Travis was anxious about me climbing the ladder and eyed me nervously from below.
“I’ve got this, Travis.It’ll only be a few minutes,” I said conversationally as I adjusted the tool belt around my waist.
“There!”I announced a few minutes later.
“This thing is awesome,” I called down to Travis, who was still circling the ladder.
The railing was fixed, and my new cordless drill worked great.I felt like I hadachievedsomething for the day.If everything else went to shit, at least I got this done.
“Hey, hey,” a familiar voice called.
“Hey, Jude,” I tossed over my shoulder, ignoring the tiny sizzle of awareness that jolted through me.
Ididnotneed to be crushing on Jude Silver.
He was my best friend.He helped out here all the time.I’d spent months trying to forget that he’d seen me half-naked.All to no avail.That moment was burned into my brain.
This barn was built on some of the Silver family’s property, so he often stopped by when I was working.“How’s it going?”Jude called, his voice muffled.
I was just about to reply when Travis let out a happy sound, the one he only made when he saw Jude.My dog was completely in love with Jude.
I wasn’t.Definitelynotme.Just my dog.He yipped and danced in a circle, bouncing against the ladder.Seconds later, I was falling.
“Kendall, what the hell?!”
By some miracle, Jude caught the base of the ladder, except I was already hanging off theedgeof the hayloft.
“Travis, sit!”Jude ordered.
Of course, my dog, who I couldn’t always get to behave, did precisely what Jude said.
“I’m not sure I can get back on the ladder.I’m gonna?—”
“Kendall, don’t!”
But I was already letting go.The next few seconds were a rush.The clatter of the ladder hitting the ground.Jude catching me as I dropped.He stumbled.Or, I stumbled.
All this to say, we ended up with me on top of Jude.I was gasping for breath.
“Oh, my God!Are you okay, Jude?”
Jude’s eyes opened.“For fuck’s sake, Kendall.Give a man a warning, you know?”
The air between us shifted, heat swirling into it.
“Kendall,” he rasped.His hand tightened where it had come to rest on my hip.I wasn’t so sure my breathlessness had anything to do with the fall anymore.
“Warning for what?”
“That you’re gonna just drop to the floor,” he pointed out.
“I’m sorry.Are you okay?”
“The more important question is, are you okay?”Jude pressed.
“I’m fine.I landed on you,” I pointed out.I could feel the rapid thump of his heart against my chest, where my own was beating like that of a wild rabbit.
It wasn’t that I didn’t have a clue about Jude’s physical strength.The man was, among other things, a wilderness guide, a hotshot firefighter, a pilot on occasion, and in ridiculously good shape, all just for living the way he did.
