“Two months.I’m going to remodel both.”
“You can stay in the cabin you’re fixing up.”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Have you ever slept in a room with wet paint or freshly glued pipe fittings?Maybe you’ve breathed in a cloud of tile dust or grout mix?”
Her mouth pursed tight.“No.”
“It’s not safe for anyone to stay in the cabin while it’s being remodeled.”
“Then you can go somewhere else.”
He arched a brow at this bold claim.“If I walk off the job site, I don’t get paid.”
“My reservation nullifies your work agreement.”
Paul squinted at her.
“In legal terms, that means—”
“I know what it means,” he said, cutting her off.“I’m sorry about your reservation, but it doesn’t nullify anything, and I’m not leaving.Maybe you’ve heard this legal term: possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
She scanned his tall form with trepidation.Although she was five feet, five inches at best, she stood toe to toe with him.He realized that he was towering over her, too close for comfort.He retreated a step to give her some breathing room and glanced at the little girl.She was singing to her doll while she tried to lace dandelions together.She was calm right now, but he remembered the screaming fit she’d thrown last night.Paul’s hand drifted to his left shoulder to massage the ache.He’d worked too hard on the demolition yesterday, and he was paying the price today.
“What happened to your shoulder?”Vanessa asked.
He stopped massaging.“Nothing.”
“Come on.I know you’re injured.You smell like Icy Hot.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m getting my physical therapy license.Let me take a look at it.”
“Absolutely not,” he said in a clipped tone.He couldn’t allow this woman to see him shirtless, let alonetouchhim.This discussion was over.He was supposed to be watching his back, not getting felt up by a sexy brunette.
“Please,” she said, placing her hand on his upper arm.A thrill raced through him at the deliberate contact.“I paid a non-refundable deposit to reserve that cabin.I can’t afford to lose it all.”
Paul didn’t know what to tell her, because he couldn’t give her the cabin.She’d taken a risk by paying up front, which he supposed was typical for a summer rental.When he retreated another step, her hand dropped to her side and her eyes filled with tears.She was one of those women who cried beautifully.She probably looked cute blowing her nose.He didn’t look away, though the sight of her distress bothered him.He wondered if the emotional display was genuine or an attempt to play on his sympathies.
“Don’t you have somewhere else to go?”he asked.“A hotel?”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks.“There’s no availability in Lost Lake.A lot of people come here for the summer.”
“What about Eagle Pass, or Last Chance?Surely they have hotels with open rooms.”
“I came to visit my brother.I want to stay here.”
“Where does he live?”
“In town.”
“Go to his place,” Paul said.
There.It was settled.
