What Makes Us Stronger (A Well Paired Novel Book 3)

by Marianne Rice

  “You don’t have to do that. I can call a repairman.”

  “I suppose I won’t take offense to that.”

  Ty’s charming smile did her in. He didn’t flash it often. He was like her, the quiet one of the group. Often the loner. Granted, she’d made quite a few friends over the past year, most having some sort of connection to Ty.

  Mia, his sister, helped out as her receptionist and cut men’s hair. She’d shampoo and style women’s but didn’t cut their hair. Hope, Ty’s best friend, had become one of her close friends as well, so running into him was inevitable.

  They’d danced around each other. Both polite, but never holding a real conversation.

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “I’m kidding.” He shuffled his feet and slid his hands into the pockets of his worn jeans. “I’m no appliance expert, but I don’t mind taking a look. I have a feeling it’s just the belt.”

  She didn’t mean to offend him. Ty was a reputable carpenter in the area. His finishing work, especially, had been praised by many in the town. Lily didn’t know if he worked with appliances and machines, but if he said he’d take a look, she might as well let him.

  “Okay. That would be great. Thanks.”

  “Sure. I just need to grab my toolbox from the truck. I’m parked down at the diner.”

  He whisked past her before she could ask why he was parked down the block and what he was doing at the spa. Maybe to stop in and say hi to Mia? Although he’d never done that before. In fact, Lily couldn’t remember if he’d actually ever been to the Sea Salt Spa before.

  Remembering the rest of her underwear and sports bras were in the dryer, she quickly scooped them into her arms and plopped them on her bed. Bringing a sports bra to her nose, she sniffed and scrunched her nose in disgust. The load would need another washing—maybe two—to get the smell out.

  Gone were the days of luxurious lingerie that would never touch a commercial washer and dryer. With the exception of her underwire bras, everything she owned went into her standard washer. No more dry cleaning. No more specialty services.

  And she was fine with that. She didn’t miss any of it.

  Crystal Cove had been her home for nearly two years now, and she was surprised at how quickly she’d adapted to this new lifestyle. Life moved slower and was more relaxed in mid-coast Maine.

  Her apartment was small yet had character. She loved her privacy and the proximity to her spa.

  The dark sage walls in her bedroom comforted her at night, as did her tan and sage comforter. A bed-in-a-bag deal she found at one of the bix box stores when she first relocated. The concept was new to her.

  All of it was. Laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Shopping. Well, shopping for linens and practical items.

  “Lily?” That strong, yet soft voice sent shivers down her spine.

  Tossing the smelly clothes back in the hamper, she stepped into the hall and took in the view. Ty had turned the dryer away from the wall and squatted in front of it fiddling with something, with what she didn’t care. His jeans stretched in all the right places. With thighs so thick and powerful she didn’t know how he squeezed them into his jeans. They rested slightly below his hips but not so low where it sagged in the back. Not with that backside. Oh, how she appreciated how the denim molded to his butt.

  And the tool belt strapped around his waist.

  Lily gulped.

  The image was one straight out of one of those romance books Celeste was always pushing on her. She liked Ty’s mom. A lot. She ran the local bookstore, Books by the Ocean, and was a wonderful supporter of their book club. Most of the time Celeste didn’t join them, but let the girls use her store for their meetings, which often turned into fun gossip and girl talk.

  It was funny. Their idea of gossip was nothing like what she was used to in her former life. Hope, Alexis, Jenna, and Mia only gossiped about each other. And to each other’s faces. It was all in good fun.

  Ty shifted and his navy shirt came loose from the waistband of his jeans, revealing his lower back. The indent of his spine accentuated how muscular he was. Her gaze traveled higher to his arms that were flexed as his big hands worked at removing the back of the dryer.

  Triceps, biceps, and forearms. Oh my. While she’d appreciated his good looks over the years, she never took the time to appreciate his powerful body. Not wanting to be caught staring, she’d toss him a casual greeting and look away. But now with his back to her, she didn’t have to worry about being caught staring.

