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My bones ached. My feet were screaming. There were substances I preferred not to think about on my clothes. And I was dozing off in the front seat of Miranda’s SUV. All I wanted to do was shower and crawl into bed.
“Wow,” I heard Miranda say from the driver seat. I opened my eyes and saw her staring through the windshield, her expression one of delighted awe.
My own mouth fell open in astonishment. It was the first time I’d seen the house in its fully refurbished state. My home looked like something out of a fairy tale. The siding had been replaced and painted a fresh, vibrant yellow that shone in the weak light of the fingernail moon. The roof had been reshingled. The porch had been painted to match the trim. Dick’s work crews had added flower boxes to the railing, bursting with a profusion of pansies in yellow, purple, and white.
I knew about the changes to the interior. My rooms had been painted a cheerful pale pink. The dark wood and gothic wall sconces had been replaced with what Andrea called comfy farmhouse chic. The huge bank of cabinets in the kitchen was gone, and in its place was an old-fashioned tin-front pie safe. The appliances were new, and the tub upstairs no longer threatened to fall through the ceiling. The remaining cabinets had been painted white and artistically distressed. I’d drawn the line at Dick buying me new bedroom furniture. I was truly frightened by the prospect of what he would choose.
I climbed out of the car, marveling at the changes Jed’s crew had made. “Thanks, Miranda!”
“No problem, babe,” she called. “There’s a whole series of specials on the Spanish American War next week. Call anytime.”
I waved at her as she backed out of the driveway, then returned to staring at the house in the moonlight.
“You know, you keep your mouth open like that, you’re gonna catch mosquitoes.”
My jaw snapped shut. I turned to find Jed, wearing an actual shirt with sleeves, standing in his front door.
“I thought that was flies.”
He smirked. “Not around here.”
“You do beautiful work,” I told him. “It’s just gorgeous altogether.”
“Thanks,” he said, his smile boyish and pleased as we circled each other. “We’re finished here and movin’ on to Dick’s house. Andrea saw some of the things Sam did here and wants them for their house, too. It’s roofin’ tomorrow, which means an early start before the hottest part of the day. It’s a shame. I liked being able to take my coffee breaks in my own kitchen. So what have you been up to? I haven’t seen you in a few days.”
“I accidentally started a new job tonight.”
He frowned. “Accidentally?”
“It was totally unintentional. I fell right into it.”
“Oh, honey, you didn’t answer one of those ads on Craigslist, did you?” he said, his eyes wide and intentionally shocked.
“Hey, the nice man in the unmarked panel van said the nudity will be tasteful!” I exclaimed, making him laugh.
“Well, congratulations on your new Internet porn job,” he said. “Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate?”
“I have plans tomorrow night.”
I really did have plans. I had to retrieve my car keys and make up for lost research time. But he didn’t need to know that.
“Plans.” He frowned. “Like a date? So the very serious boyfriend crashed and burned already?”
I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. Why would he be worrying over whether I was dating? Unless . . . “You like me!”
“Me? Like you?” He shook his head. “Can’t prove it.”
“You like like me,” I singsonged.
“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” he said, scowling as he stepped forward, trapping me between his body and the wall. I could smell that forest-and-field scent rolling off of him, and the heat of his skin made me feel as if his hands were rubbing against my arms. He bent his face toward mine, and warm, minty breath feathered over my cheeks. “If I like liked you, trust me, you would know it.”
My eyes locked with his, light meeting dark, and I couldn’t move. This was completely unfair. He was a human thought scrambler, sent to make me lose all semblance of dignity. His lips were just a few heartbeats away from mine.
“I don’t have a date. I’m working,” I told him softly. Sorting through the contents of an occult shop to find magical knickknacks could be considered working, right?
The crescent moon rose slowly over his shoulder, giving him a faint halo around his shadow-cast face. I shivered. He looked down at me for a long, silent moment. I could feel his breath moving against my cheek like a caress. I honestly thought he was going to kiss me. And then he gave me one of those warm molasses smiles. “Well, good luck to you.”
He stepped away and sauntered back to his door. He knew what he was doing, walking like that. It was patently unfair to leave a girl high and not quite dry and then walk away with his buns twitching under skintight denim. I called after him. “Thanks.”
