Chapter 3

THREE

Auden

The morning sun filters through the blinds of my bedroom, casting soft patterns across the floor as I pull on a pair of dark blue pants and a crisp white blouse. Today's the day I meet the new owners, the Montgomery's, in person and we go over the property and all of my ideas for the remodel.

My heart races with a mix of excitement and nervousness. This project could be a game-changer for my career, and I want everything to be perfect. I need everything to be perfect, for this meeting to go smoothly.

As I grab my bag and head out the door, I can't help but think about last night. My eyes sneak a peek at the quiet house next door and I glance away quickly, even though there's no sign of Wade around.

Wade Collins, of all people, popping up on my doorstep after all these years. The surprise of seeing him again was like a jolt to the system and I barely slept last night, my mind replaying the scene over and over. All I could think about was the shock in his eyes when I answered the door in my towel, his attitude about me answering the door dressed that way, and the gruff way he spoke to me.

Wade was always a bit of an unknown in high school, keeping to himself. He was the classic quiet and brooding type, but there was something about him that had always drawn me to him. It was like he was a mystery, one that I was desperate to figure out.

And now, here he is, living next door.

I push the thoughts aside as I drive toward the Montgomery property, trying to focus on the task at hand instead of on my sexy new neighbor. This project is my top priority, and I need to be on my game today. But even as I tell myself that, I can't shake the curiosity gnawing at me.

Who is Wade now? What has he been up to all these years? And why does seeing him again make me feel like a teenager with a crush all over again?

Part of me isn't surprised by my reaction to him. All through high school and college, no one ever caught my eye. I would think that there was something wrong with me, if it hadn't been for my crush on Wade. He's always been the only one to make me feel like this.

Stop thinking about him! I order myself.

I park down the street from the old bank that now belongs to my clients and climb out of my car. The Montgomery project is an old brick building perched on a hill overlooking the harbor. It's smack dab in the middle of town and is a great place for a boutique since it will get a ton of traffic from tourists and locals.

I walk up to the building and smile as I take it in. It's the kind of place that has history etched into its walls, with high ceilings, intricate moldings, and an aura of faded elegance. I want to leave all of its old charm and try to incorporate some modern touches and I'm filled with a thousand ideas.

The front door creaks as I push it open, and I step into the dimly lit foyer, the smell of dust and old wood filling the air. I'm early, but I want to get a feel for the space before the owners arrive.

I walk through the rooms, mentally cataloging the changes that need to be made. The outdated lighting fixtures with the broken bulbs, the worn floors that need a lot of love to be back in their prime, the cracked window up front. There's a lot of work to do, but I can already see the transformation taking shape in my mind.

As I'm standing in what will eventually be the main showroom, I hear the front door open again.

Must be the owners , I think to myself, straightening up and putting on my professional smile.

But when I turn around, my breath catches in my throat.

It's not the owner standing there.

It's Wade.

He's dressed in a plain gray T-shirt and dark jeans, a tool belt slung low on his hips. His dark hair is tousled, and there's a smudge of dust on his forearm.

Does he have to look so damn hot?

"What are you doing here?" I blurt out.

He looks just as surprised as I feel to see me standing there.

"I'm here to work. I'm the contractor," he says.

I blink, processing this new information.

Wade Collins is the contractor? The guy who's going to be working alongside me, day in and day out, to bring this place back to life?

A mix of emotions rushes through me, surprise, curiosity, and if I'm honest, a little bit of excitement.

I blink, shifting on my feet as I take him in and try to push down my feelings for him.

He was a jerk last night! We don't imagine what it would be like to feel those big hands on our body, we don't fantasize about sleeping with him.

I shake my head, clearing those thoughts before they can fully form.

He looks every bit the contractor, rugged and hands-on.

I bet he's strong. I mean he has to be from carrying around lumber and swinging a hammer all day. I wonder if he could pick me up and pin me to that wall there and then-- Focus on work!

