shingles in storage. I’ll leave it up to you to—”
“She said she didn’t want our help,” Andy cut in, a scowl etched deep into his forehead.
Marc’s expression didn’t flinch. “The decision’s been made. As I was saying, Bill, after you all have a chance to climb up and figure out what needs replacing, you and Andy can stay behind to start the tear out while Teddy here goes on back to pick up supplies. Everyone understand?”
Bill nodded once. “Got it.”
Teddy gave him a goofy grin. “Yes, sir.”
Andy lifted a defiant chin at Marc, his eyes blazing.
Tasha tapped Marc on the shoulder. She gestured with her pointer finger for him to follow her.
“Give me a minute, guys,” he said, and followed Tasha around the back of her house until they stood on her deck, out of the crew’s sight.
Tasha crossed her arms tightly in front of her. She gave Marc an unwavering gaze. “I don’t want your guys up on my roof.”
“Really? Why is that?”
She steadied her breath. “Because this is my problem. I’ll take care of it.”
He licked his bottom lip, studying her. “You accepted Lorena’s help last night—”
She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side, completely annoyed at how frizzy her mane was surely becoming. “Are you really going to chastise me about that again? Don’t you think I regret Lorena’s injury? Has it ever occurred to you that may be the reason I want to hire a bona fide expert to take care of my leaky roof?” She exhaled a sigh in a burst. “The last thing I want to do is have one of my neighbor’s guys fall off my roof!”
“And that’s the only reason you don’t want my help?”
Tasha felt her gaze dull. This wasn’t going well, and by “this,” she meant the entire move to this peaceful paradise. She never meant to become a hermit; in fact, she envisioned a handful of friendly neighbors that she might run into at the local grocery store or gas station or post office. She figured she’d see them enough to learn their names, but return home to complete her project in peaceful solitude, making decisions without input from bosses or an ex who had likely lied to her from the start. She’d looked forward to turning the rather rundown shack into a picture-perfect cottage with white interior walls, bursts of rustic blues and greens, and a new coat of barn red on the outside. Coffee on the deck out back in the morning, and wine on the front porch at night.
Lately, that bigger than life dream had spiraled to a pinprick. But she didn’t owe Marc an explanation. Really, they had only barely moved past the polite stranger stage.
He reached for her elbow and bent closer to her, his voice low. “You are a brave woman, Tasha McHenry.”
She formed the word “Oh” with her mouth, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat. He’d called her brave. Now what was she to say to that? No one had ever called her brave. She doubted she would have ever used that word to describe herself. “That’s ... that’s kind of you to say, Marc.”
He continued to stare into her eyes, no trace of patronizing in them. “I’ve no doubt you can handle this on your own, but I’ve got a few men here with time on their hands. Let them help you.”
A tinge of wooziness swayed her, and she couldn’t take her eyes from his. She forced herself to blink, and when she did, she managed to glance away. She pulled in a breath through her nose and swung a hard look back at him. “Fine,” she said, her voice cracking, “but only if I can pay them in pizza.”
Marc laughed, the parentheses around his mouth deepening. He stood straighter and whipped a look back at the men, giving them a wave to continue toward her house. “She’s all yours, guys. When you’re done, Tasha’ll buy dinner.”
Bill and Teddy laughed and smiled. Andy, however, kicked a rock and sulked toward the cabin.
“You’re doing a good thing here, especially where Andy’s concerned,” Marc said. “The kid
“She said she didn’t want our help,” Andy cut in, a scowl etched deep into his forehead.
Marc’s expression didn’t flinch. “The decision’s been made. As I was saying, Bill, after you all have a chance to climb up and figure out what needs replacing, you and Andy can stay behind to start the tear out while Teddy here goes on back to pick up supplies. Everyone understand?”
Bill nodded once. “Got it.”
Teddy gave him a goofy grin. “Yes, sir.”
Andy lifted a defiant chin at Marc, his eyes blazing.
Tasha tapped Marc on the shoulder. She gestured with her pointer finger for him to follow her.
“Give me a minute, guys,” he said, and followed Tasha around the back of her house until they stood on her deck, out of the crew’s sight.
Tasha crossed her arms tightly in front of her. She gave Marc an unwavering gaze. “I don’t want your guys up on my roof.”
“Really? Why is that?”
She steadied her breath. “Because this is my problem. I’ll take care of it.”
He licked his bottom lip, studying her. “You accepted Lorena’s help last night—”
She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to one side, completely annoyed at how frizzy her mane was surely becoming. “Are you really going to chastise me about that again? Don’t you think I regret Lorena’s injury? Has it ever occurred to you that may be the reason I want to hire a bona fide expert to take care of my leaky roof?” She exhaled a sigh in a burst. “The last thing I want to do is have one of my neighbor’s guys fall off my roof!”
“And that’s the only reason you don’t want my help?”
Tasha felt her gaze dull. This wasn’t going well, and by “this,” she meant the entire move to this peaceful paradise. She never meant to become a hermit; in fact, she envisioned a handful of friendly neighbors that she might run into at the local grocery store or gas station or post office. She figured she’d see them enough to learn their names, but return home to complete her project in peaceful solitude, making decisions without input from bosses or an ex who had likely lied to her from the start. She’d looked forward to turning the rather rundown shack into a picture-perfect cottage with white interior walls, bursts of rustic blues and greens, and a new coat of barn red on the outside. Coffee on the deck out back in the morning, and wine on the front porch at night.
Lately, that bigger than life dream had spiraled to a pinprick. But she didn’t owe Marc an explanation. Really, they had only barely moved past the polite stranger stage.
He reached for her elbow and bent closer to her, his voice low. “You are a brave woman, Tasha McHenry.”
She formed the word “Oh” with her mouth, but no sound came out. She cleared her throat. He’d called her brave. Now what was she to say to that? No one had ever called her brave. She doubted she would have ever used that word to describe herself. “That’s ... that’s kind of you to say, Marc.”
He continued to stare into her eyes, no trace of patronizing in them. “I’ve no doubt you can handle this on your own, but I’ve got a few men here with time on their hands. Let them help you.”
A tinge of wooziness swayed her, and she couldn’t take her eyes from his. She forced herself to blink, and when she did, she managed to glance away. She pulled in a breath through her nose and swung a hard look back at him. “Fine,” she said, her voice cracking, “but only if I can pay them in pizza.”
Marc laughed, the parentheses around his mouth deepening. He stood straighter and whipped a look back at the men, giving them a wave to continue toward her house. “She’s all yours, guys. When you’re done, Tasha’ll buy dinner.”
Bill and Teddy laughed and smiled. Andy, however, kicked a rock and sulked toward the cabin.
“You’re doing a good thing here, especially where Andy’s concerned,” Marc said. “The kid
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