Stormy Surrender - By Nicole Andrews Moore Page 0,72
he had decided…that was enough. He didn’t deserve more. He didn’t want more. Then he met Marti and he did. He wanted a real life. It was time to live.
And that scared the hell out of him. He was standing there, claiming that he wanted a fresh start, thick into his second chance, making the best of his miracle. Then, out of nowhere, she appeared and changed everything. His eye lids were heavy. He had been staring at his dark bedroom ceiling for hours. He had been too wired to sleep, too worried to rest, and too rundown to run away again. Marti was different. Maybe it was time for something different.
It was just after 6pm when Marti arrived at her house. Though she parked at her own home, she exited the vehicle and prepared to walk across the street to meet up with Joe when he called to her from the front porch. She about skipped all the way to the steps…the newly constructed steps. Though the railing still wasn’t completely installed yet, there was enough done for her to get a feel for what the finished porch would look like.
“This is amazing!” She said and then beamed. “I love it. Let me just take a look around.” She passed him and entered the front door of her home for the first time since she had fallen through the porch nearly a week ago. It was nice to feel firm boards beneath her feet.
The kitchen was shaping up nicely. She loved the new cabinets that had been installed. There were still a few custom ones that were on order, but in a pinch, she could probably make a meal there. She glanced behind her. And soon enough she would even have a place to serve it. She smiled while turning to speak with Joey. “Nice job. Now…what movie would you like to see?”
Walking closer to her, he put his arms around her and said seriously, “I just want you to know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you can move into your dream house as soon as you get back from Vermont. I can’t promise that everything will be done. That can take another month. I can, however, promise that the house will be livable. You will have a safe and sturdy front porch, a working kitchen, a functional bathroom, and a place to lay your head. I don’t want you to worry.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I wasn’t worried. That thought never occurred to me. I have faith in you, Joey. You make things happen, good things, like this house and my new life.” She walked into his arms. “Or is this how you handle all the single ladies? You remodel their house for materials and labor, and then you remodel them for free?”
It was obvious to anyone that she was trying to be funny, that she merely wanted to be playful, but to Joe it felt like another dig at how he spent his free time. He started to back away, to back out of her embrace, but she wasn’t having it. She held on…for dear life.
Then she looked up at him with those melted chocolate eyes of hers and spoke. “I need you to know how much I appreciate this, all of this. The house is simply amazing, but the way you make me feel…” She seemed to be at a loss for words. “I know I joke, but I do that when things feel too serious for me to handle. Be patient with me Joe. In some ways when we met, I was just as broken as this house. Just as surely as you and the crew are fixing this place, you are rebuilding me, too.”
Staring down into those eyes, he knew there was no way he’d be able to walk away from her. This wasn’t going to be easy with the town against them, but she needed him. He was the best man for the remodel…both of them. He watched as the look on her face turned from serious to playful.
“Have I buttered you up enough?” She asked, giving him a naughty smile.
It stirred hope. And aroused something in his pants. Her earlier words had already excited his heart. “What did you have in mind?” He asked, feeling pretty playful himself.
“Well, I wanted to see that new chick flick…the Nicholas Sparks one…” Her face transformed once again. There was this appealing innocence about her.