Page 53 of All My Heart

We had an end date. I knew better than to feel anything for her, but I couldn't help it. Luna affected me like no one else ever had.

That didn't mean it was too late to pull back and put some distance between us. I could come out of this unscathed.

And it helped that Luna didn't want a relationship or anything serious. It made it easier.

Today we were demoing the bathroom. I'd need to fit in painting and installing the ceramic tile in the kitchen.

The renovations were coming along nicely, and they were giving me a sense of accomplishment. There was a knock on the door.

I should tell Luna that she didn't have to knock. Who else would be out here? My family didn't know this cabin existed, and Luna's family didn't know where she was, other than somewhere in Maryland with a friend.

I opened it, and Luna stood on the porch. She was so gorgeous; my heart clenched. I'd miss her when she was gone. This place wouldn't be the same without her.

This was exactly why I didn't form attachments. I couldn't handle it when they were gone. There was a niggling idea that this was related to my mom dying, but I dismissed it.

“Are you ready to make the tile our bitch?” Luna asked, squeezing my arm as she slipped past me.

I grinned despite myself. “Yes?”

She clasped her hands together as she stood in my foyer. “I'm excited to get started.”

She wore leggings and a long black T-shirt. I'd told her to cover as much skin as possible so she didn't get hurt from the jagged tiles. And I'd bought her thick gloves.

“Oh. Your floors are so beautiful.” Luna moved around the space, and my gaze didn't drop from her ass. The leggings left nothing to the imagination, and I wanted nothing more than to spread her out on the new white fluffy rug she'd chosen for in front of the fireplace and feast on her pussy.

But I promised myself I'd create some distance. In the past, I was good at separating sex from emotion, but I wasn't so sure that worked with Luna. The more we were together, the more I felt.

I led the way to the bathroom where I'd already removed the mirror and the medicine cabinet. The water was off.

“We'll remove the vanity first.” I opened the doors to the cabinet to show her I'd placed a bucket under the pipes for any excess water. “I'm using an adjustable wrench to remove the nuts around the P-trap.” I gestured at the pipe I was referring to.

Luna squatted next to me. “I love when you talk tools to me.”

“I forget that you grew up in construction. You might know all of this already.”

“I know my way around tools, but this stuff, not so much. I was never involved in the tear downs or installations.”

“We're going to get your hands dirty today.” I handed her the wrench and moved so she could get into the cabinet easier. “You'll want to unscrew these nuts. Then dump any excess water in the P-trap into the bucket.”

“Got it,” Luna said as she easily followed my instructions.

“Next, we have to unscrew these nuts.” I showed her the ones I was talking about, and she got to work.

I stood, holding out a hand to help her up. “Now we can remove it. I might need a hand taking this out to the truck.”

“That's what I'm here for,” Luna said with a smile.

Why hadn't her brothers or her father ever indulged her need to learn this side of the business? She was so eager to learn and obviously capable. They'd at least taught her how to use tools.

“I'm checking for brackets behind the vanity top. This one doesn't have any, so we just need to cut through the caulk. Then we can lift it out.” I used my knife to do it.

Luna stood close, watching me intently. “Where did you learn this stuff?”

“One of my buddies bought a house, and I'd help him out from time to time.” Mainly because I needed something to fill my time, but now, I was happy I had the experience. Reading about it from a book or watching a video wasn't the same as doing it yourself.

Together we pulled the vanity top out and carried it to my truck. It was easier to remove the cabinet. Then we tossed that with the sink. Next we got to work on the toilet, which was more involved than the vanity.

I explained what I was doing as I went and always let her take lead on the removal. She wouldn't learn unless she got the hands-on experience too, and I might not always be with her to help. She needed to do this on her own.

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