But she couldn’t tear away the vision she had burned into his mind from the very first glance—pretty green eyes, wide with innocence, dark hair framing a heart-shaped face.
Evangeline.That’s a nice name.
But the girl was looking away now, her eyes fixed on the surface of the parking lot like she was suddenly uncomfortable.
That happened sometimes when people noticed his scars.
“Good to meet you, Evangeline,” he told her, his hand automatically reaching up to rub at his neck and jaw, as if he could cover up his ruined skin.
“Bah,”Leo added, waving his arms at her and kicking his little feet.
She looked up immediately, the embarrassment on her face melting into adoration.
“Hello,” she said warmly to the baby. “And what’s your name?”
She didn’t use that high-pitched voice women often slipped into with babies, but there was something extra gentle and soft in the way she spoke to the boy.
Leo stilled momentarily, the same way his lively limbs seemed to pause whenever Grayson first turned on the radio and the music began to play.
I like that voice too, buddy.
“This is Leo,” he remembered to say, only half a second later than would have been normal.
“Hello, Leo,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Leo kicked his legs out straight again and he made a funny, chuckling sound that had Evangeline laughing right along with him.
“When can you start?” Grayson heard himself ask.
“Don’t you want to check her references or something?” Jensen Webb called to him.
The man had a point, but Grayson had afeelingabout the girl that went beyond her heroic stunt. And he’d learned to trust his gut when it came to judging people.
“After she threw herself on the pavement to save him?” he said lightly. “No, I’m good. Besides, you’re Sam’s friend, right?”
“I can vouch for her,” Sam agreed right away. “She’s a good person and she has experience.”
Sam was new to town, but her unflagging work ethic and the way she cared tirelessly for her younger sister had told him all he needed to know about her from the very beginning.
“Where are you staying?” Grayson asked, his eyes flicking back to Evangeline. “Do you have a car?”
“Um… no car,” she replied. “And I don’t technically have a place yet either.”
She was a little shy, but Grayson could relate. He’d spent plenty of time locked in a cage of his own making. It wasn’t until Leo came into his life that he’d started to feel more like his old self again, scars and all.
Maybe Leo will make her feel better too…
“You’re welcome to our guest room,” he told her. “That might make things easier anyway until you figure out transportation.”
It was already getting late, and it would be tough for her to find somewhere else to stay at this hour.
“Thank you,” she said, glancing up at him again.
His eyes caught hers before she could look away, and he felt that stirring in his chest again, like she already meant something to him.
Pull it together, Ward,he told himself.
It had been a while since he’d had any female attention focused on him, that was all. He wouldn’t let this green-eyed girl shake his world.
