Hooked On You, page 3
Okay, so maybe there was something to be stressed about. Connor knew a good-looking guy when he saw one, but he wasn’t into dudes, so why was he thinking about Judah’s eyes again? Better yet, why had he checked out Judah’s bio on the Hook Me website when they’d already met in person?
Because I like to know who I’m talking to, Connor told himself. If those words didn’t feel quite right, it didn’t really matter. He had a baby blanket to knit and that was not going to happen if he didn’t get his happy ass inside for his lesson, so, with another deep breath, he reached for the door.
“Hello!”
The voice that rang out as the door closed behind Connor was cheerful and warm. It didn’t belong to Judah, however, but to an attractive, middle-aged woman. She smiled at Connor from the counter, the corners of her eyes crinkling in a very familiar way, and Connor found himself doing the same without even meaning to, despite a sinking feeling in his gut.
This had to be Molly. Judah had said his mother sometimes taught Sunday classes and, heck, Connor was glad he’d tied his long hair back before leaving his apartment today. Meeting someone’s mom with his hair all wild wasn’t the best way to make a good impression. Not that Connor was ready to examine any reason he might have for wanting to make a good impression, either.
“Are you Molly?” He smiled wider when the woman practically beamed.
“I am indeed.” Molly set down a handful of wooly bundles and clasped her hands in front of her. “And are you a friend of Judah’s?”
“Um, not exactly. I met him the other night when I came in to ask about yarn,” Connor said. “Judah helped me figure a few things out and we got to talking, and he mentioned that you like to travel down for class on Sunday.”
“Oh, I come back to Boston on Sundays to have dinner with my boys,” Molly replied. “If I end up teaching a class here and there, it’s just for fun.” She gestured to the bag in Connor’s hand. “Are you here to do more shopping?”
“No, ma’am. I signed up for the knitting class, actually.” Connor glanced toward the door on his right. “Should I just go on down?”
Molly nodded. “Absolutely. You’re in luck, too, because the class will be on the smaller side today, which means more one-on-one with your instructor.” She checked her watch. “We’ll get started in about five minutes, so please, go ahead and make yourself comfortable along with the others.”
Others? Ugh.
Well, of course. Connor hadn’t really expected he’d be the only person in class. But he hadn’t thought about other people actually being present or that they’d be watching him either. And he certainly hadn’t considered that someone other than Judah might be instructing him how to get his knitting needles to behave, all of which made Connor feel foolish and very much like hightailing it out of Knitting 101 before class even started.
Connor didn’t flee, though. Keeping his gaze lowered, he descended into the basement and found himself a seat at the only remaining empty table, which also happened to be closest to the stairs and furthest from the front of the room. Only then did he glance around, avoiding eye contact as he took in the four other worktables and his fellow would-be knitters, all of whom were female and had small brown paper bags of their own.
The workspace was well lit with walls painted creamy beige behind yet more stacks of cubbies, each holding the now familiar bundles. The scent of coffee hung in the air and, as Connor watched, a woman from one of the other tables approached the counter near the front of the room where she poured herself a cup, then sampled from a platter of cookies that had been set out.
Connor hid a smile as he recalled the comments Judah’s brother had made about the stitch-and-bitch and just how much its members enjoyed Hook Me’s coffee, cookies, and gossip.
Footsteps on the stairs drew Connor’s attention and this time his smile slipped free because there was Judah, looking just as put together in head-to-toe black as he had on Thursday night. He flashed a grin at Connor as he stepped off the last stair, his mother just behind him. Molly immediately walked to the front of the room, but Judah paused by Connor’s chair and bent at the waist just slightly, his voice low and honeyed when he spoke.
“Nice to see you, Connor. You want to grab a snack before we get started?”
A cozy warmth settled in Connor’s chest. “I should probably keep my whole brain on the yarn and needles today,” he replied. “Besides, your brother put the fear of God in me the other night when he talked about the games people play down here just to get hold of some cookies.”
