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“Right. Well, thank you, Riley. With any luck, I won’t burn the building down this time.”
“You’ll do fine.”
“If I do, I owe you one.”
“Just text me a picture of the finished product.”
“You’ve earned more than that if I can pull this off.”
“Start with the picture. We can discuss the difference later. Goodnight, Daniel. And good luck.” It pains me to let him go before I’m sure he can successfully execute my instructions but I’ve ignored my sister’s call twice now. If I don’t call her back soon she’ll send a search party after me.
“Good night, Riley.”
The speaker falls silent.
It was fun to joke about how much he owes me for my help but that’s all it was—a joke. I made an offer, he took me up on it, there is no reason I should expect to ever hear from him again. No matter how hot and bothered I get at just the sound of his voice, I have no way of knowing he feels the same. And as easily as our conversation is, it isn’t easy enough to ask him how he feels about me.
Even being sure I’ll never hear from him again, I can’t bring myself to delete his number. After all, I’m still kind of new to the area. Wouldn’t hurt to have someone to call in case I have an emergency of my own.
However you need to justify it to yourself, a naggy little voice snips at the back of my brain.
God, my brain is as bad as my mouth anymore. Not knowing when to shut up.
I finish tying my other boot with my phone squeezed between my cheek and shoulder. When Lainey picks up, screaming a line of obscenities in my ear I snap. “Christ on a cracker, Lainey, calm your tits.”
“You haven’t even left yet, have you?”
“I got a phone call I couldn’t ignore.”
“But you could ignore mine? What if something had happened to me and I needed your help?”
“Then you would have called the police, not me.”
Lainey blows out an annoyed breath. Not as charming coming from my sister. “Just get here. We’re waiting for you.”
I can’t imagine how much worse Lainey would be if she’d been cooped up in my apartment all day while I work. As much as I don’t want the friends she found for me, they’ve been a blessing to keep her busy.
Just a few more days, I repeat in my head as I promise Lainey I’m on my way out.
I’ll hate every minute of hiking with her but I’ll do it because I love my sister. On the upside, at least now, I have the memory of Daniel’s deep, masculine laugh and what it did to my body to distract me from the pain.
∞∞∞
DANIEL
Though I would have loved to talk to Riley longer, I’m glad I didn’t have to be rude and tell her I needed her to help faster so I wouldn’t be late picking up Julia. Cutting it close, the picture of the perfect gumbo Riley helped create will have to wait.
After a quick shower, I’m on my way out when the doorbell rings.
Who the hell is that this late?
“Julia.” I catch her when she jumps into my arms the second I open the door.
“Surprise!” She squeezes me around the neck and pecks a kiss on my cheek.
“It certainly is.” I lower her to the floor. “And so is this,” I say raising my chin to the young man standing in the hallway behind her.
“Dad, this is Leslie.”
