It Started with a Crack by Piper James

Chapter Eleven

Dakota

Well, that was fun. And by fun, I meant not fun at all. I ordered a car to take me to work this morning, got hit on the entire time by my driver, a shitstick I made the mistake of kissing one time when I was drunk in high school, and then spent all day bored as hell because nothing had changed. No calls. No texts. No offers. No interest.

And when I ordered a car to take me back to the ranch, the same asshole picked me up. And he had the fucking audacity to ask me if I wanted him to come inside for a drink when he dropped me off. He even waggled his eyebrows for good measure. Like one, sloppy-drunk kiss over a decade ago was the start of something he thought I might want to finish. Ugh.

I couldn’t keep doing this. And not just because of the driver. I couldn’t afford it. Those two rides cost me over ten bucks, bringing my already-pathetic bank account down to nearly nothing.

After assuring him I wasn’t interested—three times—I hopped from the car and slammed the door. I needed a fucking shower after all the not-so-subtle innuendos and reminders of that one terrible make-out session.

I turned toward the front steps and froze.

“What the fuck?”

My car was parked in the driveway next to Noah’s truck. I changed direction and walked toward it, unable to believe my eyes. How did it get here? And why did it look so…clean? And…were those new tires? What the hell?

“Hey.”

I spun around to see Noah on the porch, his elbows resting on the banister as he watched me with bright eyes and a wide smile. When I just stared at him with my mouth hanging open, he straightened and jogged down the steps.

“What is happening right now?” I finally choked out.

“It was supposed to be done yesterday,” he said, still smiling, “but Jim had to order a part that didn’t come in until this afternoon. I would’ve given you a ride this morning, but you left early. Avoiding me?”

I ignored his easy charm despite the way that smile made my heart beat faster.

“You had my car repaired?” I asked as if it weren’t obvious.

“You need transportation, Dakota. Especially living way out here,” he said, his smile dropping at my lack of apparent gratitude.

Did he think I would jump into his arms and shower him with kisses? Was that what he wanted? He obviously felt like some kind of hero, but all I saw was a debt I never asked for.

“How much did it cost?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Noah.”

“Can you please just say thank you and let it go?” he asked, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Thank you. How much did it cost?”

I knew I was being a bitch, but I couldn’t control the anger coursing through me. I never asked for this. I didn’t want his pity, and I didn’t want to feel indebted to him. I was already at such a disadvantage, living in his house rent-free, with him footing the bill for the necessities like groceries and utilities. I didn’t need this on my shoulders, too.

His chest heaved as he sighed. “It was only twelve hundred dollars.”

The way he said it made it sound like he was saying five dollars. Twelve hundred? How in the hell was I supposed to come up with that much money to pay him back? Because I would pay him back.

“Listen, I didn’t mean to overstep,” he murmured when I didn’t respond. “I thought I was doing something nice for you.”

“Noah—”

“How long do you think it’s going to take to sell a property in this market?”

“I don’t—”

“And what if someone does call and asks you to show them something? How would you get there without a car?”

“That’s beside the point,” I said, finally getting a full sentence out without being interrupted. “You did this without even asking me.”

“Would you have agreed to let me pay for it?”

“No.”

“Exactly,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Please, Dakota, just accept the gift.”

The tension drained out of me as I looked back at the car. What else was I going to do? Take it back to the shop and have them reverse the repairs and take the tires back? What would that solve?

Nothing.

I looked back at Noah and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, his grin returning.

“I’m going to pay you back.”

“Of course, you are…with interest,” he said, but his smirk told me he didn’t plan to accept any form of repayment from me.

He really was just being nice.

And I really didn’t know what to think about that.

* * *

I went straightto my room and hid out there the rest of the night. I took a shower, washed my hair, and painted my toenails before climbing into bed and reading until I fell asleep. Noah left me to my own devices, only knocking once to tell me he’d ordered pizza.

I told him I wasn’t hungry, and he didn’t push. I’d been lying, of course. I’d skipped lunch and my belly was rumbling at the mere mention of food. But still, I refused to leave my room. I was still raw from swallowing my pride with the whole car ordeal, and accepting a dinner he ordered and payed for would’ve pushed me over the edge.

This morning, however, I was kicking myself for being so ridiculous. I should’ve just gone out and ate a piece of fucking pizza. There’s pride, and there’s stupidity, and the line between the two was thin and flimsy. My stomach felt like it was gnawing on itself. I dressed quickly and prayed there were some leftovers.

As soon as I opened my bedroom door, the smell of bacon hit my nose. My mouth started to water as I stumbled forward, my hand pressed to my stomach to try to quell the rumbling there.

“Good morning,” Noah said as I entered the kitchen.

“Morning,” I replied, eyeing his plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and strawberries.

Forcing my eyes away, I headed for the coffee maker, but there was already a mug brewing. Fuck, it all smelled so good.

“That’s for you,” Noah said, and I whipped around to face him. “This is, too.”

He pointed at the coffee, then the plate of food on the counter. I opened my mouth, an argument on the tip of my tongue, but I just didn’t have the will to say no. It smelled too good, and I was starving.

“Thank you. It looks delicious,” I said, grabbing the mug of coffee and pouring some cream and sweetener into it.

Noah’s posture relaxed when he didn’t get the argument he was obviously expecting. “Do you like your eggs scrambled? I can fry some if you’d prefer.”

“No, scrambled is perfect,” I said, and he snagged the plate from the counter and took it to the small, round breakfast table I’d brought from my apartment.

As I took a seat, he hurried back into the kitchen before coming back with a fork and napkin. I thanked him, and he slid into the chair across from me. The piece of bacon I’d been lifting to my mouth froze mid-air as I stared at him.

