“Let me deal with that. I always follow through on my promises, and I promise you, I will get the windows, the heat,and the leak fixed. And tonight, I’m also going to get a tarp and sturdier boards to make sure the rain doesn’t get in for the rest of the night.”
Her breath audibly stuttered, and it took a few beats for him to realize that his hand was still on her cheek. That the heat of her skin was flowing into him. And that he wanted to do more. To graze his thumb behind her ear. To dip his head and see if her lips were as sweet as her scent.
Fuck.
He stepped away, his hand dropping. “I’ll be back in under an hour to seal the window. I’ll also let you know about your car and get onto everything else right away.”
He turned and left before he did something stupid. Like touch her a second time. Kiss her.
He barely felt the rain beat down on his shoulders as he returned to his truck. The second he was behind the wheel, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, two images competing in his head—Tilly’s sad green eyes as she looked up at him from the driver’s seat of the car, like she had the entire world against her…and another image, this time of his father, when he’d told them what Martin had done.
He didn’t want to be another asshole who blamed Tilly for her father’s wrongdoings, but trust was hard for him, and every so often, the memory beat into him, telling him not to get too close.
CHAPTER 7
“I’m sorry to hear about how you were treated by Harry.”
Tilly paused in lifting her iced coffee to her mouth, her gaze flicking to Harper, who sat opposite her at Sugar and Spice. “How do you know about that?”
“Word travels fast. I think Harry was complaining to a few people, and Pixie mentioned what she’d stepped into. The story took off from there.”
Great. These incidents were becoming newsworthy around town now.
Sugar and Spice always lifted her mood. Mrs. Sandler owned and ran the shop and sold the most delicious cupcakes and sweets. She also served amazing iced coffee. It was exactly what Tilly needed, especially after the look on Kayden’s face last night when he’d seen her house.
“It’s true. He was an asshole to me, and although Kayden didn’t tell me exactly what transpired between them when they stepped out onto the deck, Idoknow it was unfriendly enough for Kayden to ask him to leave.”
“Good. I’ve only met Harry a couple of times when he’s come into the bar, but if he can’t be nice to you, heshouldlose business.” Harper tilted her head. “How’s everything else been?”
Did she really want to know? “Honestly? Not great. Kayden kind of found me in my car crying after work yesterday.”
“What? Why? Were you okay?”
“My car wouldn’t start, and after Harry and the long day”—longdays—“I broke down.”
“Tilly…you should have called.”
“I didn’t have a chance because Kayden knocked on my window and offered to both drive me home and make sure my car got fixed. And sure enough, I woke up this morning with a text from him saying the car was out front of my house, ready to drive. And not only that, he said a contractor was coming to look at the leak in my living room, and someone else is coming tomorrow for the heating system.” And that was after he’d returned last night and boarded over the broken windows properly.
“You had a leak in your living room and your heat doesn’t work?”
“I have quite a few things that need fixing in my house.” She sighed before listing off everything that was wrong with her place and explaining her continued problems with contractors.
“I wish you’d said something so I could have tried to help you.”
“You’ve been through so much since arriving in town—”
“That doesn’t matter,” Harper interrupted. “We’re friends, and God knows I’ve unloaded on you enough. I feel like I’ve been a terrible friend.”
“Oh my gosh, Harper, you’ve been amazing. You were my first friend and, most days, my only friend. You’re probably the only person who’s kept me sane. Even on that first night when Icame to the bar and was upset about my first day in town, you were so kind when no one else was, and that was everything.”
Harper squeezed her hand. “Still, I want you to tell me what’s going on with you. We’re friends, and I want to hear the good and the bad.”
“Deal.” Her phone vibrated from the table, and immediately her skin tingled when she saw who it was.
Kayden: Window guys can come tomorrow morning before work to measure. Is that okay?
How on earth had he managed that? Did these window guys know who she was?
