“Why don’t I help with the interior? That way you’ll have more time to focus on the outdoor.”
“Oh, no, Kaden. That’s too much. You already have your own projects to work on. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
“I know you will, but I want to help. It’s no bother at all. I’ve actually got some free time over the next two weeks, and I’d much rather keep my hands busy than just sit in front of the TV.”
She bites the corner of her lip as she thinks over my offer. The gesture is small, yet somehow draws all my attention towards her mouth.
“Seriously, Hope. From what I can see, there’s nothing here too big for me to handle. It’s mostly cosmetic finishes and a few replacements, right? I could probably knock it out in a day or two.”
And it will give us more time to spend together—as friends of course. Just as friends.
She releases a long, defeated sigh. “Okay, fine. But I’m not letting you do all the work. I know you, and how sneaky you can be, so don’t even try.”
I chuckle. “I’ll do my best, but can’t promise anything.”
She grins widely, shaking her head. “I mostly need your help with replacing the built-in cupboards, and the laundry door and shelves that have wood rot. Other than that, I can handle all the painting and install the new light fixtures that have been sitting in my garage for six months.”
I nod. “Too easy. When should we start?”
“Well, I’m planning to tackle the kitchen cabinets tonight and tomorrow. So, how about next weekend? You can start with the built-in wardrobes in the master and guest rooms. They’ve been a pain in my arse ever since I moved back in.”
A sharp pang of disappointment hits at the thought of not seeing her for another week, but knowing we’ve only just begun talking again, I don’t want to overstep or rush things.
“Sounds good to me. I’ll be here bright and early.”
“Just wait until I have my coffee first. I can’t start my day without it.”
I chuckle. “Duly noted.”
We wrap up our conversation, and she walks me to my car. Just before I pull away from her driveway, she surprises me by promising to try harder next time to reply to my texts and answer my calls.
I leave her house feeling much lighter than when I first arrived.
Knowing she’s given me another chance, when I thought I’d ruined everything between us—stirs a quiet, unexpected joy inside me.
Even if all she wants is friendship, even if it means setting aside my true feelings for a chance to still be in her life, I’ll do it.
Because if the alternative is nothing at all, I’ll gladly choose friendship, any day.
Chapter 38
Hope
I watch as Kaden carefully lifts the door panel of the built-in wardrobe, angling it upward into the top track and guiding the rollers into place before lowering the base into the bottom rail. The door settles easily with a soft, reassuring click.
He runs it back and forth a few times, slowly and steadily, listening for the faintest scrape, or watching for the slightest catch in its glide, until it moves smoothly and true.
We’re in my guest room, putting the finishing touches on the last of the built-in-wardrobes, or rather, Kaden is. What would have taken me a week to get through, he completed in a matter of hours. Thank goodness for a friend who knows his way around tools.
As for me, I haven’t been much help so far.I did manage to finish painting the kitchen cabinets, choosing a soft sage green to sit against the beautiful marble countertops I had installed a few months ago. But aside from that, I’ve been perfectly content watching Kaden work his magic on my house.
He’s dressed in a fitted black shirt, khaki shorts, steel-cap boots, and a tool belt slung low around his hips—and even I have to admit, he’s quite a sight. You’d never guess he works in an office just by looking at him.In this room, he looks every bit the hot tradie—efficient, skilled, entirely at ease. And the tattoos that spill along his arms and neck? They should be downright illegal.
I should be painting the living room walls right now, but instead, I keep finding reasons to drift wherever he goes. I’ve asked him at least a hundred times if he needs a drink, a snack, a hand with anything at all. And every time I step into a room with him in it, that faint smirk curves at the corner of his mouth—like he knows exactly what I’m up to.
“It looks so much better now,” I say with a smile, my fingers trailing along the smooth edge of the door before I lift my gaze to his. “Thank you, Kaden—really, for doing this.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” he replies. “As you can see, it didn’t take me long to finish.”
