Seaglass (3 page)

“Well anyway, it’s angled, like the top half of a hexagon. Jerry was trying to put in an arch. You know, much more modern—“

“Jerry Oppenheimer?”

“Yeah. But the thing is Madeline said he doesn’t think he can do it so they’re gonna just make it into right angles.”

Knox frowned. “Arches aren’t hard. You just need to scribe it right.”

“She wants the condo on the market ASAP, so I don’t think there’s time to do the arch.” Madeline waited and watched his brain in motion.

“You want me to take a look at it, don’t you?”

“It was a thought…”

“Fine.” He grumbled as he stole her pickle.

“I’ll call Madeline and see if we can get in tomorrow.” Kayla excitedly pulled her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Madeline’s number.

Damn his sister, he thought, as he loaded up a few supplies into his tool bag. How the hell did she always manage to talk him into shit like this? Well, it didn’t matter. Soon enough, he’d talk to Jerry about the damn arch and get the hell out of there before he managed to embarrass himself. He dealt with his “low vision” as the docs liked to describe it and half the damn town knew about it, but he still hated meeting new people and having that awkward moment when they figured out there was something “off” about him.

His musings were cut short by the double honk of Kayla’s BMW SUV; a gift from Ted to appease her when she complained that he was never home to help take the boys to their little league games.

Kayla watched him as he came through the door and then turned to lock it up. His dark blonde hair was streaked with lighter blonde highlights that made her envious. His didn’t require twice monthly appointments at the salon to cover the gray. Now, with his aviator shades firmly in place, he made his way to the car. She noticed the careful way he ran his hand along the passenger side looking for the door handle. He opened it quickly and climbed in.

“C’mon, let’s get this over with.”

She smiled and patted him on the knee as she took off the short distance to Limestone Avenue.

xXx

The transition saddle between the hardwood floor of the hallway and the carpet to the master bedroom wasn’t lying flush and it was starting to drive her crazy. She’d been jimmying it for almost an hour and finally decided that she’d need to go back to the hardware store and see if there was an alternative that would work better. She was walking down the stairs, cursing under her breath when the doorbell rang and then immediately opened. She smiled: Kayla. The fact that Kayla didn’t seem to wait to be invited in somehow added to her irresistible charm. Well, this was still a trial sale, she reminded herself, and if it went well, then she might consider using her on her next flip.

She was about to call out a hello when she saw a man coming in the doorway behind her. He was tall with hair almost as blonde as Kayla’s. His wide shoulders and lanky frame made her swallow a little harder than she intended and she hoped no one heard the gulping sound it made.

“There you are!” Kayla squealed.

“Yes.” Madeline mumbled as she attempted to drag her eyes away from the stoic, handsome stranger in aviator sunglasses standing in her entryway.

“This is my brother, Knox. He’s going to take a look at the arch.”

“Knox? You’re Knox.” She felt like her tongue was suddenly too big for her mouth. “I mean, Ed mentioned someone named Knox. I guess that’s you.”

Now, he smiled slightly as he removed his sunglasses. “That’s me.”

If she’d been tongue tied before, now she was downright speechless. His face was all long planes and hard edges. Cheekbones and a sharp jawline that led to a set of eyes the color of moss. His slightly tanned skin set off his eyes and hair and made the butterflies in her stomach dance a jig.

“Ah—“she pointed toward the dining room. “The, um…the um…arch.” She quickly walked forward and dumbly gestured toward the ceiling.

Madeline stood and watched as Knox quickly grabbed a tape measure off his tool belt and measured. Then, on a notepad, he calculated something and then measured again. Finally, he spoke.

“It’s not the arch, it’s the header. It’s in the way a little. I can see why Jerry doesn’t want to mess with it.”

“Oh.”

“It can be done, though.”

“How?”

“We just need to reduce the angle so that it doesn’t impact the header. You need a softer angle.”

Madeline felt mesmerized by his mouth. “Okay.”

“I can talk to Jerry about it.” He offered.

“Um, he’s not here.”

She watched a small smile pull at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“He’ll be back, I mean. He’s picking up the hardware for the bathroom. It came in, finally.”

“Okay, well, I can leave my notes and he can call me. If he has trouble, I can just do it for him. It’s no big deal. We’ve worked together a million times before.”

