Seeing him standing there in his church finest, I’d thought he was gorgeous. To hide how flustered I was, I’d done the first thing that came to mind: dared him to do something I knew he wouldn't. A man in his Stetson and pressed jeans wouldnotjump in the pool. No country boy would just strip in front of a woman, but he had. He hadn't even been shy about it, either - and damn, did he look good in those long, skin-hugging briefs. He felt even better.
Every line of him was powerful. When he wrapped his arms around me, I wanted to give in. The way he kissed me? I could feel my cheeks getting hotter just thinking about it. He wasn't intimidated by me. He didn't back off. Luke Barrett was all man, and he made me want to act like a silly little girl.
Completely naked, I began digging through the boxes. There had to be something in here I could wear. Something that would make Luke stop in his tracks to stare. But did I really want that? I wanted him to think I was perfect, but if I kept trying to look like the model, then would he ever see anything else? Would anyone? So how could I fix whatever just happened?
It took a while. The only defenses I had were my clothes and my looks. Trying to make myself into something else, I had to think about it, but when I found my turquoise-and-purple cowgirl boots and the pastel dip-dyed dress, I knew I had it. After that, I had to find just the right makeup. It wasn't that I couldn't be seen without it. My real issue was that I needed to think, and getting ready always calmed my mind.
Why had I lashed out at him? Sure, Gran's memory was a reason to take a breath, but not to all but chase off the one guy I’d always dreamed of. No, that had been my attempt to regain control. If he was chasing, then I was winning. The problem was that I’d all but told him to just stop. A fuckingstupidmove.
All he'd said was that we needed to slow down, and he'd been right. He'd been acting like a gentleman, and I’d basically chewed him out for it. He wasn't trying to criticize my life; he was trying to respect my independence. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that the guy I’d spent so many years crushing on acted as if he liked me back - and I barely knew him.
So, I was going to suck up my pride and do exactly what he'd suggested. We’d take it slow. I’d get to know him. With a plan in place, and my brains back in some semblance of order, I jogged back downstairs and yanked open the fridge.
I wasn't a huge fan of sugary drinks. I kept soda on hand just in case I had company - and because Luke seemed to have a fondness for Dr. Pepper. Sweet tea was out. Too many carbs that would sink right to my hips. Crystal Light probably wouldn't be what he was looking for, not even the cherry flavor I loved, but there in the back, I saw it. Outside busting his ass in the hot summer sun, what man would turn down a lemonade? When it had a little extra kick in it? I snagged two and took a deep breath. It was time to say I was sorry.
Halfway to the barn, I realized he'd been busy. The old tractor was parked in the grass out front. Beside it was a pile of powdered dirt and dried straw. From the drag marks, it was obvious that Luke had resorted to heavy equipment to make the repairs a bit easier. Then I stepped inside.
"Wow," I breathed, looking around.
The tiles down the center of the barn aisle were once again visible. The pile in front of the barn had come from the stalls, and all of them were stripped down to the base. What shocked me the most were the fat drops falling from the rafters. The interior had been washed clean and was still drying. When Luke said he'd fix it, he hadn't been exaggerating. In a couple of hours, he'd turned an old and abandoned barn into a quaint wood horse stable!
"Come out to check on me?" The voice came from behind me.
I turned to find him leaning against one of the barn doors, wiping his hands dry. His shirt was long gone, but the hat had returned. Dusty polka dots proved that he'd been standing in the middle of the barn as he sprayed away years of cobwebs. The well-defined lines down his abdomen made it obvious that physical labor was something he could easily handle.
I stared, trying to take in every hard plane of his body so my brain would kick back into gear. At his waist, I could see a pale line showing that his jeans had been stretched out by the hard work and were now hanging lower than usual, but that tan line was the closest thing he had to a flaw. I counted not just six, but eight separate bulges across his midsection, and the size of his biceps were intimidating. Then there were those wet jeans. They clung to every single piece of skin they touched.
Desperate for something to say, I lifted the hand holding the two bottles. "Thought I'd bring you a lemonade."
He chuckled. "Honey, Mike's Hard Lemonade doesn't really count."
"Oh." Yeah, I might need some practice at this sucking up thing. "Look, Luke..."
He peeled himself away from the barn door and closed the distance between us. The way his body bent around me made me a little too aware of how my curves would fit against him. With his green eyes sparkling, he lifted a bottle from my fingers. "Never said I wouldn't take it. Want me to open that for you?"
"I'm sorry," I blurted out before I could lose my nerve. "You make me nervous and I'm not used to that."
He nodded casually as he twisted off the top. "It's ok." Then he passed me the open bottle and took the other. He also didn't step back. "I'm not real sure what you expect from me, Violet, but I'm gonna finish this barn. I owe Vera too much. I wanted to fix this before she passed, but she kept saying no, so I'm going to do it now." He twisted off the cap and took a small sip, those green eyes of his never leaving mine.
"Luke, I just lashed out because I'm not used to anyone like you, ok?"
He nodded. "Ok. And we'll just pretend that didn't happen. I won't be upset by you if you won't be upset because of me. How's that sound?"
"No, I just..." I sighed. "I'm really not this big of an idiot usually. I'm sorry I pushed you away in the pool, but -"
"No need to explain," he assured me, shifting back slightly. "And thanks for the drink. I was just starting to get a little thirsty when you showed up. So, lemme show you what I got finished."
Stepping deeper into the barn, he gestured to the stalls, explaining how they were now ready for bedding, unless I wanted to put down rubber mats first. Then he pointed out the aisle, the rafters, the storage area above that he'd swept clean, and more. I hadn't thought I’d taken that long, but he'd managed a miracle. Yesterday, this place had been ready for someone to tear it down. Now, it looked like a proper horse barn.
"So what do I need to do?" I asked, easily falling into the role of the businesswoman.
"Rubber mats and a pallet of shavings." He paused. "You know what kind to buy?"
"I don't even knowwhereto buy those!"
No matter how hard he tried, I could still see the smile. "Feed store. I can stop by and leave a list. Gonna have to pick up some stuff for my horses anyway. Was thinking, if you don't mind, I could move them in tomorrow? Board's due at the end of next week, and I'd really rather not pay for a month if I don't have to."
"No," I assured him. "That's fine. I can't believe you got all this done already."
