here she sat, in the flesh, and looking…uncertain.
Interesting. A woman with enough confidence to scale a ladder and attack a roof all on her own shouldn’t look terrified to say hello. Then again, that day at Subway, she’d trembled under my hand. I had thought because I’d scared the dickens out of her, running into her like that, but…
Maybe I needed to get to know this blue-eyed carpenter princess.
“I think you’ve been overlooked.” I smiled, hoping it would be enough to keep her attention from falling back to her hands. “Was Mack expecting you?”
Her shoulders relaxed and—hallelujah!—she kept her eyes on mine. “I think so. My uncle’s worked with him, but he’s caught up in a project right now. I came in his place. I thought he called ahead to let Homes For Hope know.”
I stood and held a hand to her. Sarah shielded her eyes with her hand and stared at my hand.
“Come on.” I felt like I was coaxing a kitten from a tree. “We’ll go clear this up.”
She tucked her chin down, and I thought for a moment that she’d tell me to take a hike. Her head came back up, though, and her grip slid into mine.
After she stood, she snapped her hand to her side and cleared her throat. “I take it you’re the master roofer.”
“For the moment.” I sent her a wink.
She looked away, crimson filling her cheeks.
Maybe that was too bold. Oh well, no going back now. “If my job’s in danger, you and I may not be friends.”
Her face darted upward again, and her eyebrows folded in.
I chuckled. Couldn’t help it. “You’re not after my lofty title, are you?”
“No.”
Did she know I wasn’t serious? “Good.” I dropped a hand on her shoulder. “Then we can be friends.”
A tiny sound drifted from her mouth to my ears. A mouse laugh—which, by some quirk, I found adorable.
Who would have thought I’d meet an adorable roofer? Correction, framer?
“Come on, then.” I moved toward the peak, and she stepped beside me. Up and over, then down the ladder we went. I caught a glimpse of the gathering of trees in the river valley before I descended, and I thought about the other night on Avery’s deck when I’d stewed over the Spirit’s hint of changes in my life.
I grinned. If this was it, I had nothing to worry about.
Sarah
I couldn’t place him. Wished to high heaven I could so I’d have something intelligent to say. Talking would give me a reason to stare into his face. And his face was worth looking at. Did all men smile like little boys? I’d never noticed. But this Jesse Chapman, he grinned like a ten-year-old on the Fourth of July, and he teased like he’d been the class clown.
Why would he tease me? No one ever teased me. Must have looked like a snot because I didn’t know what to do with his impish humor.
We hit the ground, Jesse right behind me, and he slipped a hand to my elbow. As if I were a lady. Was that a joke? Irritation wrestled with the pleasure incited by his hand against my skin. I decided not to take it as a joke. I liked the race of tingles in my arm way too much to spoil it with suspicion.
We headed toward the picnic, which stirred hesitation in my gut. Didn’t he hear me? I didn’t know anyone there.
“Mack.” Jesse spoke loud enough to gain the big guy’s attention as we walked.
Mack turned from a conversation and took three steps to meet us. “So, did you solve the mystery?”
“Two of them, actually.” Jesse grinned. Impishly. “Mack, this is Sarah Sharpe. She’s not only a capable roofer, but she’s your master framer.”
Jesse winked. Again. Heat flared in my face. What was this guy after? Whatever it was, he could certainly do better than me.
“Sharpe?” Mack clarified.
“Yes, sir.” I commanded my brain to an intelligent state and thrust my hand toward him. He shook it, but doubt punctuated his flimsy grip. I squeezed his muscled hand. Dad always said a firm handshake left a lasting impression. “Dan Sharpe is my uncle.
Interesting. A woman with enough confidence to scale a ladder and attack a roof all on her own shouldn’t look terrified to say hello. Then again, that day at Subway, she’d trembled under my hand. I had thought because I’d scared the dickens out of her, running into her like that, but…
Maybe I needed to get to know this blue-eyed carpenter princess.
“I think you’ve been overlooked.” I smiled, hoping it would be enough to keep her attention from falling back to her hands. “Was Mack expecting you?”
Her shoulders relaxed and—hallelujah!—she kept her eyes on mine. “I think so. My uncle’s worked with him, but he’s caught up in a project right now. I came in his place. I thought he called ahead to let Homes For Hope know.”
I stood and held a hand to her. Sarah shielded her eyes with her hand and stared at my hand.
“Come on.” I felt like I was coaxing a kitten from a tree. “We’ll go clear this up.”
She tucked her chin down, and I thought for a moment that she’d tell me to take a hike. Her head came back up, though, and her grip slid into mine.
After she stood, she snapped her hand to her side and cleared her throat. “I take it you’re the master roofer.”
“For the moment.” I sent her a wink.
She looked away, crimson filling her cheeks.
Maybe that was too bold. Oh well, no going back now. “If my job’s in danger, you and I may not be friends.”
Her face darted upward again, and her eyebrows folded in.
I chuckled. Couldn’t help it. “You’re not after my lofty title, are you?”
“No.”
Did she know I wasn’t serious? “Good.” I dropped a hand on her shoulder. “Then we can be friends.”
A tiny sound drifted from her mouth to my ears. A mouse laugh—which, by some quirk, I found adorable.
Who would have thought I’d meet an adorable roofer? Correction, framer?
“Come on, then.” I moved toward the peak, and she stepped beside me. Up and over, then down the ladder we went. I caught a glimpse of the gathering of trees in the river valley before I descended, and I thought about the other night on Avery’s deck when I’d stewed over the Spirit’s hint of changes in my life.
I grinned. If this was it, I had nothing to worry about.
Sarah
I couldn’t place him. Wished to high heaven I could so I’d have something intelligent to say. Talking would give me a reason to stare into his face. And his face was worth looking at. Did all men smile like little boys? I’d never noticed. But this Jesse Chapman, he grinned like a ten-year-old on the Fourth of July, and he teased like he’d been the class clown.
Why would he tease me? No one ever teased me. Must have looked like a snot because I didn’t know what to do with his impish humor.
We hit the ground, Jesse right behind me, and he slipped a hand to my elbow. As if I were a lady. Was that a joke? Irritation wrestled with the pleasure incited by his hand against my skin. I decided not to take it as a joke. I liked the race of tingles in my arm way too much to spoil it with suspicion.
We headed toward the picnic, which stirred hesitation in my gut. Didn’t he hear me? I didn’t know anyone there.
“Mack.” Jesse spoke loud enough to gain the big guy’s attention as we walked.
Mack turned from a conversation and took three steps to meet us. “So, did you solve the mystery?”
“Two of them, actually.” Jesse grinned. Impishly. “Mack, this is Sarah Sharpe. She’s not only a capable roofer, but she’s your master framer.”
Jesse winked. Again. Heat flared in my face. What was this guy after? Whatever it was, he could certainly do better than me.
“Sharpe?” Mack clarified.
“Yes, sir.” I commanded my brain to an intelligent state and thrust my hand toward him. He shook it, but doubt punctuated his flimsy grip. I squeezed his muscled hand. Dad always said a firm handshake left a lasting impression. “Dan Sharpe is my uncle.
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