As she got closer to the side of the house where Kurt was working, she noticed Mr. Longtail milling around underneath the ladder and rubbing his cheek against its base. “Please, God, say that’s stable.”
Kurt smiled, his teeth gleaming white in contrast to the dark brick behind him. “With the stabilizer, it’s safer than if someone was down there holding it.”
“Let’s hope.” Kelsey shooed the cat out from underneath. “So, tell me, what little fire are we putting out now?”
“A storm’s coming, and the cracks around the side of this window are nearly big enough for a bird to fly through. It’s causing a mess in the front bedroom. The wall around the window is rotting, and the wooden floor underneath has water damage. Not only could we use a new window and frame here, but the brick needs tuck-pointing. For today, a bit of duct tape will do.”
Shifting the bag of pretzels and root beers precariously to one hand, Kelsey pulled her phone from her pocket and clicked open the weather app. He was right. There was a seventy percent chance of thunderstorms late this afternoon. “I was about to ask how you knew, isolated here as you’ve been, but then I remembered you’re now the proud owner of a smartphone.”
He shifted on the ladder, causing it to bounce and jiggle. Kelsey grabbed ahold of one of the lower rungs, nearly dropping her phone in the process. Apparently unconcerned about the jiggling, Kurt stopped taping and brushed a hand over his back pocket, drawing her attention to his fabulous derriere. “If you want the truth, I forgot I had it. Can’t you feel the air pressure dropping? I’m no weatherman, but I can tell when a thunderstorm is coming.”
Kelsey made a face. “When the winds pick up and the sky darkens, I can.”
He chuckled and ripped off another piece of duct tape. From here, the window frame blocked the silver tape from view, so hopefully it wouldn’t be visible from the street either. Not that duct tape would stand out much in comparison to the couple of missing bricks or the peeling paint on the shutters and porch or the run-down carriage house out back.
Kelsey was surprised by the rush of emotion that swept over her as she thought about all the work the house needed to really shine again. At one point, she wouldn’t have cared if the old mansion was torn down and a new one was built in its place whenever it went up for sale, or if, like the dogs, it was rehabbed. Not anymore. Now she’d be willing to put up a battle to make sure whoever eventually bought it was intent on restoring it. The old place had way too much history to be knocked down. Whoever the eventual new owners were, they just had to pump the life back into it that Sabrina Raven had given it for so many years. And hopefully they’d get her garden going again too.
“That should do it,” Kurt said, dropping the tape and X-ACTO knife into the worn leather tool belt.
Kelsey held the ladder for his first several steps down, then backed away as his feet reached chest level. He quite possibly had the best rear end she’d ever seen, and she could feel her cheeks flaming hot to prove it.
“I made a pretzel run,” she said, holding up the bag and hoping it drew attention away from her blush. “And I hope you like root beer. It’s so warm today that I thought it would hit the spot.”
“Sounds perfect. Thanks.” He took one of the extended bottles and twisted off the cap. He slipped the cap into his pocket rather than tossing it on the ground. None of it was intentional, but he was passing so many tests. She couldn’t have a crush on a guy who littered. Or who wasn’t kind and gentle with the dogs. And even though he was cautious about naming them, he was a genuine dog whisperer.
“Want to sit a few minutes?” she asked. “Some part of you has to be tired.”
One side of his perfect lips turned up in a half smile. “Now that you say it, the rocking chairs on the front porch have been calling my name.”
“Awesome. I’ve always wanted to sit in them, but I’ve never taken the time.” Kelsey walked with him around the house and up the wide brick stairs. “Have you heard of Gus’ Pretzels? Depending on how you get off the highway, you probably passed it as you came here. I’d guess you could say they’re a bit of a St. Louis landmark.”
“Like the pizza joints that use a cracker for the crust?” Kurt teased, pulling one of the long pretzel sticks from the bag and then collapsing onto one of the old wooden rockers.
Kelsey took a seat in the adjacent one, wondering how many times Sabrina and Ida had sat here together.
“They’re good.”
“And addictive,” she added. “Which was fine when I was swinging by here to feed Mr. Longtail. It was on my way home, and the place was closed. But now it’s right up the street and so available.”
“You say it like that’s a bad thing.”
“It is if you’re watching carbs.”
“I don’t know why you’d be doing that.” His gaze dropped to her body for only a second or two, followed by one or two seconds when she wanted to disappear. They had to be just empty words. He was too physically perfect not to want someone who could double as a Victoria’s Secret model. Right?
Thankfully, Mr. Longtail jumped up onto the side of the porch and meowed his loud, pervasive meow, drawing Kurt’s attention. The cat stalked over to him and rubbed against one
