“We’ll never know if we don’t give it a shot. I could be your friendly handyman.”
“Who works for cookies.”
“Exactly.”
Chapter Eleven
Offering to be her friendly handyman was either stupid or brilliant. Only time would tell. But he wanted to find reasons to see her, be with her. If he managed that, he’d still have a chance. He hung his shirt over the side view mirror of his truck, pulled on his gloves and climbed the ladder to the roof.
A few clouds drifted overhead, which fit with the weather report he’d read on his phone earlier. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked his weather app again. Uh-oh. The prediction had changed to a sixty percent chance of rain tomorrow night. The storm was arriving early.
If that rain had come ten days ago, there might not have been a fire. But the rain was still welcome and would potentially prevent the next fire. The timing crunched him on this project, though.
He could prep the roof today but he didn’t dare start the actual installation until he’d had a good night’s sleep. He put in a call to Cody.
“What’s up, bro?”
“Need to ask you something.” A horse whinnied in the background. Sounded like Winston, the Paint who was the biggest talker in the barn. “Good time or bad time?”
“I have a minute. The farrier’s here but it looks like she has everything under control.”
“If the weather app’s right, we could have a storm by tomorrow night.”
“I noticed that. Wondered how that would impact your project.”
“I could use some help tomorrow. Is there any chance you have a few spare hours? If you could bring Faith, that would be a bonus.”
“There goes the shopping trip to Bozeman.”
“Shopping trip? For what?”
“Maybe a ring. But Faith’s not big on it. She’d rather spend the money on new tack for Bert and Ernie. We’re still in negotiations.”
“Arguing?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but if I tell her you need help with Olivia’s roof, she’ll be happy to table the discussion.”
Trevor smiled. “Leave it to Faith. She’s not going to follow the crowd and expect a flashy diamond. Count yourself lucky.”
“Oh, I’m the luckiest guy in the world. But I feel like I should put a ring on her finger, you know? That’s the way it’s done. Except she wants the new tack instead, so I have a feeling we’ll be buying that.”
“Could you get it next weekend, then?”
“Absolutely. Those two horses will never know the difference and maybe I can work out a compromise in the meantime.”
“How about a different stone, one that’s not so expensive? An engagement ring doesn’t have to be a diamond, does it?”
“I suppose not. She might go for that. She’s not a jewelry-wearing person to begin with, and that’s part of the problem. She gets excited about new tack for Bert and Ernie, though.”
“Is Bert considered your horse now, or is he still Jim’s horse? I’m confused about that.”
“Jim and I share Bert. It all depends on whether I’m riding with Faith or Jim is. It’s cozy.”
“I’ll bet. Listen, about tomorrow, it’ll be hard work. I’ll pay you guys.”
“Is Olivia paying you?”
“She probably plans on it, but I can’t see myself taking the money for labor. Materials, yes, but not labor. After last weekend with the fire and everything, she’s like family.”
“I know. I can hear it in your voice. Don’t worry about paying us. We’ll need to feed and muck out stalls first thing, then help Mom and Zane get organized for the trail ride that’s going out at nine, but we could be over there before ten, no problem.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, this is a golden opportunity. I’ve been wondering about the dynamic between you two. This will give me a ringside seat.”
“There’s no dynamic.”
“Hell if there isn’t.”
“Seriously, there’s no—”
“Gotta go. Licorice.”
“Okay. Right.” He disconnected. Licorice was a boarder, one who’d been spoiled rotten before she arrived at Wild Creek Ranch. His mom had suffered a broken leg because of Licorice’s antics. The mare’s disposition had improved, but she was still the least well-behaved animal on the ranch.
Tucking his phone away, Trevor went back to ripping out shingles. Now that he had backup tomorrow, he was confident the job would be done before the storm hit. He’d talked Olivia into this roof replacement and he couldn’t leave her vulnerable to bad weather.
He paused as the truth hit him. He didn’t want to leave her vulnerable to anything. Not fire or drenching rains. Not a loose board on her porch steps that she might trip on. There was a loose board that should be nailed down or replaced with one that wasn’t warped. And she had a burner out on her stove and the kitchen faucet leaked.
But he’d be respectful and ask first. She was proud of managing successfully on her own after Edward had died. No one had the right to take that away from her. It was one of her qualities he admired.
And damn, the woman had courage. She’d clearly been scared to death the night she’d driven away hauling two horses behind her. She’d done it anyway because it needed doing. That might have been the moment he got hooked on Olivia Shaw.
More clouds bubbled up like gigantic soapsuds on the horizon, still white and fluffy, but they prompted him to work faster. He was almost out of shingles to tear up when the ladder rattled. Someone was coming, but who? Couldn’t be Olivia, who was afraid of heights. But nobody had driven in so it had to be her.
Damned if she didn’t appear at the edge of the roof wearing a backpack. “Need a cookie fix?”
“Hey! I thought you had acrophobia.”
“I do, so if you’d help me the last little bit I’d very much appreciate it.”
