Page 10 of Holiday Hookup

“Are you sure? We aren’t your problem, Dane, this is mine and mine alone. I don’t want to keep you from…”

He shakes his head and gives me that megawatt smile that I’m pretty sure is the reason I kissed him in the first place.

“Nel, stop. I’m offering, so please just accept the help. I have nothing to do today, and clearly you have a lot, so please take Jax to school.”

As if he hears his name, Jaxon appears beside us, carrying his backpack, lunch box he must have gotten out of the fridge all the while holding his favorite pair of shoes.

“I’m ready!” He beams, sitting on the floor as he struggles to decide which shoe goes on which foot.

We’ve been over this a thousand times and I’ve tried every trick in the book to teach my son to know his left from right. I even tried using the sticker trick where you cut one sticker in half, placing each inside the corresponding shoe. But Jaxon was more preoccupied with playing with said sticker than using it to learn.

“You need help, sweetie?” I ask, knowing we need to get going but wanting him to learn on his own.

“No, I gots it.”

My heart melts at the way his vocabulary still jumps from toddler to little boy. I know it will leave in time, and I know I should probably correct him, but right now it reminds me that he’s still my baby.

After a few minutes, we’re out the front door waving at Dane who promises that he’ll get someone in to fix the leak while I’m gone. I want to trust my gut, which is telling me he will do exactly what he promised. I just hope it doesn’t steer me wrong.

Chapter 8

The second Nellie left with Jaxon, I got to work calling the landlord over and over until he finally picked up. I explained what happened, asking him to check on the neighbors upstairs since I’m pretty sure the cause of the leak is more human error than an actual pipe problem. We eventually got the water shut off, got a hold of the neighbor, and figured out that Mrs. Wilson has a cat that likes to take baths in the kitchen sink.

“She’ll need to be out of here for at least a week while we repair the floor and the ceiling.”

The bastard doesn’t bat an eye at the suggestion that a single mother has to up and leave her home. I expect him to offer up one of the apartments that I know are sitting vacant, but no. So, I watch as he leaves out the door and I begin to feel uneasy about telling Nel that she needs to leave her home the next morning; I’m dreading her reaction.

“Dane?” Her voice carries through the room as I turn and see a woman who is in desperate need of a good night’s sleep, some wine, and maybe a pizza or two. “What’s wrong? You look…” She doesn’t finish the sentence because she doesn’t have to. I know the look I’m giving her and from the forlorn look in her eyes, she knows it’s not good news.

“The good news is that they found the issue and turned off the source of the water leak.”

Her eyes scan the kitchen, stopping at the pool of water that still lingers. God, how I wish I could just kiss her and make her forget this whole thing.

“The bad news?” she whispers, knowing what’s coming.

“Bad news is they need you out of here by tomorrow morning so they can get started on the repairs. You’ll need to be gone for at least a week, hopefully, they will be done before Christmas.”

The tears stream down her face as she takes in her apartment and it’s right then I realize just how decorated it is. From the tree in the far corner to the garland that seems to sit on every surface. She leans back against the closed front door, her purse dropping to the floor with a loud thud. Right now, all I want to do is wrap my arms around her, but I know that’s not what she wants. Not yet at least.

“Where am I supposed to go?” Her voice breaks my heart as she sinks to the floor, placing her head in her hands.

“Can you call someone? Maybe your parents or a friend?”

She shakes her head, her breaths coming in shudders as she takes deep breaths to try to calm down.

“N-No. My parents live out of state and all my friends live in one-bedroom apartments.”

Shit.

“Can Jax stay with his dad?” I know I’m straddling a very thin line asking this question, but I need to know if the idea that’s forming in the back of my head will work. And when she shakes her head, I feel a small smile form on my lips.

“No, Brian is traveling this week. Conferences in Boston… or was it Ohio? I don’t remember.”

We’re silent for a while, wishing the distance between us wasn’t the size of this apartment. Just as I’m about to get up and walk toward her, I stop dead in my tracks. Because I’m in awe as she finds her resilience, pushing herself off the floor, and pulls her phone from her purse as she starts pacing the room.

“Nel, what are you doing?” I ask, getting dizzy from her going back and forth.

“I’m trying to find us a hotel room, then I have to pack Jaxon’s things and some stuff for me. Shoot, I need to call work and tell them I’ll be out for the rest of the week.”

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