“Mandy, can we talk?”
She nodded, turned, but stopped when his hand wrapped around her bicep. “Out here.”
“Okay. You want to sit?”
“I’ve been sitting out here since nine.”
“I…I didn’t know.”
“I’m not blaming you. I just wanted you to know that I’ve been waiting because….” He looked away a moment. “Because I couldn’t do anything else until I talked to you about today.”
“Oh.”
His sharp gaze pierced deep. “I kissed you.”
A long silence followed. Mandy wasn’t sure how to respond. Was he asking? Telling? Affirming? “Yes, you did.”
“It wasn’t like that kiss in Taco Bell.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
He was struggling with this, she could tell by the way he shifted his feet. His hands didn’t hang comfortably at his sides, he kept stuffing and unstuffing them into the front pockets of his khaki shorts.
She titled her head at him. “Why did you kiss me?”
He swallowed. “I was…I’d had it. I was sick of A.J.
coming on to you.”
“Even if he was coming on to me—”
“He was coming onto you.”
“It doesn’t mean anything.”
Boston shook his head. “I saw the way you looked at him.”
Mandy’s cheeks heated. “How did I look at him?”
“Like…I don’t know, you were lit up.”
“A very lame tendency I have.”
“It’s not lame. It’s like A.J. says, it makes you irresistible. Jeez. Now I’m sounding like…”
“Finish that sentence, please.” Mandy took a step in his direction, her chest filling with butterflies.
He stared at her long and deep. “I was jealous.”
The admittance sent the butterflies in Mandy’s chest to her fingers and toes.
“Does that surprise you?” he asked timidly. Thrill robbed Mandy of any words but didn’t keep her from breaking out into laughter.
“You think this is funny?” His voice squeaked as he faced her again.
“No, I’m not laughing at you.” Mandy waved her hand in front of her face as if that would help her stop laughing. “It’s just that…” She took a deep breath “I am kind of surprised. I didn’t think…you cared.”
“Why?”
“I saw how hurt you were and I knew you needed to be strong so your heart could heal.”
He grinned and brought himself another step closer.
“My heart healed the day I saw you glaring at me in Barnes and Noble.” Tentatively he reached out and grazed the side of her face with his fingers. “You are…
irresistible.”
The smile Mandy had held back bloomed on her face. “I like being irresistible.”
“Yeah. It stinks for me, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“The bet’s off.”
“You cared about the bet?”
“Not really.” He put his hands on her shoulders and held her steady. Mandy’s body tingled. She drew her lower lip between her teeth.
“I want both of your lips,” he said.
Mandy waited for the kiss with her heart banging. His brown eyes shifted to her mouth and the next thing she knew, his lips were against hers. She closed her eyes, and slipped her arms up around his neck.
Intoxicated by the elixir of a warm night and everything about him, she wanted to dissolve and lose herself, the heady feeling of his possessive arms wrapped tight around her causing joy to race through her and nearly burst from every pore.
His kisses grew light. He placed one on her upper lip, then he drew back, still holding her. “Mmm.”
“I’ve wanted that since the first day.”
“Since then?” he murmured against her hair.
“I can admit that I’ve had it for you since day one. I could tell you were the strong, silent type. And you were so brooding.”
He eased back, a quirked look on his face.
“Brooding?”
“Totally hot.”
Boston’s face twisted into wry amusement. “It still feels like I’m going to let you go and,” one arm fell away from her and gestured, “you’ll be swept off your feet by A.J.”
A.J. was the furthest thing from her mind. “A.J.’s not sweeping me anywhere.”
“The way he acts, sometimes I wonder. You guys went on a date, didn’t you?”
“You were listening.”
“I haven’t missed a thing you’ve said, Mandy. Not a thing you’ve done.”
Mandy laughed and eased back, relieved that she’d settled her heart. “Maybe we should go out. Do you date? Or do you just hang at the bookstore?”
“I date.” He kissed her lips. “I’d like that, in fact.”
“How about something other than the bookstore?”
“Or construction sites.” He pressed his forehead to hers and let out a sigh. “You’re the last thing I thought I’d find on the job.”
The sunny day reflected Mandy’s mood. As far as the eye could see, the sky was azure blue. White clouds drifted northward on their way to another place. Mandy was glad. No rain, today. The storms had passed.
In the warming air, she sensed another hot day and relished it. She’d dressed for heat, wearing her bathing suit and board shorts to maximize her tan. And she hoped Boston wouldn’t be able to resist her either.
