found Theo shutting up the shop. “Got a job for you on Thursday,” he told him. “House next to the McIntyres’ on Little Turnpike.”
Chapter 6
Pink bikini top, check. White Daisy Dukes showing off her tan legs, check. Lounge chair perched on the deck with a perfect view of the back lawn, check. Pitcher of lemonade chilling in the fridge, ready to quench the thirst of a sweaty grass-scented male, check.
Jade had spent the last two and half days dutifully applying for assistant positions at every library in the area and cleaning Grandma Nina’s house from top to bottom. She was ready for her reward: a front-row seat to Chippendales, lawn edition.
The doorbell gonged, and she rushed to answer it.
Her smile fell when the handsome face above the forest green Herald and Son polo shirt wasn’t Emmett’s.
“What’s up?” the man said with a masculine nod. “Name’s Theo.” He was talking to her rack.
“What happened to Emmett?”
He took his sweet time making it up to her face. “Had somewhere else to be. Looks like you’re stuck with me.” This, followed by a lazy grin.
Any other time, a buzz-cut muscle head with lust-glazed eyes would propel her into flirt-mode, but not when she’d been looking forward to a golden Adonis with friendly dimples and blue eyes that shone with genuine concern when they looked at her.
“Goody,” she said, sans enthusiasm. “Well, there’s the lawn.” She waved her hand. “Front and back, please. Have fun.”
He winked. “I plan to.”
She shut the door on him, refusing to let the weight of rejection settle on her shoulders. It was no big deal. Emmett was probably busy, what with his two jobs and everything. And his dad, whom she assumed was the Herald in Herald and Son , was probably the one to schedule the workers. It’s not like Emmett was avoiding her.
She dashed up the stairs and put on some jeans and a T-shirt. She’d been visiting Grandma Nina every afternoon, timing her visits after Betty’s and before her grandmother’s dinner time. Today, she had planned to go after Emmett left, but she didn’t really want to hang around and ogle Mr. Wonderful in His Own Head. Looked like Grandma Nina would get her a little early today.
Before getting in her car, she found Theo weed-whacking around the base of one of the purple maples. He stopped the whacker when she approached, lowered the bandana protecting his mouth and nose, and grinned, lazy and inviting.
“Don’t get all excited,” she said, holding out his check. “I’m going out. Here.”
He took the check with one arched eyebrow and tucked it in his pocket. “Alrighty, then,” he said. “Have a good one.”
She got in her car and drove to Senior First. Betty was walking out as Jade strolled in, and they greeted each other in passing. She almost thanked Betty for the referral to Herald and Son Lawn Service, but since she didn’t know yet whether the quality of their work matched the hotness of the employees, she held off.
Inside, she found a male nurse in teal scrubs kneeling to help Grandma Nina tie on her cross trainers.
“Going somewhere?” she asked.
Her grandmother had a lip-sticked smile for her. “Javier is going to help me make a loop around the hall. Want to come along?” She pronounced her nurse’s name with all the exotic flare she could muster, obviously pleased she would get to monopolize the handsome nurse’s time for a while.
“Is that safe? Are you sure you’re up for it?”
Javier looked up. He had warm brown eyes and a kind, mid-forties face. “I’ll be with her every step of the way. It’s time to get your grandmother up and moving.”
“Did you know risk of blood clots goes up the longer you stay in bed?” Grandma Nina said. “Besides, I’m wasting away just lying here. Look at me. I hardly have any breasts left.”
Jade shook her head as Javier choked back a laugh.
Grandma Nina winced as she stood up and planted her hands on the walker, but by the
Chapter 6
Pink bikini top, check. White Daisy Dukes showing off her tan legs, check. Lounge chair perched on the deck with a perfect view of the back lawn, check. Pitcher of lemonade chilling in the fridge, ready to quench the thirst of a sweaty grass-scented male, check.
Jade had spent the last two and half days dutifully applying for assistant positions at every library in the area and cleaning Grandma Nina’s house from top to bottom. She was ready for her reward: a front-row seat to Chippendales, lawn edition.
The doorbell gonged, and she rushed to answer it.
Her smile fell when the handsome face above the forest green Herald and Son polo shirt wasn’t Emmett’s.
“What’s up?” the man said with a masculine nod. “Name’s Theo.” He was talking to her rack.
“What happened to Emmett?”
He took his sweet time making it up to her face. “Had somewhere else to be. Looks like you’re stuck with me.” This, followed by a lazy grin.
Any other time, a buzz-cut muscle head with lust-glazed eyes would propel her into flirt-mode, but not when she’d been looking forward to a golden Adonis with friendly dimples and blue eyes that shone with genuine concern when they looked at her.
“Goody,” she said, sans enthusiasm. “Well, there’s the lawn.” She waved her hand. “Front and back, please. Have fun.”
He winked. “I plan to.”
She shut the door on him, refusing to let the weight of rejection settle on her shoulders. It was no big deal. Emmett was probably busy, what with his two jobs and everything. And his dad, whom she assumed was the Herald in Herald and Son , was probably the one to schedule the workers. It’s not like Emmett was avoiding her.
She dashed up the stairs and put on some jeans and a T-shirt. She’d been visiting Grandma Nina every afternoon, timing her visits after Betty’s and before her grandmother’s dinner time. Today, she had planned to go after Emmett left, but she didn’t really want to hang around and ogle Mr. Wonderful in His Own Head. Looked like Grandma Nina would get her a little early today.
Before getting in her car, she found Theo weed-whacking around the base of one of the purple maples. He stopped the whacker when she approached, lowered the bandana protecting his mouth and nose, and grinned, lazy and inviting.
“Don’t get all excited,” she said, holding out his check. “I’m going out. Here.”
He took the check with one arched eyebrow and tucked it in his pocket. “Alrighty, then,” he said. “Have a good one.”
She got in her car and drove to Senior First. Betty was walking out as Jade strolled in, and they greeted each other in passing. She almost thanked Betty for the referral to Herald and Son Lawn Service, but since she didn’t know yet whether the quality of their work matched the hotness of the employees, she held off.
Inside, she found a male nurse in teal scrubs kneeling to help Grandma Nina tie on her cross trainers.
“Going somewhere?” she asked.
Her grandmother had a lip-sticked smile for her. “Javier is going to help me make a loop around the hall. Want to come along?” She pronounced her nurse’s name with all the exotic flare she could muster, obviously pleased she would get to monopolize the handsome nurse’s time for a while.
“Is that safe? Are you sure you’re up for it?”
Javier looked up. He had warm brown eyes and a kind, mid-forties face. “I’ll be with her every step of the way. It’s time to get your grandmother up and moving.”
“Did you know risk of blood clots goes up the longer you stay in bed?” Grandma Nina said. “Besides, I’m wasting away just lying here. Look at me. I hardly have any breasts left.”
Jade shook her head as Javier choked back a laugh.
Grandma Nina winced as she stood up and planted her hands on the walker, but by the
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