She winces. “There’s my work schedule too. Yours too I’m guessin’. I start back tomorrow night for four twelve-hour night shifts, which means?—"
"You’ll be sleepin’ the days away?”
"Yeah," she replies with a deep sigh.
"That'll work out better for me. Red was tellin' me that we've already got some cows gettin’ ready to calve. So spreadin’ this out a bit will help me manage my responsibilities on the ranch.”
Her brows bunch. "Isn't that a bit early for calves? It's still January."
"Just a few weeks. It just means we've got to be on our toes and ready for them all to start droppin'."
She snickers. "What? Do they all start fallin' like dominoes or somethin'? Here's a calf, and another, and another?"
There's no stopping the smile that curves my lips. "Somethin' like that."
"Wait, does that mean you stillwantto help? I thought for sure you’d want to run for the hills when you saw this catastrophe."From you when you look at me with those eyes? Never.
I shake my head and grin. “Since when have you known me to shy away from a challenge, huh?"
Charlie’s teeth sink into her bottom lip and for a second she looks contemplative. “I think we both know that we don't know each other as well as we used to. I’d like to change that though. I mean, if you want to…”
I swallow down hard on the growing lump in my throat, wondering whether I’m missing a sign from the universe. Because there’s not a world in which Iwouldn’twant to reconnect with Charlie again.Wait… maybe Iammissing somethin’ here. Could it be that she’s my…no, surely not…
"I'd like that, Char.”
Her whole face transforms and I'd like to think that's why my heart starts knocking against my chest like I've just run up the mountain and back. My mind is racing with thoughts I have no business thinking about. There’s no way Charlie could be myOne… right?
"Good. Well, how about we get started onsomethin’up here at least? Maybe you can tell me what you've been up to all these years while we do it.”
"Not sure that it would take long," I muse. “I stayed here then traveled on the rodeo circuit with my brothers and Red, came back here when Rhett retired and bought a ranch with all of them."
Her lips tip up. "That sounds very much like a Cliff Notes version, Austin. But let's try and make a dent in this mess, that’ll give me time to remember just how I used to get you talkin' back in the day." With a deep breath, I nod, feeling a lot more at ease than I have for a long time. "And since you've probably got a hell of a lot more experience than me at renovations and redecoratin', how about you tell me how we should do this because honestly, I can deliver a breech baby but Icannotorganize this chaos.”
"Let’s clear the room first, then we can work oncleanin' it before preppin’ for paintin'."
Her smile is wide and bright, her eyes soft and warm, and it takes everything in me not to lose myself at the sight. "OK, then. Let's go."
With a quick glance at the mess, I decide that the best way to attack this dusty disaster of an apartment is to treat this like a woodworking project. Clean it up before you start to transform it. Piece by piece, step by step. Come to think of it, maybe it's the same way Charlie and I can work on reconnecting with one another.
And if she’s my One, then getting to know each other again will be a damn fine start on our journey toward forever.
9
CHARLIE
"Maybe we should open a few windows to try and clear the dust. It'll get a bit cold but as long as we don't do it for long, it should be OK," Austin says, looking to me for approval. Little does he know that I'm more than happy just to follow his lead with all of this. Any progress will be an improvement as far as I'm concerned. I'm not just talking about the apartment renovations, but also rekindling our friendship. Maybe even something more, because every time I see him, I’m more sure than ever that I missed out when it comes to him.
I shrug. "I can stand a little cold if it means I won't be sneezin' all the time.”
"Still get allergies?"
"Oh yeah. Thankfully there are perks to being a certified physician, I know exactly what medication to take to keep me feelin’ relatively normal durin’ allergy season."
"May to September, every damn year," he replies.
"Yep. I took a pill this mornin’. Strong enough to work, not too strong that you've got to worry about me fallin' asleep on the job."
Austin chuckles. "Luckily there's plenty of furniture here if Ididhave to lay you down."
