion. Her glass had more wine in it, telling him she’d either gone for a refill or May had come out to refill it for her. Based on what he had observed between the two sisters, he was betting on the latter.
Taking a chance, he returned his hammer to his tool bag and took a seat in the second chair. He waited until she looked over at him.