He didn’t need to ask me twice. I grabbed the sledgehammer and hit an upper cabinet with little result. After a few more tries, I was both embarrassed and a little ticked off.
“Here,” Brax said, sliding in behind me and putting his hands on either side of mine on the sledgehammer. There wasn’t an inch of the front of his body that didn’t touch the back of mine. “You ready?”
I nodded, imagining the cabinet was Ross’s face.
With one swing, we sent the side of the cabinet flying off. It was exhilarating, and after a few more practice swings with Brax, he let me go so I could continue.
I think he was a little shocked by how into the destruction I was, and my brother loved it, actually egging me on and pulling pieces apart and tossing them out the back door so I could get another go at it.
Within ten minutes, we had the kitchen cabinets and counters in pieces and I was completely out of breath. “That was fun,” I said, looking around in satisfaction and imagining what it would look like soon.
Toby slung the sledgehammer over his shoulder, looking winded but satisfied. “Why don’t you guys take off and get the paint and I’ll clean up here.”
Neither of us argued.
Brax and I went to a little hardware store where the friendly owner went out of his way to help us. “What are you attracted to?” he asked, and I glanced at him with a smile. Now that was a loaded question.
I gravitated toward the beiges.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new and different from what you’re normally used to,” Brax said. The tone of his voice wasn’t the only thing that caught me off-guard. The way he watched me, with an I-dare-you expression, made me wonder if we were still talking about paint.
I’d always wanted to go with a darker paint color in my bedroom, but Ross had said it would be too depressing. To me, I liked feeling closed in when it came to my master bedroom. I know some people loved light and bright, but at least in my bedroom, I wanted a more intimate feel. Something rich and elegant. I reached for a cocoa color and hesitated.
“Don’t second-guess yourself,” he said, and I snagged the color card off of the sample wall. “Now let’s pick out the kitchen and living room. I’m going to suggest going with something consistent throughout the rooms since we’re opening up the kitchen into the living area. We want the color to give fluidity throughout the house. Makes for a nicer flow that way.”
In five minutes, I had committed to a main house color and even picked out a card for an exterior color, just in case I had enough money left over from the interior renovation to paint the outside.
Brax opened up the passenger side door and helped me in before he went about putting the paint into the bed of the truck. I watched him on the side mirror. Ross had never been a Mr. Fix-it. Ever. If he needed something done, he hired someone to do it for him. It was refreshing to be around a man who was okay with getting his hands dirty.
Settling into the driver’s seat, Brax looked at me with a smile. “You did it.”
“Once again with your help,” I said, feeling happy with my choices. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He reached out and touched my hand, his fingers grazing my thigh. “My pleasure. You just wait until your house is finished. You won’t regret the time and effort you put into it.”
My mouth went dry as I watched him watch me. “I’m excited.”
He started the truck and we sat in silence for the mile-long drive. When we arrived at the house, the Dumpster had been dropped off and Toby was on the porch, talking to a lady with an edgy bob. “Oh my God, it’s Kara,” I said under my breath. She had put on at least twenty pounds since the last time I’d seen her. Dressed in a black blouse and blue jeans tucked into knee-high boots, she looked stylish and really happy.
“I come bearing gifts,” she said, reaching for an apple crisp that had been on the porch railing.
“Hey, Kara,” Brax said, giving her a welcoming side hug. “You look amazing.”
“Brax,” she said, beaming from ear to ear. “You’re too kind.” Her gaze shifted over him from head to toe and back again.
Subtlety had never been her strong suit.
“Did you bring the kids?” I asked.
She frowned. “Uh, no. They’re having a play-date with grandma, so I thought I’d drop by since I heard you’d returned home. I sent you a few social media requests, but apparently you’re trying to leave everyone in suspense. Trust me, I’ve been stalking you.”
“Sorry, I just…” I trailed off, not knowing how to respond.