“That’s fair.” Judah didn’t laugh, but the sparkle in his eyes as he stood straight made Connor feel even warmer. Damn, was it hot in here or what?
“Welcome to Knitting 101, everyone,” Judah said to the room at large. “I’m Judah and this is Molly.” He gestured to his mother with a flourish. “We’re going to show you some basics today and give you the foundation you’ll need to start knitting like pros.”
The next several minutes flew by in a blur as Judah walked the class through casting stitches onto their needles, a process covered in every video Connor had watched and one he didn’t have any better luck following now. He worked as best he could while Judah and Molly made their rounds, providing instruction to students as needed. Unfortunately, Connor's seat at the back of the room made him Judah’s last stop and though Connor really did try, he couldn’t get the yarn, the needle, or even his fingers to behave. Then again, he probably shouldn’t have used the same mess of wool he’d been practicing with for the past couple of nights.
Judah’s brow furrowed when he caught a glimpse of the tangle in front of Connor. “Oh, hang on one sec, Connor. I’ll get you some fresh wool.”
Grabbing a bundle from a nearby cubby, Judah tore off the paper label and untwisted the coil of yarn. “If everyone feels comfortable, go ahead and cast twelve stitches onto your needles,” he said to the rest of the class. “And don’t be afraid to flag down Molly if you get stuck or have a question.”
Heat flashed across Connor’s cheeks. “Sorry,” he murmured as Judah sat down. “Turns out I was right about how-to videos not working for me.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Judah said, his voice just as quiet. “I certainly didn’t learn from watching someone knit on a screen and, like I told you on Thursday, not everyone wants to. I’m glad you showed up today so we can help you learn in a way that does work for you.”
Judah picked up one end of the yarn. “I’m going to show you another way to cast on. It’s called a reverse loop and some people find it easier than the method Mom and I just demonstrated.”
He wore his Pride flag on his wrist today, embossed on a black leather cuff, and its vibrant colors flashed as he worked. Movements smooth and unhurried, Judah made a simple overhand tie about a foot from the end of the yarn, then tightened the loop around Connor’s knitting needle.
“Take this in your dominant hand,” he said and held the needle out to Connor, who grasped it with his right hand. “Good. Now, we make a finger gun with your other hand.”
Leaning over, Judah shaped Connor’s left index finger so it stood straight, then tucked the remaining three fingers against Connor’s palm. Connor couldn’t help noticing how soft Judah’s skin was against his own and how nice he smelled, like coffee and soap and fresh hewn wood.
Stop.
Connor frowned.
“We wrap the yarn around your gun barrel,” Judah said. Taking the loose end of the yarn, he did exactly that, then tucked the trailing piece under Connor’s other three fingers. He gave them a gentle squeeze. “Hang on to this but keep your grip light so you still have room to move.”
A beat passed before Connor remembered to speak. “I can do that.”
“Of course, you can. Now insert your needle under the loop on your gun and slip the whole thing up and over and onto the needle to cast on the stitch.”
Connor followed the motions Judah guided him through, his brow furrowed as, together, they slid the yarn over his fingertip then pulled it taut. Connor’s eyes went wide when the stitch appeared as if by magic.
“Whoa. How the … what the heck did you just do?”
“You did it,” Judah said with a chuckle. “Let’s get a couple more on there and then maybe you’ll believe me.”
Still working in tandem, they cast on several more stitches, each repetition growing smoother as the muscle memory settled into Connor’s fingers. By the time Judah moved his own hands away, Connor was confident enough to keep going on his own, and he couldn’t help his burst of pride at Judah’s smile.
“This looks excellent.” Judah tapped the yarn still wrapped around Connor’s index finger. “Just remember to keep the tension fairly loose so that when we start working with the other needle, you still have room to move.”
“Oh, God.” Connor gave a quiet groan. “I sort of forgot we had to do stuff with a second needle.” His frown faded at Judah’s gentle laughter, though, and before Connor knew what had happened, he was laughing too.
