AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Frowning, he ignored her comment. “I hope your call was important, since your cousin nearly gave herself a hernia out here.”
The blonde’s brow shot up. She immediately turned to Kate. “Katey, I told you to wait for me. Good grief, how’d you carry all that stuff by yourself?”
Kate didn’t answer. She was too busy looking back and forth between Jack and Cassie, a confused frown scrunching her brow.
Jack grabbed the end of the mattress. “Let me throw this in the truck and take it for you, Kate. I’m going home anyway.”
“Home?” the blonde—Cassie—asked. Then understanding crossed her face. “Oh, my, you’re J. J. Winfield, aren’t you?”
He swallowed a groan. “Jack. Jack Winfield.”
The blonde didn’t reply, just looked him over, head to toe, very intently. Smiling, she extended her hand. “Hi, Jack. I’m Cassie. The truck’s a great idea. Can you take a few other things, too?”
“Sure,” he said, still wondering why Kate looked so befuddled and hadn’t said a single word since her cousin had come out of the house. “Is that all right with you, Kate?”
After she nodded, he hoisted the queen-size mattress up with both hands. He saw Cassie’s eyes widen as she stared at his arms, chest and shoulders. As he walked away, he heard her whisper, “Too much to handle, indeed. But oh, Kate, wouldn’t you have fun trying?”
They loaded up his truck with the few remaining pieces of furniture and were finished within a half hour of his arrival. Cassie disappeared into the house again, after thanking Jack once more for his help.
“Are you heading back now? Or do you want me to drive this stuff back, then wait for you to get there to unload it?”
“Let me say goodbye to Cassie and I’ll come back so we can unload it this afternoon.” She turned to go into the house, then paused. “Jack? Thanks a lot for stopping to help. I really do appreciate it.”
He shrugged. “Just being neighborly.”
She glanced up and down the block, at the manicured lawns, the gated driveways that were filled with expensive cars. “Yeah. Right. I’m sure there were bunches of other neighbors lacing up their deck shoes to come out and help when you stopped. I bet they’re still peering out their windows, waiting for the chance to lend a hand.”
He followed her stare, figuring she was probably right, but not admitting it. “It’s not all bad here.”
“I guess Cassie likes it. But I wouldn’t be able to stand the quiet sense of knowing everyone on the block is watching every move you make.” She brushed an errant, damp strand of hair off her brow. “It’d be like living in a goldfish bowl, some big fat cat always waiting to pounce on you if you leap out of the safe waters where you belong.”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what it was like growing up.”
Their eyes met. She looked surprised that he agreed.
As for Jack, he thought it remarkable how quickly Kate had nailed what his childhood had been like on this block. In this town.
“Can I venture a guess that living on Pansy Lane was something like a fishbowl, too?”
Her slow nod was his only answer.
He reached out to brush away the blowing strand of hair again. His fingers connected with her temple, sending heat through his body. Heat that had absolutely nothing to do with the blazing sunshine overhead.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing we both like to live a little dangerously.”
WHEN THEY GOT BACK to the duplex, Kate first went inside to check the power, then leaned out to give him a thumbs-up. “Yes! Houston, we have ignition.”
“Good, now you can take a shower in your own bathroom tonight,” he muttered.
They unloaded the truck, making several trips.
“So,” she asked as they carried some chairs into the kitchen. “Did you get a lot done at your mother’s house today?”
She seemed to be making an effort to be polite, social and absolutely impersonal. He followed her lead. “Barely made a dent. My father had accounts all over the state, with at least a dozen banks. He owned property I didn’t know about, held mortgages my mother didn’t even know about. I haven’t even gotten to the stuff in a file marked Private that I found in his desk drawer.”