“I guess you were busy.”

Knox looked up and turned toward her. “Huh?”

“Ed gave me your name first. But I guess you were busy.”

“Oh. Yeah. I had some custom orders to finish.”

“Maybe next time.”

What was she saying? It sounded like she was asking him out on a date! “I mean, I hope to flip another house soon and I’ll need a contractor. I mean, if Jerry’s busy.” She added.

Kayla piped up. “I have that listing copy for the newspaper for you to look at.”

Madeline felt her cheeks redden. She’d forgotten the other woman was even in the room. “Great!”

She quickly scanned the copy of the listing as she willed the blood to drain from her cheeks.

“Now, I just need to get my pictures uploaded and we’ll be set.”

“Okay. As soon as the arch is done, you have the green light.” Madeline answered, relieved to have something else to focus on.

“I’ll let you get back to work.” Knox said as he returned his tape measure to his tool belt. “Here are my notes. Have Jerry call if he needs a hand.”

Madeline reached out and took the paper from him, wincing when she realized her scar was in full view. She waited for the widening of the eyes that usually accompanied the moment, but it never came.

“Thanks. I really appreciate this.”

“Can I show Knox the kitchen? It’s so beautiful, and it’s what I want to do in my kitchen.”

“Oh. Of course.” She pointed to the kitchen and watched as Kayla practically skipped forward, leading the group.

Knox stepped forward, irritated with his sister. He wasn’t exactly the best person to “look” at a kitchen. He wondered if she actually forgot about his eyesight from time to time. He moved forward and saw the shine of the countertop and put his hand out. Marble. Very nice. He touched the drawer handles and pulled them out slightly.

“Soft close. Nice touch.”

“Hmm?” Kayla asked.

“They don’t slam. Good for little fingers.” He offered.

“Oh, I’m adding that to the spec sheet!” Kayla quickly grabbed her phone and began typing.

Madeline stayed back and watched the siblings go over the finishes. Knox moved toward the upscale range hood and then reverently ran his hand over the detailed tile work on the backsplash.

“Jerry did this?”

“No. Actually, I did it.”

The bright light from the windows bouncing off the glass subway tiles gave him a little more visual clarity than normal. He ran his hands along their cool surface and felt the evenness of their set in the mortar.

“Impressive. Glass tiles aren’t easy to install.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, a little embarrassed by the compliment.

Knox turned away from the backsplash and leaned against the counter. The light was amazing in this kitchen and he wished he could take it with him. He caught movement in the corner of his right eye and turned as Madeline moved forward toward the fridge.

He hadn’t really taken a good look at her since he’d entered, but now he was able to study her unabashedly. Her legs were the first thing that caught his attention. Long and slender; the color of cream. He let his gaze travel upward and saw the rest of her matched the legs. The arms were long too, and toned. She wore some sort of dark tank top over denim shorts. She was tall, 5’ 8” at least. When she pulled open the refrigerator door, her auburn hair swung backward and he swore he saw brilliant red highlights mixed in.

“Can I get you a bottle of water?” She asked politely.

“I’d love one.” Kayla stepped forward and pulled two bottles out of her hands. “Here, Knox.”

Madeline watched the strange way she took the bottle and tapped it against his forearm, which was currently braced against the countertop. He opened his hand and let his sister put the bottle into his palm and then quickly unscrewed the cap and drank deeply.

“Thanks. It’s a sauna out there.” He smiled.

“And it’s only May!” Kayla giggled. “Okay, back to the grindstone.” She turned and tugged her brother back through the dining room, calling out last minute details that she’d need to discuss with Madeline before the house was officially on the market.

Madeline stood in the doorway and waved to the unlikely brother and sister duo. It seemed like the only thing they had in common was their bright blonde hair. She was so bubbly and effervescent and he was so quiet and brooding. She shoved her hands deep in her pockets and tried to refocus on the task at hand. What had she been working on before they arrived? He was probably married anyway. He wasn’t wearing a ring, though. Was he? No. He definitely wasn’t. He’d been looking at her. She caught it when she’d gone to the fridge. But would someone like him actually be looking at someone like her?