  His body was one used for hard, physical labor. She’d bet his hands were rough and calloused, and that his body had scars from being in the military. He was as far from a suit as could be.

  As opposite from her past as one could possibly be.

  Grunting, Ty got the panel free and cocked his head to the side. “I’ll need to set this somewhere.”

  Realizing she was hovering over him and was in the way, she scampered backward out of the bathroom and stood in the hall.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to...” gawk?

  “No problem.” His dark eyes flicked over her quickly and returned to his task at hand.

  Remembering she hadn’t eaten yet, she ran through a mental list of what she had in her fridge. Not much.

  “I’m going to toast a bagel. Would you like one?”

  “No thanks.” Ty didn’t even look up at her and continued working on the dryer.

  “Okay.” She felt bad leaving him. This wasn’t his problem yet here he was, giving up his Wednesday morning to fix her appliance while she ate a leisurely breakfast down the hall. It didn’t seem right. She wanted to do something for him. “Can I make you a cup of coffee?”

  “No thanks,” he said again, still not lifting his head.

  Okay, Mr. Personality. She did a mental eye roll and walked away. Ty was nice to look at. From what she’d heard from Hope, he was a good guy. From what she heard from his sister, Mia, he needed to get laid. Lily cursed the tingles between her thighs and sliced her French Toast bagel and put it in the toaster.

  So much for titillating conversation. Ty Parker would continue to be eye candy she thought about from afar. Maybe he wasn’t a shy loner like her. Maybe he just didn’t care for her. They didn’t have anything in common anyway.

  He was a military vet who worked for his father’s carpentry business and didn’t talk much. A born and bred local. She was... Lily didn’t know who she was anymore. There was her old self whom she wanted nothing to do with and had worked incredibly hard to banish, and the new Lily.

  The new Lily wanted to be real, not a fake product of her upbringing. But it was times like these when she doubted herself; when she gave up hope that she’d ever have a normal life or any type of future.

  The toaster dinged, and she opened the refrigerator for the tub of whipped cream cheese. Once her bagel was done, she made herself a cup of hazelnut coffee and sat at her small round table and picked at her food. The noises from down the hall made her feel less alone, but she’d rather have Ty sitting across from her. Or simply talking to her.

  Lily was a social person, even though she didn’t often come off as one. Relocating and starting over was the hardest and most wonderful thing she’d ever done.

  For a few minutes she pretended she wasn’t alone. That the sexy man down the hall was part of her life and would be joining her at the table when he was done.

  That he’d give her a chaste kiss the next time he brushed by her, hold her hand while walking down the street. And at night, he’d warm the empty side of her bed and cover her body with his.

  Suddenly feeling warm, Lily pushed her coffee aside and finished her bagel. Glancing at the clock, she cringed. Her ten o’clock would be here soon, and she still hadn’t showered or done her hair.

  After a quick wipe down of the table and counter, she tossed the dishrag in the sink and turned, slamming into a chest of steel.

  “Oh.” She staggered back, and Ty dropped something before reaching out his strong hands to gra
b on to her upper arms. Yeah. Rough and calloused just like she imagined.

  “You okay?”

  She couldn’t help inhaling his woodsy scent. Tempted to lean forward into his muscled chest, she bit at her lower lip and stood still.

  “Yeah. Sorry. Didn’t see you there.”

  Dropping his hold from her, Ty crouched down and picked up whatever he’d dropped. She stared down at the top of his head, hair a dusty brown, cut short enough so he didn’t have to style it, but not so short she could see his scalp.

  He stood and nearly bumped his head into her chin. She stepped away and intertwined her hands together in front of her. “What’s that?”

  “The belt. It wore thin which caused the smoke. I’ll order you a new one. I didn’t see any signs of an electrical fire, but I’ll ask Cameron to take a look.”

  Cameron worked on boats, but she’d heard he’d done some wiring work in Hope’s house when she first moved in. Wires were wires she supposed. She’d rather have Ty in her apartment—to work on her dryer. Purely for practical reasons, she lied to herself.

