“Get down; I’ll do it.”
“I don’t need a man to do it. We women can even vote nowadays.”
He watched her expertly hammer in a nail, which showed him, he thought. He steadied the ladder and enjoyed the view as she hammered in a few more nails. Her butt did a little shimmy with every whack, and it was quite something.
“How was dinner with your family, Fin?”
He didn’t question how she knew he’d had dinner with his father. Small towns meant you got away with nothing. “Hell, but the way I see it, any meal I don’t have to cook is a good one.”
“How was Mallory?”
“Good.” He didn’t add anything, and she took the hint.
“Have they identified the body yet?” She looked down at him.
“Yes. It’s Simon Linbar.”
“That sucks. His poor mother.”
“It does. But at least now she knows and can grieve for him.”
“True. Still must be heartbreaking.” She slapped the shelf, and it didn’t fall, so he guessed whatever she’d done had worked.
“Hand me your hammer.”
“Why?” She looked down.
“So you can get down.” Her lips were painted in bright glossy red that should play hell with her hair but actually looked good enough to nibble.
“I can get down holding a hammer, Fin. Really, I don’t need a man to look after me. I’m a big brave woman who can do stuff all by herself. Why are you here anyway?”
“To help unpack the truck.”
“Why?” She looked down at him.
“I get that you’re a strong woman, Maggs, but cut me some slack here. You’re not allowing me to perform my manly duties.”
Outside, a car backfired. Reid Hamilton’s truck; this Fin knew as he’d heard it yesterday when he’d been in town. Bas couldn’t fit it in to fix until tomorrow, and it had been making this noise for two weeks now. The town had sent a delegation to tell him to sort it out.
“The entire town of Ryker Falls will be happy when Reid Hamilton finally gets that backfire fixed,” he muttered, turning back to look at Maggs.
She was focusing on the shelf. Unmoving, her hand clenched around the hammer. The other braced on the wall.
“Maggie?”
Chapter16
Reid Hamilton’s truck backfiring, Maggie told herself over and over. Not a gun firing at her. No one here in Ryker Falls wanted to shoot her.
“You’ve just noticed the shelf isn’t straight?”
She could hear Fin and latched on to his voice. Steady and solid, Fin wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“Maggs?”
She stretched out her hand and handed him the hammer. He was behind her, and she knew he’d seen the gesture because his finger brushed hers as he took it.
“Are you all right?”
