Page 184 of Show Me

The nausea hits hard enough that I have to grip the driver’s door tighter. I slide inside without answering him.

My hands shake as I shove the key into the ignition. And for the first time since walking into the clinic, I’m not entirely sure whether the sickness twisting in my stomach came from the garbage…

Or from how precisely Greg aimed those words where they would hurt the most.

Chapter Ninety-Six

Xavier

The Harper place is a steady rhythm of saw blades, drills, and hammers. I’ve been working nonstop since eight. Measure. Cut. Install.

Anything to keep my head down. And avoid the woman leaning against the side porch railing watching me every time I turn around.

Lindsey. I feel her eyes on me constantly now. Every damn time I look up, she’s there. At first, I ignore it. By noon, irritation has won.

I wouldn’t have been here at all but one of the crew called out, and Travis asked me to fill in. I’ve done it a hundred times so telling him no would’ve brought up more questions than I’m willing to answer.

I set the drill down harder than necessary and cross the yard. “What do you need?”

She pushes off the railing, sunglasses sliding higher on top of her head. “Oh, I wanted to check on the project.”

“You can do that from inside.”

“I like watching people.”

“Then watch someone else.” I brace my hand on my hip as the sounds of construction continue around us. “Preferably someone not on my crew.”

One corner of her mouth lifts. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“That’s intentional.”

A couple guys glance over from the railing that’s being installed on one end of the new deck. Great. The last thing I need is an audience.

I jerk my head toward the side of the house. “Come on.”

She follows without hesitation. The noise from the crew dulls once we round the corner. I stop beside a stack of lumber and turn toward her. “Let’s clear something up.”

Her brows lift. “This sounds serious.”

“I’m here to do a job. That’s it.”

“I know.”

“And after this project, another company can handle your calls.”

Her expression tightens beneath the smile. “That seems unnecessary.”

“No,” I say flatly. “What’s unnecessary is you showing up every time I turn around trying to act like we’re something we’re not.”

Her arms fold loosely across her chest. “We went out.”

“A couple times.”

“And?”

I exhale sharply. “And you knew exactly where I stood.”

She tilts her head. “Did I?”