She shrugs her shoulders. “No biggie. I’ll stay seven minutes later at the end of the day.”
She shifts her weight between her feet and pulls a hair tie from around her wrist. In one swift movement, she has her hair bunched in her fist. The strands seem golden as she expertly wraps them around themselves and secures them with the hair tie. Not a single one escapes. For now. I know from watching her over the past few weeks that by the end of the day, she’ll have wisps of hair tickling her cheeks and trailing over her smooth neck.
“It violates the terms of your parole to be late.”
She lowers her hands slowly from her hair and peers at me as if she’s trying to solve a puzzle.
“Joel doesn’t mind if someone’s a little late.”
Damn Joel, too soft. A woman like Willow needs to learn discipline. If she’d had some in her life, she might not have gotten into trouble.
“Well, I’m in charge now,” I say, glaring at her.
She tilts her head, looking amused. “Okay.” Then she shunts the car door closed with her hip, and the damn thing rattles. It’s got to be at least twenty years old.
“You’re on painting detail.” As she zips up the front of her overalls, I allow my gaze to sweep over her. “Get it on the fence, not yourself.”
“Yes, sir.” She snaps her boots together and gives me a mock salute so sloppy it would get you scrubbing toilets for a week if you tried it in the Navy. Smirking as she marches past me, she struts to her group, and I watch her go. She really needs to get a bigger set of overalls, ones that don’t hug her ass.
2
WILLOW
Ifeel his eyes on me as I walk away, and I put a little extra swagger into my step, making my hips sway. I’ve seen the cute veteran with the uptight attitude checking me out, and I don’t mind playing it up for him. If he wants to check out my ass, I’ll make sure it swings. Getting laid would probably do him good. It might make him relax.
I hate letting the team down, so I raced all the way here to try to be on time. But I’m not going to let him know that. It’s more fun winding him up.
Through the foliage, I spy bright orange overalls, and I follow the path that leads to an open area next to the main building.
“Hey, Janelle,” I greet my roommate. “Let me help.”
I rush to take a handle of the wheelbarrow she’s pushing. Inside are tins of fence paint, brushes, and other painting paraphernalia.
“Heard from the kids today?” I ask.
She shakes her head, and her lips form a thin line. “I don’t know what he’s poisoning them with.”
Janelle’s kids are staying with their father until she works off her community service. They’re fourteen and sixteen, and they’re all she thinks about. For the last two nights, they haven’t picked up her calls, and she’s worried their father will try to claim custody once she gets back.
I wish I had some reassurance to offer her. But we both know there’s nothing we can do.
“You want a chocolate bar?”
I pull the bar out of my pocket, and she gives the first smile I’ve seen from her in days. I stopped by the store on my way in to get them. They’re her favorite and what she used to crave when she was pregnant.
You share a room with someone for a few weeks, and it’s surprising what you talk about.
“Thanks, Willow. You’re an angel.”
She takes the bar and breaks off a piece, offering it to me.
“You have that. I’ve got my own.” I pull out my favorite, a bag of gummy bears, which reminds me of being a kid. When Mom would give my brother and me our dollar pocket money, we’d run straight to the corner shop and spend it on candy and chocolate.
Popping one in my mouth, I close my eyes, savoring the memory. Bare legs swinging on the bench outside the drugstore. Tyler pulling faces and making me laugh.
“Hey!” My eyes snap open to find Sergeant Serious striding over to me. “It’s not break time.”
He’s right. I haven’t lifted a paintbrush since I’ve been here. But there’s something about the way he’s coming for me that makes me want to wind him up. I want to see how mad I can get him and what happens when he bursts.
