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She meant it innocently, but Steve grinned, thinking she was being coy.
“I’ll get to work, then. It looks easy enough. Then I’ll get busy with the footings. A tower erected alongside your chimney will give you excellent reception.”
“Thanks,” she said, wanting to stick around and watch the muscles of his back flex.
It would be better if she got inside and made a decent meal, however. She could see how easy it would be to exist on coffee, donuts, grocery-store fried chicken and canned soup.
Contemplating what to cook, she heard the whinny of a horse right outside her door. Heart speeding up again, she wondered how often she could have a rapid change in heart rate before it killed her.
All she could think of when she saw Justin Chastain slide off that horse again wasoh my god. He had ridden over on a saddle this time, and watching him get off that horse was just as sexy as seeing him mount her bareback last time.
“Howdy,” he said when he saw her at the screen door. “I hope you don’t mind me coming unannounced. I left a message and wanted to get over before it got too late again.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m so sorry. I never checked my messages. I went into town and then had to call my aunt. She had four people say hello today.”
“Ha! She is a popular lady in these parts.”
He tied his horse up to the porch railing.
“You know, I always thought these railings would be perfect for just that use! Like the old west.”
She wondered what he had said in his message. What did he want?
“I actually brought you something. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it back. It’s no problem.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He grinned at her, a grin that sent chills through her body but fanned some flames of heat somewhere in her private zone.
“Can you step out for a moment? I promise not to take up any of your time.”
Just at the moment, Steve Casson walked up to the porch with an extension ladder.
“Hey, Justy,” he called out.
“Hey, Steve. You gettin’ our new citizen up to speed?”
“Trying to,” he said, leaning the ladder against the house. He walked over and smoothed his hand over the horse. “Look at old Spooky. Good girl. Good old girl.”
The men made over the horse, and she stood there with her lip up on one side, tolerating their ministrations, amusing Maggie. The horse was a character.
“Okay, back to work,” Steve said, giving her one more pat.
“Everyone loves my horse,” Justin said, laughing.
He waited until Steve was out of sight up on the roof to go back to the saddlebag and open it, lifting out something that she couldn’t identify until he kissed the top of its head.
It was a puppy!
She ran down the steps and started making over the puppy.
“I know it’s nervy of me. We have the mother and six pups. She’s weaned and housebroken; well, sort of, she’ll go on a puppy pad at night if she has to.”
He handed the puppy over to Maggie, aware that she was trying to hold it together. Something about the puppy had struck a nerve, so he’d tread lightly, it was so obvious.
“Like I said, you don’t have to take her. There is zero obligation here. It’s just that you had said you were thinking about a dog, and we have them to take. So what do you think?”
“I’ll take her. Floyd said I should get a dog, and I’ve been hoping a stray would appear.”