She tingled inside and nibbled on her nail as she stared out the window. One look at her faded nail tips and she pulled out her cell phone, and made an appointment for her next fill. She and Marc were driving to the home office to pick up the guys and she could hardly wait to see Boston. The fact that she’d come to peace with her troubled heart only made seeing him more thrilling.
It was then she noticed Marc’s scowl.
“What’s wrong?” she asked after she finished her call. She slipped her phone back in her pocket.
“Nothing.” He scrubbed his face. He hadn’t shaved, which, Mandy knew from experience, meant that he was in a social slump.
“What? No babes has left Jack a dull boy?”
He snorted. “More than dull. Dead. It’s pretty lame when your sister dates with the regularity of a dog taking a dump, but—”
“What a sick analogy. That is precisely why you aren’t having success, Marc. Your head is in the trash can.”
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“Oh, so you’re going to sit there and tell me that you’re attracted to A.J. and Boston because they’re both intellects? Their bodies don’t have anything to do with it?”
Mandy swallowed. “They’re both attractive, I won’t lie about that. But it’s not what I focus on.”
“Seems to work well for Larry.”
“But that’s Larry, Marc. You can be better than that.
I think you’re being too high school about this.”
“Is that right?” Marc huffed, shooting her an incredulous look. “After one summer on the job, you’re a pro at men?”
“I’ve snagged two, haven’t I?”
“Jeez. Then it’s true, isn’t it?”
“It’s not like that, Marc. It looks like that, but it’s not.”
“So the bet’s off?”
Mandy couldn’t keep the grin from her face. Marc sighed. “I only gave Boston two days, so I’m busted anyway. My guess is A.J. won the pot.”
“Two days?” Mandy was aghast. “Boston is way stronger than that.”
“I knew by that first kiss at Taco Bell he was a goner.”
“I told you, that wasn’t real.”
“Oh, but since then you’ve had real? It’s so unfair.”
“What’s unfair?”
“How easy it is for you to find someone.”
“It hasn’t been easy, Marc. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done, juggling two guys at once.”
“You don’t appreciate anything.”
“Yes I do. I
care about their feelings. I don’t want to hurt either of them. Unlike you, I don’t think relationships are disposable.”
“Hey, I like disposable. Less complicated that way.”
“Less complicated and less satisfying, that’s why you are where you are.”
Marc sighed. “You always knew what you wanted, even when we were kids. Remember that time you told Dad you wanted a tool set for your birthday? A tool set for crying-out-loud. You were ten!”
Mandy’s face flushed. Her friends had thought she was so strange when she gushed over the sparkling set of Allen wrenches, screwdrivers and hammers all set in a lovely black tool box. “Yeah.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted that. I’d have been too embarrassed.”
“So when you go with Lar to these seedy places, do you really see what you want?”
Marc scratched his scruffy jaw. “I can appreciate a hot babe anywhere.”
“What you’re talking about is temporary, Marc. My guess is you’re sick of that. You want something more now.”
He looked over, grinned. “Just because you’ve succeeded in hooking two of my best guys doesn’t mean you know anything.”
Mandy shrugged but stood her ground. “It’s the way I see it.”
They pulled into the parking lot and saw the guys waiting around the back door of the office. “So who is it, Mand?” Marc maneuvered the truck into a parking place. “Which guy do you want?”
She looked out the window at Boston and smiled.
Her heart took flight inside her body. Boston, she wanted Boston. Then her eyes shifted to A.J., standing next to him. A.J. sipped from a steaming cup, and watched her intently. Mandy bit her lip, her heart thrumming. When she hadn’t been able to answer his question last night, she’d gotten the undeniable vibe that he had at last realized that her heart resided with Boston. She sent A.J. a small wave.
Marc raised his brow at her. The look sent an uncertain quivering through her system. “Ah, maybe she doesn’t know who she wants after all.”
“Boston,” she shot. “Of course, it’s Boston.”
The guys were at the doors of the truck now, and Marc still had an insipid smile on his face. Mandy wanted to slug him. She knew what she wanted. In her mind, only one heart fit perfectly next to hers.
The doors opened and Boston slid in next to her, the look in his eyes sparkling. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
The truck wobbled as Larry and A.J. climbed over the back and settled into the bed. Marc started the engine and Mandy flicked on the CD. Suddenly, she couldn’t think of anything to say.
She didn’t know what to expect from work that day, but was relieved that A.J. was his usual cheerful self.
