She motioned him inside. “I’ll paint, so you don’t stain your clothes.”
He stepped into the house, cold air surrounding him. Her sugary scent held a touch of lemon now. He didn’t know what refreshed him more—the temperature or the way she smelled.
“Everything’s set up in the backyard.” Taryn headed toward the kitchen. “We can work on the patio. It’s covered and will be cooler in the shade.”
Garrett forced himself not to stare at her legs. A friend could look, but leering would be creepy. He glanced around her house instead.
An overstuffed chair and ottoman were where the Christmas tree had been. Food magazines and cookbooks sat on the coffee table. Otherwise, it was the same as he remembered from his last visit.
He stepped into the kitchen. On the table were shopping bags with garlands and other items. Decorations for the booth?
Taryn grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and handed one to him. “Stay hydrated. Margot and Callie will never forgive me if you suffer heat exhaustion.”
The bottle cooled his palm. “I live in Southern California. I’m used to hot weather.”
“But how often do you work outside?”
She had a point. He unscrewed the lid and took a sip. “Might as well cool off from my walk over here.”
“There are more water bottles in here. Help yourself when you need another.”
When not if. That brought a smile. He hadn’t noticed Taryn’s caretaker side before, but a nurturer who also baked and kissed like a dream was a perfect combination. Well, if he was in the market for either of those things. Which he wasn’t.
He drank more. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“I try.” Taryn opened the sliding door, letting in a wall of heat. “Mr. Jones pre-cut the wood I ordered, but I set up the saw in case we need to make adjustments. Each section of the design has a pile with all its parts, so nothing gets lost.”
“Good idea to be organized.” Garrett stepped outside.
His mouth fell open. This wasn’t organized. She’d made mini production lines with tarps beneath each of her “piles.” He thought he was good at planning, but Taryn took it to the next level.
She closed the door.
“You’ve been busy.” That was putting it mildly. She’d assembled the square pop-up tent. Two rectangular tables sat underneath. He scratched his head. “When do you sleep?”
“I’m usually up before the sun, even on my days off, so I don’t throw off my body clock.” She walked to a large sheet of plywood cut in half and painted forest green. A paper with the design lay next to it, along with a hammer and nails. “This piece needs three supports added. It goes against the front of the table, but I like to make sure the pieces are solid and won’t fall.”
He picked up the paper and scanned the instructions. The supports were triangular-shaped and made from two-by-fours. Sandbags would sit inside them. “The weight keeps it steady.”
“They shouldn’t fall forward, which would be a problem with kids and pets running around. Sometimes the wind kicks up when you least expect it. We can’t be too careful.”
Taryn would be a wonderful mom.
Whoa.Garrett took a step away from her. Where had that come from?
She stared at the supplies at his feet as if mentally cataloging the items in case she forgot something.
“I’m sure everything is there.” He couldn’t imagine anything missing, given how organized she was.
“If not, or if you need me to hold the plywood, let me know.” She spoke fast, suggesting she was nervous, but he didn’t want to make her feel self-conscious or uncomfortable.
“Will do.” Garrett expected Taryn to walk away to whatever she’d be working on, but she didn’t. He waved the sheet of paper. “I’ve got this. If I need help, I’ll ask.”
“Do you need gloves?”
“Not for this.” If Garrett needed any, he would buy a pair at the hardware store on the way to his sister’s tonight. Speaking of which, he set his phone alarm so he wouldn’t be late for dinner.
Taryn picked up a piece of wire fencing. He had no idea what she would do with that or the two pool noodles on top of the tarp, but he wanted to find out.
