Willow’s head immediately shakes but she doesn’t tear her gaze away from the window as she wipes the same spot over and over. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking.”
Her throat bobs and she shakes her head, her eyes slicing to mine as she hands me the spray bottle once more. “I don’t know, Jace.”
“I promise I won’t get in your way,” I say, winking as a smirk tugs on my lips. “Come on, it’s perfect. I have the time and I know how to use my hands.” Her eyes widen slightly and my breath catches in my throat. “From helping my dad on some of the construction sites.” I clear my throat, heat creeping up my neck. “I have experience with those things.”
A smile breaks out across Willow’s face and her quiet laughter drifts through the air like a soft melody. “I think I just got second hand embarrassment from that.”
“Screw you.” I laugh, rolling my eyes at her. “Do you want my help or not?”
She lifts a perfectly arched brow. “You’re the one who offered.”
I smile. “You’re right, I did.”
“I can’t let you do it for free.”
My lips press into a flat line. Willow has always been stubborn and independent. I swear, she’s borderline allergic to accepting any kind of help from someone else. “Yes, you can.”
Determination sets in her features. “No, I can’t.”
A deep sigh slips from my lips and my shoulders sag. “Haven’t you grown out of your stubbornness?”
“Nope,” she says, popping theP. “Just like you haven’t grown out of your incessant need to help everyone else.”
I stare at her for a moment, mulling over the accusation. It’s not true, not entirely. I don’t have a need to helpeveryone—just her. My eyes narrow, but I don’t bother correcting her. “Okay, I don’t know how you can pay me back—yet, but when I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s not fair. What if you never come up with anything then?”
“I will,” I say. My mind circles back to the rink, but I immediately push the idea away. I haven’t given it any more thought, so there’s no reason to even offer that as an option for her to return the favor. “I promise.”
Willow tears her eyes from mine, slowly turning back to the window as she inspects the glass. I’m still holding onto the bottle of cleaner, although she doesn’t ask for it back. The silence stretches between us, only the noise of the space heater humming in the distance.
She finally turns back to look at me and lifts her hands to tighten her pony tail. “Okay,” she says, letting out a deep breath. “You have yourself a deal.” She extends her arm, her hand reaching toward me. “Can I get the cleaner back, please?”
A smile lifts the corners of my lips. “Of course,” I say, handing it back to her. As she reaches for it, I quickly switch it to my other hand. “But, first, we have to shake on it.”
“We’re not children, Jace,” she huffs, rolling her eyes at me.
I purse my lips and tilt my head to the side, cocking one eyebrow. “A deal isn’t a deal until you shake on it.”
She drops her eyes down to my hand, staring for a beat before she presses her palm against mine. It’s warm and her dainty fingers wrap around the back of my hand as she gives me one swift shake. “Is that better?” she asks, her gaze locked with mine.
“Much.” I shake her hand, both of us lingering for a moment longer than we should before she abruptly releases my grip.
Her lips twitch and she stretches her arm toward my other hand, reaching for the cleaner. Her fingers brush against mine as I hand it back to her. Something shimmers in her eyes, but she quickly pulls them away, turning back to the windows.
“Get back to work, Miller.”
I bite back a grin. “Yes, boss.”
CHAPTER NINE
WILLOW
Turning my pencil around, I rapidly erase the lines I had just drawn. I’ve been sitting here in the barn for the last two hours trying to decide how I want the inside of the store to look, and I can’t get it right. Every line I draw doesn’t feel right and I end up erasing it. A warm, soft burst of air drifts across the top of my head, pulling my attention away from my drawing.
“Hey, Scooter,” I murmur, turning to look up at my brother’s horse. She blows another warm breath across my face. I was originally sitting across the aisle on a bale of hay in front of my horse’s stall, but Ace kept trying to eat my hair.