"Why are you here?" He asks me, his voice low and rough.

I shiver, my nipples tightening in my bra and I clear my throat, trying to hide all signs of my attraction as I answer him.

"I'm the interior designer for this project."

"Oh. Didn't expect to see you here so early," he says as he walks around the room, taking note of the repairs that need to be done.

"I like to get a head start on things," I say, trying to sound nonchalant.

He gives me a half-nod, his gray eyes pinning me to the spot and causing my heart to flutter in my chest.

"Well," I say, managing a fake smile. "This is unexpected."

"You can say that again."

Before I can respond, the owners walk in. They're a middle-aged couple. Mr. Montgomery is a polite man with a salt-and-pepper beard and a friendly smile. He's holding the hand of a regal looking woma n that I recognize as his wife, Margaret.

"Auden, good to see you," he says, shaking my hand. "I see you've already met Wade."

"Good to see you too, Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery," I reply, grateful for the distraction. "And yes, we've met."

My smile turns a little brittle, but no one comments on it.

"Wade and I go way back. We went to school together," I say, trying to remain professional.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I trust you two will work well together," Margaret says.

Wade and I both nod and I try to keep a confident smile on my face.

"Now, why don't we go over some of your ideas?" She says and I step forward with my portfolio and launch into my vision for the house.

As I talk, I can feel Wade's eyes on me, and it takes every ounce of self-control not to let it distract me. I focus on the things that need to be fixed up before we can start the design work.

"We'll need to restore the original woodwork, update the light fixtures with more modern but classic ones, and reconfigure the layout to make the most of the natural light before we add shelves both up front and in the back for storage."

Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery listen attentively, nodding along as I explain my plans.

"I like the way you think, Auden," Mr. Montgomery says when I'm finished. "Let's do it. We'll let you two handle all of that and we'll just check in weekly to see the progress."

I smile, feeling a rush of satisfaction. "Great. I'll be in touch then."

We discuss a few more details before Mr. Montgomery checks his watch and they excuse themselves, leaving me and Wade alone in the building. The silence that follows is thick with unspoken tension, and I suddenly feel a little nervous, but I'm not about to let Wade see that.

"So," I say, turning to face him. "I guess we'll be working together."

"Looks that way," he replies, his gaze steady on mine.

There's a pause, and then Wade clears his throat.

"We should try to get along then."

He nods and I want to scream at him to say something.

"About last night… I'm sorry if I came off as a jerk. It was a long day, and I wasn't exactly in the best mood. But that's no excuse for being rude."

I'm a little taken aback by the apology. I didn't expect him to bring it up at all, let alone apologize. I guess he's just trying to smooth things over since we'll be working together for the next few weeks at least.

"It's okay," I say. I've never been one to hold a grudge. "I get it. Moving is stressful, and I probably didn't help by blasting music at that hour. I didn't realize that it was quite that loud."

He smiles, a genuine smile that reaches his eyes and for a moment, we just stand there, the tension between us easing slightly.

As I look at him, I realize that maybe this could be a good thing. Working with Wade, getting to know him again, well, it might be exactly what I need. Besides, there's something undeniably satisfying about the idea of getting to boss him around, especially after that awkward encounter last night.

"Why don't we start fresh?" I suggest, extending my hand. "No hard feelings?"

Wade glances at my hand, then back at me, and there's a flicker of something in his eyes, maybe relief, maybe something more.

"No hard feelings," he agrees, his hand engulfing mine.

His grip is firm and warm as his big hand wraps around mine and I feel a little thrill run through me at the contact.

"Great," I say, pulling my hand back a little too quickly. "So, let's take a walk through the place. I want to get some measurements and make sure we're on the same page before we get started."

Wade nods, and we start making our way through the old bank, room by room. As I take measurements and make notes, we talk about the place and the work that needs to be done. Both of us stay away from talking about ourselves and I wonder if he's curious about me the way that I am about him.

