Chapter Ten

Gavin

Max and I carefully lower the mangled piece of porch roof to the ground. "I've got it," he says, dragging the metal toward the driveway.

While he carries away the old material, I take a closer look at how the old structure was attached to the house. It definitely wasn't the best option for adding coverage to the front door, but it got the job done. And considering it was probably built shortly after the house, I'm sure it was completed on a budget.

I spend a little time checking things over before climbing down from the ladder. "The good news is everything seems to be in decent shape up there," I say to Max as he approaches.

"Good news for the client."

"Yep," I reply, covering the exposed roofing with some heavy plastic. It'll keep the moisture from seeping down until Ava decides which route we're taking to fix and replace.

We're getting everything buttoned up when my phone rings. I pull the device from my pocket and head for the notebook in my truck cab. I've been waiting for Logan Johnson to put together the numbers I'd need to finish my quote for Ava. "Hello?"

"Hey, Gavin, it's Logan. I got some pricing for you," he says.

"Shoot."

He gives me two prices for double-paned window styles and says he's already emailed me images I can show Ava. He also shares the current cost of shingles and metal for the square footage I'm looking for, which is the final pieces I need to figure her quotes. "Thanks, man. Appreciate it."

"Let me know what you want me to order. Both of those windows are in stock, so I can have it here in forty-eight hours."

"Perfect. I'll be in touch," I inform him, hanging up and grabbing my laptop.

"You need anything else, boss?" Max asks, making sure our equipment is picked up and put away in one of our trucks.

"All good. I'm going to input these numbers and go meet with the client. Tomorrow we'll start at the Henderson place, and then probably be back over here after lunch."

"Sounds good. I'll see you tomorrow," he replies before hopping in his truck and heading back to the shop to unload.

I spend the next few minutes updating the numbers in the quotes I had already drafted and shared with Ava on Saturday. Now, I have more concrete numbers to present so she can make her decision.

When I'm ready, I take my laptop, notepad, and phone and head for her front door. She hasn't been able to use it since the roof fell Friday night, and I'm sure she'll feel much better about having the eyesore gone from the front of her house.

Before I can knock, she opens the door and gives me a smile. "Hi. Hello. Come on in," she rambles, seeming a little flustered.

"Thanks. I heard from Logan and have numbers for you," I tell her, stopping inside the living room to take off my boots.

"You don't have to do that," she insists, but again, I take them off anyway. No way am I walking on her carpet with wet boots.

With my boots off and set aside, I join her in the living room and open my laptop. "I'll send these to your email, but I wanted you to see them now so we can go over them and I can answer any questions you may have. There are several different options. The first is for the window replacement. Logan recommended two different windows, both double-paned for better insulation." I pull out my phone and retrieve the pictures he sent to me. "Here are the two options. The first one is a double hung window, which means both top and bottom pieces slide up and down. The second option is a sliding window, and that one opens from side to side. I didn't have him price them with grids, or grilles as some call them, because none of your other windows have them. I should have asked your preference, but if you're not looking into replacing windows anytime soon, I thought you'd want them to be more uniform."

"I do," she quickly replies, taking my phone and looking over the two options. "I'm not looking to replace windows right now, especially if I have to redo the roof, so I don't want the grids." She looks over at the old window that's boarded up before turning to the one on the south side of the room. "I think the ones I have must be single pane."

"Yes, they are. Single pane is an option, but there are several advantages to a double hung. Cleaning and venting are a huge plus to this window. They're very easy to use."

She looks them both over again before saying, "I think I like the double hung more than the sliding option."

"All right, I'll have Logan get that ordered. He said it'll be in in about forty-eight hours, so if he can get it ordered today, we should have the window sometime Wednesday."

"Wow, that's fast."

"Now, let's talk roof."

We spend the next several minutes going over all the different options. Between deciding on how much of a porch to rebuild and if she wants to redo the entire roof now or wait, plus the cost difference between shingled or metal roof, she has big decisions to make. "If you want to take a day or two to think about it, that's fine. We put a thick piece of plastic over the roof where the old lean-to porch was attached, just to ensure you don't get snow down in there, but it should be okay for a few days. I wouldn't leave the exposed part open too long though. We still have a lot of winter left, and sometimes Mother Nature isn't very nice to us up here," I say with a smile. She's lived here her entire life too. She knows we can get snow all the way through March, often into April.