“You’re going to be just fine, Connor,” Judah said as he got to his feet. “You just need to trust me and yourself to get there.”
An hour later, Connor’s hands were tired, but his head felt great, clear and calm and grounded in ways it hadn’t in way too long. Once he understood how his fingers should be positioned, he’d caught on quickly and cranked out stitches with a speed that had genuinely surprised him. Connor had liked watching the yarn move between the blunted points of the needles and found their muted click-clacks and the murmurs of the class around him strangely soothing.
Judah’s expression was more than a little smug as he approached Connor’s table. “You look a lot happier than you did when I first walked in here.”
“I feel it.” Connor ignored the fire in his cheeks. “A lot of that is down to you.”
“Eh, I was just doing my job.”
Though Connor didn’t argue, he meant what he’d said. Every time he’d run into a wall during class, Judah had been there, his voice easy and his touch light as he’d guided Connor’s hands. Not that he’d even needed to get close; there were times when just looking at Judah had made the rest of the world grow fuzzy and indistinct for Connor, with Molly, the classroom, and the rest of Knitting 101 nearly fading away.
Connor glanced down at the long, narrow strip he’d managed to produce. “I’m starting to get why some people say knitting is relaxing. If only I knew someone who owned a chihuahua that needed a winter scarf.”
Judah’s laugh rang out against the basement walls. “Well, that would be adorable. You could also unravel your project and start over, but this time make sure the scarf was human sized.”
“Not sure I feel up to starting anything over tonight, but maybe by the time next Sunday rolls around.” Connor frowned. “Do you think I could start the baby blanket project in the meantime?”
“Absolutely. Speaking of which, I put aside some wools you might use for your blanket.”
Connor worried his bottom lip with his teeth. Was it his imagination or had the light in Judah’s eyes dimmed just the slightest bit? “You did?”
“Uh-huh. Stop by the counter on your way out and I’ll show you. You sure you don’t want some coffee or a snack?”
“Thanks, but it’s late for me to be having coffee and I’m not really one for sweets.” Quickly, Connor packed his needles and the chihuahua scarf into his paper bag. “I have enough trouble getting in and out of the rig as it is. I’m a medic with Boston EMS,” he added when he saw one of Judah’s eyebrows go up in a silent question. “Ambulances aren’t always friendly spaces for a guy as big as me.”
A softness passed over Judah’s face. “I can only imagine.”
The journey back upstairs was quiet but not uncomfortable, and Judah went to the counter at once where he withdrew a square basket piled high with bundles of yarn. Hanks, Connor reminded himself as he smiled down at the collection. Judah and Molly had walked the class through the differences between skeins, hanks, and balls of yarn during class and Connor now knew the twisted bundles before him were hanks.
“Oh, wow. This is great, Judah. Thank you.” He spied a set of knitting needles too, thinner than the ones he’d been using for practice and connected to one another by a slim plastic cable. “What’s this about?” he asked, his fingers already around the cord, testing its strength.
“These are circular needles,” Judah replied. “Technically, they enable a person to knit a 360-degree tube. Like if you wanted to knit the neck of a sweater or a hat, for instance.”
“Damn, that’s clever. Not something I’d be doing, though, right?”
“Maybe not yet.” Judah made his eyebrows move in a funny little waggle. “Doesn’t mean you’re not far off from sweaters and hats, though. Until then, the cable will make it easy to cast on a lot of stitches and knit a blanket without having to use needles the size of yardsticks.”
A laugh bubbled out of Connor before he could stop it. “Okay, I get what you’re saying.”
They talked needles and yarn for a while, Judah’s focus less on wool color than texture, a factor Connor now saw as critical considering the blanket needed to be kind to delicate baby skin. He considered the pattern he’d chosen with new eyes then, particularly as it was laid out in broad stripes of color.
“Is it hard to do the color switching thing?” he asked Judah.
