Thoughts of Tori flickered through his mind. The day she’d painted the dressing room and flecks of cream-colored paint had speckled her cheeks. The way her eyes flashed when he said something that annoyed her.
And he had to admit, occasionally, he’d say something just to see that look of hers. His lips curved into an unbidden smile.
These weeks working at the theater had brought back a sense of purpose to his life. Not that he didn’t enjoy owning his bike shop. He did. But it seemed like a bigger purpose to restore the theater. Open it up again. Give something back to the town.
But then, that had been his reasoning on the lighthouse restorations too, and he saw how that went for him. His stomach knotted with a familiar mix of frustration and regret.
He took another swig of the beer and looked up at the sky, his eyes tracing the constellations. The vastness of the universe sprawled out before him.
Then, just like that, she was back in his thoughts. Her smile. The way she had a habit of pushing back that one always-wayward lock of hair.
He wasn’t sure what was coming over him. Or if he liked it. But the woman was getting under his skin.
Chapter15
Gavin arrived at the theater mid-morning the next day after opening The Bike Shop and turning it over to Jonny to run for a few hours. As he walked up the steps he smiled at the freshly painted doors and repaired marquee over the entrance. Things were really shaping up. He stepped inside to the smell of fresh paint and newly scrubbed floors. The lights were on, so he knew Tori must be here working somewhere. The subcontractor had finished his work, so it was just the last-minute things Tori was finishing up. And he was here to help with that. But after his mixed feelings last night, he figured it would be best if he just got to work. He headed over to the concession stand to hook up the new soda dispenser.
Despite being a handy person, the setup fought him at every turn. Cords and tubes tumbled in a tangled mess. The connections defied his efforts as frustration spread through him. He placed his hands on the counter, annoyed.
A scream shattered the silence of the lobby. The wrench slipped through his hands and clattered to the floor as he sped across the lobby, his footsteps ringing through the empty room. He raced into the main theater, his heart pounding.
“Tori?” he called out, his word swallowed in the vastness of the hall.
He heard a slight moan down by the stage and ran down the aisle, his heart pounding as he saw her lying on the floor. He raced over and knelt beside her. “Tori? Are you hurt?”
“No.” She moved slightly and grimaced. “At least I don’t think so.”
He ran his gaze over her, looking for blood, trying to remain calm.
“I just got the wind knocked out of me. Help me sit up,” Tori commanded.
“Absolutely not. Just stay where you are. What happened?”
“I… fell off the edge of the stage. I was kneeling at the edge and then I turned to shove that box out of the way and I… I slipped off.”
“That’s quite a fall.” He peered up at the stage, judging the distance of her fall. Five or six feet.
She started to sit up. “Ouch.”
“What? What hurts?”
“You mean besides my pride? My ankle.”
He gently ran his hands over her ankle. “We should go get this x-rayed.”
“No, look. I can move it. I just sprained it or something. I’ll be fine.” She slowly moved her foot this way and that, but he could see a hint of pain flicker in her eyes.
“I think you should get it looked at.” He was holding firm to his opinion.
“Gavin, I heard you. But I’m fine.”
He looked at her doubtfully. Why wouldn’t she just listen? She really should get checked out.
“So, are you going to help me up or do I have to just sit here for the rest of the day?”
Against his better judgment, he gently placed his hands under her arms and helped her to stand, holding her while she caught her balance. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m sure.”
