Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

LUNA

I didn't know what to think ever since Teddy had shown up. He was here most days, helping out at least for a few hours.

In the mornings, I stayed in my cabin, catching up on work for my dad. He was having me evaluate the health insurance policy for the employees again. I had a feeling he was giving me busy work so I didn't have time for a side business.

But that was only going to push me away more quickly. The design business was important to me.

For the first time, it was a real possibility, and I wasn't going to let my family stand in the way. I was convenient for them. When Mom retired, I could step into the position. They didn't have to train anyone, and they could trust me.

But that didn't mean I had to take the job. Especially when there was no room for advancement. Dad had shut down my dreams. He couldn't see what I did. That he was missing out on an easy opportunity to make more money and a way to help me.

It might be harder for me to go out on my own, but I'd do it.

I'd put off working on the wall in the bedroom long enough. I hadn't even seen much of Axel in the evenings because Teddy stayed late to work, and then they drank beers on the porch.

I hadn't wanted to interrupt their bonding time. Our relationship seemed trivial compared to bridging the gap with his family.

I missed him, but I wasn't sure if he felt the same way.

That afternoon I knocked on the door. I didn't feel comfortable walking in anymore.

I heard the heavy steps leading to the door. Teddy opened it.

“I'm here to work on the wall in the bedroom.”

“The boxes are ready for you.”

“Great. Thanks.” We walked past the bathroom where the toilet and shower were now installed.

I couldn't stop myself from getting closer to see the progress. “Wow. This looks great.”

Axel smiled proudly. “We just need to do the vanity. Then we can move onto the floor in the kitchen.”

I grinned. “That should be a breeze after tiling a bathroom.”

I exchanged a smile with Axel, wishing it was just us working on the cabin. Then sensing Teddy watching us, I stepped back. “I'd better get to work on the bedroom.”

I got out my tools and supplies, then laid out a few of the squares. I'd never done this before, but I'd watched a million DIY videos online. I could go through the motions in my sleep. I just hoped it worked.

Axel had already removed the baseboards for me and pulled the king bed from the wall. I just needed to make sure the rows were level and adhere the boards to the wall. I went slowly and methodically, making sure it was straight before securing each block.

When I completed one row, I stood back. Sweat dripped down my back, and my shoulder muscles were sore from being so tense.

I wiped my forehead with my sleeve, relieved that it looked fine. I couldn't wait to see the final effect. By the time it was dark, I'd gotten halfway done.

I heard a throat clearing in the doorway. I turned to see Axel.

His gaze was on the wall behind me. “It looks great.”

I stood, my knees cracking from kneeling for so long. “It does.”

I'd never felt prouder of anything in my life. I'd chosen the design and installed it myself. And the best part was that it looked great.

Axel cleared his throat. “I'm going over to the farm for dinner.”

“Oh. Okay.” I tried not to let the disappointment show on my face. I was hoping we'd eat dinner together.

“You can close and lock the door when you're finished. I'll probably be late.”

“Will do,” I said with a grin that felt fake.

“You ready?” Teddy yelled from the front of the cabin.

“I'm coming,” Axel called to him, and then turned his attention to me, “It feels like we haven't seen much of each other?—”

“You need to bond with your family. I understand.” Once the wall was installed and the kitchen floor, Teddy and Axel would handle the cabinets, counter, and appliances. They wouldn't need me.

I could probably head home earlier than planned. It hurt, but it would be better if I left first. No need to wait for Axel to officially break things off. We weren't seeing much of each other anyway.

“See you later.”

“See ya,” I called out lamely as he walked away.

My heart hurt. My body felt heavy. I was excited because we could do this project together. But I'd need to get used to working alone. If I flipped a house in Florida, that's how it would be.

I'd spent the evenings researching homes for sale, and I'd found a small one which would be a good starter project. It needed some work but not a complete overhaul.

I was confident I could do the work myself.

But I'd need to get home if I wanted to see it in person.

I didn't want to just work in the evenings and weekends. I wanted to make it my full-time job. I just wasn't sure if it would be profitable. I probably needed to get one flip under my belt before I left Kingston Construction.

By the time I finished the wall, it was late. I admired it for far too long, almost hoping that Axel would show up. But he didn't. I hoped his reunion with his family was going well. Then I cleaned up my tools and supplies and turned off the lights.

I locked the door and headed into my cabin where I showered and fell into bed. I was exhausted but couldn't sleep. I kept waiting for the rumble of Axel's truck. But it never came.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing, I heard a noise. I sat up, holding the blankets to my chest. There was a ding against the window. Was someone throwing stones at the window to get my attention?

