Roommating (Preston's Mill #1)

by Noelle Adams

  “Yeah.” Chris nodded as he filled his mug and brought it to his lips. “Good.”

  She recognized that his eyes were on her face, watching her discreetly. He was wondering about the kiss, about her reaction to it. She felt her cheeks warming as she remembered how eager and passionate she’d been after the slightest touch of his lips.

  Better to get it over with right away, so things could go back to normal between them.

  “About last night,” she began, her voice cracking slightly because she was nervous about bringing it up.

  Chris turned his head to meet her eyes. “Yeah?”

  “I was…really scared about my dad, so I was needy and…and I made a mistake.”

  He narrowed his eyes slightly. “I’m the one who kissed you.”

  “I know. But I kissed you back, and I shouldn’t have. I was really needy.” She’d already said that. She hated sounding so incoherent, but she wished Chris would stop looking at her like that, like he was trying to read her mind. “It was a good kiss,” she began.

  “Yeah. I know it was.” His eyes flared up briefly, as if he was remembering exactly how good it was.

  That wasn’t what she wanted to talk about. Or remember. She cleared her throat. “So obviously there’s some…some attraction between us. But we can’t act on it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because…” She didn’t want to tell him that she knew he would never commit to her. It might hurt his feelings, and she didn’t want to do that. She also vaguely knew that normal girls weren’t even thinking about commitment at this point, and she didn’t want him to think she was even more high maintenance and uptight than he already did. In a flurry of confusion and anxiety, she managed to say, “Because it’s not what I want. I only kiss guys that I want relationships with, and that’s…that’s never going to work with you.”

  There. That was the truth. It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was as much as she could give him.

  Chris might want to kiss her again. He might want to do much more. But he wasn’t going to want a serious relationship with her, so just the hint of it should scare him off pretty effectively.

  “Oh,” he said, after blinking once. “Right. Of course.”

  She let out a breath. “I don’t want things to get weird between us, since we have to work together and live together for five more months. So, so are we okay?”

  His expression cleared. “Yeah. Of course, we are. No more kissing.”

  She scanned his face. She couldn’t really see the realness she sometimes saw in his expression, but he didn’t look offended or angry or annoyed, so he must be okay with things. “No more kissing. Good.”

  It didn’t actually sound good. That kiss had been so amazing, it was sort of depressing to know it would never happen again. But her mind was working at full capacity now, and she knew this was the best thing for her.

  She just couldn’t let herself explore this particular road—no matter how tantalizing it seemed at the moment. This road would never go where she needed it to go.

  “So you’re going to spend the day at the hospital?” Chris asked, clearly making an effort to change the subject and get back to a normal tone between them.

  “Yeah,” she said, relaxing as she accepted that this was going to be them from now on.

  “I can go with you. You shouldn’t have to wait there alone.”

  This sweet thought almost undid her resolute attitude, but she fought through it. “Thanks, but I’ll be all right. I think Dad would rather someone be at work, making sure things get covered. I’m going to the hospital early and I’m planning to stay most of the day.”

  “I’ll take care of everything. I can drop you back at work this morning to pick up your car. I might stop by the hospital after he’s awake and back in his room, just so I can say hello and see how’s he’s doing.” He slanted her a quick look. “If that’s all right with you.”

  “Sure. Definitely. My dad will be really glad to see you.” She smiled at him, feeling a little quiver of concern. “We’re okay, aren’t we? The two of us, I mean? Things have been going pretty well, so I don’t want them to get weird.”

  “They won’t get weird.” He smiled at her, and it looked sincere, more like his normal self, which made her sigh in relief. “No sense in rocking the boat, since we’re stuck in it together.”

  She actually laughed. “Okay. I’ve got to get dressed and get going. I’ll give you a call when they take him into surgery, and then keep you updated on how he’s doing.”

  “Thanks.”

  When she went back into the bathroom, she felt better.

  Her father was going to be fine.

  And things with Chris were going to be fine.

  And she could definitely live the rest of her life without a kiss like the one they’d shared last night.

  After all, kissing wasn’t the most important thing in the world.

  Eight

  “You know…just because I’m on a restricted diet, doesn’t mean that you have to be,” Tom said a week later when Chris went to see him. Tom was sipping some hot tea, and Chris opted for the same.

  Shrugging, Chris said, “It’s not really a big deal. And it’s not all that bad.”

  “It’s not coffee with three sugars and half-and-half either,” Tom countered, and then sighed as he tried to get comfortable in his chair. “How are the jobs going? Tell me something to get my mind off the fact that I have five incisions in my abdomen and all I want is a bacon cheeseburger.”

  Chris chuckled. “So you’re having some food withdrawals.”

  “That would be an understatement.”

  For the next fifteen minutes, Chris gave him the status of each of their current jobs and what was on the agenda to bid on over the next week.

  “It sounds like you’ve got everything under control,” Tom said, looking and sounding pleased.

  Even before Tom had gotten sick, there was something Chris had wanted to discuss with him. But with the hectic schedule and trying to get settled in—both on the job and at home with Heather—there hadn’t been time. Now, on a peaceful Tuesday evening, it seemed like he’d finally have his chance.

