spark of hope, she realized that things would never be entirely safe or neutral between her and this man.
She swallowed a whole litany of questions and searched frantically for something they could talk about.
57 57
"The chicken looks good," she said eventually. "When did you learn to cook?"
"After the divorce," he said, his gaze avoiding hers.
So, not even dinner was a safe topic, apparently. Jo regarded him with frustration. "You could help me out here. Say something."
An unwilling smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was obvious he was fighting it. "There never was much that was safe or simple between us, was there?"
"Not much," she admitted.
"There's always the weather," he said. "I hear it might snow again."
She went along with him. "Really? When?"
He did grin then. "Sometime this winter."
Jo laughed and the tension was broken. "You made that up, didn't you?"
"Hey, it's as accurate a forecast as any we're likely to get on the news," he protested.
"I suppose so." She grinned back at him. "Think it will rain this spring?"
"Pretty certain," he said.
"If we work at this, we could carve out whole new careers for ourselves."
"Personally I like the one I have," Pete said. "You can go for it if you want to."
She shook her head. "Not me. I like landscape design."
Pete's eyes lit up. "That's what you do?"
"Yes," she said, surprised by his apparent enthusiasm. "Why?"
"I don't suppose you're looking for any work while you're here, are you?"
58
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
"Mike said he might have some jobs for me," she admitted. "We haven't discussed the specifics, though."
He nodded slowly. "You could work through him," he said. "Or work directly for me. I've been on his waiting list for weeks for a couple of houses I just built. He told me the other day he might have help soon. I imagine that's you."
Jo swallowed hard. So there really was more work around than Mike could handle, but working for Pete? Could she do it? Wasn't that just asking for disaster? She needed more information on just how closely she'd have to work with him. It might be smarter to keep Mike as a buffer.
"Are you making the decisions?" she asked. "Or are the new owners of the houses?"
"I'm making the decisions for now. I've built these places on spec. I want the grounds in good shape by spring when the real estate market kicks into high gear around here." He studied her intendy. "Is that a problem?"
She put her fork down and met his gaze. "I don't know. Is it, Pete?"
"What are you asking me?"
"It's been a long time. I was a girl when you knew me. Now, not only am I a woman, but I'm a professional. Can you treat me with the respect I deserve and trust my judgment? Or will our personal history constantly be getting in the way?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he reminded her.
Her lips curved. "But I asked first."
His gaze never wavered. "I always trusted you. I'm the one who blew it, Jo, not you. I may not have shown you the respect you deserved at the end, but the whole
59 59
mess was caused by my stupidity. It had nothing to do with the way I felt about you. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, since you were the one who got hurt."
"No, it doesn't," she said.
"I guess the real question is whether you trust me enough to give me another chance, at least enough for us to work together on a few projects. We can take it one day at a time. Anytime you say it's not working for you, that's it. No hard feelings."
"I don't walk out on jobs," she said. "I'll finish whatever I start. You can count on that."
"And you can count on me not to hurt you again, Jo. I mean that."
Sincerity radiated from him. Jo wanted desperately to believe what he was saying. He clearly was talking about a whole lot more than a couple of landscaping jobs, but the work was all she could think about for now. It was a start, and it would keep her from going stir-crazy here.
She finally held out her hand. "Deal. I'm going to want to clear this with Mike,
She swallowed a whole litany of questions and searched frantically for something they could talk about.
57 57
"The chicken looks good," she said eventually. "When did you learn to cook?"
"After the divorce," he said, his gaze avoiding hers.
So, not even dinner was a safe topic, apparently. Jo regarded him with frustration. "You could help me out here. Say something."
An unwilling smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was obvious he was fighting it. "There never was much that was safe or simple between us, was there?"
"Not much," she admitted.
"There's always the weather," he said. "I hear it might snow again."
She went along with him. "Really? When?"
He did grin then. "Sometime this winter."
Jo laughed and the tension was broken. "You made that up, didn't you?"
"Hey, it's as accurate a forecast as any we're likely to get on the news," he protested.
"I suppose so." She grinned back at him. "Think it will rain this spring?"
"Pretty certain," he said.
"If we work at this, we could carve out whole new careers for ourselves."
"Personally I like the one I have," Pete said. "You can go for it if you want to."
She shook her head. "Not me. I like landscape design."
Pete's eyes lit up. "That's what you do?"
"Yes," she said, surprised by his apparent enthusiasm. "Why?"
"I don't suppose you're looking for any work while you're here, are you?"
58
FOR THE LOVE OF PETE
"Mike said he might have some jobs for me," she admitted. "We haven't discussed the specifics, though."
He nodded slowly. "You could work through him," he said. "Or work directly for me. I've been on his waiting list for weeks for a couple of houses I just built. He told me the other day he might have help soon. I imagine that's you."
Jo swallowed hard. So there really was more work around than Mike could handle, but working for Pete? Could she do it? Wasn't that just asking for disaster? She needed more information on just how closely she'd have to work with him. It might be smarter to keep Mike as a buffer.
"Are you making the decisions?" she asked. "Or are the new owners of the houses?"
"I'm making the decisions for now. I've built these places on spec. I want the grounds in good shape by spring when the real estate market kicks into high gear around here." He studied her intendy. "Is that a problem?"
She put her fork down and met his gaze. "I don't know. Is it, Pete?"
"What are you asking me?"
"It's been a long time. I was a girl when you knew me. Now, not only am I a woman, but I'm a professional. Can you treat me with the respect I deserve and trust my judgment? Or will our personal history constantly be getting in the way?"
"I could ask you the same thing," he reminded her.
Her lips curved. "But I asked first."
His gaze never wavered. "I always trusted you. I'm the one who blew it, Jo, not you. I may not have shown you the respect you deserved at the end, but the whole
59 59
mess was caused by my stupidity. It had nothing to do with the way I felt about you. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, since you were the one who got hurt."
"No, it doesn't," she said.
"I guess the real question is whether you trust me enough to give me another chance, at least enough for us to work together on a few projects. We can take it one day at a time. Anytime you say it's not working for you, that's it. No hard feelings."
"I don't walk out on jobs," she said. "I'll finish whatever I start. You can count on that."
"And you can count on me not to hurt you again, Jo. I mean that."
Sincerity radiated from him. Jo wanted desperately to believe what he was saying. He clearly was talking about a whole lot more than a couple of landscaping jobs, but the work was all she could think about for now. It was a start, and it would keep her from going stir-crazy here.
She finally held out her hand. "Deal. I'm going to want to clear this with Mike,
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