I could still swing a hammer.
I pushed my sleeves up. “Tell me what you need.”
Autumn
Kerry had gone and picked up pizza for us. Gideon had slipped her some money without telling us. Judging from all the pizza she’d brought, it had been a lot of cash.
I considered how thoughtful that was way too much. Almost as much as I watched him work. The way he bent and squatted, lining up boards and hammering nails. We didn’t have major power tools. Our tool was Gideon.
He’d had a couple slices of pizza, then gone back to work.
I was on my third slice. The ham sandwich and leftover macaroni salad had burned off hours ago, and I was starving. The heat kindling low in my belly said I was hungry for more.
“You have good taste,” Kerry murmured. Joseph Ellison was helping Gideon move the set into place so we could hang our decorations off it.
“Thanks. I think the mushrooms are best with black olives.”
She snorted and brushed a napkin over her lips when the guys glanced at us. “I wasn’t talking about the pizza toppings, Autumn.” She rolled her eyes. “I think the smoking-hot husband you brought back from Vegas is a sign of your good taste.”
“He used to be your husband’s student,” I whispered.
“He’s definitely not a kid anymore.”
“Nope.”
All day, I’d been smiling and nodding when coworkers congratulated me. They gushed over his looks and my ring. My hand had been yanked severaltimes so the ring could be inspected. I’d had a minor heart attack when I’d gotten acrylic paint on the diamond.
The kids were the biggest relief to be around. After five minutes and a few questions, mostly about whether I’d won a ton of money in Vegas, my marriage was forgotten.
Now that husband was here. He hadn’t told me why, and I didn’t care. Seeing him in jeans and a hoodie was all my libido cared about. Waking up to him for the last three days was hell on my hormones.
Kerry gave me a sidelong look. “Is it weird for you? To suddenly be married? I thought you and Mark might have a thing.”
Mark—Mr. Knutson at work—had been overly formal with me, only brusquely telling me to give my documents to Kaitlyn.
“Yes.” The first honest thing I’d said all day—other than agreeing with Gideon’s looks. “It’s one thing to get caught up in the idea and another when he’s here. In my home. At my work.”
The guys were hauling the plywood wall next to the risers, otherwise I would’ve kept my mouth shut.
She patted my shoulder. “Well, it looks like you got a considerate one.”
“It’s also weird that people know him.” He was still a stranger to me.
“None of usknowhim.” She grabbed another slice of pizza. “We’ve just heard of him,” she said around a big mouthful.
Same.
Both guys turned and faced us. Joseph grinned. He didn’t have to say how delighted he was to be workingwith a former student. “Time to hang our colony of bats.”
I gathered the cutouts of bats the students had made. Kerry got the tacks and Joseph found some string.
Gideon appeared at my side. I was trying to get a bat toward the top. He slipped the decoration from my hands and stuck a tack in it toward the top. His chest was pressed to my back and his scent surrounded me.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“No problem.”
We hadn’t had time to talk since he’d arrived. “Why did you come?”