  “You’ve already done more than enough. I’ll call him and figure out how to replace that.” She curled her nose at the smelly piece of rubber he held. Only twenty minutes ago he held her black thong in his hands.

  No. Don’t go there.

  “You’ll need the make and model number of the dryer. I wrote it down.” Ty fished around in his tool belt and pulled out a piece of paper with pencil marks all over it.

  “What does this say?” She tried to decipher his handwriting, but it was atrocious.

  “Probably easier if I call it in.”

  “Were you a doctor in your past life?” she teased. “I can’t read a single thing on this.”

  The corner of Ty’s lip lifted. “Something like that.”

  Oh. That smile and the crinkling around his eyes.

  “Thank you so much, Ty. Really. I can’t imagine how late I’ve made you for work. Speaking of, I need to get downstairs.”

  Ty took the scrap of paper back and shoved it deep into the front pocket of his jeans. She couldn’t help her eyes following his movement. The tool belt covered his front, but she knew from previous gawkings that he filled out the front of his jeans just as nicely as he did the back.

  “I’ll order a new belt.”

  “I like your belt.” Crap. Did she say that out loud?

  His smile grew, and her cheeks burned in embarrassment.

  “Kidding.” She laughed at herself hoping he’d think she was teasing. “You sure? I don’t mind ordering it.” He nodded. “Okay. Great. I need to go shower.”

  Ty’s smile dropped, and he took a sharp breath before doing a one-eighty. His heavy work boots were loud as he practically ran down the stairs of her apartment. Needing one final glimpse of him, she went to the living room and peered out the window next to her couch.

  It wasn’t long before Ty came into view. He had both hands on his head and was moving quickly down the road. Right before he turned the corner and out of sight, he stopped and turned, looking up at her window.

  Lily startled and moved to the side, out of view. Giggling like a schoolgirl, she peeked out the window and watched him shake his head. His lips moved like he was talking to himself, and then he glanced her way again. She couldn’t help the grin that erupted when he waved.

  Busted and not caring, she stepped into the window and waved back. Ty stood there at the corner for a beat looking up at her before walking away.

  The rest of her day moved quickly. With the warmer weather coming, she had back-to-back-to-back highlight appointments, and Annie’s pedicure chair was booked solid for the rest of the week as well.

  The massage tables didn’t typically get booked up until the summer, but the locals would treat themselves every now and then. She sold a lot of gift certificates around the holidays and had a spurt of sales during last week’s Mother’s Day promotion.

  Getting her masseuse license had not only increased the flow of traffic to her spa, but gave her those quiet moments during the day when she needed them most. Lily loved starting her day out with hair appointments, chatting with her customers, learning about their families and asking about their children’s activities.

  Some hairdressers were self-absorbed and talked solely about themselves; she’d experienced many over her years. Since she didn’t like talking about herself, it made her customers feel special and remembered when she asked about their lives. She’d often jot down little notes in their files so she wouldn’t forget grandbabies names and birthdays. It was fun.

  And ending her day on the second floor giving a tired mother a well-deserved massage was the icing to her day as well. Gentle music, lavender and oils, peace and serenity filled the room and allowed Lily’s mind to focus. To wander. To go wherever it wanted to go.

  Today as she worked out the kinks in Debbie Flint’s shoulders, her mind drifted to a pair of shoulders strong and wide and capable of carrying the heaviest burdens.

  There was something sweet and fragile in Ty’s dark eyes. He had secrets and pain hidden behind them that she wanted to soothe and comfort. If he’d ever talk to her, share his stories with her.

  Although she wouldn’t be sharing hers. Ever.

  CHAPTER TWO

  HOPE MAY HAVE WANTED her wedding to be a simple affair, but Mia and Lily wouldn’t hear of it. She deserved to be pampered and spoiled, and Cameron had been more than supportive in giving his fiancé “girl time” before the wedding.

