Handyman for Hire Page 2
“You said that already.” She held out her hand. “Give me the card. I’ll call tomorrow night, and we can work out the details.”
Leaning past her, he popped open the glove box, opened a small metal box, pulled out a card, and handed it to her. “You don’t have to call.”
“I will.” Nicole unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. She’d turned to get out when she noticed that Logan hadn’t moved. “Aren’t you coming?”
“No, I don’t want to crash your parents’ thirtieth anniversary party. Sounds like a family thing.”
She leaned over and turned off the truck. “They really will want to thank you.”
“Are you sure?” He couldn’t help but think about his parents who were not sure what to do with a child that had completely changed.
“Absolutely.” She smiled. “Come on.”
Logan pocketed the key, got out of the truck, and slowly followed her to the house. She ran up the steps and motioned for him to hurry. He knew he should say no—he didn’t need to overhear any more gossip about him—but she’d been kind to Lola. He hurried up the stairs, already hearing the cheerful hum of the party.
As soon as the door opened, he could see balloons, gaudy banners, and a mob of people. He stepped back only to realize that Nicole had shut the door behind him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the mob. Well, group. Forty happy people hardly qualified as a mob, but after all the lonely nights, it was a startling transition.
A stout man with a braided beard and booming laugh caught his eye. Like Nicole, his skin had a gray tint to it. Logan wished he was surprised when Nicole stopped next to the man.
“Nicole, you made it!” He lifted her off the ground with his hug.
“Wouldn’t be anywhere else.” She beamed.
He set her down and focused on Logan. “Who’s this fellow?”
“Dad, this is Logan.” Nicole tipped her head to the side. “You know, I didn’t catch your last name.”
“Fuller.”
She smiled. “And Logan, this is Douglas O’Riley, my dad.”
Logan held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
Douglas firmly shook Logan’s hand. “I saw your name in the papers. Told your parents, and Lola’s, how sorry I was . . . The whole thing was terrible.”
Nicole glanced between the two of them.
“I’m sure that meant a lot to them.” Logan tried to keep a neutral expression.
“Dad,” Nicole said softly, “my car broke down. Logan gave me a ride.”
“His parents raised him right.” Douglas smiled down at his daughter before eyeing Logan. “How can I repay you?”
He held up a hand. “No need. I simply wanted to see that she was safe.”
Douglas grunted. “Stay right here.”
Logan sent Nicole a helpless glance as Douglas hurried off.
“Well that was odd,” Nicole muttered.
“I’m sorry. I should go. You more than paid for the gas. You’re safe.” Logan glanced around nervously, unsure what else to say.
“Wait for Dad.” He must not have looked convinced because she smiled and added, “Please?”
Glancing around, Logan noted how many eyes were on them. If he left now, it would cause a scene. “I’ll stay.”
“Good.” Nicole opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but paused.
He quirked an eyebrow.
Nicole leaned in. “I’m sorry.” The words were soft and heartfelt. “I didn’t realize Lola meant something to you. I should’ve left her grave alone.”
“She would’ve liked you, and I think she enjoyed the company.” He smiled softly.
“What happened?”
“For three years, we were madly in love.” He closed his eyes. If only retelling the story didn’t make it real again. “Drunk guy ran a stop sign. Hit us, her door first. A vampire happened to be nearby. He turned me and saved my life. He couldn’t do anything for Lola. The other driver died.”
He could see the sadness in Nicole’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s my past. It won’t go away.” Taking a deep breath, Logan finished. “I need to be able to talk about it.”
Douglas barged through a door, wine glass in one hand and a lump of bark covering the other wrist. The scent of blood drifted to Logan. It’d been so long since he’d had fresh blood. Saliva started to gather in his mouth. Even a sip would be wonderful.
“You’re looking a bit peckish.” Douglass pressed the cup into his hands. “A thank you for helping my daughter and an apology for the lives you lost.”
Logan sniffed the blood—rich, potent, magical. It would sustain him for days. “This repays far more than what I did.”