“Not once you’ve learned how. But these variegated yarns will give you a range of colors without having to switch at all.” Judah ran a hand over a hank dyed pretty shades of purple, green, and blue. “I kind of assumed you’d want to use unisex colors, but there are plenty of blues and pinks in the shop to choose from if that’s what you’d like.”
“No, these are perfect.” Connor ran a hand over the yarns. “Even if I did know the baby’s gender, my partner thinks the gender binary is crap, so I want to stay away from the usual shades. I like the stripes, though.”
“Me, too.” Judah smiled. “This wool won’t give you stripes exactly, but you’ll get some very nice color shading, almost like an ombré where the hues gradually go from light to dark. And, like I was saying the other night, it’ll be really snug and soft since you’ll be working with two strands of yarn at a time.”
Two strands? At the same time?
“I’d forgotten about that.” All the good feelings Connor’s lesson had conjured inside him quickly drained away. Knitting with two strands sounded tricky. Certainly for a guy with only a single class under his belt. Now Judah was frowning too.
“What’s wrong?” he asked Connor.
Connor rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “I’m not sure about this, Judah. What if four classes aren’t enough to get me on track so the things I knit don’t look like doggy chew toys?”
“Hey, you’re going to be fine. From what I saw tonight, you’ll be more than capable of creating gorgeous things, including that baby blanket for your partner.” Pausing, Judah glanced around the shop, his lips pursed as if he were trying to decide something. “I’m sure you’ve figured out that I’m here every day,” he said at last. “Come by anytime we’re open, and I’d be happy to help you if you get stuck.”
“Really? I wouldn’t be imposing?” Connor swallowed again at the expression that flashed over Judah’s face, sweet but also wistful, though a smile quickly replaced it.
“Not at all. But keep coming to the regular classes too,” Judah said, “especially since you paid for them in advance.” He narrowed his eyes as if daring Connor to refuse, but there was humor in his face and Connor couldn’t help smiling back.
“I will, I promise.”
“Good.” Judah walked back around the counter and went to one of the cubbies, gathering more hanks of yarn. “I can tell you still don’t believe me, but I will make a knitter out of you yet, Connor Devlin.”
Four
Though Connor’s lips parted as if he were about to reply, he pressed them together again as Judah’s mother bustled back in, the rest of the Knitting 101 class trailing in her wake.
“Hello, boys!” Molly practically chirped. “Have you been talking all this time while the rest of us ate our weight in cookies?”
Her eyes gleamed as she looked from Judah to Connor and back and oh, boy, Judah could see where this was headed. His heart squeezed a little at the flush that immediately rose in Connor’s cheeks.
Damn.
Judah had never met a man as bashful as Connor. And though he’d tried to be all casual and cool during the knitting lesson, his mom had clearly picked up on something between Connor and himself. She’d given them the hairy eyeball several times during class and the fact that she hadn’t gone anywhere near Connor and instead left him to Judah had been very telling. Her gaze was sharp as she watched them now and expecting her to act subtle when she clearly thought she was on to something was very much out of the question. Molly was terrible with boundaries and always had been.
“We were just getting some supplies together for a project,” Judah said quickly, and made sure to enunciate each word he spoke next with care. “Connor wants to knit a baby blanket for his partner.”
He knew the penny had dropped when Molly raised her eyebrows ever so slightly. Her smile changed then, still warm and infinitely kind, but colored with a disappointment that only someone who knew her well would recognize.
“Oh, how nice,” she said to Connor. “That’s a wonderful idea, and practical in a truly special way. My heartfelt congratulations to you and your partner!”
To Judah’s surprise, Connor’s forehead puckered.
“Congratula—oh.” He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck again, his cheeks flushing an even deeper crimson. Connor gave Molly a helpless grin. “I’m sorry. When I said partner, I meant the person I ride with on the ambulance. I’m a paramedic, ma’am, and Olivia is my co-worker. She’s having a baby with her husband, not me. I don’t have the, um, romantic kind of … partner.”
