He doubled over, laughing.“She’s the wife of a friend.She loves to beat him at video games, so she calls when she needs a shortcut or some tips.”
“So, not a girlfriend?”
Cupping her face, he pressed a light kiss to her nose as he shook his head gently.The weight of their history hovered in the background, but he wanted a fresh start right now.Not simply friends, but maybe a little more.Her lips moved against his, and his fingers stroked the soft skin of her cheeks.The dull ache in his head was forgotten, replaced by something warmer, sharper, entirely his.
“Were you jealous?”he asked when they parted.
She gave a little pout.“Maybe I was.”
His grin couldn’t be stopped.“I think I like that.”
She snuggled closer.“I think I like this even more,” and kissed him again.He couldn’t disagree.
Chapter Twenty
The light in the living room was bright enough to see Evan’s book, but Mercedes wished it could be softer, warmer.She loved their sessions, but she knew Evan hated them.Okay, maybe hate was too strong a word.He did them willingly and never complained.Much.But she could still see his disgust every time he couldn’t figure out a word or sentence.
His glass of Mountain Dew was full, along with her cup of tea.TheLevel Twobook sat between them, opened to the middle.They’d been working on it for almost a month now and had progressed through much of it.She wasn’t sure how he remembered all the steps for working this equipment.It had her baffled, but once they went through the procedures, he seemed to recall them easily.
“A lot of the machines have similar knobs, gears, shifts… and use the same startups and shut down protocols,” he explained to her when she’d asked how he could keep it all inside his head, and he said it so casually, like he was making a bowl of cereal.Yet his confidence still lacked at times when the vocabulary was too difficult.
Evan huffed and set the book down roughly on the coffee table.She had a feeling he’d just hit one of those words.
“Is it time for a break?”she asked, snuggling up next to him.Since last week, when she’d finally gotten the nerve to ask about the kiss they’d shared, they been doing it quite a bit.Kissing.Now it was becoming their favorite break time activity.Evan said he even preferred it to drinking his Mountain Dew.
His face softened at her words, yet he stared at her suspiciously, as if he knew she’d suggested it to keep him from being frustrated.They’d gotten a nice push and pull going, and she’d hate for him to give up when he’d made so much progress.
He pressed his lips to hers briefly.“This type of break?I’m always happy to take one of these.”She slid her hands around his shoulders and tugged on his head to join their mouths again.
After a few minutes of kissing, he glanced at the book with a guilty expression.
“Let’s both look at it.We’re better together,” she told him.
He blew out a huge breath and slumped back against the cushion.“It’s the conversion rates I’m unclear about.Not so much any reading.”
“I don’t know how to help you with conversions.I’m much better at language than math.Is this something you could ask your grandfather about?He did this type of work, didn’t he?”
Evan nodded, though his jaw was tight.“We talked about it when I was down the Cape for your parents’ party.He gave me some pointers for some of the measurement stuff, but we hadn’t gotten this far in the book yet.I hate having to admit how much trouble I’m having with the work.I feel so stupid and don’t want him to know.”
Heat rose in her chest.“Know what?That you’re human and struggle at times like every other person in the world.Do you think he learned how to work all that equipment and plan sitework the first time he looked at it?I seriously doubt it.”It hurt every time he put himself down.She hurt for him and wrestled with her own frustration that he had so little faith in himself and didn’t see his own self-worth.
His eyebrows slid together.“I’m sure he learned it faster than his stupid grandson.”
She propped herself up on her knees and jabbed her finger into his shoulder.“Stop it.You aren’t stupid.You’ve shown me how much you can learn.Your brain is wired differently than some people.”
A tiny grin peeked out.“Maybe I need a good electrician.”
She couldn’t help but laugh.“Do you truly not see all the amazing things you do every day?Fixing the faucet and my car every time it won’t start.You’re the best player on your baseball team, and that takes skill.Those two boys you saved on the Cape and how you just knew how to set up the tent, so my dad and brother didn’t look like idiots.And it sounds like you saved that kid at work from being completely crushed by the drainpipe.Your boss wants you to mentor a couple of new guys.Those aren’t small things.”
She stared into his incredibly blue eyes and pressed a deep kiss to his lips.“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.Like a superhero.”
He made a face and gave a half laugh.“Thanks for the pep talk.I appreciate your defending me and setting me straight.It shows how much you really care.I care about you, too, Mercedes.”
She bit her lip to stop the tears that threatened at his comment.She did care and probably wouldn’t have been so vehement about it if she didn’t.
“I’ll always be your cheerleader, Evan.”
“You’ve got the outfit already.You mentioned the superhero thing before.Do I get to wear a cape and tights?”
