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had fumbled and over-explained. Then she’d hung up on him.
Something had happened in his parents’ marriage, he was nearly certain.
And he was very much afraid that whatever it was would bring into question all his beliefs about the very foundation of what marriage and love were supposed to be.
Chapter Twelve
Tasha had taken only one sip of her morning coffee when the pounding of work boots pummeled her porch and male voices boomed in the air. She opened the door to five big men with impressive tool belts and was instantly overpowered by their size, their good looks, their innate confidence—as if they owned the world.
Which, among them all, they practically did.
Daniel stood in front like their emissary, too beautiful for words. “We’re here to help. Especially with the roof. But anything else you want done too.”
Her mouth opened, and the only thing that came out was a stunned, “The five of you came to help me?”
Tears of gratitude pricked at her eyes that these powerful, successful men—four of whom were, for all intents and purposes, strangers—would offer to help rebuild her cabin.
These past months, she’d been so focused on how she could have missed the darkness inside her family that it was hard to wrap her head around such a selfless offer. One she badly needed, considering her cabin truly had been uninhabitable during the recent storm. There was no way she and the puppies could make it through another one.
“Working vacation,” Matt said, his smile as wide as his face. His son must be absolutely lovable.
“We all spend too much time at our desks,” Sebastian added, “and need a good workout.”
“Speak for yourself.” Will flexed his biceps. “I get plenty of workout time.”
They amazed her with their humor, always ribbing each other. Five big, happy, smiling guys…who surely would abhor her if they knew her story. Especially given that she couldn’t accept their help, then immediately shove them out the door again. They’d want to get to know her. Good God, what if they wanted her to meet their wives and girlfriends?
She couldn’t do it. As desperate as she was to mix with people again, to talk and laugh, she couldn’t allow it.
As if he could read everything written on her face, Daniel said softly, “It’s okay, Tasha. We want to do this. It’s fun for us. There’s no obligation.”
She wanted it too—wanted the camaraderie and the conversation and the fun more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life. Well, apart from Daniel’s kiss. She wanted that more than her next heartbeat.
But the only right thing to do was turn them down. It wasn’t penance otherwise, was it?
“It’s really sweet of you all,” she said, “but I haven’t ordered the materials I need. So there’s nothing to be done yet.”
Will slapped Daniel on the back. “We’ve got a home-improvement mogul in our midst, remember?”
Sebastian hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “And a Top Notch store just over the hill in Carson City with a warehouse chock full of anything you could possibly need.”
“Even better,” Matt put in, “you can get it at cost.”
She looked at Daniel, and he spread his hands in a don’t-blame-me-that-they’re-dying-to-help gesture.
They had her beaten all around. Even Evan, though he hadn’t uttered a single cajoling comment, wore his tool belt. They were clearly determined to pitch in. En masse, they would charm the heck out of any person they’d ever met.
But hadn’t falling for charming already gotten her into enough trouble? Then again, if she’d known any of the Mavericks before meeting Eric, she surely would have seen right through him. His versions of charming and powerful were paper-thin by comparison.
She was still fighting with herself when one of the puppies started to whine in the crate, whimpering for her to let their hunky new friends inside.
“How is Noah’s little Spanky?” Matt’s eyes danced.
“He’s great. And always hungry.”
Will stepped into the action too. “I told Jeremy about his new puppy before he left for camp this morning. He was so happy that Harper didn’t even get upset at my highhandedness. Plus, I’m pretty sure she’s been secretly hoping for a dog.”
How could Tasha resist them? And how could she resist Daniel when he looked at her like that—as though her happiness was directly responsible for his?
