tingled and tightened and she knew who’d rescued her.
Craning her head, she looked back. Ryan was holding her securely and smiling broadly. “Carmen.”
“How long have you been here?”
His smile danced a jig in his eyes. Oh God. He’d seen her dancing and heard her singing. Heat flamed her cheeks and it had nothing to do with the sun.
Since he was behind her, he was looking at her upside down, which somehow made it seem more ridiculous when he kissed her forehead. “Just for a few songs.”
A few songs. She’d only listened to a few songs. He’d been there for almost the whole time.
“You’ve got some nice moves, Woman.”
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people, Gunny.”
“A hurricane could have snuck up on you.” He helped her straighten and turned her to face him.
His smile was as endearing as the detailed voicemails he’d left. Sometime in the last week, with only space and knowledge that he was working on her design, the anger he incited had faded. Looking up, she searched his face and eyes. He was humored, obviously, but he also seemed lighter than he had before. Free. Like she’d just been feeling.
Holding on to the peace, she chose a path other than arguments. “Well, thank you for saving me.”
“Anytime.” He pulled his hands away.
She stepped back to pick up her iPod and her ankle buckled beneath the weight. Ryan caught her again, this time sweeping her fully into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not that she thought he’d drop her, and enjoyed being carried to the bench in the gazebo.
“You’re different today.” She sounded winded, yet she wasn’t sure it was because of the dancing.
“So are you.” He set her on the bench, lingering a moment before releasing her. He sat by her feet and lifted her injured ankle. “You should be more careful when you dance on a worksite. You shouldn’t dance on a worksite.”
“You’re right.”
His brows were lifted when he raised his head to look at her. “Who are you, and what have you done with Carmen Smith?”
The fun, joking Ryan was a charmer. It would be nice to have him around longer. Curbing the desire to make a smart-assed remark, she smiled. “Didn’t she tell you she’s a twin? Yeah. There’s a fun one who likes music and dancing and an argumentative one who takes offense to everything and everyone.”
His lips curled as he rubbed his thumbs over the top of her foot. “Well, as much fun as that other twin is, I find myself in a mood for you.”
“Ryan.” Serious thoughts tumbled through her mind with all the joking ones flitting away. She didn’t want to argue and she didn’t want to brush over what could be an important moment. She just didn’t know what she wanted to say.
He moved her ankle from side to side, flexed it and turned it. “I think you’ve just sprained it, but you should have Dani or Jon take a look at it. And stay off it until you do.”
“I walked here, and I stand on my feet all day at work.”
“Then we’ll go see the doctor now.” Ryan said nothing else and left her no time to argue as he stood.
Whatever his next plan was, Carmen placed her fingers against his wrist, halting him. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “I’d do the same for anyone else.”
She shook her head. She seemed to do that a lot with him. “Thank you for the work you’ve done here and for the daily messages telling me how it’s going. I’m sure a part of you would have been happier to write me off entirely.”
“Honestly?”
She nodded.
“You’ve been a challenge from the first moment.” He knelt beside her and exhaled a heavy breath. “But I’d rather fight with you every day than not talk to you at all.”
Her heart sighed. No one had ever said anything sweeter and she’d never wanted to kiss a man more than she wanted to kiss Ryan. Leaning in, she moved wrong and a stab of pain shot from her ankle into her leg. She winced and reached toward the offending pain.
Ryan turned his
Craning her head, she looked back. Ryan was holding her securely and smiling broadly. “Carmen.”
“How long have you been here?”
His smile danced a jig in his eyes. Oh God. He’d seen her dancing and heard her singing. Heat flamed her cheeks and it had nothing to do with the sun.
Since he was behind her, he was looking at her upside down, which somehow made it seem more ridiculous when he kissed her forehead. “Just for a few songs.”
A few songs. She’d only listened to a few songs. He’d been there for almost the whole time.
“You’ve got some nice moves, Woman.”
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people, Gunny.”
“A hurricane could have snuck up on you.” He helped her straighten and turned her to face him.
His smile was as endearing as the detailed voicemails he’d left. Sometime in the last week, with only space and knowledge that he was working on her design, the anger he incited had faded. Looking up, she searched his face and eyes. He was humored, obviously, but he also seemed lighter than he had before. Free. Like she’d just been feeling.
Holding on to the peace, she chose a path other than arguments. “Well, thank you for saving me.”
“Anytime.” He pulled his hands away.
She stepped back to pick up her iPod and her ankle buckled beneath the weight. Ryan caught her again, this time sweeping her fully into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not that she thought he’d drop her, and enjoyed being carried to the bench in the gazebo.
“You’re different today.” She sounded winded, yet she wasn’t sure it was because of the dancing.
“So are you.” He set her on the bench, lingering a moment before releasing her. He sat by her feet and lifted her injured ankle. “You should be more careful when you dance on a worksite. You shouldn’t dance on a worksite.”
“You’re right.”
His brows were lifted when he raised his head to look at her. “Who are you, and what have you done with Carmen Smith?”
The fun, joking Ryan was a charmer. It would be nice to have him around longer. Curbing the desire to make a smart-assed remark, she smiled. “Didn’t she tell you she’s a twin? Yeah. There’s a fun one who likes music and dancing and an argumentative one who takes offense to everything and everyone.”
His lips curled as he rubbed his thumbs over the top of her foot. “Well, as much fun as that other twin is, I find myself in a mood for you.”
“Ryan.” Serious thoughts tumbled through her mind with all the joking ones flitting away. She didn’t want to argue and she didn’t want to brush over what could be an important moment. She just didn’t know what she wanted to say.
He moved her ankle from side to side, flexed it and turned it. “I think you’ve just sprained it, but you should have Dani or Jon take a look at it. And stay off it until you do.”
“I walked here, and I stand on my feet all day at work.”
“Then we’ll go see the doctor now.” Ryan said nothing else and left her no time to argue as he stood.
Whatever his next plan was, Carmen placed her fingers against his wrist, halting him. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “I’d do the same for anyone else.”
She shook her head. She seemed to do that a lot with him. “Thank you for the work you’ve done here and for the daily messages telling me how it’s going. I’m sure a part of you would have been happier to write me off entirely.”
“Honestly?”
She nodded.
“You’ve been a challenge from the first moment.” He knelt beside her and exhaled a heavy breath. “But I’d rather fight with you every day than not talk to you at all.”
Her heart sighed. No one had ever said anything sweeter and she’d never wanted to kiss a man more than she wanted to kiss Ryan. Leaning in, she moved wrong and a stab of pain shot from her ankle into her leg. She winced and reached toward the offending pain.
Ryan turned his
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