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“Whoa, hey now!”
I startled, wobbling precariously before grabbing the sign to steady myself. Glancing down, I spotted Caleb frowning up at me, arms crossed.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“What does it look like?” I called back. “I’m fixing the sign.”
He shook his head, already moving toward the ladder. “No way. Get down from there before you fall and break your neck.”
I huffed, even as warmth stirred in my chest. “I’ve got this handled, thank you very much.”
But he was having none of it. He was beside me in a few long strides, gently nudging me towards the rungs.
“Let me take care of it,” he insisted, holding my gaze.
My knees went weak under those stormy blue eyes, but I held firm. “Seriously, Caleb, I’m fine—”
“Please.” His voice softened. “For me?”
I wavered. He gave me a lopsided smile, and my resistance crumbled.
With a dramatic sigh, I climbed down and let him take my place. As he situated himself on the ladder, tools in hand, I couldn’t help but smile. Who knew Caleb had such a protective streak?
“Alright, Mr. Handyman, let’s see what you’ve got,” I teased, watching as Caleb situated himself on the ladder.
He shot me a cocky grin. “I’ve got this completely under control.”
“Uh-huh. Just try not to break anything else while you’re up there.”
“Ye of little faith,” he chuckled, reaching for the damaged sign.
I crossed my arms, unable to keep from smiling as I watched him work. His brows were furrowed in concentration beneath his mussed hair, focused wholly on the task at hand. For a successful CEO, he certainly didn’t mind getting his hands dirty.
The ladder wobbled slightly and I darted forward, steadying it before Caleb could lose his balance. He paused, glancing down at me with a crooked smile.
“What would I do without you?”
“Fall flat on your face, probably,” I laughed.
He shook his head in amusement and turned back to the sign. I lingered close by, ready to catch him if needed. But as the minutes passed uneventfully, I began to relax.
Maybe he did have this handyman thing down after all. The customers seemed equally impressed, tossing encouraging comments Caleb’s way as they headed into the shop. He just flashed his charming, lopsided grin, wholly focused on the task at hand.
Who knew a fancy CEO could wield a hammer so handily? I had to admit, watching Caleb perched up there, muscles flexing beneath his shirt as he worked, was doing funny things to my insides.
Maybe letting him play handyman wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
***
With a final whack of the hammer, Caleb secured the last corner of the sign in place.
“There,” he called down, pride evident in his voice. “Good as new.”
I nodded approvingly, though my smile faded as he shifted to begin his descent. The ladder wobbled again, more violently this time. Before I could react, Caleb’s foot slipped on the rung. Arms flailing, he tumbled backwards.
My heart leaped into my throat. I lunged forward, desperate to break his fall. My arms wrapped around him as we crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
For a moment, all I could hear was the frantic pounding of my pulse in my ears. Then Caleb’s chest rumbled against mine with laughter.
