just don’t like change,” he said, the words coming out stilted.
“Oh, really?”
“There’s an order to things,” he muttered. “It’s easier to keep track of them that way.”
She waved a hand. “Well, I love change. It’s what makes life interesting.”
“Which begs the question why you’re back here. Committed to five long years...”
“Because there’s no place like home. I’ve been all over the country and I’ve never been anywhere that felt like Copper Ridge.”
He paused, studying her far too intently for her liking. “How long did it take you to get that response down so perfectly?”
Anger sparked through her. Because he had her number. “Are you saying my response seems rehearsed?”
“Yes. Very. Why are you really here?”
Oh, damn him. “Because. It was time. Because...I was tired of feeling like I was running away.”
“From?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Things.”
“Same things you got in that bag?”
“Yep. Nuts, bolts and other assorted crap.”
Toby chose that moment to come padding down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“You have a cat,” he said, “in the house.”
“Yes,” she said. “Where else am I going to keep my cat?”
“The barn.”
“You don’t keep a friend in the barn. Well, maybe you keep your friends in the barn. That could be why you don’t have any friends.”
“I have friends.”
“I haven’t seen any.”
“You’ve seen me at work and at home.”
“And I’ve seen nary a friend. Are they in the barn now?” She made her eyes round and looked at him in mock horror.
“None of my friends shed. And they don’t leave dead animals on your carpet.”
“Neither does Toby. I don’t think he’d kill a mouse. He’s too civilized for that.”
“A cat that won’t kill mice? That just sounds worthless to me.”
She shot him a dirty look and scooped Toby up from his position by the table. “You can’t have it two ways. Either it’s bad for him to leave dead animals lying around, or it’s bad for him to not kill things.”
“I like it when cats kill things. Outside.”
“Then have your cats the way you want them. I’ll have mine the way I want him. And I will have matching molding. We’re just going to have to disagree on the fundamentals of life. Big surprise there, right?”
“Good point.”
“Well. Good. Glad we’ve come to that...conclusion.” She set Toby on the table. “So...now I need to get back to work.”
“You honestly think you’re going to do all this alone?”
“Yes. I am. I’m a hard worker and I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty.”
“I thought you were a therapist.”
“Was.”
“Didn’t you listen to people for a living?”
She blew out an exasperated breath. “Listening is hard work, I’ll have you know. It’s why so few people do it. And anyway, I have the desire to finish all this work, and one thing you should know about me is that when I set out to do something, I get it done, okay?”
“Well, I’ll look forward to seeing you get this done.”
“Yeah, well, I look forward to you putting a shirt on,” she said.
The words hung between them and she tried not to pull a face and reveal just how embarrassing they were to her. Because, damn it all, she was trying to pretend that she hadn’t noticed. And she was pretty sure she’d been managing to hide the whole I’m-helplessly-checking-you-out thing from him, too. Except now she’d gone and shown she was disturbed by it.
Bah.
He cocked his head to the side. “This bothers you?”
“No.”
“Then why did you say...?”
“Because. Because this is a place of business.”
“I thought you weren’t open.”
“I’m not, but...still.”
He leaned in and she caught his scent—sweat and skin. Man. And the want, the need, grabbed her around the throat and shook hard, unwilling to let her go. She should move. She should stop breathing him in.
But she couldn’t think about what might come next. Because her brain was totally blank.
All she could do was stare. At his lips. At the square cut of his jaw. It was dusted with stubble now, not clean like it had been yesterday. Yes, today he looked more out of order in every way, and she had to admit, it was interesting. Fascinating. Dangerous.
Something crackled between them, and he seemed to feel it, too. Because his expression wasn’t granite like usual. There was heat there. Even fire. It flickered, quick and hot, in his dark eyes, and then it was gone.
“I think I’ve imposed on you a little too long,” he said. “I have my own work to do.”
“Right,” she said. “Go on, then.”
“If you need anything...”
“I’ll call Kate.”
“Call Kate.” His words came at the same time hers did.
“Right,” she said. “I’ll do that. I’m picking her up...soon, actually. So. Okay, then.”
He ran his hand over his hair, and she felt a little zip of attraction hit her low as the motion highlighted his biceps. Yet again. There was something wrong with her. It must be all this fresh air.
“I think we’ll be okay, Sadie,” he said, his voice rougher than it had been a moment ago.
“You...do?”
“Just stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. And try not to change too many things.”
