Page 17 of Return to Cheshire Bay
“Yes.” Inarrowed my eyes. What was he thinking?
“Mightneed to refinish theframe too.” He ran his hand over the dark-browndoorframe.
I staredat it. If we pushed hard enough to scratch thetabletop, the door framewas also going to get a solid scuffing.
“Can you lifton your side?”
Itried but the whole thing wasjammed. “Not an inch.”
Eric climbedover to where I stood and gave it a lift. “It’s moving.”
“Look atyou go,He-Man.”
“That’sallI need for now.” Hegrunted and shimmied the table enough to unwedge it. “Can you getback over to the other side?”
I wasneither cute nor sexy as I crawled under the tablelegs, and before I madeit to the other end, I froze. Written in marker, near the cornerleg, was a brief note.For Madeline. Love Marcus.The date was over thirty years ago, aroundthe time my big sister was born.
My heartfluttered at the gesture. Dad sure loved Mom, and everyone knewit.
Iheaved myself to a standingposition and together we pushed it back into the kitchen, tipped iton its side, and twisted it around to manoeuvre it through thedoorway much easier. We set it on the tarp, and I ran my hand overthe tabletop. Hardly any digs and dents, and the scratches weresurface enough to come off with a quick sanding.
“Thankyou.”I gave my belly asolid rub to soothe the ache but tried passing it off asstretching.
Itfailed as Eric continued to stare at the bump, although herefrained from speaking the question dancing in hiseyes.
Instead, he ranhis hands through his hair, smoothing down the stuck-up part. “Wemake a good team.”
The wordslingered in the ocean fresh air.
Can’thappen.
“Can Imake you a coffee?”
Adistraction, that’s what Ineeded. It was too early in the day to think of dreams and otherworldly possibilities. Those were other people’s futures, not mine.There was no team in single motherhood.
“Can I brushmy teeth first?”
I nodded. “Ofcourse.”
Hedashed off, and once outof sight I prepped a quick caffeine and sugar rush kick. The cupwas ready when he darkened my doorstep.
“Helpyourself to milk in the fridge. The sugaris on the counter. Oh, and the chocolate chipmuffins are good too.”
“I like itblack, thanks, but I’ll grab a muffin.”
Igrabbed my full mug andwent out to sit on the patio with Eric hot on my heels. We madeidle chitchat about the upcoming change in the weather and where Imanaged to find a sander, until I put my mug down. It was time toaddress the tiny elephant in the room.
“So,Eric.” Verbal diarrhea was my strong point, and I really needed towatch how I phrased my words. Last thing I wanted to do wasalienate the guy since he’d proven to be a sweet man and a greatneighbour. “About last week, at the bonfire.”
“Don’tworryabout it. It wasall my fault.” But he wouldn’t look me in the eye, much like he’davoided me over the past seven days. Aside from a neighbourly wavehere and there, the conversations had been minimal, reduced to ahello or have a great day.
“Butit’s not.Maybe I ledyou to believe…”
“You didno such thing. Ihave abad habit of reading too much into situations.”
Itwisted my body toward him, and I gave my belly a light rub. The ache was stillthere, but it wasn’t screaming mad. Perhaps I overdidit.
“How so?” Maybehe’d spill about past girlfriends.