“Aren’t you eating?” I asked.

“I already ate,” he said, shaking his head.

“So, you’re just going to sit here and watch me eat?”

He smiled, but made no move to get up and let me eat in peace. Shrugging, I took a bite of the bacon. A moan vibrated in my chest as the salty goodness hit my tongue, and it was all I could do not to shove the whole thing in my mouth like a heathen.

Once I chewed and swallowed, I took a sip of my coffee and looked back at Noah. “So, what’s on the agenda for you today?”

“We’re starting work on a new house for Belle,” he said.

I nodded, scooping up some eggs on my fork and shoveling them into my mouth. Belle’s foundation, ARP, was a nonprofit that repaired and renovated houses for people who needed it. Sometimes they would renovate homes that people already owned, and sometimes they would purchase properties, fix them up, and gift them to families in need. The Perry brothers had jumped on board immediately, offering their expertise and talents to the cause, as well as helping Belle get donations of materials and labor from their contacts.

It was an amazing thing she was doing, and I couldn’t deny that knowing Noah was part of it softened me toward him…just a little. He was still a pig, but maybe one of those cute, pot-bellied ones people keep as pets instead of the farmer’s hog I always pictured him as.

Noah got up and wandered out, letting me finish my breakfast. When I’d eaten every crumb, I took my plate to the sink. The kitchen was spotless, which meant Noah must’ve been cleaning as he cooked. All I had to do was rinse my plate and fork and stick them in the dishwasher. I drained the last of my coffee, stuck the mug in the washer, and wandered out into the living room.

“What the—”

I stopped in my tracks, my wide eyes taking in the monstrous flat screen mounted on the wall. Noah appeared from the hallway, and my eyes moved from the television to him and back again.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I had the satellite hooked up yesterday and bought a T.V.”

“Did you have to put it on the wall?” I asked, cringing at the thought of the holes he would’ve had to screw into the wall to hang the massive thing.

“It’s fine,” he said. “When I take it down, I can fix the wall, no problem.”

I nodded, knowing he was right. Besides, it would be really nice to be able to watch television and movies again. I turned around to say as much, but froze once again.

“What the hell is that?” I asked pointing at the buttery-looking leather couch that sat where my old, ratty one used to be. “Where is my couch?”

Jesus, I really didn’t notice anything when I came inside last night.

“Oh, you mean that uncomfortable piece of shit on which you could feel the wood supports digging into your ass whenever you sat down? It’s at the dump. I upgraded it.”

“Without asking?”

“Oh, come on, Dakota. You can’t be mad about this. That couch was falling apart, and you know it.”

“That’s beside the point,” I grumbled.

“The point is, both of us would have back problems if we sat on that thing much longer. Just try it out. You’ll see how much better it is. And if you like it, you can take it with you when you move out.”

“Noah—”

“I threw out your old one. I have to replace it,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s not charity. It’s common decency.”

I shook my head, but didn’t argue further. What was the point? My old couch was gone, and honestly, I wasn’t all that sad about it. Noah was right—it had been a piece of shit.

“I have to go to work,” I said, grabbing my purse and jacket.

“Okay, see you when you get home.”

* * *

I was still thinkingabout that “home” statement as I drove back to the ranch after work. The way he’d said it, so easily and comfortably, had made fireflies erupt in my stomach. I called myself a million times a fool all day long. It hadn’t meant anything. It was just a turn of phrase.

The ranch wasn’t my home. It was a temporary pit stop, and soon I would be gone.

The thoughts flew out of my head as I pulled up to see a large shed in the side yard. It hadn’t been there before, and I wondered where it came from and why it was there. I grabbed my things and climbed from the car, staring at the structure as I made my way to the front porch.

When I got inside, I opened my mouth to call out to Noah, but nothing but a choked gasp came out. The living room looked completely different. Gone were my scratched end tables and coffee table, replaced with sleek, dark-wood pieces that looked like they cost a small fortune. There was also a brand new recliner and a large area rug beneath it all.

I glanced toward the kitchen, and sure enough, my small rickety table was gone. Instead, there was a larger rectangular piece with six matching chairs.

“Before you blow your top, I can explain.”

I turned toward the hall to see Noah standing there, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he waited for me to explode. When I just stared at him, he swallowed thickly.

“I didn’t throw your stuff away,” he said. “Well, except for the couch, which we both know belonged in a trash heap. Everything else is in the shed.”

“It is?” I asked, feeling a little better now that I knew he hadn’t tossed all my furniture.

“Yes,” he said. “Eventually, someone is going to want to see this place. It’ll show much better with new, matching furniture, don’t you think?”

I nodded. He was right. This stuff showed off the potential of the house much better than my secondhand furniture ever could. Noah’s body relaxed once he realized I wasn’t going to argue with him.

“I also got myself some bedroom furniture, new towels and décor for all three bathrooms, and some decent pots and pans for the kitchen.”

“It looks great in here,” I said.

“Thanks,” he said. “If you don’t like something, we can go replace it.”

“No, it’s fine,” I said, moving past him to head for my bedroom.

He let me go, and once the door closed behind me, I leaned back against it. That “we” had slipped out of his mouth so easily. Just like the word “home” had this morning. Like we really were a “we,” and this was our home.

Which it wasn’t. And we definitely weren’t.

I didn’t like him. Not even a little bit. Okay, maybe he wasn’t that bad.

Fuck, I was so confused, and I needed to figure out how to be around him without being a raging bitch. That wasn’t me. I was generally a relaxed, chill person, but he wouldn’t know it from the way I’d been reacting to everything.

I made a promise to myself right then to try to just be normal around him from now on. There was no reason to be so combative all the time.

No problem. I could totally do this.

Totally.