“Yeah, but you were super young when she was born.” I took another drink of water and shook my head. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” He stared at his water. “I’m going to get a refill—want me to top you off?”
“Sure.” I smiled and handed him my glass.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the reason Brody was single had something to do with what I saw. I didn’t expect him to talk about it, but that would explain why he didn’t exactly date. It wasn’t my place to judge. He was free to do anything he wanted with his life. He would always be my savior, and he deserved that title before he showed up at the bakery. He gave me a place to stay when I was at my darkest point and didn’t want to go home. I could never repay that generosity. It was nice to talk to him and have a real conversation. I wanted that so bad when I was a teenager, although I would have probably blushed too much to actually talk. He would always be my first crush, and there was no way to look at him without those old feelings creeping up, but he was a fantasy I could never have.
“What’s your plan for this place?” He walked back in and handed me my glass of water. “Cleaning it up will help, but it’s going to cost a lot of money to repair everything.”
“Yeah.” I sighed and took a sip of my water. “I don’t honestly know. It needs so much work that I’d be better off just burning the place to the ground.”
“Bad joke.” He glared at me and sat down.
“Oh, right.” I chuckled and lifted my hand to my mouth.
“If you want some help, I’d be glad to grab my tools and lend a hand.” He shrugged and sipped his water. “My schedule is wide open until Thanksgiving.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” I shook my head back and forth. “I’ll figure it out.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering.” He leaned forward and put his glass down. “It’ll cost you, though.”
“Oh?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.
“Yeah, another slice of pizza.” He chuckled and opened the box. “Once I eat this, it’s a binding contract.”
This is a really bad idea.
“Okay, if you really want to help…” I stared as he lifted the pizza to his mouth and took a bite.
We made small talk for a little while longer and then he decided to let me get some rest. After he was gone, I found my mind drifting into those old memories again—the ones I desperately needed to forget. I avoided him at Beth’s wedding for a reason. I knew that my teenage crush was still buried in my soul, begging to consume my thoughts again. That was exactly what it did when I stretched out on the couch and tried to sleep. The instant I closed my eyes, I was back in his house, eighteen years old, walking up those stairs. It wasn’t a new dream, but it was as vivid as the day I saw it with my own eyes. Like most of the dreams I had after that day, when I got to the top of the stairs, it was me on the bed. I was the one opening my mouth, preparing to taste Brody’s enormous cock. I woke up before it got to the good part, my heart pounding in my chest.
This isn’t just a bad idea—it’s the worst idea in the world.
One week later
“Honestly, we should rip the carpet up in the living room.” Brody leaned down and sighed. “It’s in really rough shape and I don’t think a steam cleaner is going to do much.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve helped me fix so much stuff already.” I shook my head back and forth.
“It won’t be that bad.” He walked over to the corner. “It’ll be a lot cheaper than hiring a professional to do it.”
“How long would it take?” I couldn’t deny that the carpet was in really bad shape.
“We could do it this weekend. If you’ve got time.” He turned towards me and put his hands on his hips.
“I’ll have to talk to Jillian. I hate to ask for a day off, considering I nearly burned the bakery to the ground.” I sighed and shrugged. “I’ll definitely have Sunday off.”
“Let’s move the furniture when you get off work on Saturday and then we’ll get started early on Sunday. How about that?” He raised his eyebrows inquisitively. “I can pick up some new carpet between now and then.”
“Yeah, I guess that would be okay.” I nodded and smiled.
Brody had done so much for me since the fire that I felt like I was taking advantage of his generosity. The problem was, I liked hanging out with him. He was more than just muscles and a mesmerizing smile. Underneath all of that hotness was a genuinely good man.
I had to get those thoughts out of my head. He was my best friend’s father. He was completely off limits. That was a line I couldn’t cross, no matter how good he looked when the sweat made his t-shirt cling to his gorgeous body. He always seemed to be so happy when he was here with me, and I loved the way he laughed. My teenage crush was desperately trying to make me forget all of the complications that any sort of relationship would bring. Even if it wasn’t as complicated as it actually was, I knew something about him that I could never reveal.
That’s a secret I’ll have to take to my grave, no matter how much I dream about it.
The next day