“It’s all in the works. Do you need any help painting?” she asks.
“I think I’m good. Evan has the room cleared out. So, I just need to lay down the tarp and tape off the trim. That will take some time. He already texted me and said I had to wait for him to edge it in.”
“He’s protective.”
“He’s been around Aaron too long when it comes to me,” I reply.
“If you say so. Since you don’t need any help, I think I’ll head into town and look for some decorations for the shower.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you later.” I rush off to my room to change. I can’t wait to get started on this room.
Chapter 11
Evan
Twelve hours. It took us twelve hours to work through the new herd. Aaron and his dad were lifesavers. They helped instruct the crew as to what to do. No way could this have gotten done in one day without them. I’m glad to have it done, but disappointed I missed Kinley. She started on the nursery today and I was looking forward to spending time with her, but I refuse to think about what that means.
Unlocking the door, I see the glow of a light upstairs. Kinley must have forgotten to turn it off. Even though I’m dead on my feet, I rush up the stairs to see how much she got done. Sure enough, the light to the nursery is on and I’m shocked to see it’s done. The walls are painted in a color that Kinley informed me is a medium lavender. To me, it just looks like a light purple.
The room looks as if a professional came in and did it. The tarp that I laid down for her is gone as are all of the painting supplies. Hard-headed as ever, it’s obvious she ignored my ‘wait for me for the ladder’ warning I gave her. I swallow back the lump in my throat.
This is real.
In just four short months, my baby girl is going to be here. I will never be able to thank Kinley enough for everything she’s done. Pulling out my phone, I swipe the screen and see it’s just after nine. I helped the crew feed and water all the horses before heading home. Surely, she’s still up. I decide to send her a text first.
Evan: You up?
I hear a beep of a cell phone. Did she leave her phone here? I follow the sound across the hall to my room. Opening the door, I allow the light from the nursery to light the room. That’s when I see her. Kinley is curled up on my bed, phone clutched in her hands. Surveying the room, I see a floral-looking bag sitting on the floor. My eyes roam over her and I see her hair is damp. She must have brought clothes to change into. McKinley was wet and naked in my shower, in my room.
Fuck me.
Even as tired as I am, my body responds to just the thought of her wet and naked. Moving further into the room, I slowly take a seat on the edge of the bed, careful not to wake her. There’s no one here to witness me lusting after my best friend’s little sister, my friend. She’s been a pillar of strength for me these past couple of months. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her.
Her phone beeps again, reminding me of the text I sent her. I freeze, waiting to see if the sound wakes her.
It doesn’t.
A loose strand of hair is hanging down in her eyes. Ever so gently, I tuck it back behind her ear. It doesn’t wake her up and I’m relieved I get her like this for just a little while longer. I know I should wake her up and sitting here memorizing what she looks like in the moment, curled up in my bed, is wrong. I just can’t seem to find the will to care.
Her phone dings again, and this time she stirs, causing that errant strand of hair I’d just moved to once again obstruct my view. Just as my hand goes to move it, her eyes slowly open. She recognizes me right away, and a soft smile graces her lips. “Hey,” she says, her voice laced with sleep.
My hand has a mind of its own as I find myself cupping her cheek. “Hey, you wore yourself out today.” It’s not a question. She did a hell of a lot of work today for my daughter and me.
Her eyes light at my words. “Did you see it?” she asks.
“I did. It’s perfect.” You’re perfect.
“It turned out better than I expected,” she confesses.
My hand is still cupping her cheek and I know it’s all kinds of wrong. I run my thumb across her cheek and reluctantly release my hold on her. I can’t bring her into all this drama. She deserves nothing but the best, more than what I could give her. Not to mention, I’m sure my best friend would kick my ass if I tried to date his sister. I just need to learn to control my hormones when I’m alone with her.
“I’m glad you went with white furniture.”
Sitting up, she leans against the headboard. “Yeah, with the white trim and the color of the walls, it’s really going to stand out. I can’t wait until you get it all put together.”
I groan at the thought. “I’ll start on it this weekend.” I know she’s itching to decorate now that the painting is done.
“Good. I’ll tell Aaron he has to come help. Between the three of us, we should be able to whip it out in no time.”
“You’ve done enough,” I tell her.
“This is my project, mister. No way am I missing it.”
“What time did you finish?”
Blinking, she looks down at her phone. “About an hour ago. Sorry I dozed off.” I can barely see the tint of red coloring her face from the small amount of light in the room.
“Have you eaten?” My guess is she worked all day to get the room completed.
Her belly growls, not giving her time to answer. “All right then. Let me grab a quick shower and we can go grab something to eat.” I stand from the bed.
“Deal.” Her grin turns into a yawn as she stretches her arms above her head. The t-shirt she’s wearing lifts and shows her toned stomach. I force my eyes to close and turn away from her. I busy myself with pulling clean clothes out of my dresser.
“I’ll be quick.”
“Good, I’m starving. I’m going to go check out my mad painting skills. I’ll wait downstairs.”
I hear her climb off the bed, her feet hit the floor, and the click of my bedroom door as she closes it behind her. I exhale a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.
I’ve got to get my shit together.
I rush through my shower and meet Kinley downstairs in less than fifteen minutes. “What are you in the mood for?” I ask, shoving my wallet and my phone in my pocket.
“I’m open to anything; just nothing that’s going to take forever.”
“I think I can manage that.”
The drive into town is filled with talk of furniture assembly and decorating ideas. The pressure I feel when I think about all that needs to be done before my daughter arrives lessens the more Kinley talks. She’s willing to take the lead and I’m letting her. I want to be involved, but shit, I’m in over my head. I’m scared to death for my kid.
We find ourselves at Subway. “Great choice,” Kinley says as she takes the first big bite of her meatball sub. She’s refreshing. She’s never afraid to speak her mind or be herself. Most girls order a salad and pick at it. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve known her all my life, or if it’s because she’s really just that girl—confident and sure. I’m going to go with the latter.