Bachelor to the Rescue

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The aroma of fresh pizza permeated the cab of Shaw’s truck as he drove home Saturday, reminding him how hungry he was. He and Russ had managed to get a good portion of the drywall hung on the second floor of the library before running out of materials. He couldn’t get another load until Monday.

Tired and hungry, he’d stopped and picked up a couple of pizzas. One for himself and one for Lainie and the girls. He wasn’t sure if she’d appreciate the gesture, but he felt guilty for leaving them alone all day. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them. Lainie had flitted through his mind at unexpected moments, tempting him to call and check on her, but he’d held off. He understood her resistance to accepting his help. But his conscience wouldn’t let him turn away. Now that he understood how alone she was, he was even more determined to protect her and the kids until the library was done and she had a job And a safe place to live. He owed them that.

Shaw carried the boxes onto the back porch and knocked on Lainie’s door. He found himself looking forward to seeing her again, and curious about what she’d done all day. The frown on her face when she opened the door dampened his mood. He forced a smile anyway and held out the pizza box. “I thought you and the kids might like a pizza.”

Lainie blinked. “Oh. Thank you. That was very thoughtful. I was just about to fix supper.” She looked into his eyes and he saw the indecision. She was wondering how to invite him to stay. And not wanting to. The realization stung more than he’d expected. He handed her the top box.

“It’s pepperoni. I didn’t know if the kids like the other toppings.”

Chrissy charged into the kitchen and stopped in front of him, tilting her head back and smiling. “Hey, Misser Shaw. We played with Beaux today.”

“Is that pizza for us?” Natalie glanced at her mother. “Pepperoni?”

“Yes. Won’t you stay and eat with us?”

Her smile had warmed some. “No, but thanks.” He raised the other box. “I got one for myself. And Beaux.” He stepped back, suddenly aware of the sweet scent of her perfume, and his own end-of-the-day dirt and grime. His shirt was covered in drywall dust. “Besides, I need to clean up, and I have a lot of paperwork to catch up on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks again.”

Shaw crossed the short distance to his own back door and went inside. He set the pizza on the table, his appetite fading. Russ had expressed concern about having Lainie nearby all the time. Shaw had dismissed the idea, but now he was beginning to think his friend was right. Simply knowing she was on the other side of the wall left him distracted and off balance.

He needed to lock thoughts of Lainie in the back of his mind, and tackle his bookkeeping files. Grabbing a slice of pizza, he munched it on his way to the shower. Feeling like a new man, he pulled on khaki shorts and an old T-shirt and returned to the kitchen. He loved his job, and he was proud he’d managed to start his own company. But he wasn’t fond of the paperwork involved. He’d rather spend his time working with clients and overseeing the projects. He hoped to hire someone to do the books soon, but not until the library was done. Until then, he was living on a shoestring.

He’d been working about an hour when he sensed he was being watched. He glanced around, realizing his kitchen door was still open and he could see across the hall to the French door sealing off Lainie’s side. Since he lived alone, he’d never thought about closing doors, but he might need to start now that he had three ladies next door who could easily peek through the glass door and see him. Movement prompted a closer look, and he saw a little face peering through one of the panes. The younger one. Chrissy. She smiled and waved at him. He waved back, feeling silly. He’d never been around little kids and wasn’t sure how to handle them. Beaux rose and trotted into the hall and poked his nose at the glass. Shaw could hear Chrissy’s giggles.

The little girl disappeared and Beaux returned to Shaw’s side. It was going to be interesting having them in his house. He focused his attention on the computer screen again, but he’d barely started on his task, when he heard a knock on the back door. He was surprised to see Lainie on the other side. “Hey. What’s up? You okay?” She wouldn’t come to his side without a good reason.

“I hate to bother you when you’re working, but the sink is stopped up, and I can’t find a plunger. Could you take a look at it?”

“Sure. I’ll get my snake and be right there.”