Boston was attentive, smiling a secret smile at her as they worked. As a crew, they picked up where they’d left off: the final shears were being placed on the outside walls of the second floor.
With the inside framing in place, Mandy was able to get a real sense of the floor plan: rooms and halls were at last in order. Like her heart, she mused.
The guys worked from the outside on scaffolding and ladders as they secured the plywood outer walls.
Marc refused to allow Mandy to climb up and do her part, citing that she could observe and learn just as easily by standing and watching, as opposed to risking her neck.
“He’s right,” Boston tossed over his shoulder. He made such a fine specimen of man perched up on that scaffolding, his golden-brown muscles glistening, flexing.
“Wouldn’t want anything to happen to that pretty little head of yours, baby doll.” A.J. turned and winked at her.
Mandy swallowed a knot. She so needed an ice water. “Anybody want anything?” Were any of them parched like she was?
“You mean you’re offering to do drudge work?
What’s gotten into you?” Marc laughed, then he rolled his eyes Boston’s direction, making sure she saw his teasing expression.
Thankfully, Boston was busily engaged and missed Marc’s obvious reference to her temporary insanity.
“Since you won’t let me up, I might as well make myself useful. I don’t have a problem helping you guys out down here.”
Boston looked over, a pleased grin on his face.
“Thanks. I could use a water.”
“No problem. Anybody else?”
“That works for me, too.” A.J. said.
“Man, I wish I had a beer,” Larry mumbled.
“Nothing like it to drown your sorrows,” Marc said before shooting a stream of nails into the plywood.
Mandy shaded her eyes from the sun overhead.
“What happened to Samantha?”
Larry shrugged, then whacked at a nail with his hammer.
“Don’t tell me you got dumped.” There was amusement in A.J.’s voice. “That a first for you?”
“It is, and I don’t like it.” Larry scratched his backside.
“It stinks.”
“But, hey,” Mandy chirped, “look how long it lasted.
I’m proud of you, Lar. You did good.”
Over his shoulder, Larry shot her a twisted look that told her he could care less what she thought. “Whatever.
It stinks. It ain’t happening again.”
Mandy laughed as she crossed to the water cooler.
She plucked three frosty water bottles from the ice and headed back to the conversation. “There’s an old saying,” she began. She stood under the scaffolding and looked up at Larry. “What goes around comes around.”
“I feel the need to hock a loogie.” Larry cleared his throat and aimed right at Mandy who ducked away, laughing.
“Better keep your philosophical commentary to yourself,” Marc told her, jumping down. He strode over and took a bottle. “Larry’s a bear when he doesn’t have a woman.”
“Well then, you two really are made for each other.”
Mandy handed A.J. a water now that he was there, waiting.
“Thanks, baby doll.”
“You’re welcome.” Mandy was glad that he still used the term of endearment, glad that they could still be friends.
Boston climbed down and came to where they stood, all of them looking up at the side of the house nearly complete. He reached out and Mandy handed him a bottle. His smile melted her already soft insides.
“Guess I should see who won my pot,” he said.
Marc whipped a wide-eyed look at Boston, then Mandy. “I should have known.”
“Man, I’m the winner!” Larry lifted his water bottle skyward. “Something worked today. Yes.” He chugged.
Why was it hard to look A.J. in the eye? Mandy tentatively met his knowing green eyes. A small smile lifted his lips. Then his gaze shifted to Boston. “I lost for sure,” he said, his expression a mix of pleasure and something else—disappointment—Mandy thought.
“How long did you give Boston?” Mandy asked.
“Under your spell?” A.J. touched the tip of her nose lightly. “About a week.”
Mandy hid a blush by facing the house and gesturing the nearly finished project with a sweep of her hand. “The house is looking good.”
“Looks great,” A.J commented.
“It’s a nice floor plan.” Mandy took a swig of the refreshing water. “I like it. Should be easy for Dad to sell.
It’s not too big for a starter house and nice enough for a small family.”
“How about a single guy?” A.J. asked, his twinkling eyes meeting hers.
Suddenly, it was quiet and all attention turned to A.J. But he was focused on her, and Mandy’s heart started to thump. “You mean...you?”
“I’m buying it,” A.J. stated.
“That’s cool, man,” Marc reached out and shook his hand. “When did this happen?”
“I bought it last week. I’m going to rent it out. You know, branch out. Be a landlord.”
“Wow.” Mandy wasn’t sure how to handle the mix of feelings swarming through her at the moment: pride, surprise, awe. “That’s gre
at news, A.J. Will you keep your day job?” She gestured to the house.
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