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His hands covered hers in a touch that stole her breath away. But then, he pushed gently, helping her raise the unit fully to the ceiling so he could screw the new base into place.
She didn’t let go because she didn’t want to impede the project, but her palms were effectively trapped under his for a long moment while he aligned everything. How could she have ever guessed that feeling the points of pressure gently shifting on the back of her hand would feel so intimate?
“If I let go to grab the drill, will you be okay?” he asked, their arms still raised over their heads.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
When he let go of her, he moved quickly to retrieve the cordless drill from the tool belt. Once he had two of the screws in place, she let go while he made quick work of the last four.
After he finished, she watched him lean back to admire their handiwork. She started to back down the ladder carefully. Cal stepped off the stool.
His feet hit the floor faster than hers, giving him enough time to steady the ladder for her before she reached the last rung. With his arms bracketing her body, she was highly aware of him. Her right hip grazed his midsection, a brush of denim against cotton. Heat against longing.
She rocked back on her heels as she landed on the hardwood, very close to him. Visions of landing in his arms, feeling him wrapped around her, made her heart gallop.
“Thanks, Josie.” He only lingered for a moment before stepping away, giving her space. “You saved me a lot of time.”
It took her a moment to remember what he was talking about since her thoughts were heated in the extreme. She resisted the urge to tug her shirt away from her skin and billow the fabric like a fan to cool down.
Fan. She remembered that’s how she’d saved him a lot of time.
“No problem.” She stretched her lips in a forced smile, recognizing she’d hit her personal limit of how much Cal she could indulge in at one time without crossing a line she would only regret. She needed to leave before she did something foolish, like plaster herself against him for a better feel. “I’ll let you finish up.”
It would be too revealing if she sprinted for the exit, so she forced herself to turn toward the door slowly. Normally. As if she was just a friend taking her leave and not a woman fighting a crush on a hot guy.
“I’d like to thank you.”
His words slowed her step.
“That’s not necessary.” A few days away from Cal had made her forget how potent the attraction was. Or maybe a few days away had strengthened it because she felt like a giant rubber band was hauling her back toward him. “I’m happy to lend a hand. Tell Everett I was sorry to miss him.”
“You don’t want to hear my offer?” The deep rumble of his voice traveled along her skin in the too-still room. “I would like to take you to a ball game tomorrow. See my kid brother play.”
Surprised, she felt a tug of curiosity about his family. She’d wanted to learn more about him, and suddenly, he seemed to be opening that door. But she couldn’t appease her curiosity about Cal when she was supposed to be wary around him.
“You’ve done too much for me already.” She wasn’t used to taking help from anyone and she found the terrain tricky to navigate, especially with all of the other dynamics between her and Cal. “If you hadn’t gotten the groceries, I would have never been able to make the pie.”
“And you repaid me with pie,” he reminded her, following her toward the door.
She wanted to argue, but he didn’t give her a chance. Instead, he kept talking.
“Besides, you’d be doing me a favor at the same time.”
“So your thank-you to me does double duty as a favor to you?” She folded her arms, eyeing him skeptically.
Amused in spite of herself.
“I have the feeling my dad will show up at the game with his wife and…” The stony expression that stole across his face told her more than any words. “I could use a buffer.”
“I’d be your buffer,” she clarified, drawn to him and his complicated life that he wasn’t prepared to share.
She couldn’t help but identify with that.
“Okay, when you put it like that, I sound like a selfish ass, but I genuinely thought you might enjoy a night out since you’re tied to the house without a vehicle. It’s not like I’m angling for dinner or anything with Casanova expectations.” He obviously hadn’t forgotten her accusations when he’d invited her to share a meal with him the last time. “It’s just a game.”
The idea tempted her. Because as much as she appreciated the remoteness of Hailey Decker’s home to recover from all that life had thrown at her, she had been lonely sometimes. She’d had fun the day she spent at Rough Hollow Farm with Cal. Besides, she still nurtured hopes of extending her stay in Last Stand long enough to earn some more money to start over. Fostering a relationship with Cal’s prominent family would probably be a good idea.
“Just a game?” she mused aloud, thinking it over. “I have the feeling the Ramseys take baseball more seriously than that.”
