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One of our younger employees came out, tripping on his own feet when he looked in her direction.
“You’re scaring the crew,” I told her with a smile.
She finally turned her head toward me, and even knowing the exact shade of her eyes, I wasn’t quite braced for the impact.
Would they ever not do that to me? Parker accidentally hit me in the stomach with a steel bat once, and it felt an awful lot like that.
“If I’m scaring them by sitting here, they need to get out more.”
Those navy blue eyes—ringed with a dark circle on the edges—sparked with challenge.
Sit still, I thought. Don’t make any sudden movements.
She’d snap my hand off if I shifted too quickly. Maybe it wasn’t the nicest comparison, but all I could think of when I looked at Ivy was that terrified dog, sitting like a statue in the corner of our barn.
Even though it was the last thing I wanted to do, I dropped her gaze and looked back at the house. “You gone in yet?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I’ll take that as a no,” I answered easily. “It’s nice in there. Big rooms. Lots of potential.”
“Good, it’ll sell very quickly then.”
“No doubt about that.”
She hummed. “Speaking of which, I met your friend yesterday.”
“Which friend would that be? I’ve got a couple.” I tilted my head to the side. “Might have counted you as one but you’d rather pretend you don’t know me so that makes things a little uncomfortable.”
She exhaled, slow and steady.
I fought a smile.
“Marcy Jenkins,” she said in a clipped tone.
Shit.
I tried to hide my grimace but couldn’t quite manage it. “Marcy’s a nice woman.”
And she was. For someone else.
But Marcy also very much wanted in my pants and a ring on her finger, and I wasn’t particularly interested in either option.
Or not from her, at least, I thought, recognizing instantly that the woman next to me could ask for the former, and I’d happily oblige.
“She thinks you’re a very nice man,” Ivy said. “A living saint, really. And in case you didn’t know, she’d love to schedule some quality time with you once you’ve got an opening in your very, very busy schedule.”
Her voice was as smooth as glass. Not a ripple in sight.
“That’s nice of her to speak highly of me.”
“You must have trouble telling women you’re not interested.”
I scoffed, turning to pin her with a look. “That’s a stretch, considering you don’t know me, Ivy.” Her cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink, and fuck if I didn’t find that fascinating. “I don’t string people along if that’s what you’re insinuating.”
“I said nothing of the sort. Please don’t put words in my mouth.”
Ian came out onto the porch, holding one end of a faded blue sofa. Wade, our longtime foreman, held the other.
