said with a grin, ‘Consider me at your service.’
‘Come on in.’ She was well used to men looking at her that way, so she ignored his stares and showed him into the kitchen. ‘It’s not lighting up or getting hot or anything,’ she told him.
‘I’ll take a look.’
‘Thanks.’
He opened up his kit box and began testing various parts of the cooker. ‘Your element’s had it,’ he said after a while. ‘I can fit a new one for you. There’s one in my van.’
‘Oh, good.’ She smiled. ‘That’s a relief. I wondered if you might have to send away for the part.’ She shrugged. ‘I suppose I couldn’t expect it to go on working forever. It gets a lot of use, one way and another.’
He nodded. ‘They generally do.’ He gave her a thoughtful look and said cheerfully, ‘The only way round that is to go out for meals. I’d be happy to take you out and free you up from all that cooking … if you’re not otherwise engaged, that is?’ His glance went to the fingers of her left hand, and when he saw that she wasn’t wearing a ring, his confidence seemed to grow. ‘There’s a new place opened up in the city. I don’t know what kind of food you like, but I’ve heard good things about the restaurant. We could go there this evening, if you like.’
Lucy smiled again, but shook her head. ‘Thanks for the invitation, but I’m afraid I’ve given up on dating. I have other things to concentrate on right now … like my studies and exams.’
His mouth made a wry twist. ‘That’s a shame,’ he said. ‘An awful shame. Seems to me we should all take a break every now and again.’
He eyed her up once more before reluctantly leaving her while he went outside to his van. When he came back a short time later, he set to and fixed the new element in place, and then asked if he could wash his hands at the sink.
‘Of course, go ahead.’ She took a clean towel from a cupboard and handed it to him.
‘You know,’ he murmured, drying his hands and putting the towel to one side, ‘it would be such a pity to give up on the dating game. You’re gorgeous, absolutely stunning, in fact, and I can’t believe you’re content to stay at home and swot every night. Give me half a chance, and I could show you what you’re missing.’
She shook her head once more and said lightly, ‘Thanks for the offer, but no, thanks … I meant what I said. I’m not going to change my mind. Do you want to give me the bill, and I’ll settle up with you?’
He pulled a face and wrote out the invoice, and Lucy handed him a cheque. ‘I appreciate you fixing the grill for me,’ she said. ‘Thanks.’
‘You don’t need to thank me … just change your mind and come out with me this evening.’ He moved a little closer and Lucy took a step backwards.
‘I already gave you my answer,’ she said firmly. ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t.’
‘Sure you can,’ he murmured. ‘We’d be great together, you and I. A night on the town would do you a world of good.’ He moved towards her once more, but this time Lucy stood her ground.
‘I don’t think you’re listening to me,’ she said, her tone brisk, but she was wondering what she ought to do about him. He was certainly persistent. In fact, if he came any closer, she might have to resort to drastic action, something a little more forceful than mere words perhaps since he didn’t seem to be taking any notice of what she said.
‘I believe she’s already given you her answer,’ Matt remarked coolly from the doorway. ‘Or perhaps you don’t understand that “no” means no?’
Lucy was startled. She hadn’t heard the kitchen door open, but Matt stood there, broad-shouldered, straight-backed, formidable, his eyes glittering like steel, lancing into the man who was holding on to her.
The young man stared at him in confusion. ‘Who are you? Where did you come from?’
‘I’m the man who’s looking out for her, and I live here. Do you have a problem with that?’ He dared him to answer. Matt’s jaw was rigid, his mouth set in a hard line that brooked no nonsense. Lucy had never seen him like this before, and she was astonished that the easy-going, laid-back man that she knew had suddenly turned into this granite-edged guardian.
He walked towards them, his long stride steady and determined. ‘It looks as though you’ve finished your job,’ he said, looking at the closed toolbox and the old element on the kitchen worktop. ‘Now it’s time for you to leave.’
‘I … Yes, well, I …’ the young man floundered, pulling his hands away from Lucy as though he’d been stung. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just asking her out.’
‘And you had your answer. Now you should go.’
‘Okay, I’m out of here.’ He put up his hands in a gesture of submission and then hurriedly grabbed his toolbox. Matt followed him to the door and watched him get into his van and drive away.
Coming back along the corridor to where she was waiting, he glanced at Lucy and said calmly, ‘I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I? Men take one look at you and their brains fly out the window.’
She stared at him, dumbfounded. ‘Is that my fault?’ she said, feeling affronted. ‘Do you think I like it that way? I hate that it always happens. I hate it that other women resent me for the way I look, but I can’t do anything about it. I wish I could, but I can’t … unless …’ Her mind whirled. ‘Perhaps I should scrape my hair back into a ponytail and start wearing baggy clothes.’
‘I can’t see that working,’ he said with a wry smile. ‘Anyway, I was just teasing you—you make it so easy for me because you always rise to the bait. You really shouldn’t take things so seriously, you know.’
She frowned. ‘No, maybe not. But just lately I can’t help it. I feel as though I’m under pressure all the while, and you have a knack of turning the key and winding me up even more. I don’t want to feel that way.’ Her gaze flicked to him. ‘About what happened with the repairman just now … There was no need for you to intervene, you know. I was handling things. I was perfectly able to deal with him.’
‘Sure you were.’ He draped an arm around her and led her back towards the kitchen. ‘Anyway, forget about it. You have more important things to think about right now, don’t you?’
She looked at him in consternation. ‘Oh—the lecture, yes. I must get my head clear.’ She dithered for a second or two, undecided what she should do first. ‘I have to get my bag … And I need to sort out some paperwork for my father before I go—he’ll be ringing to ask me about it later today and I need to have it to hand.’ She frowned, trying to bring her thoughts into order. ‘What happened about the little boy … Jacob? Is he all right? He didn’t look as though he wanted to leave, did he?’
She realised that it might seem as though she was babbling, and she stopped talking, her mind in a whirl. Then she put a hand to her head and said raggedly, ‘Why can’t I think straight? What’s wrong with me? I’m not usually like this, and I don’t understand it. I don’t know what’s happening to me.’
‘Hmm.’ He was thoughtful for a moment or two. ‘I think you should sit down for a few minutes