“Sure thing.” He hadn’t wanted her to see the decimated forest from this vantage point but he had no choice. He wasn’t going to tell her to go back down after she’d climbed the ladder with cookies in her backpack. For him. Even though she was scared. That warmed his heart.
Pulling off his gloves, he tossed them down and walked over to the ladder. “Give me your hand.”
She put her hand in his and then glanced at the ground and sucked in a breath.
“Don’t look down. Look at me.”
Her gaze found his. He focused on those big brown eyes and talked her up onto the roof. “One foot on the roof. I’ve got you. That’s good. Now the other foot. Walk forward, toward me. Pretend you’re climbing the slope of a hill. There. You’re here.” He folded her into his arms because it seemed like the right thing to do.
Oh, yeah, absolutely the right thing. She fit perfectly.
Gradually the tension eased from her tight muscles and she relaxed against him. “I didn’t think this through.” She continued to hold his gaze. “I’m up here, but eventually I have to go down.”
“Not yet.” He lowered his head.
“Trevor…” Her voice contained a warning.
“It’s okay. I won’t let it get out of hand. I have whiskers that would scrape the rust off a tailpipe.”
“But—”
“Shh.” Mindful of his beard and her glasses, he kissed her gently, slowly, parting her lips with his tongue but not venturing far. It wasn’t the time. It might never be the time for what he really wanted.
But he’d take pleasure in this generous gift. She’d conquered her fear of heights to bring him cookies. So special.
Savoring the velvet softness of her mouth, he tasted chocolate. She’d been sampling the chips. When he dipped his tongue a little deeper, her breathing changed and a slight tremor ran through her body.
He wanted to soothe her, not freak her out. Her warmth tempted him to draw her closer, but he decided against it.
Instead he pulled back before the inevitable happened and he tapped into the passion he held firmly in check. Standin
g on a pitched roof wasn’t the place for it and she clearly wasn’t ready for more than this.
Cheeks flushed and lips moist, she glanced up at him. “Great distraction.” She took a shaky breath. “I forgot where I was.”
“Well, that’s good, then.”
“Yeah.” Her gaze searched his.
If she kept looking at him with those big brown eyes he was liable to kiss her again and that would be a mistake. He cleared his throat. “Are you telling me you have cookies in that backpack?”
“I do.”
“Then come sit on the peak of the roof. You’ll feel more stable there.” He held her hand as she made her way up.
She sucked in air. “This is scary. I keep thinking I’ll slide back down.”
“You won’t. I’ve got you.”
“Good thing my roof isn’t as steep as some around here. The one at Wild Creek Ranch is like a playground slide.”
“Because we have an attic. You just have a crawl space.”
“Whatever. I won’t be climbing Kendra’s roof. Should I sit with both legs on one side or straddle the top like I’m riding a horse?”
“Whichever makes you feel steadier.”
“I’ll do the straddle thing.” Her fingers tightened. “Don’t let go of me yet.”
“I won’t.” He kept his grip firm as she sat down.
“Okay. You can let go.”
Too bad. He’d enjoyed every minute of that. But he released her hand and sat facing her.
She slipped out of the backpack straps and settled the pack in front of her. “I also brought a thermos of coffee.”
“Did you bring two mugs?”
“I sure did. It’s my first time on this roof and that deserves a celebration.” But before she unzipped the pack, she glanced around at the forest. Her eyes widened and she gulped. “Oh. Oh, dear.”
“I didn’t want you to see it from up here.”
“It looks so much worse.”
“I know.”
She gazed at the missing chunks of forest and the charred trees that remained standing. Then she glanced at him. “Do you suppose…”
“What?”
“That this part of the forest needed a fire?” Her voice trembled slightly.
“I don’t know. If so, my buddies and I did everything in our power to put it out. Maybe that went against what nature intended. But it’s what we do. And your house was at risk.”
“Was mine the only house in the way?”
“The only one in immediate danger.”
“Would they have sent as many people and helicopters if my house and barn hadn’t been here?”
“Oh, yeah. Anything this close to town would be hit with everything we’ve got.”
“This place is pretty close, which was a selling point. I can get into town in five minutes whereas I’ll bet coming from the other direction it takes you twenty.”
“It does. The chief was worried about you, but he also knew if this place went, the town would be next. Good thing Ryker spied it and we could jump on it right away.”
She surveyed the landscape again and took a deep breath. “This is hard to look at.”
“Yes.”
“But I’m glad I’m looking at it with you.”
“Me, too.”
Her attention swung back to him. “Now they’re saying the storm will come in tomorrow night.”
“I saw that. And I’m not the least surprised you checked on it, too.”
“I’m an accountant. We check on everything. The report could turn out to be wrong, but—”
“I’m not taking that chance. Since I’ve decided not to start the installation until I get some sleep, that gives me all of one day to get this finished.”
“Is that enough?”
“Not for one person. I called Cody. He and Faith will be here tomorrow morning before ten.”
“That’s awesome.”
