Matt carefully positioned a flat stone as a doorstep. “Like this?”
“Perfect!” Lucy clapped her hands, then frowned as the movement caused the entire front of the structure to collapse. “Oh, no!”
“Third time’s the charm,” Matt said cheerfully, already gathering the fallen twigs.
The creak of the screen door drew her attention to the house. Rachel stood in the doorway, leaning heavily on a makeshiftcrutch, her face tight with discomfort despite her obvious attempt to appear casual.
“I thought I heard voices out here,” she said, her eyebrows raising slightly at the sight of Matt.
“You should be resting,” Tessa said, immediately rising to her feet and hurrying toward her friend. “Let me help you.”
“I can rest just as well out here. I could use the fresh air,” Rachel protested, but she accepted Tessa’s supportive arm as she navigated the porch steps.
Matt was on his feet in an instant, his attention shifting to Rachel’s ankle with the same focused competence she’d seen in him at the restaurant. “How’s the swelling?” he asked, not hovering but clearly ready to assist if needed.
“Better,” Rachel said, allowing Tessa to guide her to a garden chair. “Still hurts like hell, though.”
“Elevation and ice,” Matt said with quiet authority. “And no weight on it if you can help it.”
There was nothing flashy about his concern—no dramatic gestures or excessive sympathy—just practical, grounded attention to what needed to be done. It was the same steady presence he brought to the kitchen, Tessa realized. And somehow, that pragmatic care felt more intimate than any grand gesture could have.
“I’ll get you some ice,” she said, turning toward the house. “And then I’ll make us some breakfast.”
“I can help,” Matt offered, falling into step beside her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Least I can do after being invited to the fairy house construction project.”
The kitchen was small, forcing them to move around each other in close proximity. Tessa expected it to be awkward, but instead they fell into an easy rhythm while she wrapped ice ina clean tea towel. Matt found where the eggs were kept and gathered more ingredients for breakfast.
“I’ll take this out to Rachel and then come back and give you a hand,” Tessa said.
“No problem, I have it all under control.” He flashed her a smile, and she clutched the tea towel containing the ice tighter.
Tessa hurried outside with the ice pack, her heart still racing from the closeness of the kitchen. Her cheeks felt warm, and she ducked her head as she approached Rachel, not wanting her friend to read everything that must be written across her face.
“Here,” she said, carefully positioning the ice pack on Rachel’s ankle. “This should help with the swelling.”
Rachel accepted it with a grateful smile, but there was a knowing glint in her eye that made Tessa busy herself with adjusting the position of the chair, making sure Rachel’s foot was properly elevated.
“I’m starving,” Aria announced, abandoning the fairy house construction to flop dramatically onto the grass.
Lucy perked up, her small face brightening with inspiration. “We should have a fairy breakfast!” She clasped her hands together. “We can put a blanket on the grass and eat by our fairy house.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Rachel said, her eyes crinkling at the corners despite the pain Tessa could see she was still in.
The girls immediately sprang into action, running to fetch a blanket from the porch bench where Rachel kept outdoor supplies. They spread it on the grass with surprising efficiency, smoothing out wrinkles with determined little hands.
“I’ll go see if Matt needs any help,” Tessa said, turning toward the house.
She stepped back into the kitchen and found Matt working with the skill she would expect of a man who spent most of his time in a busy kitchen. The eggs sizzled perfectly in the pan as he added a pinch of salt with one hand while flipping toast with the other.
“Need any help?” she asked, her voice coming out a bit softer than she’d intended.
Matt glanced up, a smile forming beneath his beard. “Almost done with the eggs. Toast could use some butter, though.”
Tessa moved to his side, reaching for the butter dish on the counter. She was intensely aware of how close they stood, their elbows occasionally brushing as she spread butter across the warm toast. The simple domesticity of the moment felt dangerous somehow—like playing with fire while pretending it wouldn’t burn.
“The girls are setting up a picnic blanket outside,” she said, focusing on the task at hand rather than the warmth radiating from Matt’s body. “They want a fairy breakfast by their fairy house.”
“Fairy breakfast, huh?” he chuckled, the sound low and pleasant. “I’ll have to make sure these eggs are extra magical, then.”
