Page 34 of Better Together

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When they turned down Alexis’s street, she could see Zeke standing in her driveway. “Lily, who called Zeke?”

“I did. I texted him and told him I’d gone to rescue you. He said he’d be at your house when I arrived, to help you get settled. I ran out on my shift at Rosie’s, and I need to get back and close. I’m sorry your date didn’t go well,” Lily said. “I really hoped you two would hit it off.”

She pulled into Alexis’s driveway, and Zeke opened the passenger door.

Lily moved to help, but Zeke stopped her. “I’ve got her, Lily. Thanks for calling me.”

“I’m sorry I have to run. Feel better, Alexis. You’re in good hands, but call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks for coming to my rescue, Lily. I’ll text you later.”

Zeke had already unlocked Alexis’s front door with his spare key. He wasn’t thrilled she’d gone on another date. She should have been on a date with him, but he’d wait until she fulfilled her commitment to her friends before swooping in.

“Another date, huh?”

“Yep.” Alexis winced at the pain as she climbed her front steps.

He probably wouldn’t earn any points by teasing her when she was in pain. “Maybe I should take you to the hospital.”

“No, just get me to the couch and I’ll be fine. It’s happened before and all I need is rest. I’ve been pushing myself and not getting enough sleep. I also need to remember to stretch, which I have not done.”

Zeke was tempted to ask where and how she’d thrown out her back, but he didn’t really want to know.

He helped Alexis lower herself onto her leather sofa but almost fell on top of her. Their faces close, Alexis gasped, and he scrambled to his feet. “Did I hurt you?”

She took a deep breath and exhaled. “No. I’m good.”

He removed her boots and covered her with a throw blanket. “What can I get you?”

“Can you grab my pillow from my bed, a glass of water, and some ibuprofen?”

“Yep. Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” he said.

He could see the worry lines on her face. Alexis was working overtime to meet the contest deadline. Without her, he felt a little panicked too. His goal was to keep her still, help her any way he could, distract her from the overwhelming amount of work they needed to accomplish on the jobsites, and still be there for her. He found the meds, filled a glass of water, and went into her room to grab her pillow. He breathed in her coconut scent, wishing she’d chosen him to date rather than the duds she’d been out with recently.

“Here you go. Let’s lean you forward a bit.” Zeke positioned the pillow behind Alexis’s head. He handed her two ibuprofen and held the glass to her lips.

“Can I get you anything else?”

“Yeah. Help me get up.” She tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down.

“Maybe if I stretch, the spasms will subside,” she said.

“No way, you need to rest.”

Zeke settled into the chair next to her and paged through the latest Best Builder magazine as he waited for Maggie to bring dinner. Alexis had just dozed off when he heard a knock on the front door.

Alexis moved to get up.

“Stay,” Zeke said. “I’ll get it. It’s Maggie. I asked her grab food before she headed home.”

Maggie carried in a takeout bag from Rosie’s that smelled heavenly and made Alexis’s stomach growl. She handed the bag to Zeke.

“Unfortunately, I can only stay a few minutes. But I see you’re in good hands.” Maggie placed the latest book club book on the coffee table. “Just in case you can join us next month. How are you doing?”

“I’m okay, but I need to use the bathroom and since you’re here, I could use some help getting my pj’s on.”