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It was the strangest feeling to be stuck like this. Time moved slower. She couldn’t breathe. Then he winked at her and that was all it took to break the spell. She made a disgruntled sound and stormed inside the building. Lucas was nothing but a flirt. He always had been, and he always would be.
Even if he wasn’t too shallow to see her as a possible girlfriend, it wouldn’t last long. She had a feeling he tossed each girl he dated off to the side like a rag. That was how disposable they were. The fact that she had even longed for something between them made her sick to her stomach.
When she announced their lunch break, all but two of the men drove off to get something in town. Lucas pulled a sack from the back of his truck, and the other guy sat in the bed of his to eat something he’d brought.
Ella took her seat on the porch of the house several yards away. She’d made herself a salad with a light balsamic dressing, and though she was looking forward to it when she’d put it together, she found herself craving something with more substance.
She stared at the salad in her lap, her fork held limply in her hand. The stairs creaked before Ella saw him. Lucas settled down on the step beside her and opened his paper bag. He glanced at her, a wicked smile stretching his perfect lips.
Scowling, she inched away from him. She would have gotten to her feet and moved to a different location, but she just didn’t have the will.
Lucas pulled out a half sandwich that didn’t have any business being called that. Between two thick slices of what looked like sourdough bread, he’d put three different meats, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts. Mustard and mayonnaise dripped out of one side.
As if on cue, her mouth watered. If she wasn’t careful, the drool pooling there would drip and get all over. Ella clamped her mouth shut and turned her attention to the barn. After a moment, she stabbed at her salad and took a bite full of spinach and kale. It wasn’t bad. She’d mastered the ability to create a salad that could satisfy her. There were several varieties of vegetables in her salad, and she’d put half of a hard-boiled egg in it, too.
It simply didn’t sound as good as the sandwich Lucas was currently downing. She glanced at it once more out of the corner of her eye, but only for a second. She’d finish up her salad and head back into the barn to prepare the guys for building the loft storage area.
Out of nowhere, half of a sourdough sandwich was shoved beneath her nose. Ella gasped, flinching.
Lucas wiggled the half a sandwich he hadn’t eaten yet, and she glanced up at him with surprise. One side of his mouth was quirked into a smile. “You want some?”
“No,” she blurted without thinking.
“Sure, you do. I saw you looking at it.” He still held it out to her, not moving.
Ella pushed his hand away with two fingers. “No, thank you.” This time she said it half-heartedly. Apparently, her eyes said something else because Lucas heaved a sigh.
“Will you just take it? I promise I washed my hands when I made it.”
She gaped at him this time. “You made it?”
Lucas stiffened, appearing slightly hurt by her statement. “I’m more than capable of making myself a sandwich. I’ve been doing so since I could reach the countertop.” He shook the sandwich once more. “It’s got turkey, ham, and pepperoni on it, along with plenty of veggies. And I made sure to get the good bread from that small bakery on the corner heading out of town.”
Ella eyed the sandwich. She shouldn’t take it. She had a very strict diet she liked to stick to during the work week, which usually consisted of salads. Unfortunately, her stomach gave her away and grumbled loudly.
Lucas chuckled, and she gave him a dark look. He rolled his eyes, then took her hand and placed the sandwich on it before returning to the food he’d brought.
She stared at the food in her hand, already smelling the spices from the pepperoni. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if she ate it. Sandwiches were healthy and she didn’t have any dietary allergies. Besides, it did looksogood.
Finally, with one last glance in Lucas’s direction to ensure he wasn’t watching her, she took the sandwich with both hands and brought it to her lips. Flavor exploded on her tastebuds, making her moan softly. Lucas might fall short in a lot of ways, but making a sandwich wasn’t one of them.
She took another bite and then another, only then realizing that she hadn’t checked to make sure Lucas wasn’t watching her. The last thing she needed was for him to make fun of her when it came to food.
When she glanced toward him, she found him staring out at the barn. He popped a potato chip into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. He probably felt her gaze on him because he finally spoke. “I’ve always wondered about those kinds of barns. The ones with the almost rounded roofs. We don’t see much of them around here anymore, but they have the best amount of space.”
“It’s because we get a lot of snow here.” She turned her attention to the barn. “You’re right. They do offer a lot of space, and when they’re done right, there are a lot of pros to having them. But out here they’re more likely to collapse due to the weight of the snow. That’s why we had to reinforce the roof and put up support beams where they didn’t have them before.”
Lucas nodded. “That makes sense. We have a barn with a normal roof on it.”
She bit back a smile, one he didn’t miss.
“What’s that look for?”
Her brows shot up and she shook her head. “I didn’t give you a look.”
“Yes, you did. You’re making fun of me. I can tell. You made a look when I talked about my barn.”
She attempted once again to hide her smile, and he pointed at her. “See? That right there. You’re smiling.”
