“Hailey.Hailey Sheppard.”They went over the kitchen again, and there were things that he’d not pointed out the first time they’d gone through it.She loved that he’d put in a walk-in freezer for the winter months and that he was going to put a garden in the back yard.She could see him living here with someone else.It saddened her, but she wasn’t going to be getting herself entangled with a man as nice as Gleason was.It just wouldn’t work out.
~*~
Gleason watched as the men unloaded the truck that he’d ordered his furniture from.There was a lot of it, but he knew that he had a lot of rooms to fill out.The only thing that would make this day more perfect is if Hailey were here with him.He couldn’t believe that she’d given him her name so readily.
He wanted her opinion on what he’d picked out for himself.To see if she liked it as much as he did.There were other things that he wished he could have asked her, and that was where she wanted the lamps to be put.The table for the living room?Was it too large?He didn’t think so, but he wanted to go get her and ask her where he should be putting things.When one of the men came up to ask him where he wanted the third couch, he realized that he needed a woman’s touch in his house, or that’s all it was going to look like was a house.
“Just put it in the semi-circle with the other two.”That sounded like something that he wanted, but he was second-guessing himself all the way around.“The lamps can just go in the corner, and I’ll set them up as I need them.”
He was going to go and get Hailey as soon as this truckload left.He only hoped that she’d come with him, as it was something that he needed done with her.He supposed that he could have called any one of the other women, but he needed Hailey’s opinion.And he didn’t know why.As soon as the truck was out of the driveway, he got in his own and went to find her.If she was at work, he didn’t know what he’d do, but he might have to kidnap her or something.Lucky for him, it never got that far because she was at the greenhouse.
“I need you.”She laughed at him and asked him what on earth he needed her for.“My house is going to be a disaster if you don’t come with me right now and tell me where the lamps go.I could see it in my head, but now all I can think of is you telling me where things go so it’ll look good.”
“I doubt very much my opinion will mean all that much about your house, but I’d love to go see the furniture you bought.”He nearly dragged her to the truck and shoved her into it.She was still laughing when he got in on his side and started the truck.“Why are you still driving this old thing?I mean, don’t you have like lots of money?”
“It still runs.”She seemed satisfied with that, as it was the best answer he could give her.“I’ll get me a car for the winter months.This thing is no good in the snow.But I’ve been researching cars since I started my house.I need something to get around in when it’s cold outside.”
“That makes sense.I used to have a car too, but I had to leave it at the restaurant when things went bad.It’s under the Candy name, so they’ll never find me, but it’s just sitting there with stuff in it that I used when I was traveling.”He asked her if she needed something to drive.“Someday.Not on a pizza salary, but someday.Someday I want to own a house too.Not as big as yours, but something smaller and more compact.However, I’m going to be living in your house in my dreams.”He laughed with her and had a sudden thought of her living in his house all the time.It was as real as anything he’d ever thought of before.
Just as they were pulling into his drive, the second truck came too.He was ready to face the day now that they were all here, and he could get Hailey helping him.Gleason had no idea why it was so important for her to be there for him when he got his things unloaded, but he did, and she was willing to help him.
They worked well together.While she was helping in the living room with the lamps, he was directing the movers to the upper level and the bedrooms.There had to be a third truck coming because he was missing things, but he wasn’t worried about that right now.Hailey came to find him when she had a question.
“I can’t find where you ordered any side tables.”He asked what that was.“The tables thatwould go between the couches for drinks.You know, on the side tables.”
“I ordered four of them.I know that one came on the truck earlier, but I’ve not seen any more.I’ll have to call the furniture store to ask them if there’s a third truck.”She nodded and told him that UPS was here too, delivering things that he’d ordered.“Those things can be taken to the kitchen to unbox.Most of it goes in there anyway.And if you find the tea maker, could you set it up?I’d kill for a cup about right now.”
She said she’d do that and went back down the stairs.One of the men commented that he had a pretty wife, and he didn’t tell him she was just a friend helping him out.Maybe they’d not hit on her if they thought that she was his wife.That was what he was going to tell her, too, if she asked.Smiling to himself, he helped the mover put the bed together and flip the mattress on it.So far, they were getting things done in a timely manner, and he was having a good time.
