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Fortunately for Lucas, she wasn’t going to try to figure it out. He’d drawn the line in the sand. They weren’t friends and they never would be.
With Ella’s resolve strengthened, she climbed out of the car and pushed the door shut. She gathered her bag from the back seat, then taking a deep breath, she nodded and strode toward the barn.
As expected, Lucas was inside. He had a crowbar in his hand and a piece of wood in the other. He wore a black T-shirt and a pair of dirt-smudged Wranglers. His hat covered his hair, andeven from where she stood, she could see beads of sweat dotting his brow.
He was actually a hard worker—more so than she would have ever given him credit for. What would have taken a whole crew to take down in the last week, he’d managed to do on his own.
Lucas tossed the piece of wood onto the pile, swiped his forearm over his brow and then glanced in her direction. “Oh, you’re here. I think we’re about ready for the next stage of the plan. I have a few guys lined up to start next week. I just need to know if all the materials will be here on time.” When she didn’t respond right away, he paused. “Is something wrong?”
Ella lunged into action, digging into her box for the notes she had from the supplier. “We put in the order at the beginning of the week, and our supplier said they’d be able to have it all delivered by Tuesday next week. I don’t know if that’s going to be soon enough, though. You sorta whipped through all this work too fast.”
He gave her a wry smile, then headed for the decrepit workbench he’d been pulling apart. “Don’t tell Elijah that.”
“Why? Would he make you pitch in more at home?”
Lucas shot her a look over his shoulder. “No, I think he might actually faint from disbelief.”
Ella snickered. “You don’t really believe that.”
His double take had her wondering what she’d said for him to look at her with that expression. But then he turned back to the bench and pried another plank of wood off. “I’m being one hundred percent serious. Elijah doesn’t think I’m capable of doing anything but the bare minimum.”
“Wait, are you suggesting that you didn’t want to sign up for this project?”
He tossed her a flat look. “We agreed to keep everything professional. You’re crossing the line there with that question.”
“What? It’s related to the project, isn’t it?”
Lucas stopped, turned to face her, then leaned back against what was left of the workbench. His eyes narrowed and he considered her. “True, but the way you said it makes me assume that you don’t approve.”
“Of course, I don’t approve. I believe in hard work and pulling my weight. And you… well, you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who agrees with that sort of thing. The fact that you’re doing a lot in a little time… Frankly, it’s almost impressive.”
“Uhh… thanks?”
She put the box down at her feet, then placed her hands on her hips. “You’re welcome. It’s nice to see that I can be proven wrong. But the fact remains, you never wanted to do this. Isn’t that right?”
Lucas snorted. “Of course, I didn’t want to do this. Who in their right mind would sign up for something this labor-intensive? Believe me, if I could be back home avoiding my own chores, I would.” He eyed her briefly, then sighed. “But I guess this hasn’t been so bad.”
Was she seeing his softer side? She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Lucas Keagan was admitting he didn’t mind doing the work she had assigned him.
Ella nodded, unable to find anything to say that wouldn’t sound trite. Lucas didn’t need her approval. They could barely tolerate one another, so why would he care what she thought of this whole thing?
She glanced down at her box, avoiding looking at him directly. “I have a saw being delivered today. And if you’re up for making a run to town, you can go pick up some wood I have being held for us until the bigger shipment arrives here next week.” Ella didn’t bother looking at him. Based on her recent experience, she knew he’d do it.
On top of Lucas arriving early daily, there had been no arguing. Everything had been just as he’d requested; they were each respectful to a fault. It almost made her feel guilty for the way things had started out.
Almost.
Something told her she needed to keep her guard up. Lucas could very well be exactly who she thought he was all along. She might just have to sit back and wait for it to manifest.
While Lucas was gone pickingup the supplies, the table saw got delivered. Ella got it and the generator set up inside the barn. Then she set up the plans for the roof repair and the loft. She went over the schedule, double-checking that the scaffolding she planned on renting would arrive on time as well.
There were a lot of moving parts, and as long as Lucas’s team worked out, they would continue to stay on schedule.
As more time passed, Ella started to wonder whether Lucas would show up again. It didn’t take this long to drive to town and pick up some lumber. She nearly decided to call him and ask where he was when she heard a truck coming up the road.
Ella moved to the barn doorway and watched Lucas pull his pickup truck to a stop. He climbed out of the vehicle and immediately walked around to the back. He pulled out a long piece of water-treated pine and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
When his eyes met hers, she could have sworn a jolt of electricity passed between them. It raced through her body, electrifying her heart and making her chest tight. If she’d been one of those pretty girls—the kind that could easily fit into a size four dress—she might have believed the look he gave her indicated he was attracted to her.
