Nerds on Fire (20 page)

“
Because they couldn’t
agree on what should be done.” Leo exchanged a wry glance with
Mark.

“
They saw their current
place when a widowed friend of theirs was looking at smaller homes
and instantly decided to buy it.”

“
It was the first time they
agreed in years,” Leo said.

“
They moved in a month
later and have been really happy there ever since.” Mark strolled
to the pantry and started packing a box he carried in from the
garage.

“
How did you buy this place
then?” Katy played with the sprayer faucet.

Trixi trailed along the space, liking
the finishes and she could picture a range like hers in the niche
created for the appliance.

“
I was living here with
them when they bought the other place, so it was easy for me to
make an offer.” Leo shrugged.

“
They accepted his offer
and made him help them pack,” Mark added as he stuffed a box of
pasta into the cardboard box.

“
It all happened really
fast. We settled on this house and they settled on their new one
the same day. It was pretty painless.”

Trixi turned toward Leo. “So because
you were already living here, you figured out what changes you
wanted to make.”

“
Yeah, by the time we
settled I already knew I had to gut the bathrooms. None of the
plumbing has been touched in forty years.”

Mark snorted. “Probably even longer
than that.”

“
Neither of them could
remember the last time it was updated, since my great-grandmother
lived here until she died. My grandparents gave the larger family
estate to Dad and Mom and moved here a few years ago.”

“
It’s a shame to replace
this tile.” Katy fingered a perfectly intact one piled on a nearby
countertop.

Leo tucked her close. “We did save a
lot of it. We’ll just use less.”

“
This is going to be
beautiful when it’s all done.” Trixi could picture it. Leo’s
kitchen would rival hers. They all tromped to Mark’s room where he
quickly packed and they carried his possessions downstairs as he
finished. It kept them busy.

Finally, they had everything in her
SUV, Mark’s car, and Leo’s vehicle before they headed back to her
house. It took less time to unload the vehicles. Now it was a case
of figuring out which boxes went to which room.

“
Leave my study things.
I’ll unpack those over the next week or so.” Mark indicated the
jumble of boxes with his chin since his arms were full of
furniture.

They carried boxes into his bedroom,
study, and a few into the bathroom. He had his own coffee maker, so
he set it up in the small kitchenette off the sitting room. An area
he hadn’t noticed, but instantly liked if she interpreted his
comments correctly.

“
This house is perfect.” He
happily unpacked with rapid-fire precision.

The idea of this man in her house had
grown on her. Now she couldn’t imagine him anywhere else, despite
her continuing doubts and fears. She wondered if it was because for
the first time since her father left, she finally felt
safe.

Chapter 20

“
What’s for dinner?” Leo’s stomach growled for the
third time in twenty minutes.

“
I can pop a pizza in the
oven.” Trixi finished unpacking Mark’s kitchen boxes after he
sorted through what he wanted in his little kitchenette and what
was to go to the main kitchen.

“
Why don’t we order in?”
Mark suggested.

“
You don’t want to eat my
cooking?” She kept a teasing note in her voice, which hopefully
managed to hide the hurt.

He stroked a finger down her nose.
“I’ve enjoyed your cooking today and want to give you a
break.”

An effervescent warmth spread through
her as his finger caressed her cheek. It was a nice feeling. Her
cheeks heated.

“
He’s right, Trix, you
could use a few days off from cooking.” Katy sided with Trixi’s new
roommate.

Gran nodded. “Yes, she
could.”

Leo called in the order while they
continued to help Mark unpack. Katy and Leo unpacked the boxes for
his study and set out the contents so he could see what he had.
There were boxes of all types of books and periodicals scattered
across most of the surfaces.

In the span of one afternoon, Mark
moved into her house. He seemed very satisfied with the
arrangement. Gran also seemed pleased, while Katy and Leo kept
making happy remarks. She was the only one with reservations and
those still had everything to do with sharing her space with a man
who wasn’t family.

He would see everything
there was to see about her habits and this seemed so...
intimate
. Did she really
want the man to experience her before that all important first cup
of coffee? Did he need to see her incoherence until her brain woke
up?

What about how sweaty she got while
working out? Wouldn’t those things steal the magic?

She frowned.
What magic?
He didn’t
think of her that way, so fretting was ridiculous.

The man had moved in, he was settled
now, and there was no going back. He had a front row seat to see
her in all her lack of glory, whether she protested or
not.

The doorbell resounded in impressive
chimes through the house. Leo perked up. “Pizza’s here.” He hurried
down the hall.

Katy wasn’t far behind him.

“
They have no idea they’re
dating, do they?” Gran asked.

Mark laughed. “Not a clue.” He sounded
cheerful.

Trixi dug out plates. “We’ve been
enjoying the show.”

“
He’s perfect for her.”
Gran’s nod was satisfied.

“
We agree.” Trixi darted a
quick smile at Mark.

He nodded and their shared amusement
sent warmth surging through her.

“
I’m glad there’s a lot of
this going around.” Her grandmother sent a knowing look to Trixi
and left her blinking.

What?

Before she could comment, Leo and Katy
returned with the pizza. They were in high spirits, and their
enthusiasm rubbed off on the rest of them. The pizza didn’t take
long to disappear. It was surprising after their big meal at lunch,
but they had worked hard this afternoon. Normally Trixi wouldn’t
have agreed to move someone on a Sunday, but these were extenuating
circumstances.