She sighs. "I talked to my dad yesterday afternoon after we had lunch. Your ballpark numbers aren't too far off from what we discussed. I think it would be best to go ahead and just do it all now. Roof and porch, as you drew up."

"Okay, sounds good. Shingles or metal?" I ask.

Ava sighs and closes her eyes. I enjoy a few seconds and take in her appearance. She's wearing thick leggings and an oversized crewneck sweatshirt. It hangs off one shoulder, but her skin is covered by an undershirt. She has thick, fuzzy socks on her feet, and I can tell she's the type of woman who prefers coziness over style. She's casual and comfortable in her space, with her hair pulled up in a ponytail at the top of her head. Frankly, I prefer this laid-back version of this woman more than the gussied up one. Yes, those dresses were very nice, but this is the Ava I want to get to know.

"I think I want to do the metal roof. As long as you promise it's not going to look bad."

Chuckling, I lean forward and reach for my phone. Our fingers touch as I do, and a shock wave of lust bolts through my veins. I don't need to wonder if she felt it too, because her reaction to the touch says it all. Her beautiful brown eyes widen, her mouth falls open, and she jerks back as if she's been zapped.

It takes the patience of a saint not to reach for her right here and now.

But I don't. I set my phone back down on the coffee table beside my laptop and pretend that touch didn't just send all the blood in my body to one concentrated area south of my belt. "I think you'll like the end results of the charcoal roof you looked at."

She nods. "I believe you. It's just so much money not to like it."

"I totally agree, Ava. You have to be able to live with this purchase for a long time, and just know, if it were me looking to replace my roof—which I will probably have to do in the next five to seven years—I'd be going with the metal one. The longevity and durability of the product is a huge selling point for me."

Exhaling, she sags back in her seat. "Let's do it."

"Okay. I'll get the material ordered. It should be in within a week or so. Logan said that's a pretty popular color, so availability is always good. He's got the material for the new porch in stock, so I'll have that delivered tomorrow, and Max and I will start tomorrow afternoon."

"Wow, okay," she says. "Is it safe to be on a roof in the middle of winter?"

I flash her a smile. "Well, it's not always ideal, but it is what it is. Yours is not the first winter roof I've had to take care of. We just need to take extra precautions if it's slick or wet, and if it's snowing, we won't go up there."

She nods in understanding. "What about payment?"

We go over the details, and even though I had already included in my bid that a portion of the bill is due when the job starts, I make sure to mention it again.

"Not a problem. I'll go to the bank in the morning and transfer the first half. You'll have a check right away. Insurance will work with me for reimbursement after I submit the paperwork."

"Let me know if you need help with that part. Do you have any other questions?" I ask, not really wanting our time together to end.

"No, I don't think so," she says, standing up.

That's my cue to leave.

I head over to put my boots back on, taking my laptop, notepad, and phone with me. Just when I have no other reason to stay, I open my mouth and just start talking. "So, I was thinking, Friday night is that northern lights thing Annabelle was talking about. Even though it'll be way past our bedtimes, it might be pretty cool to see. Interested in going with me?"

She worries her bottom lip with her teeth. "Like…a date?"

I lift my shoulders. "We can call it whatever you want."

"I don't know. I don't date pare—" she starts, and before I can give her a chance to turn me down, I cut her off and continue.

"Hear me out. There's this really cool scientific event happening on Friday, one you're going to be discussing and teaching in class, and this is an amazing opportunity to see it in person. We wouldn't go to the Bluff Preserves, where I'm sure the rest of the town will go to view it. I know a spot where no one else will be, so no one will see us."

The corner of her mouth ticks. "You know a spot, huh?"

A full-watt smile breaks out across my mouth. "Yep. Completely secluded, and not in a creepy way. You're totally safe with me."

"I don't know, Gavin," she replies softly, and I can tell I'm wearing her down.

"Come on, Miss Rutledge. Live a little."

