Page 6 of Sweet Devotion

“Ouch.” The same male voice that had been asking for tools, praising Miss Alice for her help, and misguidedly offering to kiss one of them, suddenly sounded none too happy. Another moment, followed by muffled groans, those same legs eased back out of the cabinet. His hand on his head, a man with jet black hair and honey colored eyes slid out from under the sink into a seated position, his face blanketed in what she would call mortified embarrassment.

Colleen waved her fingers at him and biting back a wide grin, shrugged one shoulder. “For what it’s worth, my grandfather was a plumber and—being a man ahead of his time—let me help, even if I was a girl. Obviously I’m not Mrs. Sweet. And even though I’m not married, I don’t make it a habit to kiss strangers.”

Chapter Three

Rubbing the top of his head, Aiden sat still a second longer than necessary, one hand still on his head, the other braced against the cabinet like it might move if he let go. “Sorry, ma’am. I, uh,” he shook his head, immediately regretting the movement, “never mind. Just…sorry.”

“Are you okay?” The look of concern on Alice Sweet’s face almost made Aiden forget his embarrassment and smile. Almost.

“Just a little bump.” Two things ran through his mind; from the growing bump under his fingertips, he was clearly going to have one hell of a goose-egg, and he needed to get to the hardware store to finish the job before his injuries reminded him why he had no business crawling under a sink.

“Let me help you.” The woman he’d mistaken for Kade’s mom inched closer, bending as though she were going to reach under his arms and yank him upright like a clown doll.

“I’ve got it.”

“Not so sure about that,” was all the pretty blonde said.

Refusing to show weakness, he tightened his grip on the top of the cabinet door and heaved himself upright. Only a few stars danced overhead and both hips screeched like banshees. Other than that, all was well with the world. “I’ll need a ride to the hardware store. As I told Miss…” his voice trailed off.

“Colleen,” the pretty lady with a plumber for a grandfather eyed him carefully. “Your new physical therapist.”

Great way to get started on the proverbial wrong foot. “As I told Colleen, this fix is temporary. I need a few more things, starting with PEX pipe.”

“Pex?” Alice asked.

“It’s what is used today instead of copper. Little chance of pinhead leaks or cracks. Mostly because it’s more flexible. It will expand and shrink back during a nasty freeze.”

“Well,” Alice sighed, “I like the sound of that. It was no fun having things burst that last miserable freeze we had.”

“I’d guess you already have some in the house if you had to replace a water heater and dishwasher. Red for hot water, blue for cold, white for high pressure. Or it can be used instead of the blue.”

“Oh,” Alice smiled, “yes. I remember commenting on how pretty my new pipes would be.”

That made Aiden smile. Only a woman like Alice Sweet could find pipes pretty.

“Maybe you should go lie down for a bit before…”

Colleen’s words were cut off by the shake of Aiden’s head. “I’d like to get this over with. I’d hate for the tape to give way and flood the kitchen.” He’d also hate to wait till the next day when the results of today’s efforts might take him down for the count.

Like a nervous teen, Alice pressed her lips tightly together before nibbling on her lower lip. He knew the moment she made her decision. Her face relaxed and she heaved a deep sigh. “You’re a big boy. If you insist, who am I to stop you. And thank you.”

“I’ll drive you,” Colleen quickly volunteered. “The ranch trucks will be a pill to climb up and into.”

On that he could agree. “Just give me a minute and I’ll be ready to go.” A minute and a handful of ibuprofen and he’d be as ready as he’d ever be.

“How is your new practice coming along?” Alice spoke to Colleen, but Aiden could tell she was gauging his movements while making polite conversation.

“If Mom and Dad hadn’t offered to let me convert the garage, it would still be only a dream. The actual conversion is taking longer than I had thought so I can’t accommodate a real practice yet, but I can do a simple patient or two.”

“And we are more than happy to work with you for the equine part if someone besides Aiden needs it.”

The smile that bloomed on the blonde’s face lit the room. “Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Resisting the urge to swallow a bunch of pills, he settled for four and walked as slowly as he could get away with and not have either woman notice how he hurt. Though he had a sneaking suspicion they already knew.

Outside, Colleen’s car was mercifully low to the ground, sensible, and once he sank down, seriously comfortable. Soft leather seats, and… “Do you have seat warmers?”

She nodded. “Just turned it on. Designed for northern winters, they also do wonders for tired backs. And hips.”