“Can I help you?”

The bearded man behind the counter asked as I wandered past him in the hardware store. I looked at him — met those stone-gray eyes of his — and blushed. Was it that obvious I was out of my element?

“I need rope,” I said. But before I could finish, he quipped, “Don’t we all?”

“I mean,” I continued, stammering, “for a clothesline. I want to hang one in the backyard, but I’m not all that…” What was the right word? “Handy.”

He smiled at me, and I felt my heart race.

“Cut yourself some slack,” he said gently. “Everyone has to start somewhere.” I saw from the tag on his shirt that his name was Max. I introduced myself and explained that I’d been... Leer Más