“They make it look easy,” she said.
“It is, once you know what you’re doing,” he said, then the saw screamed again as it bit through the wood.
“You’ve done this before, then,” she said at another quiet moment.
He nodded, without stopping.
“I saw America working my way through building projects.”
Another cut, another board. When Angelica looked at the stall, it was almost complete. Framing was going up for another. As Kirk had said, the barn would be completed today, she suspected. The men of Smoky Hollow had done an amazing amount of work in one day.
“I think I’ll catch a ride back to the library,” she said a minute later.
With her new decision, she wanted to see if there were any books that might give her a hint of how to teach children music.
“Take my truck.”
He paused long enough to fish the keys out of his pocket and tossed them to her. They were still warm from his body. She clenched them tightly in her hand, wondering if she could drive that truck. It looked larger than the car she drove when in Boston.
“Turn right out of the driveway and keep on until you reach the library. You know the way home from there,” he said, selecting another board.
“How will you get back?”
“I’ll hitch a ride.” He looked at her. “Or you can come back in a couple of hours and pick me up.”
“I can come back after four. Sam’s coming over today to practice. And maybe Teresa Ann.”
“Your class is growing.”
She shrugged. It wasn’t really a class, just a couple of kids who wanted to learn—as she had back when she’d been their age.
“I’ll be back after four.”
“I’ll be here.”
Angelica stopped at the yard to tell Carrie goodbye and let her know she’d be back for Kirk.
“One day we’ll have to have lunch and you can tell me all about New York. I’ve never been, seems a long ways from here. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know everything.”
Others called out to her as she was leaving, smiling and waving. She felt a curious connection after only one day with the people she’d met.
It was closer to five than four when Angelica turned back into the driveway. The barn looked complete. She wasn’t sure how the inside fared, but the only thing left on the outside was to paint it. There were men sprawled everywhere in the yard, obviously tired and relaxing after a full day of work. She spotted Kirk instantly. He sat on the ground, one leg bent, his armresting on his knee. He was talking with two other men, each with a beer in hand. He must have heard the truck because he turned.
Angelica was caught by his smile when he saw her. She pulled to a stop short of the group and opened the door. Almost before she was on the ground, he was there. He looked hot. She swallowed as her senses revved up around him, wishing she had the right to reach out and touch, hold on to him, feel his arms around her in a hug.
Blinking, she slid along the side of the truck, hoping she wasn’t giving away the fascination she had.
“Nary a scratch or dent,” she said, pushing against her inclination to step closer, and continuing to move toward the back.
“I didn’t expect one,” he said easily.
“Ready to leave?” she asked.
“I am. I’m beat. But we’re finished. A couple of guys are coming on Saturday to paint. Jason has a sprayer, should be able to complete it in a day. But that’s not my thing.”
He stepped closer.
She stepped back.
