“I haven’t had it in a while, but it’s one of the best cuts of meat, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay, then, I’ll get what you’re getting.”
“All right, then. Now that we have that settled, I have another question for you.”
“You’re putting me on the spot tonight, aren’t you?”
“This one is easy,” he says.
“Phew,” I say with a sigh, wiping away the fake sweat on my head.
“So, my meeting went well today—”
“I was afraid to ask because you hadn’t said anything,” I tell him. I was scared something fell through, and I didn’t want to ruin the night.
“Well, they told me I need to make some renovations to my house before we can move onto the next phase.”
“Oh no.” I had a feeling that might happen during a home visit before completing the process. Chance’s home is in satisfactory condition, but it could use some updates to make it more suitable for a child. Unfortunately, there will already be a slight stigma since he’s a single man trying to take care of a child on his own. Not everyone is on the same ty page with that yet.
“Yeah, so this next week is going to consist of a lot of work, but I think I can do it. Would you be willing to give me a little advice on decorating, though? I try to be levelheaded when it comes to taking care of a house and whatnot, but I’m afraid my skills lack in the color coordination department.”
“What kind of updates do you need to make?”
“Paint, kitchen floor, and a kid’s bedroom.” I can’t help but rub my hands together.
“I love to decorate. I would gladly help you do that, and I’m also very handy, in fact, so I am willing to help you with the painting and floors too.”
Chance looks surprised; his eyebrows arch, and his lips curl upward. “I wasn’t trying to pin you with hard labor, I swear,” he says.
“Oh, you weren’t, huh?” I tease. “I figured you were looking for any excuse possible to pin me down.”
“That is a separate discussion, missy. I am not talking about bringing you home, and whatever else is on your dirty little mind.”
“I wasn’t even referring to us.” He’s fun to poke. Finally, I’ve found a weakness in him because he’s turning a lovely shade of red.
“I—I didn’t mean to sound like—I’m sorry.”
“Shut up, Chance Miller. I know what’s on your mind, and it’s not just about paint.”
He runs his hands over his face. “I swear that was not my intention.”
“Well, what if it’s mine?”
Chance throws his head back. “Like I said, you’re going to give me a damn heart attack, Auggie.”
I bite down on my bottom lip and unroll my napkin before laying it out on my lap. “In all seriousness, I will gladly help you do whatever it takes to make this foster agreement go through.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chance
When a woman showsup at my door on a Sunday morning in a pair of overalls with two coffees, I feel like I might have found the one. She’s simple, beautiful, and yet, full of compassion and drive. August is amazing.
“Put me to work,” she says as soon as I open the front door.
“I told you I was going to paint today,” I remind her. “We can’t decorate until we're done painting, silly.” I didn’t want to waste August’s Sunday with painting chores. The home improvements are my obligation, not hers.