  “Tom?”

  “Uh-oh,” Tom quickly interrupted. “I don’t like that tone. It sounds serious.”

  Chris couldn’t help but smile. “It is. But not in a bad way. At least, I don’t think it is.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  “I don’t think I’ve thanked you properly for offering me this opportunity.” He paused and stared into his mug, since conversations like this had always made him uncomfortable. “I was a little shocked when you called me about it. I mean, we hadn’t talked much since I left but—”

  “Chris, I know you had your reasons for leaving. It wasn’t personal.”

  “No…no. I know it wasn’t,” he replied. “And I know it wasn’t exactly the first time I sort of…took off…”

  “You were a kid, Chris. And if memory serves, you’d disappear for a day or two. But you always came back and you never missed a day of work. Scared your mother a bit, though.”

  He nodded, remembering. “I know. I don’t know how she put up with me.”

  “Parents put up with a whole hell of a lot and love you no matter what. At least, that’s what good parents normally do. It’s not easy—some of you make it harder than others—but in the end, we’re quick to forgive.”

  “Yeah, well, I wish everyone was quick to forgive and understand.”

  “Understand what?”

  “That leaving wasn’t about anyone other than me. It was my issue. No one else’s.”

  “Oh, I don’t think anyone thinks that.”

  “Heather does.”

  Tom chuckled. “Well, my daughter has a lot of ideas about a lot of things. You don’t have to always agree with her. Has she been giving you grief about it?”

  Now it was Chris’s turn to laugh. “Not as much as when I first got back.” He shrugged. “I just…I want you to k
now that it wasn’t an easy decision for me to make. My mother was all that I had and the thought of being here without her—without any family—was just a little too much to handle.”

  “I always thought that we were like family, Chris. You’ve always been like a son to me. Working with you and teaching you about building and carpentry was an honor for me. You were a quick study, and you always took pride in your work. And for that, I was proud of you.”

  Looking up, Chris gave Tom a sad smile. “I let you down. I didn’t talk to you about it. I made a rash decision and left you in a lurch. That wasn’t right or fair, and it was disrespectful on my part. Heather’s right that I didn’t treat you right. At all. I’m sorry for that.”

  “Like I said, I knew you had your reasons.” Tom took a sip of his tea before speaking again. “That’s not to say that I wasn’t disappointed that you didn’t come to me with your struggles. I would have helped. I may not have had all the answers, but I would have been there for you—no matter what you would have decided. That’s what friends do for one another.”

  “I didn’t understand what it was like to trust another adult that way,” Chris responded sadly. “And the memories…they were just too hard.”

  “And how has it been since you got back?”

  “I’ve kept busy,” Chris admitted. “I’m not going to lie. I drove by my old house, and I’ve gone to the cemetery every week and brought Mom flowers. I apologized to her too, for skipping out the way I did.”

  They sat in silence for several long moments, each lost in their own thoughts before Tom spoke.

  “Let me ask you something.”

  “Anything.”

  “What did you learn from your time away?”

  Chris looked at him with confusion.

  “I’m serious,” Tom added. “I’m not looking for the politically correct answer, and I’m not looking for you to blow smoke up my ass. I seriously want to know what life taught you while you were gone.”

  “Honestly? I learned to be independent,” he began, surprised by the question and by the fact that he was answering so openly. “I worked hard—sometimes too hard. There were times when I was up for days because I needed to prove that I could. Then I learned to not be so hard on my damn self.” He paused. “I used every skill you taught me, and I used them to teach others how to do shit right. But at the end of the day, my life was empty.”

  Tom nodded with understanding. “And how do you feel now? Now that you’re back?”

  Chris gave him a slow smile. “I don’t feel empty. I feel like I have a purpose. I take pride in the jobs we’re doing—and it’s not the same as the jobs I worked on for the last three years. Those I did and did what I was supposed to, and then left. But here? Here I just feel…I don’t know…a connection.”

  And now Tom smiled. “Because there’s a pride that goes with ownership.”

  Chris shook his head. “No. It’s not just that it’s…this is my home town. And this is your business and I want…” His voice was suddenly thick with emotion. “I want to make you proud, and I want to do right by the reputation you earned for quality work. I don’t want to let you down.”

  “You could never do that, son,” Tom said. “And if it didn’t hurt so damn much to lean forward, I’d clap you on the back. But I can’t—just know that I want to.”

  “Noted,” Chris said, straightening in his seat and finishing his drink. He placed the mug down on the coffee table and smiled. “I’m serious, Tom. I want this business to stay strong and grow even stronger. I’m not going to let you down.”

  “You couldn’t, Christopher. I always knew that. That’s why you’re here. But I want you to remember one very important thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t make it your entire life. Make time for yourself and remember to let people in.”

  “There’s a lot to do right now, Tom. I don’t have a whole lot of time to socialize.”

  “Change that. I know Heather’s been going out. She’s had a couple of dates since she moved back.”

  Like Chris needed to be reminded of that.

  “As a matter of fact, she’s going out with…oh, what’s that guy’s name?”