I got up, pushing off the blankets to see Axel standing outside, nodding toward the door. I ran to the front door and opened it. “What are you doing here?”

Axel moved onto the porch. “I wanted to see you.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. I hadn't grabbed a jacket. “Come in. It's cold.”

I stepped back, waiting for him to come inside before I closed the door. The last time he came here late at night, he'd picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. But things were different now. I wasn't sure where we stood.

“I'm sorry I woke you.”

I waved for him to follow me to the bedroom. I was too tired to stand or entertain. I climbed into bed and gestured for him to join me. I didn't have the energy to ask questions about what was going on. I just wanted to go back to sleep.

He took off his shirt and pushed down his pants.

My eyes drifted close before I felt the bed dip and his hand reach for me. He kissed the top of my head. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Everything inside of me softened at his admission. It didn't make everything okay. But it made him being here now acceptable.

He rolled me until I was on my back, and he hovered over me. Then he kissed me. I curled my arms around his neck, holding him tight to me. I missed this. I missed him.

It was like we were showing each other with our bodies how we felt because we couldn't say it out loud. He kissed me for a long time. Then he eased back to help me out of my pajamas. He shoved his briefs down and settled between my legs.

His cock was hot and heavy against my inner thigh. He brushed a hair out of my face. “I missed working with you this week.”

“You need this time with your brother.” It was true even though I missed him too.

“I wish things could be different.” He sat back on his heels to line up his cock with my entrance.

I wasn't sure if he meant Teddy and me, or he meant family and a girlfriend. Either way, it wasn't possible. It was a waste of time to even think about it.

Yet he'd offered to flip a house together. I hadn't let him get into the details. I'd immediately dismissed it as impossible. Had I merely been protecting myself?

He entered me slowly, lowering himself over my body until I felt every hard inch of him. He interlaced his fingers with mine on either side of my head as he started a sensual glide, slowly driving me up and then over.

He pressed deep, emptying himself inside me. He lightly touched his forehead against mine. When he finally rolled to the side, I felt boneless. The entire act was sweet. He made me feel loved. Yet he hadn't said the words.

We both knew there was an end date for us which was quickly approaching.

He rolled away, padding toward the bathroom. I heard the water run. Then he returned with a washcloth to clean me up. It was thoughtful.

I felt more awake now than when he arrived, so I waited for him to climb into bed. I moved closer to him, needing to touch him. I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. Tonight, he smelled like evergreen.

His arm tightened around my shoulders. “I want you to meet my family.”

I lifted my head so I could see his face in the moonlight. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” What did I have to lose? I was already halfway in love with him, if I wasn't all the way there.

Axel shifted so he could see my face. “Yeah?”

“It's important to you, and after meeting Teddy, I'm curious to meet the others.”

“They can be overwhelming. That's why I hid out here for so long.”

“How was it?” I asked him, curious about his family.

He shifted me slightly so that he was facing me. “Not bad. I missed them.”

“There wasn't a lot of pressure to be a certain way?” I asked, genuinely curious. He'd been so worried about their reaction.

“Not really. They were just happy I was home.”

I touched his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. “I'm excited to meet them and tour the place where you grew up.”

“I want to show it to you.”

We fell silent. There was no more talk about his family or our future. It was like we were tiptoeing around it, both of us afraid to broach the subject. He'd created distance between us the last few days, and I'd thought it was on purpose. But then he'd come over tonight and made love to me.

It felt like something important. Something I should pay attention to.

But I drifted off to sleep before I could find the answer.

T he next day, I helped Teddy and Axel install the flooring. Axel patiently explained how we needed to lay cement board over the plywood subfloor.

“Ceramic tile is delicate. It needs to be layered on a surface free of gaps and ridges.” When the cement board was placed, Axel handed the screwdriver to me. Why don't you do the honors?”

He explained the proper placement of the nails every eight inches along the perimeter of the panels. I felt pretty good when Axel nodded his head in encouragement. Then he took the other screwdriver and started on the other side of the kitchen.

When we were done with the surface, we dry-fit the tiles. This required a lot of measuring. Apparently, it was best to start at the center when you laid the tiles to avoid a lot of partial tiles on the edges. It wasn't aesthetically pleasing.

I soaked up the instructions, eager to learn everything about the process. I hoped I'd be able to retain the information for my next project.