“With three of us working, we’ll make it, no problem.”
She beamed at him. “Excellent strategy. I’ll bake more cookies tonight.”
“They’ll love that.”
“And lunch. I’ll provide lunch.” She glowed with excitement.
“They’ll love that, too.”
“You know how in the olden days they had barn raising?”
“Yep.” When she became animated, she transformed from pretty to beautiful. But if he said that she might think he was using flattery to get his way. Not his style.
“This feels like that, the neighbors coming to help, even if we’re not exactly neighbors.”
“Friends, though.”
“Yes, definitely friends.” She unzipped the pack, pulled out the mugs and the thermos and handed them to him. “The lion’s share of the coffee is for you. I want you alert when you’re walking around on the roof.”
“Now that you’re here, I’m very alert.”
She glanced up at him. “You have that look again.”
“What look?”
“The flirty look.”
“Can you blame me? You’re all sparkly and flushed from talking about the plan for tomorrow and it’s damned attractive. On top of that, you came up here with cookies for me when heights scare you. Every time I turn around you’re doing something admirable or adorable.”
“So are you! Battling to save my house, using your weekend to put on a new roof—you even came over as promised even though you’ve had almost no sleep.”
“Because I wanted to honor that promise. It was important to me.” He held her gaze. “Maybe it’s time to admit we really like each other.”
“I do really like you.”
“I really like you, too.” He searched her expression for any trace of wariness and found none. “Maybe…maybe that’s enough.”
“Maybe.” She didn’t shy away. Instead she regarded him with a soft smile and a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
He stayed quiet, let the moment stretch out as he held her gaze.
She swallowed. “Will you…will you give me some time to think about it?”
“I can do that.” He could barely breathe. Somehow he’d gone from no chance to a good chance. He was determined not to mess it up.
Chapter Twelve
Friends with benefits. Olivia had heard the term plenty of times and had never understood it until now. The concept lived in that gray area between having sex for the heck of it and having sex because you were deeply in love.
What if you had sex because you were strongly attracted to someone you liked and admired? Someone whose kiss made your bones melt?
She stayed on the roof until Trevor took off the last few shingles. She needed help down, but she also liked being near him. As a bonus, the longer she sat on the peak of the roof, the less scary it became.
Sitting helped. Having Trevor close by helped even more. She wasn’t ready to sign up for a rock-climbing class, but she was more optimistic about conquering her fear than she’d ever been before.
Trevor heaved the last shingle in the dumpster, walked over and sat facing her again. “Have you ever figured out why you’re afraid of heights?” Picking up the plastic tub of cookies, he popped the lid.
“Sure. It’s very straightforward. When I was seven months old I fell down a steep flight of stairs.”
“You remember that?”
“Not consciously. But I couldn’t figure out why I hated ladders and stairs so I asked my mom and she reluctantly confessed that I’d taken a tumble when I was a baby.”
“What were you doing roaming around on the second floor by yourself?”
“Mom didn’t know I’d learned to climb out of my crib. She didn’t bother with the baby gate when she put me down for a nap.”
“Ouch. I guess that could have turned out a lot worse than it did.”
“She feels guilty to this day. She offered to pay for therapy but I didn’t take her up on it. It doesn’t seem like that big a deal, although when Edward and I looked for a house here, I insisted on a single story. I
t limited our options.”
“I love two-story houses.”
“Even though the ranch only has one?”
“Yep. Don’t get me wrong. I love that house. But my favorite spot as a kid was the attic. Even though it only has one tiny window and gets hotter than hell in the summer, I begged Mom to put a bedroom up there for me. Wasn’t in the budget.”
“Then you need to build a two-story house so you can finally have a second-floor bedroom.”
“I plan to.”
“I was the exact opposite from you. I begged for a room on the first floor.”
“Did you get it?”
“Sure did. When I finally admitted hating the stairs and found out why, my mother was horrified that I’d been scared all that time. I think she would have built that room with her bare hands if necessary.”
“Do they come out here, much?”
“They’ve been several times and I go see them, usually at Christmas. After Edward died they wanted me to move back to Evanston, but I’m a Westerner, now. I can’t imagine living in a city again.”
“I can’t image living in a city, period.” He shuddered. “It would be hell for me.”
“Have you ever visited one?”
“Bryce and I went through several on the way to Texas and then again coming back home. I don’t know how people stand the traffic.”
“Now that I’ve been here for six years, I don’t like it, either.” She studied him. “Would you build your two-story house on Wild Creek Ranch property?”
“Probably not. I’d like my own land. A barn. My own horses. The ranch will always be special to me, but…”
“You want to put your own stamp on things.”
“Yep.”
“I can understand that. Have you figured out what the house will look like?”
“I don’t have it all planned, but definitely it’ll have a big rock fireplace in the living room.”
“Excellent. I love the location of this house, but I was always sad there was no fireplace. What’s a cold winter’s night without one?”
“And where do you hang the stockings on Christmas Eve?”
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