bright voice cuts through as she stands from her chair. “Sorry to end the night on such a downer, but I should get that one to her bed before she asks to sleep down here every night.”
Wes carefully extracts himself from Imogene, getting to his feet and scooping her into his arms.
“I’ll bring her up,” he offers.
“I can do it,” Julia insists.
“I know, but I’ve already got her.” He glances at me as I stand. “I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.”
Julia heads toward me and wraps her arms around me. “Thanks for coming tonight. And for agreeing to work on what will be a challenging remodel.”
“Maybe,” I say once she pulls away. “But I’ve never backed down from a challenge.”
“Which is why I hired you. Enjoy the rest of your evening, Londyn.” She grins, then follows Wes from the living room, their feet quiet as they head up to the second floor.
Now that I’m alone for the first time all night, I blow out a long breath. Tonight went better than I expected. In truth, I wasn’t sure what I expected. But learning about Meemaw and Gampy, as well as Wes and Julia, was exactly what I needed.
Since I made Atlanta my home, I haven’t really made any friends, apart from Hazel and Diego. I’ve kept to myself. Worked every waking hour of my life. Avoided all serious relationships, not wanting to surrender the control I fought hard to regain. But maybe Hazel’s right. Maybe it’s time to stop keeping people out. Maybe it’s time to start trusting again.
“Sorry about that.”
Wes’ low voice enters my subconscious as I admire the display of Imogene’s baby photos covering the console table behind the sofa.
I notice there aren’t any of Wes’ parents, as if the family skipped a generation from his grandparents to him and Julia. My heart squeezes at the thought.
“No worries.” I flash him a smile before returning my attention to the pictures. “I was just admiring Imogene as a baby. She was beautiful.”
“I wasn’t around much when she was born since I lived up in Boston at the time. But now I’m able to make up for everything I missed.”
His mouth curves up into a smile, his white teeth dazzling against his skin that seems to have seen some sun since I saw him last weekend.
“Do you want another glass of wine? Something else?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I do need to drive.” I steal a glance at the clock in the kitchen, surprised to see it’s nearly eleven o’clock. “Speaking of which, I should get going. I didn’t mean to stay this late. I was having too much fun.”
“I had a great time, too. Which is why I’m still wide awake, even though I need to get up at the crack of dawn to get to the house. We’re starting on the insulation and drywall tomorrow.”
“Did you already get all the wiring done?”
He beams. “Sure did.”
“Wow. That was, well…fast.”
“Not really.” He shrugs. “I knew what needed to be done and didn’t wait to take action.”
“Most people I know tend to waffle before pulling the trigger on such a huge undertaking.”
He closes the distance between us, blue eyes piercing mine as he peers down at me. “One thing you’ll learn about me, Londyn, is that when I set my mind to something, I take action. I don’t waffle. I do whatever it takes to get what I want.”
A shiver trickles down my spine, and I part my lips, on the brink of asking him what it is he wants. But I fear I already know the answer. That he’s not just talking about the wiring. If he were, his gaze wouldn’t be dark with desire. His breathing wouldn’t be uneven. His jaw wouldn’t be tense.
“Well then…,” I say brightly, increasing the distance before I lose the little self-control I have left. “I’ll let you get to sleep.”
I head toward the stool in the kitchen, sling my bag onto my shoulder, then continue toward the front door, doing my best to ignore Wes’ presence looming behind me, but it’s impossible. From the moment we met, everything about him has consumed me. When he’s near, his aura envelopes me, making me only think about him, forgetting everything else.
What is it about him that has me all out of sorts when no other man has come remotely close to penetrating my tough exterior? But with one look, one smile, one wink, I want to break all the rules I’ve lived by