on it, it’ll burn my whole studio down. Later.”
After the door jingled shut behind her, Amy gave him a knowing feminine look. “She likes you.”
“She likes everybody. When you’re a freelance artist, it’s good for business.”
“Are you seriously telling me you’re not the least bit interested in her? She’s gorgeous and perky, and more fun than any three people I know.”
“You’re right about all that,” he agreed, “which is why Jenna and I are friends. But she treats me like an annoying little brother, and that’s fine with me.”
“Why? I mean, most guys I know would fall all over themselves to get her attention.”
In the cynical comment, he got a glimpse of who Amy had become while she’d been working so hard to establish her career. To his mind, it seemed as if she hadn’t enjoyed herself all that much since her early dancing days, at least not on a personal level.
Obviously, she’d spent way too much time with losers who didn’t know a remarkable woman when one was standing right in front of them. Sensing an opportunity to distinguish himself from them, he grinned down at her. “Well, I’m not like those guys. Before this show opens, I’m gonna do everything I can to make you believe that.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion, and she frowned. “You met me an hour ago. Why do you even care?”
“I just do,” he replied easily, because he honestly meant it. “But if you need more of a reason, call it Christmas spirit.”
With that, he began strolling toward the rear of the stage, stopping when she called out his name. Turning, he said, “Yeah?”
“You’re starting now?”
“Molly filled Paul and me up with one of her farmer’s breakfasts, so I’m ready to go. Thought I’d start by knocking down some of those bigger pieces that are already put together. Then I’ll haul ’em over to Fred’s so he can get started painting. Then I’ll come back and we can go over whatever plans you’ve got for getting all this done. Is that okay with you?”
Clearly bewildered by his quick pace, she slowly nodded. “Thank you.”
“No problem.”
She rewarded him with a timid smile, the kind that could sneak into a man’s head and make him forget all kinds of things. Like how he needed to be careful around this woman, because she was fragile and needed time to heal.
The problem was, something about Amy Morgan tugged at the edges of his restless heart in a way no woman ever had. And in spite of his misgivings, he wasn’t convinced he should even try to keep her out.
“She does good work,” Amy commented, moving to the side to study the brightly painted nutcracker sign from another angle. “When Jenna and I first got to know each other, I was surprised there was such a talented artist here in Barrett’s Mill.”
“Must’ve been nice to find another creative type to hang with out here in the boonies.”
He’d nailed her feelings so exactly, she gaped at him in amazement. With his rugged appearance and carefree attitude, she’d never have guessed he’d be so perceptive. It made her wonder what other qualities might be hiding behind that wide-open grin.
Pushing those very personal observations from her mind, she dragged herself back to the task at hand. “I have to start advertising the show right away, so I’d like to get this guy set up out front. Would you mind helping with that?”
“’Course not.” Picking up the sign, he tucked it under his arm and motioned her past. “After you.”
The rough-and-tumble streets of Washington and New York had left her accustomed to fending for herself. Men didn’t typically defer to her this way, and she found his gentlemanly gesture charming. Southern boys, she mused as she walked through the studio. She could get used to this.
Out front, she stopped to the left of the door. “I thought he’d look best here, next to the window. What do you think?”
That got her a bright, male laugh, the kind that sounded as if it got plenty of use. “I’m about as far from a decorator as you can get. Lumber, saws, hammers, that’s me. You’re better off following your own gut on this one.”
His innocent comment landed on her bruised heart like a fist, reminding her of the last time she’d followed her gut—and the unmitigated disaster it had led her into. If only she’d kept to her original course instead of taking that shortcut, she’d still be on her way to becoming principal ballerina for an international company. Never again would she deviate from the plan, she promised herself for the hundredth time. Improvising had cost her everything.
Swallowing her exaggerated reaction to his advice, she focused on identifying the perfect location for her sign. Jason set it in place, and she considered it for a moment, then shook her head. “Jenna made him double-sided on purpose, and I want to make sure people get a good view of him from the sidewalk and the street. The idea is to draw them in so they’ll look at the other decorations and the playbill in the window. Try angling him this way.”
Demonstrating with her hands, she waited and then reassessed. “Now he’s too much toward the studio.”
After several more attempts, Jason plunked the sign on the paved walkway and rested an arm on top of his Cossack’s helmet. “You’re kidding, right? We’ve tipped this thing every way but upside down. You’re seriously telling me we haven’t hit the right spot yet?”
“There’s no point in doing something imperfectly,” she shot back in self-defense.
He gazed at her thoughtfully, and she got the eerie feeling he could see things she’d rather keep to herself. “That doesn’t sound like something someone our age would say. Who taught you that?”
“My mother. And she’s right, by the way. Perfection is the only goal for a balleri—ballet teachers.”
In a heartbeat, his confused expression shifted to one of sympathy, and he frowned. “You were gonna say ballerina, weren’t you?”
“I misspoke. Now, are you going to help me finish this, or should I do it myself?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it and shook his head. “You don’t want folks feeling sorry for you, I get that. Your life’s taken a nasty turn, and I respect what you’re doing to get it back together.” Moving a step closer, he added, “But you’re here now, and you don’t have to do everything on your own anymore. Folks in Barrett’s Mill are real fond of your aunt and uncle, and they’re gonna want to help you, whether you like it or not.”
“Including you?”
Warmth spread through his features, burnishing the gold in his eyes to a color she’d never seen before. When he finally smiled, for the first time in her life, she actually felt her knees begin quivering. If he took it into his head to kiss her, she was fairly certain she wouldn’t have the strength—or the will—to stop him.
“Including me,” he