She narrows her eyes a bit and purses her lips. "I did that once, and it came back to bite me in the butt years later."

I'm certain I know what she's referring to, the infamous keg stand photo that surfaced and almost caused her to lose her job, but I don't want her to always think of the bad. "I promise. There'll be nothing that could cause you problems. This night will be…educational, if you will."

A faint smile crosses her lips as she shakes her head. "I might regret this," she says, almost absently to herself.

"Never. I'd never risk doing something that could cause you to regret spending time with me, and I'd never push you. I just, well, want to get to know you better, and if I have to subject myself to fifth grade science to do so, then so be it," I say with a grin, hoping to earn one in return.

It works because the gentlest smile spreads across her lips. Lips I dream about ravishing until they're swollen and chapped. Then I might do it again.

"I do appreciate the offer, and it would be cool to see it in person. I know I've said this multiple times, but I don't date dads of my students."

Knowing this is such a big step for her, I decide to add a little more humor to the conversation. "Well, I don't usually date my daughter's teachers so we're even."

Unable to fight her chuckle, she asks, "Didn't she have Mr. Parmelee last year?"

"She did, and as much as age is just a number, the whole silver fox thing isn't my jam." Mr. Parmelee is in his fifties and divorced, and I've heard plenty of women talk about how good-looking he is for his age. I don't think he lacks for the company of women.

"Mine either," Ava replies with a blush. She takes a deep breath. "But I think seeing the aurora borealis in person would be phenomenal. If the offer still stands, I'd love to join you…as a friend."

Friends…that's a start.

But it's not my endgame.

I can't stop my wolfish grin. "Of course it stands. There's no one else I'd rather enjoy the view with than you, Miss Rutledge."

Even though she's blushing a dark fuchsia, I don't miss the anticipation on her face. "All right. Where would you like to meet?"

"Here. I'll pick you up," I tell her, grabbing my stuff to leave.

"I don't mind meeting you," she offers.

"And I don't mind picking you up. It'll be easier to get where we're going in my truck."

"Oh boy. I'm not sure I like the sound of that," she grumbles.

Pulling open the door, I step through the storm door and reiterate, "You're safe with me, Ava. Always."

"I know," she whispers, the words barely audible. But I catch them, nonetheless.

"See you tomorrow afternoon," I tell her. "Your new porch, window, and roof will be done before you know it."

"Thank you."

"Of course." I lift my arm and wave, walking to my truck and resisting the urge to look back at her.

I set my stuff on the passenger seat before climbing inside. Only when I have my seat belt fastened and the truck started do I finally glance back at the house. She's standing at the door, watching, and something in my chest cracks. It's a tidal wave mixture of excitement, longing, and desire, all swirling together with enough force to level a skyscraper.

That's what she does to me.

Makes me feel wild and a little reckless.

This is more than just a crush.

I just hope I don't end up devastated in the end.

I pull out of her driveway and head for the shop. Since I don't have Annabelle, I can spend a little extra time getting caught up. There are a few quotes I need to finish and send off, and the business side of things, such as taxes and end of year crap is always waiting. Might not hurt to dive in and get ahead of some of the office bullshit. At least if I'm there, working, I won't be home and thinking about Ava.

Now I can just think about her at my office.

I pull into the alley and park in one of the available spaces. I don't have a storefront for my business. Instead, I rent the small warehouse and connected office space on the back of an old industrial company in town. That business has long-ago closed. The whole front is used by two different shops, while I rent the back for a fair price, since neither business needed it.

At first, I didn't want the added expense of renting a spot, but after only a short time of storing work-related tools and materials at my own house and cluttering up my garage to the point I couldn't use it, it became apparent it was worth my while. Now, I don't have to worry about it. Everything is here, in one central location, and it's secured.

However, as soon as I let in, I realize I don't want to stay. My thoughts return to the beauty I just saw in her oversized sweatshirt and leggings. I want to drive back over there, to hang out. I want to get to know her better.

But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more too.

I know it won't be easy. She's got rules, and that's why I'm hoping this Friday is the start of me slowly breaking down those walls.

I only have to wait four days to find out.