That realization hit like a truck. And for the first time, I saw the tool belt he was wearing and the equipment he had with him.
This couldn’t be happening.
“I called Frank,” I said it like it mattered—like somehow it’d change the circumstances.
“I work for Frank again,” he told me.
Of course, he did because why wouldn’t he?
Of course, the universe would find a way to drop him on my doorstep when I was already drowning.
The universe had one hell of a sense of humor.
“Of course, you do,” I muttered.
“Show me the kitchen,” Maverick replied instead. He was so damn polite it actually bothered me. He spoke to me like we were strangers—like our entire history had been erased.
I stepped aside to let him in, my heart beating so fast that he could probably hear it as he passed. He stopped dead in the entryway, and I watched his gaze scan over the stacks of boxes everywhere.
“Don’t ask,” I cut him off when he opened his mouth. I didn’t want to explain my mother to him, either.
“Okay.” He nodded. I led the way back to the kitchen. Before I could say a word, he slipped past me to deal with the rushing water. “You didn’t turn off the water.”
I kept quiet because the idea didn’t occur to me. Maverick knelt in the water and wedged himself under the sink. His struggle to fit made me all too aware of the broadness of his shoulders and back.That was new.
“For future reference… there are two knobs in the far corner,” he said, grunting as he worked to turn them. “They’ll shut off the water to the sink, but nothing else…”
He leaned back to stare at the pipes.
“Huh.” He let out a confused sound as his head tilted slightly to the side. “Well, fuck.”
Despite him turning everything off, the water continued to leak from the pipes. While it wasn’t a heavy gush anymore, it was still something. I resisted letting out a groan of frustration. This house was turning out to be far more than I bargained for.
“All right, look,” Maverick began as he pushed off the floor, “I’m going to find the main shut-off valve downstairs.”
“Okay,” I said.
“It’ll probably be a few hours before I can get your water back on, but it’ll make it easier to fixthis,” he gestured to the broken pipes, “if I’m not fighting the water flow.”
“Whatever you think will work best.” I didn’t have a clue how to fix any of this. “The basement door is around the corner there. I’ll be up here trying to work on… something.”
I didn’t know where to begin.
“Okay.” He made a beeline for the basement door while I stood helplessly in the kitchen.
I dragged in an unsteady breath. His presence was suffocating, testing my very will to stay in one place. I didn’t know how to act around him, and his professional manner didn’t help any. If anything, it was worse. It was as if he were unfazed by me.
“Harley,” he called up the stairs. I actually hated how my name came out of his mouth—neutral and simple. “You’re going to want to come down here.”
Oh, I hated the sound of that too.I didn’t want to know what was wrong down there now. I couldn’t handle any more. Still, I hurried down the stairs only to stop halfway down. Maverick stood in a good inch or two of water that filled the basement. It was everywhere.
Panic kicked up in my chest at the sight of it all.Oh, no, no, no.
“Did I do this?” I asked weakly. This was what I got for trying to take care of this problem myself.
“Unlikely,” he replied. “Houses this old are temperamental if they’re not properly maintained. Considering the state of the house—at least what I could see—the pipes probably aren’t much better.”
“Oh.” At least that was a little reassuring.
