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A different kind of heat showered her face as she fought with the lid on the coffee can. It suddenly cut loose and flew across the blankin’ room. He turned at the clatter. “Sorry, this darn lid’s got the bite of an ornery piss-ant.”
Hurrying back to the drip pot, she dumped scoops in the basket and paused. How many was that? She eyed the pile and added another lump of grinds then replaced the lid while wondering what he was looking at now.
The screen door opened, and she glanced over her shoulder as he went onto the porch, thank the good lord. She let out several breaths, ready for this little visit to be over. He had other business besides that silly ball. What on earth was it? Could be anything while under war time codes. Any hatch leader could make requests of other hatch members if it served the cause. Which of course she didn’t mind unless it kept her from her responsibilities, which were her nephew and brother.
The kettle whistled a little too quickly and she filled the top half of the drip pot with it. She angled her head, seeing him through the window, hands braced on the two porch posts at the top of the steps. Lord, thosemuscles. Thosearms.What on earth kind of wires was he twisting? Even a blind person could see those luscious lumps went on and on beneath that black t-shirt. That lucky material held on to him like an unhealthy obsession.
Her antique phone let out its obnoxious ring and she hurried to it. Receiver in hand, she glanced over her shoulder. “Hello?” she answered, quiet as she could.
“You still coming tonight, right?”
Dammit, she forgot about their booray game later! Bad enough they rarely had time for them anymore. Everybody was married with piles of kids. Everybody but her, thank the good Lord. She stole a glance behind her again. “I may have to cancel.”
“What?! But we need four players!”
“I’m sorry! Something came up!”
“Why are you whispering?”
Her eyes rolled at Michelle’s suspicious tone. “Because what came up is still up.”
“You got company?”
“Gasps and shock,” Cat went on quietly, stealing peeks behind her.
“Who is it? Male?”
“Not your business. I gotta go!”
“Is he single?”
She hung up and headed back to the kitchen, getting her good coffee cups out only to second guess herself. She always used them for company. He was company, same as anybody.
“You take any fixins?” she called.
“Fixings?”
“Cream or sugar.”
“Nah,” he called back.
She nodded, happy to be excused from the extra task as she brought their cups out. “Here you go.”
The second he reached for the cup she realized she held it wrong and attempted to set hers on the railing, so he didn’t burn himself. While she did, his large hand covered hers and the shock of it made her miss the railing.
“Shit!”
“Sorry, I was trying to steady your hand, so you didn’t burn yourself,” he explained.
“And I was trying to set mine down, so you didn’t burnyourself.”
He glanced at his cup and handed it to her. “You can have mine.”
She took it only because her brain was still processing the whole touch thing. Highly,highlyinappropriate!
He hopped over the porch rail and fetched her cup before climbing back over with it. “My celibacy lifestyle is shining through,” he muttered, holding the empty cup in his hand, and looking around.
That’s right. She needed to remember that before judging him too harshly. “Well, we’re twins in that regard.”
