Page 1 of Spreading Her Wings

“Buy a house, they said. It’ll be good for you, they said.” I scoffed. The new dryer I’d ordered sat in the middle of my laundry room, and the hose that had been connected to it a minute earlier was now gripped in my right hand. “Son of abitch!”

They really should have said on the website the machine wouldn’t come completely put together. If they had told me a couple of hunky men in tight shirts were just going to drop this thing here like it was nothing and then leave without hooking it up, I probably would’ve thought twice about the purchase.

“I’m a strong, independent woman,” I muttered, leaning over the top of the machine and trying to find where the hose was supposed to connect.Great, now I really am talking to myself.

A strained groan slipped out when I stretched to reach. When I almost had the hose where I assumed it connected, my phone rang. The vibration against the metal of the dryer was loud, bouncing off the still-bare walls, and I jumped.

Dropping back to my feet with the hose still in my hand, I answered. “Ugh, hello?”

“Well, don’t you sound pleasant.”Andy. “I was just calling to see how the move into the new house was going. I’m guessing not so great?” My best friend sounded amused.

“Why don’t they hook up the damn dryer when they deliver it, huh?” I tossed the hose, which rebounded off the wall and onto the floor at my feet.

Andy chuckled. “You probably could’ve paid extra for that. They didn’t offer a full-service delivery option?”

As she said the words, the image of “full-service delivery” scrolling across the top of the web page flashed in my mind. I should have clicked on it. Instead, I’d hit “add to cart” and “checkout” so fast my credit card winced.

Online shopping was always my weakness. It was how I’d ended up with three drawers of socks I never wore but still had to sort through when I was packing, and now it was how I ended up here, glaring at a plastic piece of hose on my laundry room floor while my best friend laughed in my ear.

“Well, I didn’t pay extra for it, okay? And now I have to figure it out!” The laundromat sounded more appealing by the minute.

Her laughter didn’t stop, and she whispered something, likely telling her doting fiancé to give her a minute. From what I knew about Demetri Carlisle, he ignored her and was therefore listening to our conversation. Would he judge me for not being able to handle this on my own?

“Why don’t you just ask for help?”

I huffed. “Because I don’t want help, Andy. I candothis!” Even as I said it, I knew she didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe it either. I wasn’t going to be able to do this, but there was no way I was going to admit that.

She sighed. “You are so stubborn. I’m going to help you, without asking or offering, because I know you’ll say no if I do. So I’m telling you.” She chuckled, but I couldn’t argue. I wouldn’t have accepted her offer to help, and I didn’t want toaccept it now. “Consider it handled. Pour yourself a glass of wine and just relax for a bit. He’ll be there within the hour.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed, letting out a defeated “thank you” before we hung up. There was a perk to your two best friends basically being millionaires. They could just handle stuff at the snap of their fingers like that. It wasn’t like me to let someone just do something for me, but as I picked up the hose, I was thankful Andy was taking care of it.

Walking into the kitchen, I set the aluminum on the counter with a clang and pulled a bottle of wine from the shelf. My kitchen was the only room fully unpacked. I had to be able to make my coffee in the morning and pour a glass of wine at night. If I had those things, the rest of the house would come together in time.

I dropped onto the stool at the island in the middle of the kitchen, running my fingers along the marble countertops. A nice kitchen had been a priority for me. I pictured myself baking cookies or brownies in the double ovens nested in the walls or reading my book with a cup of coffee at the table with a built-in bench in the corner.

The wine was sweet but left my throat dry, and I savored the long sip. I’d bought my house three weeks ago, and I still wasn’t completely moved in. Normally, that would make me uncomfortable. I liked it when things in my life were in order and I could follow my routine. Right now, it felt okay, though, and I sucked in a deep breath and looked around. A sense of pride swelled in my chest.

This was my house.Mine.I owned all three bedrooms, all three bathrooms, this beautiful kitchen, and the open living room that would host a great party one day. There was yellow paint on the living room walls that I couldn’t wait to change. For the first time, I’d gotten to pick the paint color. I spent three months deciding on the perfect shade of blue, even if it wouldprobably take me another three months to get the work done. It didn’t matter, though. It was mine, and I bought it by myself.

Before I’d finished the glass, there was a knock at the door, and I jumped off the stool. Andy was right. How much had she and Demetri paid for them to drop everything and come over? I’d bet they had their own on-call handyman who just did them favors all the time.Like the mafia.I chuckled.

When I opened the door, I was greeted with a flash of red hair. Auston Johannson leaned against the side of my house with his tattooed arms crossed over his chest. The tattoos on the front of his neck moved when he swallowed, and I groaned.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Of all people, she’d sent her brother. Andy knew Auston and I rarely got along, mostly because the man lived to pick on me anytime we were around each other. It was like he got off on seeing me frustrated.

“Aww, you’re not happy to see me?” He flashed a bright smile. “And here I was sure that you missed me, kitten.”

“One, don’t call me that. It’s demeaning. Two, when Andy said she was sending someone to help, I assumed she meant a handyman, not you. And three…”

“Okay, okay, fine. If you don’t want my help, I’ll just go,” he interrupted. He turned around, and I felt a momentary rush of victory. “I could probably have it set up and running in five minutes, but if you’d rather figure it out yourself…”

I could practically sense his cocky smile when he took a single step off the porch and stopped. “Wait. Okay, fine. I need your help.”

“Wow, I wish I had a recording of you saying that.” He turned around, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “Will you say it again?”

I rolled my eyes, instantly wishing I hadn’t changed my mind. “Don’t make me regret this.”

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