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“Broken windows, knocked down fences, exterminator fees—”
“Oh my God. What on earth did you guys do?” She scanned the room as if searching for bugs.
“Everything. We were kids. You know, hit a baseball through a window, plant spiders in a bedroom…real ones, not rubber like yours for the tutors.”
Her eyes grew wide, and he laughed again.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” he said. “We just worked extra chores as punishment. It was worth it because Levi and I pulled some epic pranks.”
He followed her gaze around the room and put a reassuring hand on her arm. “That was a long time ago. No spiders here now.”
Heat radiated to his fingers even through her shirt, and he drew his hand back. One touch, and she set him aflame.
Crystal peered again at the picture. “He sounds like an amazing father. You resemble him.”
“I do?”
“For sure. You have his eyes.”
Zach studied the picture. Maybe. He’d never noticed before. A warm vibe traveled up his body. “All I know is he was the glue of our family. Everyone looked up to him. You know how that goes. We all stick together.”
Crystal touched the frame. “I think it’s wonderful.”
Shit.
What the heck had gotten into him? Crystal had told him about her good-for-nothing mother and non-existent father. She’d asked about the photo, but he shouldn’t have rambled on about family, knowing she’d never had one. His face grew hot, and he blew out a breath.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I forgot—”
“Nothing to apologize for. I asked, and I appreciate you sharing. It makes me feel good to know you all support each other, especially your mom.” She gave him a warm smile and picked up a drop cloth. “I suppose we should get to work?”
“Yes. We need to get this done as soon as possible.” All this reminiscing was foreign to him. He needed to bring things back to neutral ground.
“I think we’re set to go. By the way, good choice in clothing.” He waved a hand at her pants.
Crystal stiffened and cringed.
She pulled her ballcap lower. “Yeah, I figured it would help.”
Help? What did she mean by that?
Chapter Nineteen
Crystal bent over, hiding her face, to lay out the drop cloth. Shame warmed her skin, causing it to itch. Of course, he’d appreciate that she’d covered herself up. She’d forgotten about how she looked when he’d been talking about his family, opening up for the first time.
That made it all the worse because for a while there, he’d treated her like a normal person, not the celebrity who had an image to regain. She’d felt a connection to him beyond whatever chemistry they had going on when he’d shared his past. All the special memories and thoughts about his family. His eyes had softened when he’d spoken of his father, and Zach had even laughed and smiled at her more than once. She’d started to believe maybe, just maybe, he might have found her trustworthy, capable of seeing and feeling things deeper than surface value.
Only she should have known better. No one saw any worth beyond her appearance. Present company included. The painful reminder sliced her heart.
“I don’t understand your comment about your clothes helping.” Zach moved a can of paint out of the way. “Helping what?”
“Forget it. Let’s just get this done because it’s already warm in here.” And her long sleeves and pants added to the discomfort.
Zach opened his mouth as if to say more, then shut it. He glanced around the room. “The primer will dry faster if we open the windows and use a fan, but you’re not supposed to get too hot, so I’ll wait and do it when we’re done. The sooner we finish, the better.”
She nodded.
Zach shook the primer. “I’ll do the trim if you want to do the rolling?”
