She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. He tensed against her kindness.
“Sometimes, the past is a kicker. You’ve had a hard life. I don’t know how you managed a job, high school and graduating near the top of your class.”
How the hell did she know that? She’d been two years behind him and totally wrapped up in the jocks from the lacrosse team. He couldn’t remember a single time when she’d flashed her pretty smile at him.
“Life is what it is,” he said gruffly. “You get what you get and you deal with it. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” He had to stop spouting trite advice.
“I suppose.” She frowned and wrinkled her nose. She shook her head and picked up a box and stepped carefully down the ramp.
She wasn’t convinced, but then, she was seeing a scruffy bum and probably thought he was jobless, maybe even homeless. She was judging him based on his past and appearance, with no idea who he really was.
“Come on, let’s get these last few boxes in so you can nap before your folks get home.” They worked steadily; the small pile dwindled quickly.
“I wonder where Dad is. He should be home by now.”
“He’s at the store. He works there since he retired from the gas plant. You didn’t know?” Her father had been a shift foreman at the local sour gas plant. He’d retired two years ago. This year, he’d joined his wife at the store, part time, when she had no choice but to let her staff go. It wasn’t a secret that the store was experiencing tough times.
Jesse paused. He knew way too much about her family. As a carpenter, he was often invisible to the people who hired him. They went on with their lives. Living, chatting and gossiping as if he weren’t there at all. He knew a million secrets and unlike his mother, they’d never leave his lips. Ever. He was privy to most of Silver Creek’s gossip, though he never, ever, repeated it.
“I didn’t know,” she murmured. “I knew he was retired, I thought he spent all his time golfing or curling with his buddies. Weird. I’ve been gone too long.” She rolled up the tie straps and placed them in the small crate at the back of the trailer. They each picked up a box and the trailer was empty.
“Hang on.” She closed up the trailer door after closing the garage.
She trudged to the cab of the SUV and came back, wallet in hand. He eyed it suspiciously. No way in the world would he take money for half an hour’s work. She pulled out a few bills and held them out to him.
“Take this, please. As a thank you for helping out. I’ve taken up your entire afternoon.”
“I had time.” He waved the bills away.
“Seriously. I never would have managed alone. You babysat my truck, fed me and carried a ton of boxes. I’d pay the boy next door if he helped.”
There was something in her voice, a hint of vulnerability, maybe, reminding him of himself. Pride. Self-reliance. He suspected she was also trying to help a down and out guy without giving him charity or hurting his pride.
He’d take her money and donate it to the family crisis center. “Thank you.” He slid the cash into his pocket without counting it. “You really didn’t need to pay me. I was happy to help.”
She smiled warmly at him, her entire face lighting up. A guy could get lost in those enticing brown eyes. He couldn’t seem to pull his gaze away. Her smile changed to something softer, and for a second, he thought he saw attraction. That couldn’t be right. He looked like a bum. She wouldn’t be any more interested in him than she had been in high school. He lifted one eyebrow. She blushed and looked down at her shoes.
Interesting.
* * *
Hailey wavedto Jesse as he drove away. He’d done her a huge favor today. Two to be precise. She owed him every penny of the money. She’d given it to him willingly, despite being short on funds herself. She had barely five hundred dollars in her wallet and none in the bank to tide her over until Evan either bought out her share of their condo or they sold it. Hopefully, sooner than later. Even then, she wouldn’t get much, they had a large mortgage on the condo. With both her and Evan working high paying jobs, an enormous mortgage didn’t feel like a risk. She knew better now.
No sense focusing on the past. Jesse had it right, you took what life handed you and dealt with it. He was a bit rough around the edges, but he was pleasant. He was strong enough to help her unload her meager belongings without breaking a sweat; while the effort had nearly killed her.
A couple times, his steely blue eyes had flashed at her. Once it seemed like he was angry. The others, she’d swear he was amused. Especially when she’d stared into his eyes. She’d felt a flash of attraction in that moment. She tried to tell herself she’d felt gratitude, but the lie didn’t stick.
Beth’s words rang in her head. “He’s not what he appears to be.” The enigmatic statement didn’t clear up anything, it only added to the confusion roiling in her stomach.
He seemed to be a helpful guy, down on his luck. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe she could find a way to help him without hurting his pride. After she got her own life together.
First things first. Take the trailer back. Have a nap. Face her family and start searching for a job. She might be back home, but she had no intention of mooching off her parents. Yup, she’d restart her life and then focus on the rest. For now, Jesse Phillips would have to wait.
Returning the trailer went off without a hitch. She drove cautiously home, struggling to stay awake. She’d been up for nearly thirty-six hours. It was beyond time for a nap. After a hastily assembled peanut butter and marmalade sandwich, she showered and crawled into bed.
Her old twin bed had been replaced by a luxurious double with an intricately carved headboard. The mattress was heaven. The books she’d left behind sat on newly refreshed bookcases with the romances on one shelf, the mysteries on another and the nonfiction filling the bottom shelf. The dresser was new as was the bushy ivy hanging in the window. Everything was different and somehow the same.
It was like coming home, with a strange feeling she shouldn’t stay too long. She was twenty-six; way too old to be living at home. She was a mature career woman.
