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to the porch then turned to look up at Eli standing in the truck bed. He looked down at her from his tremendous height, his thick, muscular arms crossed over his broad, powerful chest.
Rachel asked, “What are you up to, Eli?”
With a big grin spread across his face, Eli jumped out of the truck bed, landing beside her. Feeling instantly enveloped in his massive presence, she looked up at him, smiling into his twinkling eyes.
He reached over the bed and said, “I found something of yours.” Then he yanked a dirty blanket off her cedar hope chest.
She let out a loud yelp and jumped into his arms. One leap and she was clinging to his neck, holding on tight. He laughed and put his arms around her hips as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him, thanked him, and cried a little because she was so relieved it was okay. Finally, she released him, and he set her back on the ground and helped her into the bed of the truck.
“It’s got some pretty bad burn marks on the side nearest your bedroom door, but I think a refinisher could probably remove or repair that damage, and it would be good as new. It’s very well made, and the lid has a nice tight fit on it. I think you’re going to be happy.”
She reached to press the latch and lift the lid. Everything inside it was untouched, with no evidence of smoke creeping in around the lid. The fresh scent of cedar was the only aroma to rise from the interior of the hope chest.
She paused as she gently touched the contents of the chest then closed the lid carefully, looking at the three men standing there.
“Thank you for being willing to go back there, for going to the trouble for me. It means a lot to me. I gave up hope there was anything left. Can we put it in the garage for now? I’ll empty it out and store everything inside while I work on it. I think I can remove that blistered varnish and sand it down and refinish it myself. I’m so happy. Thank you.” They lifted it down, and Kelly looked on smiling as Eli came back to Rachel, put his arms around her, and hugged her before helping her back down.
“I found your wristwatch on the floor by your night table. It must have gotten knocked off in the rush,” he added, reaching in his pocket to hand her the undamaged wristwatch her father had bought for her twenty-seventh birthday last year. She accepted it from him and hugged him again.
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“Oh, lunch is getting cold. I got us all sandwiches at Rudy’s.” Rachel opened the takeout bag and began handing out sandwiches. The men didn’t stay in the duplex long because the smell of soot and ash permeated their clothing and boots. They ate on the front porch and the girls joined them.
They drove out to her parents’ ranch to pick up some furniture. Back at the duplex, they unloaded everything and she showed them where she wanted everything placed, smiling as Eli assembled a pretty oak bed for her.
They unwrapped the mattress and box spring, and she groaned when she realized that she’d forgotten to buy pillows.
“Rachel, you can borrow one of mine tonight,” Eli offered.
Rachel remembered that tonight he’d be sleeping alone, most likely.
That thought didn’t exactly sit well with her.
Kelly sat in Rachel’s rocker with Matthew and said, “I could sleep over here tonight with the baby and give the two of you some privacy. It’s the least I can do.” She winked at Rachel. “That way you won’t have to make a special trip for pillows. I’ll even help you get settled tonight before you go in to the club.”
“All right, Kelly, you’ve convinced me. Be my houseguest.”
Eli had to go in at six o’clock that evening, along with Mike and Rogelio. Rachel made arrangements for Grace and Jack to swing by and pick her up on their way to the club later that night, and then she’d simply ride home with Eli at the end of the evening. Doing this would give her time to unpack everything and begin getting settled. She hung her clothing in the walk-in closet, grimacing as she thought of all the ruined clothing in the boxes in the garage. She smiled again, though, remembering Eli’s boyish grin as he’d jumped down from the truck bed earlier.
Eli got cleaned up and offered to take the girls for an early supper. They took him up on the invitation, and after they ate, he dropped them back off at the duplex and headed to The Dancing Pony.
Rachel made up the bed and hung her new shower curtain, which was perfect in contrast to the dark blue towels. The quilt Kelly had chosen for her was beautiful on the bed, and she was right about the size issue. After everything she’d saved Thursday night and all her new things were put away, she started getting ready for the evening.