“I believe, what you meant to say was, Why, thank you, Cole, for saving my ass and generously offering to share your knowledge. I can only assume, ‘get on with it then,’ is code for ‘I’ll be forever grateful,’ because I’m pretty sure being rude to your guests is bad for business and you seem like a smart girl.”
“Are you saying I’m not an absolute treasure to be around?” she asks, a mischievous twinkle in her moss-green eyes as she leans in and peers over my shoulder. I begin removing the damaged shingles, so I can get a better idea of what lies beneath and fight the urge to turn my head when I catch a hint of her scent. Damn, she smells good. Like sunscreen and the faintest hint of vanilla. I want to bury my hand in her thick hair and run the tip of my nose up the slender column of her neck to breathe her in. I scowl, once again startled by my body’s visceral reaction to her close proximity. I don’t know what it is about this girl, but I can’t be drawn to her like that. Guilt sours my stomach, and I avert my gaze, offering her nothing but a grunt in reply.
For the next couple of hours, we work surprisingly well together. I show her the ropes and teach her everything I know while she asks all the right questions and catches on quickly. She’s more than justa pretty face. She’s bright, funny, and not afraid to get her hands dirty.
When the job is done, she sits back, beaming in a way that has the scarred organ behind my rib cage give a painful squeeze. The sensation is immediately followed by a feeling of foreboding, and I can’t help but think that my emotional response to that smile is going to be a problem. We climb off the roof and stop in front of my deck, where we stand in awkward silence, unsure how to part ways now that we’ve struck a tentative truce.
“Erm, well. Thanks,” she says, dropping her chin as she stares at the dirt at her feet. “For offering your help and wisdom.”
“You’re welcome. Listen,” I say, shoving my hands into the pockets of my shorts while I toe at a piece of gravel. “I know I said I’m not here to work, but you seem to have taken on a lot with this place, and I can only twiddle my thumbs for so long.” That coaxes a smile out of her, and I find myself wanting to offer her one in return. “So, I guess what I’m saying is, if you ever need some construction-related advice or someone to do the heavy lifting, you know where to find me.”
“I appreciate that. Clearly, I have no idea what I’m doing, so you better mean it because I’ll take you up on that offer. And if there’s anything you need in return, my office is always open.”
“Well, now that you mention it…”
Her head tilts to the side as she waits for me to say more.
“I hate to mooch off you, but is there any chance I could bother you for some coffee? I’m a little hungover and could use some caffeine to kickstart the system. I haven’t had time to stock the cabin yet. How far is it into town, anyway?”
“It’s about a twenty-five-minute drive into Moose Harbor, and I’ll do you one better. I’m about to pick up some painting supplies. If you want to tag along, I can take you to my friend Dee’s place. She owns the local café. Nothing like a quality cup of coffee and some greasy bacon to cure a stubborn hangover. My treat.”
I take a moment to contemplate her offer. I’m not really looking forward to running errands with an aching head, but the promise of a steaming cup of java and a warm meal does sound good, so I give her a curt nod. “That’d be great. Let me go change and grab my wallet, and I’ll meet you up front?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
She gathers her supplies, hits me with another one of her potent smiles, and starts down the gravel path. When she passes my neighbor’s cabin, the door pops open, and Dave’s massive head appears.
“Did I hear you say something about coffee?”
“Sure did, big guy,” Charlie chuckles. “Would you like me to bring you back your usual?”
“Oh, you’re just the best,” Dave gushes while he steps out of the building and lowers himself into his favorite chair.
“And if you wouldn’t mind grabbing me a case of Bud Light. I’ll Venmo you.”
“You got it,” she throws over her shoulder before she saunters off, that delicious round ass swaying from side to side. I let my gaze linger a little longer than appropriate, and clear my throat when Dave catches me staring. Jerking my chin toward my front door, I let him know I have places to be before I slink away.
Just before I step inside, I hear a mumbled, “He’s a goner, for sure.” I don’t know why his off-hand remark bothers me so much, but if I didn’t know better, I’d say it’s because it hits a little too close to home.
When I get to the resort entrance, Charlie is already leaning against her car, waiting. She lifts her hand in an exuberant wave but lowers it quickly once she realizes what she’s doing. The way she blushes is adorable, and I can’t help the smile from settling on my lips.
“I don’t know about you, but patching that roof sure made me work up an appetite,” she says when I’m close enough to catch herwords. “I can practically smell the bacon from here. Hop in and let’s get going before they stop serving breakfast.” When she pushes off the passenger side door and rounds her vehicle, a disbelieving snort bursts from my nose.
“You seriously expect me to fold myself into this tin can? Have you seen the size of me?”
The blatant way she’s looking me up and down doesn’t go unnoticed. That she’s doing so while her arm casually rests on the roof of her Mini Cooper only proves my point.
“You’d be surprised how much leg room this baby has,” she points out, and it sounds like she truly believes there’s a chance I might get in.
“So, let me get this straight. We’re picking up paint supplies, groceries, and a case of beer for the resident alcoholic, and you expect me to believe that all of that, as well as ourselves, will fit into this?” A flicker of doubt crosses over her features. “Well, how much food do you need?”
“I mean, I can eat. And seeing as I don’t know when I might feel like traveling half a day just to get to a supermarket, I was thinking I might go big.”
“Well, I could always grab the paint another day. I don’t reallyhave to—”
“Just get in the damn truck, Tink,” I order, already striding toward my vehicle. I don’t check to see if she follows as I slide into the driver’s seat and turn the key. Then, I wait. It takes a few moments, but soon enough the passenger door opens, and Charlie uses the oh-shit handle to pull herself into the cab. She drops into the seat with a sour expression and clicks the seatbelt into place.
“Fine,” she snaps, meeting my amused gaze. “But just so we’re clear. Breakfast is on me, and my giving in doesn’t mean I don’t still think my car would’ve worked just fine. I used to be a pro at Tetris back in the day, and Berta has never once let me down.”
