Page 22 of The Sweet Part
Her cheeks pinken. “Bye.”
I take a step back. “I’m not sure if we can be friends.”Because I’m way too attracted to you.
“Oh. I thought we both had a good time tonight.”
I blow out a breath. “We did. It’s just, you know, different with the single-mom thing.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Sophie’s young—”
She holds up a palm. “No need to explain. In fact, I was thinking the same thing. Are you still going to be my handyman?”
“Yes,” I say with some relief. It’s not like this is goodbye forever. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Bye, Mason.”
Did her voice sound a little sad? Should I say it’s not her just the situation?
I gesture toward her, struggling for the right words.
“Yes?”
I scratch my head, unsure why I’m lingering. “Bye.” I turn and head out the door. Best not to drag things out. Rip the Band-Aid off and be done with it.
As I drive home, flashes of the night come back to me. The joy in May’s face when we danced, her sweet smile, her laugh.
Sometimes doing the right thing feels so wrong.
5
The next day I show up at May’s place with my supplies and toolbox. I expect it to be awkward now that I’ve announced we’re not going to be friends. The best thing to do is treat this like a job. In and out. No need to talk to May beyond the scope of the work. I’ll treat her just like I treat my clients, but with less smiling. I don’t want to give her any mixed messages, especially while I’m pretending not to be attracted.
I head up the front walk. There’s a snowman in the yard with a mop for hair, a carrot nose, and rocks for eyes and a melting mouth. I smile, remembering my brothers and me playing in the snow. We built forts and piles of snowballs for ammunition, pelting each other like we were at war. Michael’s nose got broken by a well-timed frosty snowball from someone who might’ve been mad at him for snow down the collar. Good times.
Like most of our wild fun, that led to another Shaw family rule: no snowballs in the face. Those family rules grew as we did. Mom forced us to recite them together when any rule was broken. Sophie’s lucky she doesn’t have to worry about siblings and family rules.
But where would I be without my brothers? Sophie has no dadandno siblings. It must be kind of lonely. Not my concern. I’m here to help a friend. Well, not a friend. Just someone I met recently and went to a wedding with and that’s all.
I ring the bell.
May answers the door with a bright smile. “Good morning.” She’s wearing a green baggy sweater over leggings, and all I can think about are the curves I know are hiding underneath.
“Morning.” My voice sounds hoarse.Chill. I step inside.
Sophie appears wearing a big floppy hat and a swimsuit with a towel around her shoulders. Pink winter boots complete the outfit. She has a beach ball under one arm.
“It’s beach day at our house,” she says before throwing the beach ball at my head. It hits me, too, because I can’t deflect when my hands are holding all this stuff.
“Sophie!” May exclaims. “Say you’re sorry.” She turns to me. “I’m so sorry. She’s never done that before.”
I put down my toolbox and supplies and pick up the beach ball. “I’m fine. My brothers and I did much worse to each other.”
Sophie grabs the ball from my hands. “Like what?”
“Sophie, apologize,” May says. “That was rude, especially to someone who’s here on his vacation time to help us with the inn.”
Sophie looks at my feet. “Sorry,” she mumbles.
