[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."That's a nice story.""Happy endings.I think I can help you get your own here in your shop.Why don't I buy you lunch and we'll talk about it.""I don't—" She broke off as the door opened behind her."Don't tell me you're hiring this two-bit hustler." Wade strolled in, swung an arm around Tory's shoulder."Thank God I got here in time.""This puppy doctor here doesn't know a damn thing about building.Go give a poodle an enema, Wade.I'm about to take your pretty cousin, and my potential client, to lunch.""Then I'll just have to come along and protect her interests." "I need shelves more than I need a sand "I'll see you get both." Dwight winked at her."Come on, sugar, and bring this dead weight along with you."She took thirty minutes, and enjoyed herself more than she'd expected.It was a pleasure to see the adult friendship between Dwight and Wade that had its roots in the boys she remembered.It made her miss Hope.It was easy enough for a woman who was rarely comfortable around men to relax when one was her cousin and the other tidily married.So tidily, Dwight was showing off pictures of his son before the sandwiches were served.Tory would have made the appropriate and expected noises in any case, but the truth was the little boy was seriously adorable, with Lissy's pretty face and Dwight's snapping eyes.And, she decided, as she headed off to do errands, it had been constructive as well as easy.Not only did Dwight understand what she wanted, but he improved on her basic layout, and the estimate slipped comfortably into her budget.Or did after she wheedled, refused, questioned, and pushed.And, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, he promised the work would be done before the middle of May.Satisfied, she went out and bought a bed.She really meant to pick up just the mattress and box spring.Years of frugality had never permitted her to impulse buy.And it was rare, very rare, for her to experience the deep-seated desire to own something.The minute she saw it, she was hooked.She walked away from it twice, and back again.The price wasn't out of line, but she didn't need a lovely, classic iron bed with slim, smooth posts to frame both head and foot of the mattress.Yes, it was practical, but it wasn't necessary.A sturdy bed frame, and a good solid mattress set, that was all she required.All she was going to do was sleep in it, for goodness sake.She argued with herself even as she pulled out her credit card, as she drove to the loading dock, as she drove home.Then she was too busy hauling and cursing and tugging to waste time arguing.Standing between rows of newly cultivated cotton, Cade watched her struggle for ten minutes.Then he did some cursing of his own, marched to his truck, and drove down to her lane.He didn't slam the door after he climbed out, but he wanted to."You forgot your magic bracelets."She was out of breath, some stray wisps of hair had escaped her braid and were plastered to her face, but she had the huge and heavy box halfway up the porch steps.She straightened, tried not to pant."What?""You can't be Wonder Woman without your magic bracelets.I'll get this end.""I don't need any help.""Stop being an ass, and get the door."She stomped over, yanked the door open."Are you always here?" He took off his sunglasses, tossed them aside.It was a habit that cost him a pair on the average of two a month."You see that field over there? It's mine.Now, move aside while I get this up there.What the hell kind of bed is this?" "Iron," she said with some satisfaction, when she noted he had to put his back into it."Figures.We need to angle it up through the door." "I knew that." She planted her feet, crouched, and took the weight of her end.There was a lot of muttering, a great deal of finessing, and a scraped knuckle on her end, but they got it through.She continued to walk backward, forced to trust him as he directed her right or left, until they muscled it into the bedroom."Thank you." Her arms felt like rubber."I can manage from here." "Got any tools?" "Of course I have tools." "Good.Get them.It'll save me from going for mine.Might as well set this up before we bring the rest in." In one irritable gesture, she pushed her sweaty hair back."I can do it." "And you're almost contrary enough for me to let you.I am trapped by my superior breeding." He took her hand, examined the broken skin, and kissed it lightly before she could snatch it free."You can put something on that while I do this."She considered insulting him, ordering him out, even kicking him out, and decided every option was a waste of time.She got the tools.He admired the seriously efficient black toolbox."Aren't you just prepared for everything?""You probably don't know pliers from a wrench." Obviously amused, he pulled out a pair of needle-nose pliers."Scissors, right?"When the breath she huffed out ended on a laugh, he got to work on the heavy-duty staples plugged into the box."Go put something on that knuckle.""It's all right."He didn't bother to look at her, or change the tone of his voice, but there was the light and tempered steel of command."Put something on it.Then why don't you go fix us something cold to drink?""Look, Cade, I'm not the little woman."He glanced up now, measured her with one cool look."You're little, and you're a woman.And I've got the scissors.""I don't suppose my suggesting just where you might shove those pliers would wipe that smile off your face.""I don't suppose telling you you're sexy when you're frazzled would convince you to christen this bed with me once we set it up?""Jesus" was all she said as she strode out of the room.She left him alone
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]