RILEY
Quinn was an inquisitive woman, that much was clear. She took in every nook and cranny of the house with intense interest, and even now that they were sitting on the sofas talking, she was still studying the wallpaper where Riley had started to remove it. Riley thought she was attractive but more in a handsome kind of way. Quinn had an androgynous quality to her that suited her. Her shaggy, brown hair was longer at the front and fell over one side of her forehead. She had a sculpted face, almost structural, with high cheekbones and a sharp jawline, and her tall, lean figure looked great in her tight jeans, gray T-shirt, and the denim shirt she wore open.
“So what do you do, Quinn?” she asked.
“I’m a contractor.” Quinn smiled as she sipped her coffee, but she didn’t seem entirely at ease. Perhaps the big house was as intimidating to her as it was to Riley. “My company does renovations, mostly in the area. I’m just finishing off a house along the river. That’s what the slate in my pickup is for.”
“Oh?” Riley’s eyebrows shot up. “Would you be interested in doing some work here?”
Quinn hesitated, then shook her head. “No.” She winced. “I mean, we’re fully booked until fall, so I don’t have time, I’m afraid. From what you told me, it’s going to be a big job, so you’ll need someone with long-term availability. I can give you some recommendations for tradespeople, though, if you want.”
“Sure, that would be great.” As Riley sat back and crossed her legs, she felt Quinn’s eyes on them. Was she checking her out? She wasn’t used to women looking at her like that. Was she gay? Riley suspected she was; she certainly got that vibe from her.
“Do you live here alone?” Quinn asked.
“Yes. It’s just me.” Riley pointed to the wall. “And as you can see, I’m new to home improvement, so any tips are welcome.”
Quinn chuckled. “Yes, I figured as much. Are you planning on stripping all the walls?”
“I think so. I don’t like wallpaper. Not this wallpaper anyway, or the one underneath. It’s awful.”
“Right.”
Right?What did that mean? From the way Quinn said it, she sounded like she disagreed with her, and the smile had dropped from her face.
“Do you think paint would be a bad choice for the walls?” Riley asked, unsure why Quinn’s mood suddenly seemed to have turned.
“No, not at all.” Quinn held up a hand. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.” She finished her coffee and got up. “How about we get the stuff from your car? I assume you bought some wallpaper remover?” She continued when Riley nodded. “I’ll show you how to do it properly. It’ll save you a lot of time.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. You’ve done enough for me already and—”
“It won’t take long,” Quinn insisted. “That handiwork of yours is painful to look at. I can’t let you continue like that.” She lowered her gaze to Riley’s feet. “And you might want to wear something other than those heels if you’ll be going up and down a ladder.”
* * *
“There you go. That’s how you do it.” Twenty minutes later, Quinn clapped her hands together as Riley came down the ladder with a huge chunk of wallpaper in her hand. “See? It’s much easier like that.”
“Thank you.” Riley shuffled on the spot as she looked up at Quinn. She felt short and powerless without her heels, but the sneakers she’d bought were incredibly comfortable and a whole new sensation for her feet. “You have no idea how much you’ve helped me today.”
“It’s nothing,” Quinn said. “You’ll have this room stripped in no time.” She checked her watch. “I should go. I have to be back on site. Good luck with everything.”
“Thank you,” Riley said again, then cleared her throat as Quinn left. “Wait… Can I cook you dinner sometime to thank you?”
Quinn buried her hands in her pockets and shrugged. “As I said, it’s nothing, but I never say no to food.”
“Great.” Riley let out the breath she’d been holding. Why was it so scary to make new friends? She didn’t know how to cook either, so how on earth had she come up with that idea? “Are you busy this week?”
“I’m doing long days while we wrap up our last week on the job, but I’m free on Thursday night.”
“Okay. See you Thursday, then? Let’s say, seven?” Riley cringed at the desperate undertone in her voice.
“That’s perfect. I’ll see you Thursday.” Quinn gave her a smile and a salute and hopped into her truck, then beeped her horn twice before she drove off.
Riley watched her disappear behind the tall hedge and noted she felt a little more hopeful, now that she knew what she was doing with the walls.What a nice woman.She felt a strange pull toward Quinn, a desire to befriend her. Perhaps she was just clinging onto the first person she interacted with. After all, someone was better than no one.
10
QUINN