  Since the Sea Salt Spa had all the makings of pampering, Lily closed it to the public on Friday at noon in preparation of Hope’s mini-bachelorette party the night before her wedding. There was no need for a rehearsal since Hope and Cameron would be saying their nuptials in the gazebo at Alexis’ winery, Coastal Vines. The reception would be in the banquet center on the property as well.

  “Knock, knock.” Mia used her hip to push open the front door, her hands laden with shopping bags. “I come bearing food.”

  “And I have drinks,” Alexis said from behind her, a case of wine in her hands.

  “I set up a table in the corner for dinner.” Lily took three of the bags from Mia and set them on the floor. She’d moved the chintz chairs around and covered a folding table she’d borrowed from Jenna with a linen tablecloth. It wasn’t damask, but the closest thing she could find at Target.

  “The flowers are gorgeous.” Mia bent over and smelled them.

  “It’s surprising what the grocery store carries these days.” Three years ago she would have been embarrassed by a floral arrangement from a food store. Today, she was proud of her bargain shopping and how much she could get for so little.

  “I’ve got a crockpot in the car. I’ll be right back.” Mia jogged out the door, and Lily began unpacking her bags.

  “Where would you like the wine?” Alexis held up two bottles of her vineyard’s specialty, Lobster Red and Crystal Ice.

  “How about over on the counter? I set up some glasses, two ice buckets, and a corkscrew. Not that I doubted you wouldn’t come prepared.”

  “You’re always thinking. It’s why I love you. I have backups in the car, but we might as well use what you put out.” Alexis picked up the pink tin bucket. “This is cute.”

  “I bought it last month when all the Easter stuff was on clearance.” Another new tip she’d learned over the past months. “I figured I could decorate them almost year round. Maybe put a plant in them in the summer. Or keep them as ice buckets.”

  “Got the weenies,” Mia’s loud voice boomed through the doorway. “Figured we couldn’t have a bachelorette party without weenies.”

  “Seriously.” Hope stepped around Mia and slipped off her sunglasses. “Leave it to Mia to bring the dirty.”

  “What?” Mia placed a hand over her chest and forced an innocent face. “Everyone loves little weenies. I prefer mine big, but—”

  “Enough.” Hope covered Mia’s mouth with her hand. “What else did you bring? Tel
l me there’s something healthy. I need to fit into my dress tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got a veggie platter, cheese and crackers, olives, some cute little ham pinwheel things Mom made, and of course, weenies.”

  “I think she just likes saying that word.”

  “Which is why she’s still single,” Grace snorted as she breezed inside, leaving the door open behind her. The gentle breeze blew through her hair and loose blouse making her look like a movie star. Alexis’ sister returned to Crystal Cove a few months ago, and Lily didn’t know what to think of her.

  She’d spent the past five years in Europe. According to Alexis, Grace spent those months traipsing around, working just enough to support her shopping habit and doing nothing with her life. There was too much familiarity in her lifestyle, so Lily had kept her respectful distance.

  It wasn’t like Grace had ever done or said anything to offend or anger Lily, she just didn’t know how to read her. And, according to Mia—who prided herself on knowing all the goings-on—Grace was quite interested, too interested, in finding out about Lily’s past.

  Keeping her distance was best for everyone around.

  “Pot. Kettle. I don’t see the boys storming down your door. At least not like they did in high school. Rumor had it you spread—”

  “Woah. Easy, girls. This is my party, and I’ll have no catfighting.”

  “Geesh, sorry, Mom. You’re quite dull now that you’ve got your ball and chain.” Mia wadded up the saran wrap and tossed it at her.

  “How about some wine?” Alexis held up both bottles. “White or red?”

  “Both,” they all said in unison.

  “Thanks for waiting for me.” Jenna closed the door with her foot, while her loose skirt billowed around her ankles. “I guess the girl bringing the presents isn’t as important as the food and wine-bearer.”

  “I brought a present too.” Grace held up the pink gift bag with white and pink striped tissue paper tastefully exploding from the top.

  “You guys.” Hope swiped her hand across her eyes. “You didn’t have to do this. You went to so much trouble.”