I'd been so scared to start a job like this, but now it felt doable. There was information out there for me to do it myself, or I could hire someone if I got in a bind. I could figure it out.

Once the tiles were dry fitted, we stopped to eat sandwiches, then got right back to it. This work was so much more satisfying than answering emails or preparing estimates.

I could see that we were building something beautiful here that would last for a long time.

Axel showed me how to spread the mortar with the margin trowel and deposit it on the cement board.

“Hold it at a forty-five-degree angle and spread it across the surface until it covers an area that extends beyond the perimeter of the tile.”

When I followed his initial instructions, he added, “Then switch to the notched side.” He gestured at the area with his hand. “To regulate the amount deposited on the surface.”

I quickly got the hang of it, and Axel was able to move to another area of the floor and work. With Teddy helping, it went quickly. As much as I wanted to do the work with just Axel, it was nice to have him here.

When we were done, we stopped to stretch our backs and grab a snack. Then we were back at it, determined to finish the floor today.

“You want to collapse any ridges in the mortar and fill in the gaps. You can lift a tile to check that the back has full coverage. If it's not covered, you can back butter the tiles by adding mortar to the tile itself before placing it.”

We used the spacers to maintain consistent spacing while we worked.

Axel watched my progress for a bit before moving to another area to lay more tile.

After the tile was laid, Teddy used the level to check our work. Then we used a rubber mallet to fix any issues. We’d have to wait for it to dry before we grouted it.

When we finished, we stepped into the living room to study our progress.

“I love the stone. It came out perfect.” I couldn't wait to see how it shined with the cabinets and appliances installed.

“It was a good choice. I like how you kept the cabin feel,” Teddy said.

I nodded. “It's updated but rustic.”

“I couldn't have done the design without Luna. She was the mastermind.”

My face flushed at Axel's compliment.

“Maybe you can help me with my house once it's dried out. It flooded, and I'll need to replace most of the flooring. They're doing the roof first.”

“I can help with the design. But I'm not sure I'll be here to install it.” I hated thinking about when I'd need to leave. I was having so much fun here with Axel and now Teddy.

“I could use any help I can get. I don't know what to order. It was like that when I moved in, but now the floor is unsalvageable.”

“I'd be happy to help.” Was this my first real customer I acquired on my own?

We grabbed beers and sat on the porch, even though it was late.

I was sore and tired, but I'd never felt more accomplished.

“When are you coming over to see the family again?” Teddy asked Axel.

“Maybe this weekend. I invited Luna to see the farm.”

Teddy's eyes widened. “You want to see it?”

I smiled, happy to be included. “I've heard a lot about growing up there. I can't wait to see it in person.”

“Not everyone likes it.” Teddy tipped his bottle to his lips.

“Have you dated women who don't?” I asked Teddy, wanting to get to know him better.

Axel snorted. “I wouldn't call what he does dating. He's never with them long enough.”

Teddy lowered his bottle and smacked him in the shoulder.

I enjoyed the way they interacted. I wondered if it would be the same when all the siblings got together.

Teddy nodded. “When we were in high school, it was a detriment. They made fun of us for growing up on a farm.”

“That stopped when we proved ourselves on the sports fields,” Axel added.

“I got hit the hardest with it. Maybe because I was the oldest.”

“The right woman won't care about that stuff. They'll love you for who you are,” I said. Just like I'd accepted Axel for his flaws and all. I didn't necessarily agree with his choices, but I accepted his decisions.

Teddy stood and set his empty bottle on the table. “I'm going to head out. Charlotte has some stuff she needs me to do around the farm tomorrow.”

“You letting her boss you around now?” Axel teased.

Teddy shrugged. “That's what Dad wants.”

Axel just raised a brow.

Teddy was compliant when it came to his father but a bear to everyone else. Or at least that was my impression.

“Thanks for helping with the cabin.” Axel stood.

“I'll come by to help with the rest of the kitchen install.”

“I'm sure we'll need the manpower.” When I worked on my own, I'd need to hire someone to do the installs. I wasn't sure I could do it myself. I'd have to see how difficult it was.

We watched Teddy drive off. Then Axel turned to me. “Want to test out the hot tub?”

“Are we sure no more family members are showing up?”

“I can never guarantee anything when it comes to my family. But it's late, so I think we'll be safe.”

Axel threw an arm around my shoulders as we headed to my cabin. I wished this could be us forever, working long days on a house, then soothing sore muscles in a hot tub. I couldn't think of a better life.