Page 8 of A Lesson for Laurel

“You’re starting earlier today,” Laurel said when she stepped out on her porch and saw Easton outside. “You could have come knocked on the door.”

The next morning, Laurel did some stretches and realized she wasn’t as sore as she’d thought she’d be.

That was a good thing since there was no way she was passing on helping him out again.

“I figured you’d see me,” he said. “How are you feeling today?”

“Not bad,” she said. “How about you?”

He smirked. “I’m used to this. No worries.”

“It looks good on you too,” she said without thought. She wasn’t used to flirting with anyone and was shocked those words came out of her mouth.

“I could say the same,” he said.

“Even though before I started to help you, you thought I might be a little too prissy to do it?”

“Guilty,” he said. “Glad to be proven wrong.”

She handed over a coffee for him. He’d mentioned he was out and needed to run to the store. Not to be a creepy neighbor, but she didn’t see him leave last night either.

“Thought you might need this,” she said. “Unless you already had one.”

“I had tea,” he said. “Tasted like shit, but it was caffeine. I got busy and forgot to run out. Then today I wanted to get started so figured I’d go after. Thanks.”

“Didn’t know how you took it,” she said. “You seemed like a straight up strong black coffee type of guy.”

“The best way to drink it,” he said. “Cream is for wusses.”

She burst out laughing. “Then I won’t say that Philip not only used cream but flavored cream at that.”

She caught the slight roll of his eyes as if he wanted to catch himself from doing it.

“What about you?” he asked. “Black or cream?”

“A touch of cream,” she said. “Enough to take the edge off but not take away the coffee itself. Unless it’s crappy coffee.”

He took a sip. “Nothing crappy about this,” he said.

“I grind my own beans on the weekends when I’ve got time. I’m a bit of a coffee snob. No use doing that for someone who destroys all the best qualities of it.”

“Some things are just worth the effort,” he said.

His eyes were looking her up and down and she didn’t have a problem with it now any more than she did last night. In the past she might make some snarky comment to a man sizing her up as if she did what she did each morning for their viewing pleasure.

“Yes, they are,” she said, doing it right back. Why not? This was the most fun she’d had since she’d been here.

Probably the most fun she’d had in a year. Pretty sad when she’d been planning her wedding a year ago.

That should have been clue enough if she’d been paying attention.

Just like all the times Philip worked late and she never questioned it.

Guess that was code for hooking up on a Tinder match.

“Got your gloves?” he asked.

She pulled them out of her back pocket. “Right here. You’ve already gotten the other old pavers removed. This is going to be pretty quick. Not as much ground to cover.”