Douglas hugged Nicole to his side. “You helped my daughter. It’s the very least I can do.”
“Yes, sir.” Logan took a sip, closing his eyes as the warm, power-infused blood slid down his throat. It was delicious.
“Now, enjoy the party. We have a dark room if you need to stay the night.” Douglas smiled and shooed them away.
Hours later, after he’d talked to more people than he had in the past month, finished the blood, gotten a bit drunk off the magic, danced with Nicole, and generally had a good time, Douglas pulled him aside. “Son, I’m not one to judge, but I can put two and two together. I know you by reputation. You do good work. If I had a job for you I’d hire you, but the orchard is fully staffed. However, there are some repairs that need doing around the house. Nicole said you were doing some work for her. When you finish that, come over and help me finish tiling a bathroom.”
“Y-yes, sir. Thank you.” Work meant money. He could buy blood. He could get the business going again.
Douglas smiled. “I’m not done.”
Logan simply blinked.
Douglas waved at a small group in the corner.
A woman with brown hair and a swirl of energy around her was headed in their direction. Two men followed her. The pointed ears and silver hair marked one as an elf. Logan sniffed. The other was a werewolf. Logan stood there, utterly confused by what he had in common with a witch, elf, and werewolf.
“Logan Fuller, let me introduce you to Michelle Oaks, Elron, and Liam.” Douglas smiled. “Liam is the werewolf alpha.”
He shook their hands, not sure what to do next.
“Logan here,” Douglas jerked his head in Logan’s direction, “is a handyman and a vampire. He’s looking for some jobs he can do at night.”
Michelle smiled. “It’s good to meet you. How do you feel about working with witches?”
Behind Michelle, Logan could see Nicole grinning at him.
The witch didn’t wait for him to answer. “My parents run two clans, and they’re always—”
Logan held up his hands. “Please, I’m happy to work with witches, but I need a moment. I didn’t expect any of this.”
“Oh,” Michelle’s eyes widened. “Sorry.”
His eyes trailed across the room. He was still broke. He was still a vampire with a single pint of blood in his fridge. But for the first time in months, he had hope. He looked at Michelle and nodded. “You were saying?”
She smiled kindly. “My parents are looking for a handyman. Between the two clan houses and the other buildings there’s weeks of work if you’re interested.”
Liam stepped forward. “A new wolf just ripped out two of my walls, one of them going to my bedroom. When could you start?” He glanced at Michelle. “You can have him when he’s done.”
Grinning, Michelle opened her mouth to retort.
Logan cut in. “Liam, I can start on your place after I’ve fixed Nicole’s car. Michelle, perhaps you could put me in contact with your parents?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nicole smiling. Reaching out, he gently entwined his fingers with hers. Because of Nicole, he had a chance to rebuild his life. This was why he’d moved back to the country. This was home.
Also by N. E. Conneely
To see the most up to date list of works please visit
neconneely.com/books
* * *
A Witch’s Path Series:
Witch for Hire (Book 1)
A Witch’s Path (Book 2)
A Witch’s Trial (Book 3)
A Witch’s Concern (Book 4)
A Witch’s Rite (Book 5)
A Witch’s Demons (Book 6)
* * *
The Earth Born Cycle
Earth Born (Book 1)
Fire Forged (Book 2)
Spirit Formed (Book 3)
* * *
Witch’s Path World:
Handyman for Hire
Oceanside
Fireball
The Golden Egg
* * *
Michelle’s Case Files:
Michelle’s Case Files: A Collection of Short Stories
* * *
Fey Hearted:
Fey at Heart (Prequel)
Fey Hearted (Book 1)
New Release Newsletter
Sign up to be notified about new releases from N. E. Conneely.
About the Author
N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her husband, her dog, and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky.
For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about growing a vegetable garden.
Please visit neconneely.com to find information on her current projects. br />
www.neconneely.com
author@neconneely.com
N. E. Conneely, Handyman for Hire
Thank you for reading books on Archive.BookFrom.Net
Share this book with friends