When he entered Lainie’s kitchen a few minutes later, she was staring at Natalie with a stern expression and her arms crossed.

“Why would you do that?”

The little girl shrugged. “It was dirty and I wanted to clean it. It fell down the hole. I didn’t mean to.”

Shaw looked at Lainie. “What’s wrong?”

“My daughter tried to wash her fuzzy bracelet in the sink.”

Shaw frowned. He wasn’t sure what a fuzzy bracelet might look like, but if it was stuck in the drain, he could get it out. “No problem. We’ll get it out and have your sink working in no time.”

Lainie sent Natalie to her room with instructions to take her sister with her and get ready for bed. “I’m so sorry.”

“This is an old house and something always needs fixed. This sink drain should have a cover. I never noticed that before.” He started feeding the slender wire snake down the drain. “I guess everything went okay today?”

“Yes. I met your neighbor.”

“Gwen and Eric are good people. We attend the same church.”

“You go to church?”

Shaw wasn’t sure if he should be hurt or angry at her surprise. He shot a glance at her over his shoulder. “Just a sinner saved by grace.” Her lack of response told him she regretted her comment.

“So, how is the library coming along?”

He knew what Lainie really wanted to know. Had he made significant progress today? She wanted to make sure he was keeping on task. Shaw pulled out the snake. Whatever was clogging the drain was wedged in the trap. He pulled a wrench from his tool box and sat on the floor, opening the cabinet doors to work on the pipes. “We hit another snag. Russ and I will have to do the drywall ourselves. We can’t find a crew available to do the job.”

“What does that mean?’

“Several days’ delay. Can you get me a bucket?”

“What?”

“I have to take the trap off. I need something to catch the water.”

“Oh. I think I saw one in the laundry room.”

She returned quickly with the bucket. He lay down under the sink, stretching his legs across the floor as he fought the rusty pipe. “Don’t worry, Lainie. I’ll stay on top of the project. I want it done on time as much as you do.” He put all his strength behind the wrench and pulled. The joint finally broke free. A stream of brown water and a thick glob of slimy junk plopped into the bucket.

“I doubt that.”

Shaw tugged himself from under the sink, staring up at Lainie from the floor. “If I don’t complete this job on time, I’ll have to pay a fine that will probably bankrupt my company. So yes, I do have as much to lose as you do if I fail.”

He hadn’t meant to sound angry. But he was painfully aware of the looming deadline and what he had to lose. The setback with the drywall hadn’t helped. Moving back under the sink, he reconnected the trap and stood. It would need to be replaced with plastic pipes soon, but it should hold for a while.

He ran water through the sink to make sure the drain flowed freely. “Good as new.” He stepped back and found Lainie staring at him.

“Is that true?” she asked. “Could you lose your business if the construction isn’t done in time?”

“Those are the terms of the contract I signed. I’ve got four weeks to finish and six weeks of work yet to do.”

“I didn’t know.”

“No reason you should.”

“Do you think you can finish in time?”

“It’ll mean pulling some all-nighters, but I have no choice. I need to finish. My future depends on it. It’s not just the fine. It’s my reputation that would be ruined. The people here would never trust me again. I’ve worked too hard to mess that up.”

Lainie studied him a moment as if she were contemplating what he’d told her. “Thank you for fixing the sink.”

“You’re welcome. There’ll probably be more repairs to do. Like I said, it’s an old house.” He thought he saw a hint of understanding in her eyes. Hope took root. He wanted to see more than understanding. He wanted to see friendship, anything other than condemnation.

“Hey, Misser Shaw.” Chrissy hurried over to him as he dried his hands on a paper towel. “Did you find my sister’s fuzzy bracelet?”

“Uh, yes, but I don’t think it’s any good anymore.” He pointed to the bucket on the floor filled with brown gunk.

“Ew.” Chrissy pinched her nose against the smell.

“Thanks for the pizza, Mister Shaw.” Natalie grinned up at him from her mother’s side.