“The third truck will be here in an hour.”He thanked her for that and asked her if she had any trouble.“No.Once they figured that I was your wife, they didn’t give me a lick of trouble.”
“Sorry about that.”He told her why he’d said that.“I just wanted to keep you safe around here, and no one would ask questions if they thought that you’d been here before.You have really, so things are working out well.”
“Just be careful who you tell that to.You wouldn’t want it getting back to your brothers that you’ve picked up a wife to help you with arranging your furniture.I found the tea maker but not the teapot.I’m still looking.I have put the tea maker to work to get some brewed.I hope that’s all right.”
“It is.Thanks for thinking about that.One more thing you can do for me is order some pizzas.I think about ten should do the trick, don’t you?”She said she’d order them but wouldn’t be there when they came.She’d be hiding in the kitchen.“Good idea.I would hate for the pisser to find out that you’re here when you shouldn’t be.Not that it’s any of his business, but that’s just a good idea.”
After getting everyone fed, they went back to work.The movers were doing a good job, and when he went into the kitchen to find out if Hailey was all right, she was brewing another pot of tea for iced tea.She still hadn’t found the tea brewer, but she’d been breaking down boxes, so there was less of a mess in the kitchen.He loved her for that and told her what a great job she was doing.He couldn’t believe the difference furniture made in a house when he looked around, too.
“The truck is only half a mile away.You should be able to see it, they said.”It was coming up the driveway when he looked out the front door.When one of his brothers followed the truck, he told Hailey so that she could hide if she wanted.She said she was just helping a friend out and that if he asked her name, it was Candy.He had to remember that too, for he’d been calling her Hailey since she arrived.Bodi hugged him with his usual bear hug, and he took him to the kitchen to introduce him to “Candy”.
“He didn’t tell us that he had such a vision working for him.”She told him to cool his jets; she wasn’t going to date him.“Oh, you wound my heart.Whatever will I do now that I know you won’t go out with me?”
“Get over yourself.You go flirt with someone else.”Just as good-natured as he was about everything, Bodi didn’t take her seriously about not dating him.He did flirt with her, which for some reason made him want to knock his block off, but she didn’t take him seriously, so that seemed to make his ego feel better.Hailey was his friend, not Bodie’s, and that’s the way he was going to keep it from now on.“I found the brewer finally.”
She was setting it up with the cups she’d unearthed when Bodi said that he’d help.To keep him busy, he had him take the cardboard out to the dumpster so that he could get rid of it by recycling it.There was even one for plastics, too, that they were putting the wraps in that had come on the furniture.
By the time it was getting dark, they had all the furniture unloaded and in the general area where they went.The bedrooms were all finished, but for some of the mattresses, which he still had to order.He had it set up the way that he wanted it and couldn’t wait to sleep on a real bed tonight.Going into the kitchen, he’d swear that he lived here forever, the way it was set up.Just as he was sitting down to enjoy a nice glass of iced tea, Hailey handed him the receipts from all the boxes that she had unboxedfor him.
“I put your plates and cups away in the pantry in the dining room.There is a set in here, too, that I thought you’d use for every day.”He told her that it was fantastic.“Also, everything has been washed for your linens.I didn’t know which room you wanted things in, so I just folded them and put them in the baskets that came as well.”
“I couldn’t have done this without you.”She said that he’d have gotten it done.“Yes, in about ten years.You’ve made things look good just by being here and putting things away.”
“It was my pleasure.I think that the next time you move, however, I’m going to be busy.You ordered a lot of stuff to be delivered on the same day, and that is what took so long.”Bodi came into the kitchen while they were talking.“How about you take me home?I’m bushed, and I have to work the morning shift in the morning.”
“How about dinner first?”She said that she could have some cold pizza.“Nah, you two deserve a good meal.How about we go to Columbus and have us a nice meal?On me.”
Bodi was all for it, but Hailey was a little skeptical.As soon as they convinced her it would be fun, the three of them were set to go.He was glad that she agreed to go with them, but he wished that Bodi had declined.The guy was as dense as he could be when it came to being the third wheel.But he did owe him dinner and didn’t mind this one time taking him on his date.
