Page 14 of Animal's Reformation
“Then lemme help put it on,” the girl said.
“Okay.” The gruff man gestured Lucy to come closer, and the young girl rushed over. Her small hands gripped the top side of the cabinet.
Olivia stood next to her. “Let me help you with that.”
Lucy shook her head and before she could protest, the man said, “We’ve got it. Stand back.”
Once again, anger flared inside her, and Olivia curled her fingers into a fist. “It’smycabinet, you know.”
He stopped, then his eyes sliced to hers. “Do you want the fuckin’ thing in your house or out on the damn sidewalk?” Olivia pursed her lips, her gaze latched on to his. His words hung in the air between them for a long pause and then he turned away. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
He spread his arms and grabbed either side of the top piece and picked it up. Lucy still clung to the sides and walked with her dad over to the dolly.
Olivia fumed as she watched him maneuver the cart with ease.He’s so damn bossy.
“Why don’t you go on inside and show me where you want this.”
The deep voice startled Olivia and she sprinted from her spot and ambled into the house. “The living room, in the corner,” she said pointing to the back wall.
Without a word, the neighbor put down the first half of the cabinet, then walked out and quickly brought in the second half. When he stacked the two pieces, Lucy skipped over to Olivia.
“The screws, please,” she said.
Olivia dropped them into the girl’s cupped hands and watched as father and daughter quietly worked on reassembling the cabinet.
Every movement, every flex of his arms stretched the material of her neighbor’s tight T-shirt across his back, outlining hard, magnificent muscles. When he raised his arms higher, swirls of ink peeked out from the cuffs of the shirt’s sleeves, and she wondered what delightful images adorned those powerful arms. Feeling her pulse speed up, Olivia tore her eyes away and shuffled to the kitchen in search of two glasses.
“We’re all done,” Lucy said a few minutes later.
Olivia whirled around and saw the cute dark-haired girl standing in the doorway. “You did a great job helping your dad,” she said, turning back to a box on the counter. “Would you like some water?”
“Okay.” Lucy stepped into the kitchen. “Your kitchen’s smaller than ours.”
Olivia took out two tall plastic glasses. “I’m sure it is. Your house is a lot bigger than mine. How long have you lived in the neighborhood?” she asked while filling one of the tall tumblers with water from the faucet.
“Not that long.” Lucy leaned against the refrigerator.
“We gotta go, kiddo,” a deep voice said from behind Olivia.
“Lemme finish my water,” Lucy replied.
Olivia turned around and held out her hand to Lucy’s father. “Thanks so much for helping me. I never introduced myself—I’m Olivia.”
The man glanced at her hand, then at his daughter, then back at Olivia. “No problem.”
Olivia dropped her hand. “Would you like some water? I’m afraid that’s all I have to offer at the moment.” Olivia’s laugh came out too shrill, and she wanted to slap herself silly for being so damn nervous around a man she didn’t even know.
“I’m good, but thanks.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Ready?” he asked his daughter.
The girl bobbed her head and handed the half full glass to Olivia. “Bye.” She scurried out of the kitchen and her father turned to follow her.
“Wait,” Olivia said. He paused and looked over his shoulder at her. All of a sudden she felt like a damn fool.
“Yeah?”
“Uh … I just wanted to say thanks again.”
“Sure.” He headed toward the front door.
When he walked out, Olivia stood in the doorjamb and watched him swagger across the grass to the house next door. The cold, crisp air blew through her, rustling her hair and numbing her cheeks, yet she stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the door Lucy’s father had just shut. All of a sudden a group of children shattered the quiet as they ran and whooped in the frigid air, their red, yellow, and bright blue jackets garish against the gray winter afternoon.
Olivia stepped back and closed the door slowly, her gaze still glued on the house next door. “He’s probably married,” she said under her breath even though she hadn’t seen a wedding band on his finger. Her dad had never worn one, but then he was a skirt-chasing bastard.Aren’t most men?Kory’s face floated in front of her mind. “Ugh!” she breathed out. The last thing Olivia wanted to do was think about that loser, or any of the other losers who had littered her past.
“No more men, remember?” she said aloud. With a strong shot of determination coursing through her body, Olivia switched on the ceiling light, walked over to a stack of boxes, and began to unpack them, banishing all thoughts of the opposite sex from her brain.
