her father— and action. She crinkled her nose. Yuck. Two concepts she never, ever wanted to put together. She wanted her father happy. She wanted him to find someone. She assumed the woman he found would give him action. That did not mean she wanted to hear about it.
“Probably. I’m too busy studying to be part of the action.”
From her vantage point, Samantha saw the red crawling up Ski’s neck. Apparently, he didn’t like to be associated with the “action” that happened in the house. Interesting.
Ski cleared his throat. “I am looking forward to seeing this place done. Your daughter’s doing an excellent job.”
“Yeah, I taught my girl well.”
She shook her head. Taught her well . Crazy, her father drove her crazy. One minute she was useless as a manager, and the next, he taught her well. This time, the nailer went pfft instead of bam , and she growled a sigh. Out of nails, and she didn’t have another strip of them in her belt. She would have grabbed more, but she was distracted. Between her father and Ski there were always distractions. She slowly came down the ladder.
“So, I hear you're on vacation.” Ski watched as she loaded the nailer. Not that she was watching him, but she could feel his stare— tormenting her, distracting her.
“Well, I was on vacation. It was interesting. Samantha, why don’t we head out for a family dinner to discuss it? Ski, son, you could join us.”
Son? Oh, brother. Wait no, not her brother. Family dinner with Ski and Dad. No. Just… no. Ski wasn’t family, not her brother, and she had no desire to play house with the man. She had no desire to play house with any man. Just because something was fun to look at now and again didn’t mean she wanted to carry it with her everywhere she went.
Hell, she wasn’t exactly high on Ski’s list right now, anyway. How could she be? She might have been a little harsh the other day. Damn— that reminded her. She still had a round of groveling to perform. That to-do list kept growing and growing, didn’t it?
She faked a smile. “I’m too busy. I don’t have time for dinner right now.”
“You have to eat.” Her father had the audacity to look upset. Two minutes ago he wanted her to work overtime to get back on track. Now, he wanted her to take time away from work to have a family dinner.
“I will. Just not now. I don’t have time for family bonding.” Or any other bondage. Bonding. Yes, bonding.
“Fine. Ski?”
“I have a few things to do around here, but thanks.”
“Darn. I have nothing to eat at home. I was hoping to get you two to join me and give me an excuse to go someplace good.”
“Wait.” Ski ran to his car and came back a Styrofoam box in his hand. “How about some dessert?”
“What you got there?”
“Cherry pie.” Ski jiggled the box.
Her father grabbed it as if there was no other food on the planet, and not two grocery stores on the way home from the site. Two completely stocked grocery stores to choose from. Of course, they weren’t drive-through, and they wouldn’t make the food for him.
He lifted the lid and snickered. “Are you sure you don’t want this? Someone named Mandy has drawn a very explicit picture on the inside of this box.”
Mandy? Who the hell was Mandy?
Ski peered inside at the lid. Red crawled up his neck and didn’t settle until it hit his ears. “Uhh… that’s not for me.”
“Sure it’s not, son.” Her father slapped him on the back and laughed. “I suppose I should get home and unpack. I was on this horrific singles cruise. My daughter insisted. But I had to come home when I heard about the problems on the site.”
Oh, please. Samantha stomped up the ladder. He had called every day, three to four times a day. The singles cruise couldn’t have been that bad— he came home because he was looking for any reason to escape. Stress put his health at risk, and she thought a week away would help. And a cruise where he could meet other single
“Probably. I’m too busy studying to be part of the action.”
From her vantage point, Samantha saw the red crawling up Ski’s neck. Apparently, he didn’t like to be associated with the “action” that happened in the house. Interesting.
Ski cleared his throat. “I am looking forward to seeing this place done. Your daughter’s doing an excellent job.”
“Yeah, I taught my girl well.”
She shook her head. Taught her well . Crazy, her father drove her crazy. One minute she was useless as a manager, and the next, he taught her well. This time, the nailer went pfft instead of bam , and she growled a sigh. Out of nails, and she didn’t have another strip of them in her belt. She would have grabbed more, but she was distracted. Between her father and Ski there were always distractions. She slowly came down the ladder.
“So, I hear you're on vacation.” Ski watched as she loaded the nailer. Not that she was watching him, but she could feel his stare— tormenting her, distracting her.
“Well, I was on vacation. It was interesting. Samantha, why don’t we head out for a family dinner to discuss it? Ski, son, you could join us.”
Son? Oh, brother. Wait no, not her brother. Family dinner with Ski and Dad. No. Just… no. Ski wasn’t family, not her brother, and she had no desire to play house with the man. She had no desire to play house with any man. Just because something was fun to look at now and again didn’t mean she wanted to carry it with her everywhere she went.
Hell, she wasn’t exactly high on Ski’s list right now, anyway. How could she be? She might have been a little harsh the other day. Damn— that reminded her. She still had a round of groveling to perform. That to-do list kept growing and growing, didn’t it?
She faked a smile. “I’m too busy. I don’t have time for dinner right now.”
“You have to eat.” Her father had the audacity to look upset. Two minutes ago he wanted her to work overtime to get back on track. Now, he wanted her to take time away from work to have a family dinner.
“I will. Just not now. I don’t have time for family bonding.” Or any other bondage. Bonding. Yes, bonding.
“Fine. Ski?”
“I have a few things to do around here, but thanks.”
“Darn. I have nothing to eat at home. I was hoping to get you two to join me and give me an excuse to go someplace good.”
“Wait.” Ski ran to his car and came back a Styrofoam box in his hand. “How about some dessert?”
“What you got there?”
“Cherry pie.” Ski jiggled the box.
Her father grabbed it as if there was no other food on the planet, and not two grocery stores on the way home from the site. Two completely stocked grocery stores to choose from. Of course, they weren’t drive-through, and they wouldn’t make the food for him.
He lifted the lid and snickered. “Are you sure you don’t want this? Someone named Mandy has drawn a very explicit picture on the inside of this box.”
Mandy? Who the hell was Mandy?
Ski peered inside at the lid. Red crawled up his neck and didn’t settle until it hit his ears. “Uhh… that’s not for me.”
“Sure it’s not, son.” Her father slapped him on the back and laughed. “I suppose I should get home and unpack. I was on this horrific singles cruise. My daughter insisted. But I had to come home when I heard about the problems on the site.”
Oh, please. Samantha stomped up the ladder. He had called every day, three to four times a day. The singles cruise couldn’t have been that bad— he came home because he was looking for any reason to escape. Stress put his health at risk, and she thought a week away would help. And a cruise where he could meet other single
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