  “Dave,” Chris muttered, almost missing the pleased look on Tom’s face.

  “That’s right. Dave. We’ve used him a couple of times on jobs that required landscaping. He does great work.”

  Well, Dave wouldn’t be getting hired on any of Chris’s jobs, that was for sure.

  “She said they were going to a movie tomorrow night.” Tom smiled and nodded. “I’m glad she’s getting out. And it’s nice that she’s dating a local boy.”

  “Dave’s hardly a boy, Tom.”

  “Still. You know what I mean. You should find yourself a nice girl to date. Take her to dinner, go dancing or maybe just, you know, to a movie.”

  Wait…was Tom trying to tell him something? When he looked up, Tom wasn’t looking at him, but he certainly had an amused look on his face.

  Huh.

  Maybe it was time to go out and dip his feet back in the dating pool.

  ***

  “Hey, I hate to ask this—again—but would you be able to feed Lucy and take her out a couple of times tonight?”

  Heather was scurrying around the apartment getting ready for her date. She wasn’t looking in Chris’s direction, or she might have noticed that he was busy getting himself ready to go out.

  “No can do, sweet pea,” he said pleasantly. “I’ve got plans.”

  She stopped and looked at him, blinking twice before speaking again. “Plans?”

  He nodded, trying not to look smug. “Yup. A date.”

  “A date?”

  “That’s right,” he said in a teasing, sing-song voice. “So as much as I’d love to help you, I’m afraid Lucy is on her own tonight.”

  “Oh, well, I guess that’s okay.”

  She looked more than a little flustered and confused, but adorable as hell. “Which part—Lucy being on her own or me having a date? Because I’m pretty sure I didn’t have to ask permission before going out.”

  “Lucy,” she snapped, “I meant Lucy.” And then the poor dog thought she was getting yelled at and quickly ran to her bed and hid her face.

  “Now look what you’ve done,” Chris admonished. “You upset her.”

  “I did not. You did!”

  “I’m not the one who yelled at her,” he reminded her, sounding as cool and reasonable as he could be.

  “I didn’t…I just…” Heather growled with frustration as she walked across the room, cooing at Lucy.

  Chris left them to it while he walked back to his room to grab his wallet and keys. He wasn’t sure if he was looking forward to this date or not. It had been fairly easy to arrange. Janet, who worked for the building supply company over on Mason Street, had been dropping hints for weeks that she’d love to go out with him. So when he went in to pick up a small order of two-by-fours today, he’d asked her to dinner. He knew it was short notice, but she didn’t seem to mind.

  So now they were going to dinner.

  He just hoped he remembered how to make small talk and not curse like a sailor or talk shop all night.

  Damn pressure.

  With his keys and wallet in hand, he strode from the room and toward the front door. “Have a good night!”

  “I will,” Heather replied.

  And because he just couldn’t resist, he turned and said, “I was talking to Lucy.”

  ***

  He was bored.

  Utterly and completely bored.

  Janet was nice enough but…boring. Not that she hadn’t openly hinted that she’d be fine just going back to her place and showing him her…whatever. But he wasn’t interested.

  And that just pissed him off.

  They were halfway through their dinner when movement by the front door caught his eye.

  Heather and Dave.

  Son of a bitch!

  Why? Why were they h
ere? Weren’t they supposed to go to a movie? Isn’t that what Tom had said? So then why… Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Dinner and a movie. Typical date stuff.

  The restaurant was packed. He and Janet hadn’t even ordered yet, and they were seated at a table big enough for four. There was only one way to salvage this bad date, and that was to have a little fun.

  He was hit with a brainstorm on how to do just that.

  “Hey,” he said, interrupting Janet’s running dialogue about the cost of birch versus pine. “That’s Heather over there by the door and her date, Dave. Why don’t we ask them to join us?”

  Janet looked over toward the door and looked at Chris suspiciously. “Isn’t she your boss?”

  Well, damn. That irked. “No. She’s Tom’s daughter. And I told you about his emergency surgery, didn’t I? The poor kid’s been a nervous wreck all week. I think she’s just out with Dave to take her mind off of her dad’s failing health.”

  “Failing health? I thought it was just his gallbladder.”

  “You know how these things go, Janet. It starts out as something small and the next thing you know…BAM!”

  Her eyes went wide. “What? What’s bam?”

  Hell, what was bam? He wondered. “You know…something…bigger. Come on, you don’t want Heather sitting there thinking about her dad dying do you?”

  “Well, I guess not.”

  He jumped up from the table and excused himself.

  “Hey! Fancy seeing you here!” He approached Heather and Dave, waiting to be seated. “Looks like there’s a long wait here tonight.”

  “That it does,” Dave replied. “I didn’t think we’d need reservations.”

  Chris almost rolled his eyes. This was a chain restaurant. They didn’t take reservations. Jerk. “Look, Janet and I just got seated a little while ago—”

  “But you left like an hour ago,” Heather said.

  Chris nodded. “The line was that long.” Then he shook his head. “I sure hope you had nothing else planned tonight.”

  “We’re supposed to see a movie,” Dave replied. “Maybe we should go someplace else.”

  “That would be—”