Heading to the kitchen, I make another glass of iced tea and grab some water from the fridge. It’s hot out and he’ll get dehydrated if he doesn’t drink something.
“Here,” I place the glass and water on the top step of the porch, catching his eyes as he looks up from where he is bent over the hood.
He gives me a smile and gets back to work and that’s how much of the day goes, he works on the car while I sit and pretend to read, my heart hammering inside my chest. When it gets close to five, he slams the hood down, startling me on the porch.
“All done, but it needs new tires.”
“Are you just making this up now?” I ask.
“Me?” He blinks at me innocently, “Never.”
“I don’t think it needs new tires.”
He points to the front left, “This one is bald right here and the others are close to being so. It needs new tires, Marly.”
“Okay well, I’ll take it to a shop then.”
“Absolutely not,” He growls, “I will order your tires and come back tomorrow to change them.”
“You don’t have to do that, River.” I sigh, chewing on my lip.
“I do.” He wipes his hands, “I let you down, Marly. I’m not going to let you down again. See you tomorrow.”
I open my mouth to make him stop, maybe invite him to stay for dinner but the words get lost in my throat. I know he was also waiting for them because the disappointed sag of his shoulders matches mine.
“Bye, Marly,” He smiles at me, climbs in his car and leaves.
Chapter Forty-eight
Ireturn the next day and the next, finding jobs on the property I can do for her while she sits and watches me. We’re talking more, not about us, but just general small talk that’s become lighter. She even laughed today, and the sound had made my heart skip a beat.
But I’m struggling to find more things that’ll keep me here and my time is running out.
“Do you need a drink, River?” She calls from the porch, her smile light. Her summer dress swishes around her knees in the light breeze, her skin kissed by the sun while her blonde hair tumbles in waves, free of any ribbons or ties.
“I’m okay, princess,” I call, wiping my brow as I trim up the hedges at the boarder of the driveway.
“Okay, well I’m expecting a delivery soon so be careful when they come in,” She says and walks back into the house, leaving me in the yard. I can’t tell if this is working, if me showing up every day is helping mend broken things between us. Perhaps it was astupid idea, but I just wanted to prove that she could rely on me, that I won’t let her down again and that she isn’t alone.
I didn’t realize just how alone she actually was; she had a family but they didn’t see her, not like I do. I just want to hold her, breathe her in and never let go. I made that mistake once.
I’m still working on the hedges when a large truck pulls into the driveway, the driver passing a wave as he pulls up to the house and a couple of guys hop out, “You know where to leave this?” One of them calls to me as he walks around to the bed and opens it, revealing a trellis.
“Ah,” Marly rushes to them, “Actually could you put this up against this side of the house, beneath this window.”
“Ma’am, I’m not sure–”
“It’s okay,” She flicks her eyes to me, “I understand but it’s done on purpose.”
They exchange concerned glances, but do as she asks, installing the trellis where she advised them, which only takes an hour or so.
And the entire time I watch them, my heart is hammering. She is installing a trellis. Beneath a window. Just like her old bedroom. When they leave, I find her eyes already on mine, a sweet pink blush lighting up her cheeks.
“It’ll be unlocked,” She tells me before she turns and walks away, shutting the front door behind her.
An invitation.
I could be getting ahead of myself, but I’d rather be prepared than not, so I throw the bag into the back of the car and head back to Marly’s. I left soon after the trellis was installed and nowI’m returning, a recreation of sorts. It’s late and dark and the gates are closed so I park the car on the road and head toward the wall that surrounds her small estate. It’s shorter than her previous one and the garden isn’t as lit up, making it easy to scale and advance on the house.
