Chapter 14
Kira stepped backto eye the wide arch between the entryway and the front room. Anthony had been right; buying this type of paint was worth the cost. One coat, and the walls in the duplex looked good asnew.
With the paint roller still in hand, Kira tugged her phone from the front pocket of her baggy overalls. Nearly seven-thirty and the sun was barely starting to set; they were seeing an end to the dark days of winter atlast.
She could hardly believe how much she and Anthony had accomplished since the frightening wake-up call last week. Yet disturbing as it was, that call had sparked a chain of much-needed progress. Thanks to Anthony, who quickly assessed the needs of the rental, they were able to come up with an approximate date that the duplex would be available. A timeframe Kira relayed to Trent and Jessie while taking sweet baby Abby’s pictures. Anthony had been right: the Lockhearts were happy to spread the word about the carandthe duplex, saying the place should be rented in no time. In fact, she already had a showing scheduled for Saturday morning. Even more, a guy from the station put an offer on the car, which—as the tenant suggested—covered the missingrent.
Kira shuffled over the drop-cloth-covered floor, rested the roller at the edge of the paint pan, and climbed onto the window seat. It offered a perfect view of the quiet trail. One that, Kira found, led to the opposite side of the pond she’d dragged Anthony to so many years ago. Country life was beginning to show its draws, and Kira couldn’t be more pleased. Still, her attention was drawn to an even more spectacular view. One right there inside the duplex:Anthony.
He stood in the dining area, biceps bulging as he twisted a screwdriver with one hand and supported a chandelier with the other. Kira’s heart swelled like the rows of rising rolls she’d seen in the diner. Something that happened only when the recipe was right. The perfect balance of flour and salt, water, and yeast. Even the temperature mattered. And it seemed the more she learned about Anthony, the more he fit that bill ofperfection.
She’d often heard the expression “it’s in the little things,”but Kira hadn’t been able to agree. Probably because she hadn’t found a guy who had the big things down. But now she understood. Things that were little to him werehugeto her. Going out to start her car before she went home. Not casting judgment when she shared the broken parts of herself. And being there for her when she neededhelp.
Her mind drifted to the bigger parts that made Anthony who he was. The man she was quickly falling in love with. He was honest. Hardworking. And cared about the town he lived in. He sought to make it a betterplace.
Kira couldn’t get enough of the pictures she’d taken of him at the diner. It was safe to say she had a dozen favorites, but at the top of that list was the one she’d placed as her laptop screensaver. In it, Anthony stood at the bar, dressed in his kitchen whites, his muscular arms casually spread at either side of the counter. She’d caught him admiring a young family. New parents who fed their young babe his first taste of chocolateshake.
Anthony’s expression had said it all. He reallydidwant that one day, like he said. And that—that fit into one of thebigthings. Because Kira wanted that, too. And while Cobble Creek was beginning to look like the perfect place to fulfill that life, Anthony was starting to look like the perfect man for it. He was definitely an idealboyfriend.
The thought took her by surprise.Washe herboyfriend?
“Penny for your thoughts, Kira,Kira.”
She grinned. Not many people called her that. Mainly her grandparents, in fact. But she liked how it sounded in Anthony’s deep, raspy tone. “Um, you really want to know what I’m thinking?” she asked. “It might scare youaway.”
Anthony, who’d finished hanging the light, had been walking toward her, but at her words he paused and looked up to meet her gaze. There was the look he’d worn the other morning in thediner.
Before she could dissect it further, his expression changed. He dragged a slow step across the drop cloth, a challenge sparking up in his eye. “Tryme.”
“I know it’s only been, like, a month or so, but I was wondering what we should call this. Like if we’re officially datingor…”
Anthony’s brow lifted in what looked like genuinesurprise.
Her heart thumped out one beat of regret. “We don’t have to call it anything if you don’t want to. Like I said, it’s early. It’s just that since we started dating each other, I haven’t felt like dating anyone else.” She recalled an incident she had in the store the other day. One she’d purposelynottold him about, for fear he’d think she was trying to make him jealous. But now seemed like a good time to shareit.
“On Tuesday, while I was at the market, some guy … what was his name—Seth. Yeah. Anyway, he asked me how to tell if a mango is ripe. I showed him, of course, but he kept the conversation going for a while. Asked if I was new here or just passingthrough.”
“Seth Steger,” Anthony said through clenchedteeth.
Kira felt her eyes widen. “So … I take it you don’t likehim?”
“No, I like him. We’re friends, actually. And if I hadn’t skipped poker night the last few weeks, he’d have known better than to hit onyou.”
“Hmm,” Kira mumbled, biting back alaugh.
“So did he ask you out orwhat?”
“I think he sensed that I wasn’t into the idea, so he left off after saying he’d have to stop by the studio sometime. He wants me to take a look at this old camera he has. Tell him if it’s worth anything. Not that I’llknow…”
Anthony hadn’t moved so much as a muscle. She surveyed him for a breath; he looked like he’d stepped onto the runway forItalian HunkMagazine. Face fixed in a distant glare. A tight black tee shirt streaked with ashy gray paint, ripped jeans that hung low on his hips, and skin that could force the sunset’s glow into a runner-upslot.
“Anyway, this leads back to where we started. If Seth does come into the studio, Icouldalways tell him, or anyone else who happens to ask, that I’m dating someone. What do youthink?”
* * *
Anthony blinkedthe dryness from his eyes.What did he think?This was possibly the most encouraging thing Kira could have said. The idea that she wanted to make something official—before Seth tried to sledgehammer his way into the picture—said she reallywasthe commitmenttype.
He lifted his arms toward her, motioned with his hands for her to comecloser.