“My pleasure.”

“Girls, it’s bedtime. Say good-night and go back upstairs. I’ll be up in a minute.”

“Night, Mister Shaw.” Natalie smiled full out, flashing her twin dimples.

Chrissy came to his side and grinned. She placed her hand over her mouth, made a kissing sound, then blew it toward him. “Night. See you in the morning.”

Shaw watched the girls scurry up the stairs, a strange warmth curling inside his chest. He wasn’t sure if he liked the sensation or not. Gathering up his tools and the bucket of water, he said good-night and returned to his side of the house.

He liked helping people. He enjoyed working with the teens he taught. He welcomed the chance to aid the members of his church. But helping Lainie tonight had been a different experience. He’d felt like a knight coming to the rescue and receiving a boon in the form of a kiss blown by a tiny girl with glasses.

Shaw rubbed his forehead. He was obviously exhausted and not thinking clearly. He closed his kitchen door, snapped his fingers at Beaux, then headed into the bedroom. He needed sleep. But he had a feeling Lainie and two little charmers with blond hair and blue eyes would be invading his dreams tonight.

Chapter Four (#ulink_dd246b1d-b3bf-5ab1-9a0c-df75ff3a3727)

Lainie pulled the brush through Natalie’s curly hair trying to be gentle, but her daughter still winced.

“Ow. Mommy, you pull too hard.”

“Sorry, sweetie, but we’re running late for church and I still have to fix your sister’s hair. Do you want a bow?” Natalie nodded and darted off to find one.

Lainie called to Chrissy and picked up a small rubber band.

“Mommy, can I have two tails today?”

“Sure.” Her youngest liked her hair out of her eyes. She pulled the silky blond hair into sections, one over each ear, before placing a kiss on the top of the little head. Downstairs, Lainie picked up her makeup-bag purse, her gaze drifting to the sink Shaw had fixed last night.

He’d answered his door, and she’d found herself keenly aware of him—as a man. Obviously fresh from a shower, his hair had been damp and combed back, making his dark blue eyes even more noticeable. He had smelled clean, brisk, like soap. He’d been earthy and masculine, and she’d found herself in an odd tug-of-war—wanting to flee and wanting to linger.

She’d returned to her kitchen, determined to ignore her reactions, only to find new things to disturb her when he’d started work on her sink. He’d been confident and capable as he’d gone about his task. His muscles had bunched and strained as he worked with the wrench, his long legs stretched across her kitchen floor. But the thing that stuck in her mind most now was his admission that he had as much invested in completing the library as she did. She needed the employment. He needed to ensure the future of his business. For some reason, that knowledge gave her a measure of comfort. Not that she was concerned for his company—hardly—but she at least had the comfort of knowing he’d do all he could to make sure the deadline was met.

They arrived at church later than she would have liked, which wasn’t unusual for them. Getting the girls ready and out the door was always a challenge. Finding no parking spaces near the church, she drove down the block, angling the car into a slot along the courthouse park.

Gwen was waiting on the front sidewalk of the stately red brick church when they arrived. She waved and smiled. “I’m so glad you came. I’ve saved you a seat.”

Lainie took the bulletin the greeter handed her and stepped inside the old church. An air of reverence and tranquility wrapped around her the moment she crossed the threshold. Her church attendance had suffered during the past few months. Closing out her old job and getting ready for the move to Dover had consumed all her time and energy. It felt good to be back in a worship environment again.

Gwen stopped midway down the aisle and pointed to a pew on the left. “We saved this section behind us for you. We’ve got a full house today.”

Lainie guided the girls in first, reminding them to be quiet and sit still. Her gaze traveled around the historic edifice, admiring the richly stained arched buttresses, the massive pipe organ and vivid liturgy cloths placed on the pulpit. Peace Community Church was vastly different from the church they’d attended in Memphis, which had been a more modern style of building.