Internal Fixation - Tawdra Kandle Page 0,9
still all sassy with each other.”
“No worries about that, babe.” Nico had kissed the top of her head. “You’re plenty of sassy for me. I don’t see that going away any time soon.”
“Even when we’re eighty?” Jenny tilted her head.
“Yep.” Nico hugged her from behind.
“Of course, when I’m eighty, you’ll be eighty-five. So your sass might not be quite as sparkling as mine is. You might be all crotchety and forgetful.” Jenny wagged her head in mock sorrow.
“Watch it, woman.” Nico pinched her side. “I won’t be so old that I can’t chase you around and spank that ancient ass.”
I’d cleared my throat. “And on that note, don’t you think it’s time for you two to be heading home? Nico’s got to be exhausted after working late last night, and he has to be back in Tampa early tomorrow, too, right?”
“Sadly, all true.” Nico had stifled a yawn. “If you need anything, Em, just call. And don’t forget I left you three meals in the freezer.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t forget those.” I’d hugged one and then the other. “And thank you for everything you both did—not only today, but for the past year. I couldn’t have built this place without your help. Hell, Jenny, I couldn’t have gotten through my first day in town without you. So . . .” I pressed my hand to my cheeks. “Thank you. I love you both.”
“We love you, too, honey.” Jenny hugged me one more time. “I have to say, it’s so much nicer leaving you here than it ever was over at that trailer. Every time I went back to my gorgeous home while you were sweltering in that box, I felt so guilty. Now, though—” She swept her arm wide. “You’re in this beautiful, cozy home. I can sleep with a clear conscious tonight.”
“So glad that I could help you out there.” I rolled my eyes. “Now take your clear conscious and go on home.”
All of this time, Noah had been working on small projects here and there, chuckling along with us whenever he happened to wander across our conversations. But after Nico and Jenny had taken off, he’d disappeared, and I’d decided to finish the last few bits and pieces in the kitchen before I called it a night.
Now, though I was finished with everything I could do. I hadn’t seen Noah in a while, and I worried that he might have fallen asleep on the floor somewhere under a pile of empty boxes.
“Noah!” I called again.
“Hey. In here,” he answered from the bedroom.
I picked my way through discarded wrapping paper, kicking some of it out of my way. “What’re you up to in here?”
“Putting your bed together.” His voice floated up to me from the far side of the room as I stood with my back against the doorjamb. Noah’s large body was somehow folded into the narrow space between the headboard and the corner as he used the ratchet to tighten a bolt. “I figured after so long on that little cot thing you’ve been sleeping on, you should most definitely enjoy a real bed for your first night in your new home.”
“How did you know this was exactly what I was most excited about?” Pushing off the jamb, I flipped open a nearby box, looking for the sheets and quilt I’d bought a few months back and saved for my new bed. “I never said anything, but that might have been the hardest part of the entire trailer experience. I mean, the lack of air conditioning was rough, I’m not going to lie. And not having a fridge—using a cooler and ice for my oat milk and veggies wasn’t always easy. Having to wash my clothes at the laundromat was a pain in the ass. The shower deal was a daily challenge, and the toilet . . .” I wrinkled my nose. “Knowing I don’t have to empty that bucket is way, way up there on my list of gratitude tonight.”
Noah chuckled. “I bet.”
I found the sheets and shook them out, pressing them to my face to breathe in their crisp cool freshness. “Ahhhh . . . but there’s nothing in the world like knowing I can climb into a real bed, with real sheets and a quilt, not worrying about waking up with a sore back and a skink watching me sleep.”
“I’m sure your friend the skink is going to miss you, but the good news is, you’re all set to put those sheets on. The