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Mick chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief. “You scared the bejesus out of me.” He swiped his palm over his bearded jaw. “Let me help you up.” Before she could protest, he’d slipped both hands beneath her arms and stood, lifting her without effort. She leaned her soft body against him, still struggling to return to normal breathing.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the box-filled room to the couch in the main living space. The floral scent of her hair wafted to him with each step. He wanted to bury his face in her silky tresses and breathe even deeper, but seeing as how he was still pretty much a stranger, she might find that kind of advance highly inappropriate.
By the time they reached the living room, she was walking better. His hand slid to the small of her back, directing her to the couch he and his friends had just moved into place. “You sit down. Let me get you a glass of water.”
No argument. Just a nod and her body sank onto the bright red-orange cushion.
He returned to her side a moment later with a plastic cup of water.
“Thank you.” Her voice had returned to normal. Her breathing wasn’t strained any more. “You’ve been my knight and shining armor since you walked across the street. I can’t thank you enough. You didn’t have to—”
“You could come with me to Hollywood, instead of setting me up.”Holy shit.He’d said it. Actually come out and straight up asked her to be his date.
Her face darkened and regret slammed into him like the first rejection letter he’d ever received from a Hollywood studio, ripping out his heart and tossing it into the meat grinder of despair and failure.
“I c-can’t. You’re a client. I agreed to find you a date, not be your date. It wouldn’t be professional or ethical of me to—”
“It’s fine,” Mick said, shrugging his shoulders. “I get it.” Though the half second of hesitation in her voice gave hope to his otherwise crushed desires. She hadn’t said “I won’t” just “I can’t”, which meant it was possible to still win her over. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Just because it wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped, didn’t mean the struggle would be more than worth the fight. He just had to get her to see it too.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“You have to do what you feel is right.”And so do I. So game on. I will change your mind before Valentines.
“Thank you for understanding.” A small sigh slipped from between her lips and some of the darkness lifted from her features.
He wanted to see her smile again. See those beautiful blue eyes light with amusement and laughter the way they had only a few minutes before his fateful question.
“I’m going to get that bed together for you before I call it a night. You think you can find some sheets without knocking over any more boxes?” He left her side, grabbing his toolbox from the entry where he’d set it and took hold of the bannister.
“I’ll be careful. Thank you.”
A nod and a dozen steps took him to the second floor of the farmhouse. He made the turn toward the master bedroom and knelt beside the disassembled cherry wood bed frame. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to have it upright and fitted together.
The metal supports in the center took a little more effort, but he had most of them in place before she waltzed through the bedroom door, arms full of dark pink sheets. Amusement tugged at his lips, but he kept the teasing comment to himself. If she wanted to sleep on pink sheets that was her prerogative. Not like the color would keep him from joining her once she asked for his company.
“It looks great. Thank you so much for this.” She dropped the sheets on the cream-colored carpet and helped him settle the box springs into place and then the king-sized pillow top mattress.
“Happy to help.” Mick tipped his chin toward the sheets on the floor. “Sheets?”
“Oh, I—” The agreement in her voice dissipated suddenly. And the relaxation in her face turned to stress before he could even think the wordsdamn it.“I’ll take care of it. But thank you again so much for your help.” She backed away from the bed, never dropping her gaze from him, not even once. “I’ll see you in the morning, right? At the Wild Crumb?”
“You’ll have something put together that fast?”
She nodded. “I already have several potential women in mind for you. I’m sure we’ll be able to find the perfect date for your function. And congratulations again on the achievement. You’re writing must be superb to catch the eye of a Hollywood contest.”
If that wasn’t a dismissal, he didn’t know what was… Mick returned his tools to the open box on the floor and grabbed the handle. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you get some rest. Thanks for the dinner, Laurel.”
“Absolutely. And I’ll see you in the morning.” She backed another step away, like just being near him had suddenly become astronomically more difficult.
Attraction had been there. He’d been sure. But now, she was colder than a wet blanket in a barn and more anxious than Gary’s dog in a thunderstorm. Her hand was practically shaking at her side.
Give it time Ramsey. You spooked her a little, is all.
Laurel wavedfrom the front door. Mick didn’t return the gesture, instead giving her a forlorn smile. Knowing she’d annoyed him or hurt him gnawed at her insides, but it was for the best. She couldn’t do a relationship right now. Lance had left her a mess and she wasn’t good for anyone. Not in this state. Plus she’d just gotten divorced. Less than thirty days a free woman and she couldn’t stop thinking about the flannel-wearing-bearded-sexy-lumberjack-screenwriter who’d randomly spent most of his evening with her and then called his friends to the rescue at her house.
Who did that? He’d been attracted to her. She could tell that right off the bat, even before he asked her out on his Hollywood escapade to the Oscars. For a second she’d considered it. He was kind and sweet and deserved someone better than her.
She was broken and angry and still trying to heal from the holes Lance had put through her heart and soul. Plus, she couldn’t date the first man who walked through her door, no matter how sexy he was. What kind of reputation would that start for her business in the town?
