Noah (5th Street series)

Chapter 5 - Part 2

The sound of hammering from the kitchen woke Veronica the next morning. Groggily, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand and saw it was only a little after seven. She rose from her bed and grabbed the robe she'd thrown on the chair near the door. She flung it on, slipped into her slippers, and opened her bedroom door.

The intoxicating aroma of brewing coffee immediately infiltrated her nose, and she took an even deeper breath, enjoying it. The hammering stopped as she turned the corner and saw Noah on his knees next to the window in the breakfast nook. He wore a playful expression. "Morning, Roni."

Veronica wasn't sure what to think. Obviously, he'd gone through some of her things if he knew her mother's pet name for her. Thankfully, before she could accuse him of anything, he pointed to a picture on the wall. "Took me a minute to figure out that was you in that graduation picture since it said 'Roni Cruz's graduation.' Then I remembered your friend calling you 'Roni'  your first day at the gym. Not only that, the smile gave you away."

The emphasis on her smile and the way his face seemed to brighten just after he said it made her face warm. "Roni ..." Again with that same unnerving expression. "That's cute. I like it."

Veronica tried to shake it off as if the way he said it didn't do the weirdest things to her insides. She glanced away and walked toward the coffee. She needed coffee now. She shrugged. "Yeah, that's what my mom and a few of my friends in high school called me."

"Does anyone call you that anymore?" He took a few steps towards her, and much to her relief, he stopped when he reached the counter where a cup of coffee sat, and he picked it up, staring at her.

"Only Nellie does sometimes." She wouldn't mention Derek, especially because the only time he did was when he was hinting he was in the mood—God that seemed like so long ago. The thought of getting in the mood with Derek or any man hadn't even crossed her mind until . . .

Good, so you don't mind me calling you that too, right? I think it suits you." Before she could respond to that, he took a sip of his coffee then turned back to the window. "Sorry if I woke you. Just so you know, in case you ever hear someone at the door early in the morning, I run every morning."

He had woken her, but she didn't want him to be sorry about it. Reminding herself that this was only their first morning together and he may be here for a while—months—she tried snapping the ridiculous nervousness. "That's okay, I usually get up around this time anyway. What are you up to?"

"You have a few leaks around some of your windows. I wasn't sure where you kept all your tools, but I managed to round up a few. I'll grab my tools when I go pick up my stuff later." He pointed at the corner of one of the other windows. "That was the worst one, but I think I fixed it."

Veronica tried concentrating on his words, but the way the muscle on his arms flexed as he pointed the hammer was incredibly distracting. She'd seen him in his muscle shirts plenty of times, but seeing him first thing in the morning in her kitchen like this was something else. He was so big and put together, but she had to be mindful that this man standing in her kitchen was only twenty—eight years younger than she was. So as he'd pointed out, he was legal. It was a significant age difference, and she should be ashamed of herself for some of the thoughts entering her head that very moment.

"I could have someone come out and fix it. You shouldn't have to be bothered by it." She leaned against the counter, trying to focus on the invigorating coffee that instantly warmed her insides.

"It's not a bother. With the right tools, it's actually an easy fix. I'll check all the other windows. A house this old probably needs a lot of work."