Do Over

Chapter 2

Adrik

Why is my cell phone ringing, I am sleeping. "Hello?" I grumble. "Don't you take that tone with me, young man. I got a busted water line in my bathroom, I need you and your wonderful tools to come fix it and my neighbors too." Mrs. Brennon yaps from the other end of the line. Why did I volunteer to work on those apartments again, oh yeah, my mother. I groan and haul myself up out of bed, "I'm on my way." I tell her and end the call. That woman is older than Moses but can be sweet as pie when she wants to be.

I throw on jeans and a t-shirt with my work boots. On my way out the door, I grab my truck keys and drive the five minutes to the apartments. I knock on her door, "Mrs. Brennon, it's Adrik." I call out and she opens the door, "Well, took you long enough. Now, there's quite the mess in here and Ella, my neighbor, already checked on me and turned off my water, since I couldn't do it and you take forever." I rolled my eyes as she turned away. "By the way, you aren't getting any younger, Adrik. When are you going to find that mate of yours? I mean, you are pushing forty."

I grit my teeth, this is the same thing I hear from everyone. I tried to marry without being mates, that didn't work out. I am not going to do it again, it's my mate or nothing. I sigh, I wish I could find her. Focus, Adrik, focus. I eye the wall and it looks like someone took a sledgehammer to it. "Um, Mrs. Brennon, what happened to your wall?" She looked at me blankly for a moment, "I sneezed." Then, left the room.  I scratched my head, I will never understand that woman.

I need to see how bad the damage is on the other side, so I head to the apartment next door and knock. A whirlwind of blonde hair that smells wonderful barrels through and tells me to find my way and she will see me later, before jumping into a car and driving away. I'm standing there in the doorway, staring after her. I think that might have been my mate.

I shake my head, I know where she lives now. I make my way to her bathroom and there is a mess in here. She cleaned up a lot of the water but the whole wall needs replaced and I am going to need help. I grab my phone, "Teddison, I'm at the apartments and need some help, so get your lazy ass here and help me or I will call mom." He groans, "Real mature, Adrik. I'm on the way, DO NOT CALL MOM." And that is how that's done.

Several hours later, we have the pipe replaced, the wall fixed in Mrs. Brennon's apartment and we are working on the blonde tornado's bathroom. I am taking my time, I want to see her again. Then, the front door opens and in walk two teenagers with wild hair. "Who the hell are you?" The girl asked and Teddy scoffed, "Who the hell are you?" The girl laughed, "Your worst nightmare, pal." I interrupted, "Woah, hold on, we are fixing the bathroom, your Mom knows we are here." She rolls her eyes and whips out her cell, "Mom, there are two large men in our home, they said they are fixing the bathroom, but the one looks pretty shifty, but I could take him."

Teddy screams and hides behind me, peeking at the vixen, I'm holding in my laughter. The girl nods, "OK, will do." she ends her call, "Mom said I could kill him. I'm Lynn by the way and this is my brother, Connor." Connor waves, "Hey." I smile, "I'm Adrik and this idiot is my brother, Teddison." She nods, "I'm watching you, or rather Connor is, I'm going to meet up with Scarlett. See ya." Lynn turns to leave, but jumps at Teddy, causing him to jump and shriek. I couldn't contain my laughter anymore. I like this girl.

Connor looks at me and then at Teddy and shrugs before heading to one of the bedrooms. Teddy whines, "Can we go now? I'm hungry." I sigh, "You go, I am not done here." Teddy runs out and I shake my head. Ten minutes later, Connor pops his head in, "Can I help? I'm bored." I nod, "Sure, come on in, kid."  He and I work side by side for another hour when we hear the door open. "Connor? I'm home." Her voice is just sexy.  Connor looks at me with a grin before walking out. "Hey, Mom. You should meet Adrik, he's handy."  I shake my head, this kid.

Then she pops her head in, "Oh, Hi there. I'm Ella and I see that you have met Connor and by the phone call I assume that you met Lynn." I smiled, "Yeah, she's great and Connor's a lot of help. I'm Adrik." She smiled and I thought I was going to faint, great, now I'm fangirling. She is beautiful and smells great, long blonde hair, dark blue eyes, short, curvy, tattoos, swoon. The front door opens again, saving me from awkward silence, well, really me just staring at her and Connor grinning like he won the lottery.

"Mom, can I keep him?" I hear Lynn's voice and follow Ella into the living room to see a giant hellhound laying on the floor with Lynn rubbing his belly. Ella sighs, "Give him a bath first." I stare, mouth open, she was rubbing the belly of a hellhound like it was a damned puppy. "Come on, Bunny."  The damned thing follows her into the bathroom. I look at Ella and she shrugs, "She always wanted a puppy, so why not."

I cannot believe this shit, a hellhound for a pet, a hellhound named Bunny. What the actual fuck?