Women are strange creatures.
He grabbed the sander with his finger on the power button but stilled when Kenzie called his name. She was at the door with her hand on the knob.
“I’m sure Declan doesn’t give a shit about girl code.”
What the hell did Declan have to do with this? As if she were reading his mind, Kenzie smiled and wiggled her brows.
“He knows who it is.” Kenzie winked and walked out the door.
Jonah stood silent in his shop for a few minutes, replaying his conversation with Kenzie. It shouldn’t have mattered who won. Before Kenzie’s odd behavior, he would’ve never inquired.This was the last thing he should be thinking about right now. He was on a deadline. Time was of the essence. If the project didn’t get finished, he didn’t get paid. He had no time to waste on Kenzie’s riddles.
Fuck!
He grabbed his phone from his back pocket and pulled up his messages, searching for Declan’s name. A simple text would get him the answer with no further talk about girl code.
Jonah: Hey Dec. Do you know who won the bid on my piece from the auction?
He put his phone off to the side of the table and scanned the project. Jonah needed to stay focused. He centered the wood on the table and inspected where he’d left off. He slid his hand across the bottom edge and then grabbed the sander on his left. A beeping alert sounded, and he glanced at his phone.
Declan: Been meaning to reach out. Evie put in a bid but lost. You think you can make another one for her?
Jonah grabbed his phone.
Jonah: Done. Should take me a few weeks.
Declan: Take your time, man. Appreciate it.
Jonah watched the screen, expecting another text, particularly the answer to his initial question. He got nothing. Maybe Kenzie was wrong and Declan didn’t know. He ground his teeth, tossing the phone onto the table. He was investing too much thought and time in the mystery. He gripped the handle of the sander and was hovering over the wood when his phone pinged again.
He closed his eyes briefly and drew in a deep breath. With all these distractions, it would be a miracle if he got this completed before the client arrived to pick it up. He jerked his head, quickly glancing at the screen.
Declan: Roxanne
He lowered the sander onto the table. Roxanne Barrett was the winning bidder? Kenzie’s voice played over in his head.I was outbid and, from what I heard, by a couple grand.Why the hell would Roxanne drop that much money on his art piece? There was always the charity aspect, but he was sure there were better things she could’ve bid on for a couple thousand dollars.
Fuck me.He dragged his hand over his head with his eyes locked on Declan’s last text.
Roxanne.
Jonah clenched his jaw. He’d never admit it, but he’d thought of her far too much. And not as his friend’s little sister. In fairness, he was a thirty-year-old guy with a healthy sex-drive and an imagination. Who could blame him?
However, thinking of her was where it stopped. Besides the obvious, her being his friend's sister, Roxanne was younger than him. He’d never pursued a woman with an age gap. They had different life paths and hers was the polar opposite of Jonah’s. He was tied down with responsibilities most people couldn’t fathom. It’d been that way since his parents died and he was left to raise his two younger brothers. His twenties resembled those of someone in their forties, and most days, Jonah felt the stress.
It weighed heavily, but he never complained. Everyone was dealt their hand, and this was his. Still, he was forced to give up some perks in his twenties. Mainly, relationships. There weren’t many women who found his responsibilities appealing. He’d had two in the last twelve years, and they’d ended after less than a year. Jonah couldn’t give them the time and attention they wanted and needed when he was playing stand-in parent. After the second disastrous breakup, he threw in the towel. It was for the best.
Jonah turned back to his workbench and powered up the sander with one thought playing in his mind as he worked in silence.
Roxanne and a couple thousand dollars.
Chapter Two
Will this day ever end?Roxanne dropped her chin to her chest, massaging her temples, seeking refuge in her car. It was the first time she’d had a quiet moment to herself in eight hours. Most days she loved her job. Today was not one of them. Fate had decided to make Roxanne its bitch and was enjoying every second. She could almost hear cackling in the back of her mind.
“Well, it can’t get any worse,” Roxanne whispered. It was more of a plea than anything she believed.
It could always get worse.
Roxanne closed her eyes, relaxed into the headrest and inhaled a deep cleansing breath. She did it again and again. She was holding so much tension in her shoulders, her muscles started to ache. The breathing exercise wasn’t having the calming effect she’d hoped for. Unfortunately, a particular whiny voice rang in her ears.
