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She ran her fingertips over the lettering, saying aloud what was printed across the cap: “Zombie Apocalypse First Responder.” She shrugged as though it was a perfectly normal hat to be wearing. “Trust me, you’ll be happy for my training if a zombie ever comes this way.”
She didn’t see the smile he couldn’t control as she turned.
Hell yes, he’d follow. His mother would have used the word smitten. But really, the woman was too damn cute not to capture the attention of any red-blooded male within smiting distance.
Then again, what kind of woman bought a place like this? The red-blooded male inside him obviously thought she was perfect—but given that she was working on a house in the mountains all by herself, he couldn’t deny the likelihood that there might be something strange going on with her.
Especially when calling this cabin a house was…generous. The floor and walls were bare except for a standing kitchen sink, a makeshift wooden counter to hold a microwave and a laptop, a couple of boxes on the floor filled with kitchen paraphernalia, an air bed in the corner by the wood stove, one sling chair, and a camp stove. The kitchen itself was missing both appliances and cabinetry. The only convenience besides the sink was a mini-fridge that would fit milk and yogurt and not much more.
“The fireplace was starting to crumble, so I put in a wood-burning stove that keeps the place nice and toasty.” She flourished her hand as if she were showing him an array of sparkling diamonds.
She’d done a surprisingly good job tearing out the old stone and installing a large wood-burner with a sensible catalytic converter. It would heat the kitchen and family room, with a hint of warmth for the bedroom too.
Noticing his glance at the air mattress, she toed it with her booted foot. “It’s surprisingly comfortable, and it’s even got its own pump. The only problem is that when it’s cold, the air inside goes cold too, so I have to pile as many blankets underneath me as I do on top of me. Which is why I dragged it in here.” She gave a nod to the bedroom. “Also because there’s a couple of holes in the floor in there—well, maybe more than a couple.” She gave him a sheepish grin. “I didn’t want to break an ankle in the middle of the night.”
Her voice was like a shower of music over him, and he didn’t say anything in order to keep her talking.
She twirled in the middle of the room, her arms out. “I put up insulation and Sheetrock on the inside because you could see right through the wood siding in places, where the wind whistled through at night. It needs taping and texturing, of course, and then I can paint it,” she added, as though embarrassed at the bareness of the Sheetrock. “And some of the floorboards were rotting, so I replaced those. But I’d really like to lay down a proper subfloor and hardwood. Or laminate.”
“Hardwood,” he suggested, though she hadn’t asked for his opinion.
She was completely animated now, showing him her accomplishments, pride bringing a rose blush to her cheeks. Despite his initial impression that the place was a dump, after her mini-tour, he was amazed by everything she’d done, seemingly by herself.
“Where’d you learn how to do all this?”
She pointed to a laptop. “YouTube videos and do-it-yourself shows. It’s amazing what you can learn on the Internet. I figured out how to install a toilet and a new shower, plus a vanity and sink. I just have to do the tiling. Then of course, there’s the kitchen. And the roof. But I need to wait for more consistently sunny weather before I tackle that.”
“You did all this yourself? From scratch, without knowing a thing?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t watch just one video before I start a new project. I view a bunch, because everyone has different techniques. When you combine them all, everything works like magic.”
Her smile knocked him sideways. Again.
“Do you want to see my toilet?” She pointed behind her to an open door just outside the bedroom. She was already backing toward it, her eager gaze tugging him.
He laughed, something he couldn’t remember doing with a woman he was attracted to in, well, long enough that he simply couldn’t remember. “A woman asking if I want to see her toilet is definitely a first.”
She clapped her hand over her mouth, her words muffled behind her palm. “Oops. Sorry. I didn’t think about it. It’s just been so long since—” As if he’d waved a magic wand to put her to sleep, something shuttered in her eyes.
Wishing he’d kept his damned mouth shut, he said, “I’d love to see the toilet.”
She didn’t laugh, didn’t even smile. “That’s okay. I’m sure you’re busy. And it’s enough that you helped me off the roof. You don’t have to be wowed by every single nail I’ve hammered too.”
But he wanted to know what she’d been about to say before she caught herself. Yes, she was far from the perfect woman he’d been wishing for an hour earlier, but he still liked her enthusiasm, her excitement. “I’m working on my own cabin down the hill from you. It would be good to see how you’re approaching things.”
Before she could turn him down again, he sidestepped her to check out the bathroom. She’d installed a standard porcelain floor-mount next to a neat vanity with a wood bowl sink, its faucets and fixtures gleaming. The shower was a free-standing, European-style corner unit that he’d recommended on his show, with the drain in the floor.
“It looks great,” he said, meaning it.
“I’m going to put in a tile backsplash,” she said softly, “with blue and green glass. I just have to figure out what paneling to use that won’t clash with it.”
“There’s a style that looks like a log cabin if you’re interested.” He stocked it in his stores.
She tipped her head, considering it. “I could see how it might work, but I really want the blue-green glass.”
“You could still do that. Just leave space in the paneling.” He tipped his head too, almost touching hers. “But I’d recommend doing the tile from wall to wall, not just over the vanity itself. Better continuity. Maybe if you have any drawings for what you’re planning, I could show you exactly what I’m talking about?”
“Well,” she said slowly, as though torn about taking him up on his offer, “I don’t have any formal drawings. But there is a video that’s pretty much in line with my plans.”