"So, what made you decide to get into contracting?" I ask as we stand in what used to be the safety deposit box room.

Wade leans against the wall, arms crossed over his wide chest. "It wasn't really something I planned. After I graduated, I knew that I couldn't afford to go to college and I'm not sure that I would have liked it. School was never really my thing. I was a lot better with my hands."

I try to ignore the dirty thought his words conjure and I clear my throat.

"I worked construction in high school, and I guess it just clicked. I like the hands-on work, the satisfaction of building something from the ground up, or in this case, restoring something that's been neglected."

I nod, understanding more than he probably realizes.

"I get that. There's something special about taking something old and making it new again. It's like we're giving it a second chance."

He looks at me then, and there's something in his gaze that makes my heart skip a beat. It's like we understand each other perfectly. I think he's surprised by that. To be honest, so am I.

"Yeah," he says quietly. "That's it exactly."

For a moment, we just stand there, the air between us charged with an unspoken understanding. It's strange, this connection I feel with him, like we're both drawn to the same things, both searching for something we can't quite put into words.

"So, what about you?" he asks, breaking the silence. "How did you get into interior design?"

I smile, feeling a little more at ease now that we're talking about something familiar.

"It started when I was a kid. My mom was really into DIY projects. She'd take old furniture and give it a new life with some paint and creativity. She was so talented. I guess I picked up on that. And my dad… well, he was the practical one. He taught me how to think about things like budgets and timelines. Design just seemed like the perfect blend of creativity and practicality. The best of both worlds, you know?"

Wade nods, and I can tell he's genuinely interested.

"Sounds like you have some great role models."

"I did," I say, my voice softening.

"Shit. I'm so sorry, Auden," he says and I nod, swallowing hard.

"It's okay. I miss them every day, but I like to think they'd be proud of what I'm doing now."

"I'm sure they would be," Wade says, and the sincerity in his voice makes my chest tighten with emotion.

He looks uncomfortable, like he's not used to comforting people and the fact that he's trying for me has me softening towards him.

We continue walking through the building, talking and working, and by the time we've made it back to the front door, I'm feeling more comfortable around him than I ever have with someone new. There's still a part of me that's wary, that remembers the shy, quiet guy from high school and wonders how much he's really changed. But there's also a part of me that's intrigued, that wants to see where this goes.

As we wrap up, Wade turns to me with a thoughtful expression. "Listen, Auden… I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot last night, but I'm glad we're getting a chance to work together. I think we can make something great out of this place."

I smile, feeling a warmth spread through me at his words. "I think so too, Wade. And hey, maybe this is our chance to start over, to get to know each other."

He looks at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine, and then he nods. "Yeah. Maybe it is."

We stand there for a beat longer, neither of us wanting to break the moment, but eventually, I know I have to go. There's still so much work to do, and I need to start putting my plans into motion. Work has to come first. I can't be getting wrapped up with a guy, not even my sexy new neighbor.

"Well," I say, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "I should get going. I'll see you tomorrow though."

"Tomorrow," Wade replies, his voice a little softer than before.

I try to ignore the way that my body tightens and step outside into the bright afternoon light, feeling a strange mix of emotions swirling inside me. There's excitement, anticipation, and yes, a little bit of nervousness too. But more than anything, there's a feeling of possibility, like maybe, just maybe, this project will be more than just a job. Maybe it's the beginning of something new, something I've been waiting forever for without even realizing it.

As I walk to my car, I can't help but glance back at the old bank, at the man standing in the doorway watching me leave. Wade Collins might be a surprise, but maybe he's exactly the kind of surprise I need right now.

I head back to my car and slide into the driver's seat, my mind already racing with a list of stuff that I need to do today, but no matter how hard I try to focus, my thoughts keep drifting back to Wade. I don't know what's going to happen next, but I do know one thing. I'm looking forward to finding out.