Page 51 of Summer Love

He raised a brow. "You forgive me for being an idiot?"

I laughed. "Yes."

I looked around at the boxes of wood planks.

"Since they already did the walls and painted down here, we can work on the floors. The rest of the crew is working on installing appliances in the kitchen."

"Okay."

"When you're doing floors, you'll need to ensure the old floorboards are removed and subfloor is clean and level. The new boards have been sitting here for a few days to acclimate to the weather. So all of that is done."

Hudson moved over to the wall. "We'll start on the longest wall and install the boards perpendicular to the floor joists." He pointed those out to me and then moved toward the boxes to grab wood planks. I rushed to help him.

He knelt on the floor and gestured for me to sit next to him. "There's three ways to install floors, based on the type of flooring you're installing. This is hardwood, so we'll use nails that won't be visible on the final product.”

"Is it the nicest option?" I asked, curious about all these things you had to consider when remodeling.

"It provides a warm space, but it's harder to maintain. Engineered wood is less likely to scratch over time."

"Ah. Okay."

He smiled as he placed the boards. "I bet you're getting more of an education than you ever imagined."

"No, this is good. It's always good to be knowledgeable about things, and I love learning. That's why I'm so into reading and writing. If we all did more of it, we could change the world."

He paused and met my gaze. "You surprise me every day."

I laughed. "How so?"

"You say the most unexpected things. You think differently from me, yet you inspire me. You're amazing."

My cheeks heated.

Ralph appeared in the doorway. "Hey, boss, can you help with the stove install?"

"Be right there," Hudson called over to him.

I rose and followed him to the kitchen entrance, where I watched the struggle to fit the stove into the space.

"I measured twice. This will fit." Hudson stepped back at one point and lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face.

My entire body was hot, and it had nothing to do with the temperature inside the house. I watched while they talked it out, tried different angles, and the eventual cheer of victory when they finally got it in.

Hudson grinned as he came over to me. "Did you see that?"

"I did."

"So much of my day is making things fit that don't look like they will."

I pulled out my phone and jotted down the note.

"Was that a good soundbite for your article?"

I shrugged. "Actually, yes. It was great. Insightful even."

He gave me a look as he dropped to his knees again. "Now I know you're teasing me."

"I promise I'm not." I knelt next to him.

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