Page 47 of Second Chances

“I had to go down the stairs to answer the door,” he said, closing his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I should have called or texted before I came over.” She glanced around and noticed that his television was sitting on the floor, unplugged. “Have any good books I can read you?” she asked.

He motioned to a stack of boxes.

“Which box?” she asked, moving over to them.

“All of them. I’m planning on building some bookcases. Just haven’t figured out where yet.”

She glanced around and thought about it. “Well, if you’re not going to need the bedroom down here, I’d turn it into a library or reading room,” she suggested.

When he didn’t answer her, she glanced over and saw that he’d fallen asleep. Smiling, she walked into the other room and noticed just how large the downstairs bedroom was. It faced the front of the home yet still had an amazing view of the water across the yard. He’d emptied the bedroom of all furniture and pulled up the old carpet that had been in there.

She could just imagine two large built-in bookshelves on either side of the wide picture windows and a comfortable chair to read in sitting in front of the window.

After checking on Todd, she strolled around the rest of the house, seeing what work he’d done since the last time she’d been there.

The entire second floor looked a lot like the bedroom had. All the carpet was missing and there was no furniture left anywhere. The two bathrooms on that floor were untouched and, as she’d noticed the first time she’d walked through there, in serious need of updating.

Since he’d told her that he’d moved up to the top floor, she avoided that area for now. She didn’t want him to feel like she’d snooped around his personal space.

Heading back downstairs, she rummaged through his kitchen and found the ingredients for some homemade turkey soup. It had been a while since she’d made her grandmother’s noodles, but Todd was happily snoring on the sofa, and she figured that when he woke up, he’d be ready for something to eat.

By the time Todd woke, the soup was done. She had even found a loaf of bread in the freezer and had it in the oven, making the house smell wonderful.

“I thought I dreamed that you were here,” Todd said, sitting up and rubbing his hands over his face.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, handing him a glass of water. When he groaned, she said, “You need hydration.”

He took the glass and sipped. “Something smells…” He frowned. “Wonderful.”

“Bread and homemade turkey soup.” She motioned to the kitchen. “You should be over the worst of it, since you slept for two hours.”

“My stomach isn’t revolting at the smell of food.” He glanced down at the sweats he was wearing. “I’d like a shower first.”

“You have time. Do you think you can make it upstairs by yourself?”

He smiled. “Are you asking if I want you to shower with me? Because the answer would be…” He rolled his eyes. “The answer is yes, but I’m afraid I’d need some food first for some strength to do anything other than let you wash my back.”

She chuckled. “Go, shower. The food will be here when you’re clean.”

“And you?” he asked, before getting off the sofa.

“I have the whole night to watch over you,” she answered with a smile. “Simona’s at Kayla’s for the night so I can nurse you back to health, seeing as I’m the one who got you sick.”

He smiled and that sexy dimple near the corner of his mouth flashed. Even though he had at least a day’s worth of stubble on his chin, she could still make it out perfectly.

She busied herself by clearing off the kitchen table and setting out bowls and plates for them while he showered. She took some butter out of the fridge, added a touch of seasoning, and set it on the table.

It was a little earlier than she usually ate, but smelling the soup and bread, she knew she’d enjoy the early dinner.

When he came back downstairs dressed in clean worn jeans and a black T-shirt with his hair still damp from the shower, she figured that he was over the worse of it.

“Hungry?” she asked as she motioned for him to sit at the table.

“Starved,” he said, sitting down. “It smells wonderful.”

“Thanks.” She set a bowl down in front of him and then went back to get the bread out of the oven where it had been warming.