Namely, she and Gran might actually
get sleep now.

Mark had a place to call home. Katy
could return to her own neglected house. And Leo would get his one
working bathroom to himself again. Everyone benefited.

“
You’re leaving?” Trixi
cornered Katy later.

“
Yes. I should unpack and
then figure out what I need for tomorrow morning.”

Katy curled her hand around Leo’s arm
as she tried to tuck her foot into her boot. The process wasn’t
successful.

“
Why isn’t this working?”
Katy growled in frustration as she continued to struggle with the
boot.

“
I don’t know.” Trixi
steadied Katy when she wobbled.

Leo scooped Katy up and set her on the
bench in the mudroom. Her foot finally slid in and he zipped the
boot with ease. The other one went on much easier than the first
and when she stood, Trixi admired her friend in her fashionable
high-heeled footwear.

“
Very nice.” She eyed the
boots. “I wish I could borrow those.”

“
I know. I’d love to borrow
your shoes as well.” Katy grinned. “It’s your fault, Trix, since
you have really tiny feet.”

Her cheeks heated. “I didn’t choose
them.”

Leo glanced at Mark after everyone
surveyed her lack of stature. “She’d fit in your sock.”

“
Very funny.” Trixi’s heart
raced at the idea of fitting into Mark’s life at all.

Mark smiled at her, but by then Leo
had hefted Katy’s bags and they hurried to help him. In a short
amount of time, they loaded her cases in her car.

Katy nearly squeezed the stuffing out
of her. “I hate leaving you like this.”

Trixi squeezed her back. “I know. But
we’ll be fine.”

“
I’ll be right behind you.”
Leo tilted Katy’s chin up with a finger.

She nodded, her eyes glowing at
him.

The gesture was so intimate a pang
pierced Trixi. She halted her thoughts.

Gran hugged Katy while Mark patted her
on the head. She swiped at him but Leo tucked her into her car and
reminded her of his plan to follow her home. They left with toots
of both horns and a swash of headlights before their vehicles
disappeared down the driveway.

Their departure left her, Gran, and
Mark standing in the dark. The wind tried to rattle them and with a
shiver, they hurried back inside to the warmth and light. It was
comforting.

She veered into the kitchen where she
still had a few little things to do. After making certain she
didn’t need any help, Mark left to finish organizing his study. She
guessed he had some paperwork to catch up on if nothing else. Gran
said goodnight as she entered her rooms. She would likely spend the
rest of the evening on the phone with Miriam and perhaps with
Trixi’s dad.

Hmm, she wondered
how
his
day had
gone. It must have been good since he hadn’t dropped by.

“
I don’t want this evening
to end.” The happiness in Nina’s eyes lit something similar in
him.

“
I don’t either.” Rylan
stroked a finger across her downy cheek, amazed at this woman all
over again. There was something heady about her. His breath kept
catching in his throat.

“
I’m glad you asked me to
spend today with you.” Her statement made him smile.

“
I didn’t ask you to spend
the day with me.”

A slight frown creased her face. “You
didn’t?”

“
No,” he answered with a
slight shake of his head.

“
But we ended up spending
the entire day, actually most of the weekend, together.”

“
Yes.” He traced the curve
of her lips next. “But I never asked it of you.”

The light of comprehension lit her
lovely eyes. “It just happened?”

“
Apparently so.”

Her laughter was throaty, delighted,
and beautiful. “I can’t believe we spent the entire weekend
together.”

“
I can.” His own voice
sounded throaty. “You’re beautiful.”

The laughter in her eyes died as she
stared at him. There was an innocence and caring there he craved.
They stared at each other and then like two magnets locking
together, their lips connected.

It was the most stunning kiss he had
ever experienced, perhaps because there was no coherent thought on
his part. It happened because it was supposed to. The impact
slammed him, through to the very soles of his feet. This woman was
dynamite.

The awe on her face made him feel like
he was twenty feet tall and titanium clad. With rocket
launchers.

“
You’re amazing.” His tone
remained husky.

A delicate peach flushed her cheeks.
He was charmed all over again. “I think you’re the one who’s
amazing.” A new illumination, perhaps affection, glowed in her
eyes.

His same wonder was reflected there.
She leaned forward to kiss him a second time. This was no young
girl. Nina was a mature, widowed woman with a grown son.

Her life experiences were similar to
his.

Their second kiss robbed him of all
thoughts as he enjoyed the tender pressure of her lips. The steady
heat building between them surpassed anything he had ever
experienced with Chrissy.

The third kiss deepened and this time
their mouths opened for a more thorough exploration. It was like
kissing for the very first time. With over thirty years of practice
under his belt, he still felt very much like a novice. Perhaps
because this woman mattered.

Rylan enjoyed the kiss, but
pulled back at the same time as she did. Hope dawned in her eyes,
and he liked it.
Very
much
, as he felt the same way. It was
inspiring to feel the same way as the person you were with, as well
as
amazing
.

She didn’t want things to
go any further, and neither did he. It was far too soon in their
relationship and he craved a deeper connection with this woman. He
wanted their relationship to culminate into
marriage
—
they
could explore the physical side of their attraction then. Nina was
perfect for him, his home, and his family.

Now was not the time to mess this
up.

He stroked the flushed cheek and then
leaned forward to kiss it. “You’re an amazing woman, Nina
McCormick.”

Her smile was sweetly feminine.
“You’re an amazing man, Rylan Duvall.”