“You and Waylon are so alike it’s scary sometimes,” Shiloh mused. “But seriously, I’d rather whip up another batch of cookies than have you hurt.”
I smiled at him, the ice slowly numbing my hand. There was something about the way Shiloh spoke that made my heart skip a beat. Perhaps it was his effortless charm or the way his caramel-colored eyes seemed to look right through me. Whatever it was, I found myself growing more and more drawn to him.
He pulled the ice away and carefully patted my fingers dry. I began reciting conversion tables in my head as he gently rubbed ointment onto each of the burns. Waylon was right that I needed to go out and get laid if this was how I reacted to first aid care.
“There. That’s better.” Shiloh cleared his throat as he stepped back.
I had to have imagined the hitch in his breath when I rested my good hand on his shoulder. “You would have made a good nurse if you hadn’t gone into baking. Thanks again.”
“Don’t mention it. Now, how about you head back to the table while I load up the cooling rack.” He smiled at me, his gaze lingering on mine a few seconds longer than typical for a business interaction.
“Sounds like a plan,” I replied, returning the smile. My heart raced as my walls crumbled, bit by bit, and Shiloh’s presence filled the space in my chest I’d been ignoring had been so empty it ached.
A few minutes later, Shiloh sat across from me once again. I resisted the urge to brush a stray lock of hair away from his face when he kept trying to blow it out of his eyes. “Okay, no more interruptions since everything’s out of the oven. Let’s get back to business. What do you need from me to get started?”
Talking money was the part of these meetings I always dreaded. It was also likely a contributing factor to my lack of large projects. Numbers weren’t my strong suit and I always worried people would balk at the price.
“If you want to move forward with the remodel, the next step is you deciding which proposal you want to move forward with.” He listened intently as I ran him through the different scenarios one last time, interrupting with questions when they arose. It was clear he had a mind for business, and I respected that.
“And you seriously think you can get all of this done for that figure?” Shiloh asked, picking up the complete renovation estimate. I’d worried he’d think I was overcharging him, but the reality was I’d given him a hefty discount for the ability to put a sign in the window of the other half of the building saying I was the one doing the renovations. That was the sort of marketing you couldn’t pay for, and I wasn’t about to take it for granted.
“Yep. I cut you a deal on the labor because Waylon said he’d probably see about getting some guys together to come down and help out on the weekends or when they’re not busy,” I explained.
“Get the paperwork to me for this estimate and I’ll have my—I’ll look over it.” That wasn’t what he’d been about to say. I wanted to ask who he planned to have check the paperwork to make sure I wasn’t going to screw him, but I didn’t because it really wasn’t my place.
“I’ll get it to you by the end of the week,” I promised. “And if you’re ready, I can get started early next week. I may still have to take care of some little side jobs but you can be sure getting the remodel done will be my top priority.”
“I trust you, Teddy.” He placed his hand on my arm. Did he have any idea of how his thumb slowly traced back and forth? I doubted it. “And I’m not in a huge rush. I’d like to have the work done by the art fair so I don’t have to worry about running out of food that weekend but, other than that, I’m flexible.”
“That’s good to know.” I scribbled the date of the art fair at the top of the estimate and circled it. That was a bit tighter turnaround than I was comfortable with but I’d find a way to make it happen for him. “So, can I interest you in grabbing a bite to eat to celebrate? I know it’s early for dinner but—”
He held up a hand to silence me. “I’d love that. Just give me a little bit to put everything away and lock up.”
“I’ll wait out front.”
When I stepped outside, I noticed Waylon crossing from the road. I couldn’t imagine living right on Main Street, but they loved their little cottage. Now that Waylon was a grandpa, he’d wanted a yard where he could build a swing set. It was too small for a family, but they didn’t need anything larger. The only little kid in their life was Waylon’s granddaughter, and they still had the apartment over the salon for when family was in town.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Waylon greeted me with a bro hug, complete with a slap on the back.
“Great! Just waiting on Shiloh,” I explained despite him not asking what I was doing hanging around outside the bakery.
“Oh yeah, your meeting’s today.” I didn’t bother correcting him. “Don’t worry about impressing him. Shiloh’s good people. As long as the estimate comes in within his budget, you’re golden.”
“Yeah, I sort of figured that much. We already met, and we’ll be starting work next week. I… we’re going to grab a bite to eat and a beer to celebrate.”
“That’s awesome!”
“What’s awesome?” Jasper appeared out of nowhere, curling up against his boyfriend’s side.
“Teddy’s going to be working on the bakery. They’re about to seal the deal over beer and burgers,” Waylon explained.
“So, how’d the meeting go?” Jasper asked, a knowing glint in his eye. “I mean, obviously it went well if you got the job, but I know there had been some concern about what all you could do within his budget.”
“Better than I expected, actually,” I replied, grinning. “We discussed the renovation plans, and he’s on board with the ideas I presented. I was able to come in under budget for everything that needs to be done. It helps that so much of it will be using reclaimed wood and I’ll be making a lot of the pieces rather than having to buy them.”
“Sounds like you two are getting along well,” Waylon observed, his smile widening. “I’m glad. Shiloh’s a good guy, and I think the two of you working together will be great for both of you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that,” I said, feeling a surge of gratitude for my friend’s support. “He’s definitely an interesting person, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.”