She looked down at her black tank top and paint splattered denim shorts. No. It wasn’t possible. Guys like that had beautiful girlfriends that got their hair and nails done weekly. They took spinning class at the gym and never actually sweated. Madeline turned to face the little mirror that hung in the foyer. Her long, wavy hair framed her sharply angled face. She gathered her thick hair into an elastic band and quickly pulled it into a ponytail. Now, she saw several paint splatters on the side of her neck from when she was touching up the master bedroom ceiling. No, she’d never be one of those girls.

xXx

“Well, I hate to tell you this, bro…she’s hot for you.”

He laughed. “Shut up.”

“I’m serious!” Kayla said as she sped away from Madeline’s and back to Knox’s house.

“What…I couldn’t…” he stumbled. “How’d you know?”

Kayla sensed he was trying to inconspicuously ask about Madeline’s looks, but couldn’t bring himself to say the words. She’d spare him that—for now. Soon, though, he’d need to get past this. They all would. He couldn’t see that well. That’s all it was. No biggie, she told herself as she steadied her shaking hands on the steering wheel.

“She was watching you.”

“So?”

“Duh. She was watching you the way a woman watches a man.” She paused. “And you were watching her too.”

“I was looking in her direction.” He answered with as much disinterest as he could manage to inject into his voice.

“Why are you playing with me?” She teased.

“Fine. Tell me.”

“She’s really pretty. She’s a different sort of bird, though.”

“Yeah, I got that.”

Kayla raised her eyebrow, but continued. “She’s got legs that go on for miles. I couldn’t be more jealous. She’s so natural in her own skin, too. I get the feeling she doesn’t spend an hour doing her make-up every morning.” Kayla huffed out a breath, clearly envious.

“You don’t need to do that either, sis. You’re adorable.”

Knox received a quick jab to the ribs for that comment. “Do not call me adorable.”

“Okay, okay!” He held up his hands in defeat.

“We’re here, anyway.” She pulled the car to a stop along his driveway. “I’m parked perpendicular to the driveway.”

Knox nodded and exited the vehicle but leaned back in the open window. He needed to know something and the only way he’d find out is if he asked. “Kay?”

“Yeah?”

“The eyes? What color?”

“Blue. Not dark, but not too light either. Reminds me of…” she paused, contemplating. “Seaglass.”

She watched him smile as he turned and walked back to the house. She drove away shaking her head. He could deny it all he wanted, but it seemed someone besides Madeline was smitten too.

xXx

Knox stalked directly to his workshop and began donning protective gear to strip the old paint and stain off of an antique Chippendale desk that had been sent to him by a collector in New York. As he pulled on goggles and grabbed a rag and soft wire brush, he consciously tried not to think of seaglass.

He didn’t need the complication of a woman in his life. Hell, he’d had enough of women to last him a lifetime. Well, not all women. One woman—Hannah. She’d ripped his guts out when she told him she couldn’t hang in there while he finished his third tour. Thankfully, he’d been injured
after
she’d dumped him. He didn’t think he could’ve handled her dumping him because now he was...no, he wasn’t gonna say it; not even in his own head.

Instead, he cranked up his music and turned on the work light that provided him enough illumination to get the job done, even if the price was a migraine that lasted all night. Right now, he didn’t care. The exquisite craftsmanship of the desk allowed his mind to wander into another zone and another time. A time when woodworkers were artisans and masters. He wondered who’d toiled over this delicate piece of furniture and then who’d been the intended recipient. Was it royalty? Clergy? Maybe a prosperous family? Now it belonged to him, but only temporarily. He loved the restoration, but not the possession of these fine pieces. He was happy to see them continue on their journey to someone new.

He pulled down his goggles and sat back. He realized he and Madeline were alike in that way. Both restorers; preservers of history. Right now her medium was condos, but according to his sister, she soon hoped she’d have enough capital to start investing in older homes with character and charm. Interesting, he thought. He pulled off his latex gloves and felt the delicate grooves and delineations in the soft wood. He could still see them, but his gut clenched tight when he wondered for how long.

The knowledge that he might someday lose more of his pathetic vision was a terrifying thing, but sometimes he wondered if he’d be better off if it just happened already. This wondering and waiting was torture. Every consult, every doctor’s appointment was full of dread and anticipation of the news that his vision had worsened. Even now, despite things being stable for the last year, he felt the sickness in his belly begin to creep up his throat.