“I think it’s…acorns?”
Jessica and Gabby were running to the front door, their hands over their heads trying to block the onslaught. The oak trees lining the driveway were dropping acorns like hail—which was weird because they didn’t do that until the fall…
I opened the front door to let them in, and as soon as they crossed the threshold, the deluge outside abruptly ceased.
“Unbelievable,” Jessica said angrily.
She had red welts on her bare arms.
Gabby was pulling acorns from her hair.
Alexis blinked at them in shock. “What happened?”
“The fucking trees!” Jessica snapped.
I went outside and jogged down the stairs. I stopped under the first oak and picked up one of the projectiles.
Acorn.
So weird…I turned it around in my fingers. I looked up at the tree, shading my eyes. I didn’t see any on the branches. Maybe they all fell? But they don’t drop until September. And when they do, they sure as hell don’t drop like this. Maybe a squirrel’s nest got knocked over or something?
I turned around, looking at the mess. There must have been a thousand acorns on the lawn.
Alexis came outside a moment later, looking weary. “They’re just going to go eat at Jane’s and then rent bikes.”
I blinked at her. “Oh. They don’t want breakfast?”
“Not here,” she said glumly.
My stomach dropped.
This wasn’t how I wanted this weekend to go. Not for my guests, not for me, and especially not for Alexis. I wanted to impress her.
I dragged a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how today got so messed up.”
“It’s okay,” she said, sliding her hands into her pockets.
“When will you be back?” I asked.
“I’m not going.”
I wrinkled my forehead. “You’re not going with your friends?”
“I’m not very happy with them right now. I’m going to stay and help you clean up.”
I was happy I was getting time with her, but I shook my head. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. I can do the sweeper thingy.”
“The broom?” I looked at her, amused.
Her cheeks got a little pink. “Yeah. That’s what I meant.”
I studied her for a second. “Do you know how to sweep?”
She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked away from me. “I…I don’t clean my own house, Daniel. I’ve never done it before.”
“You’ve never cleaned?”
She looked embarrassed. “No. Not really. No.”
I blinked at her.
“I mean, I load the dishwasher. I put clothes in the laundry basket—”
“Can you do laundry?”
She paused a moment before shaking her head.
I don’t know why, but this made me feel about two hundred thousand times better.
She crossed her arms. “Don’t make fun of me—”
“I’m not.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I’m smiling because this entire weekend has made me feel like I suck at everything and it’s nice to know that maybe you suck at things too.”
She snorted. “Daniel, you’re good at everything. Trust me.”
“Yeah, well, sex stuff doesn’t count.”
“Uh, it actually does. And I’m not just talking about sex stuff. Your woodworking, your cooking.”
Those things didn’t really feel equal to a medical degree, but I’d take them. At this point I needed all the help I could get.
“You don’t have to clean,” I said. “Just hang out with me.”
But she shook her head. “I want to help. Would you show me?”
I smiled. “Sure.”
Chapter 20
Alexis
I spent the day helping Daniel with his chores, and it was work. We cleaned up the breakfast disaster, and then we had to go do the rooms. Make the beds, clean the bathrooms. I had never scrubbed a shower before. It was exhausting.
And he did this every day.
It gave me a whole new appreciation for my housekeeper.
Bri liked to say she could tell I’d never cried in a walk-in fridge before. I’d never worked retail or in a restaurant. She said it should be mandatory that everyone work at a fast-food place for six months because it changes you, and I think this is what she meant.
It made me think about every time I left a dirty makeup wipe on the counter, or I tossed my shoes on the floor and came back to them put away. I must seem so rude, I realized.