Julie waggled her brows. “Promise?”
Kate snorted. “I promise,” she answered, dryly.
CHAPTER
FOUR
Immediately, he noticed Kate’s approach through the wide open doors of the cabin.
Damn – she was even lovelier close up.
Murphy finally admitted to himself that, subconsciously, he must’ve been watching out for Kate since the first time he’d seen her.
And then he gazed into her eyes. Right now, they were a deep and fiery shade of blue.
Probably because of the anger she was directing toward him, Murphy suddenly realized as he finally, consciously, became aware of his surroundings. He turned, staring hard at the walls he’d just finished painting. He was having a little bit of trouble portraying the incompetent intern.
And Kate seemed to be totally unaware of her father’s plans for subterfuge. She didn’t look happy as she inspected the walls and floors inside the cabin. Luckily, he’d spread out papers over the wooden floor to protect it.
When crew boss, Luke Arnett, stepped inside the cabin, he groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Murphy. I thought you said you knew how to paint?”
Kate’s gaze was curious when she turned to study Murphy.
Murphy cleared his throat. “Ah, well...I’ve painted my parents’ – uh...garage.”
Rolling her eyes, Kate sighed.
Luke shook his head. “I’m not sure what I’m gonna be able to do with this guy, Kate,” he grumbled. “I had him up on the roof – but instead of laying out shingles along the bottom of the roofline like we showed him, he began way up at the peak. It took us a couple of hours to get things straight. Then I moved him inside to do drywall the next day. Brian Lancaster even showed him what he needed to do. There were two panels up by the time I came by to check up on him. But he didn’t even have enough sense to remember to center the edges of the drywall on the two by fours for stability!”
Staring at Murphy, she shook her head in resignation. “Obviously, he has a hard time following instructions,” she observed, dryly. “Maybe he’d better come and work for me at the Ivers’ place for the next couple of weeks, Luke? We’ve got a lot of demolition work to do. He shouldn’t be able to mess that up.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Luke muttered under his breath.
Kate snorted.
And Murphy grimaced.
“That’d be great, Kate.” Luke sighed resignedly. “Send him back when you’re done. The finish work should be completed in this cabin by then, and we’ll be starting on our own demolition work over in the next two cabins.”
Kate glanced at her watch. “I’d better take a quick look at your inventory, Luke, for Dad. He’s pretty busy with that job at the golf course. Get your list together and I’ll meet you out by the supply tent.”
“Okay, Kate.”
“Murphy – why don’t you meet me at Luke’s trailer in about thirty minutes?”
Murphy nodded.
He let out a deep breath when Kate finally stepped out of the door. He hadn’t even realized he’d been holding it. Distracted, he forgot about the ladder with its bucket of paint hanging from a hook. Twisting around with the paint roller still in his hand, he bumped into the ladder.
And the open bucket of primer tipped over, pouring out over the top of his head.
As the paint drizzled down through Murphy’s hair, and dripped down to cover his face, Luke stared at Murphy in stunned disbelief. “Damn it, Murphy. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with anyone who was as much of a klutz as you are.”
Sheepishly, Murphy grinned, attempting to dig the paint out from his eyes. It’d actually been an accident, knocking over the paint. If Kate Callahan had this much of an effect on him, now, how in the hell was he gonna able to work with her for the next few weeks?
* * *
Quickly pulling off his shirt, Murphy had removed as much of the paint from himself as he’d been able to. But Luke Arnett had been more concerned about the floors in the cabin. It’d taken almost thirty minutes for Murphy to clean up his mess with paper towels before mopping over the floor several times. Luckily the plumbing was already hooked up inside the cabin so he’d had water available.
Pulling his shirt back on, Murphy glimpsed Kate near Luke’s trailer, and he began strolling up the path from the beach. He’d managed to rinse most of the paint from the upper half of his body with water from the lake.
Kate appeared to have completed her inventory, and was absorbed in intense conversation with a tall, middle-aged man wearing a pair of overalls.
The man began to snigger when he spotted Murphy.
Turning around, Kate gaped. After a moment of stunned silence, she snorted.
Suddenly, she completely broke down. Attempting to gulp down her laughter, Kate pointed at the edge of his T-shirt. “You missed a spot.”
It appeared to be the only place on his entire body untouched by paint. Murphy was pretty sure that even his underwear had been compromised by the paint soaking through.
“No wonder Luke was even more annoyed – when he finally showed up at the supply tent.”
Murphy grinned, wryly.
And then, Kate began laughing helplessly again.
Kate’s associate was still chuckling as well when he finally stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Murphy. I’m Gus Lemke. I handle all the plumbing for Cal.”
Murphy shook his hand.
With her laughter finally subdued, Kate swiped away the tears from her eyes before slipping her sunglasses back on. “I’ve sure been hearing an awful lot about you over the last couple of weeks, Murphy.”
Murphy smiled. “All good, I’m sure.”
She smirked. And then she slowly began looking him over. “I suppose Dad didn’t even think about mentioning what kind of work clothes you’d need while you were working here, either?”
Murphy grimaced, staring down at his clothing. “It’s my fault – since I never asked what kind of work I’d actually be doing.” He’d been totally wrong about what the term internship represented to Mike Callahan. Murphy had assumed he’d be working in the office and traveling to the job sites, along with Cal, instead of doing manual labor. Not that he minded the hard work – he actually preferred it. But he’d been stupid not to realize that even the jeans and T-shirts he’d worn today might end up ruined.
“Well. Dad specifically asked me to come check up on you.” Kate shook her head with resignation. “You’d better take off those shoes, and go along with me in my truck. We definitely need to find you some boots.” She studied Murphy’s feet. “What size do you wear?”
“A medium sized twelve?”
“Hmm. That’s the same size as Dad, I think. I’m pretty sure he’s got a few extra pairs of boots in his office closet. Steel toes are a requirement here on site. But they’re expensive – and it’d be stupid for you to buy new, since you’ll only be working with us over the summer.”
“I’m done, here, Kate, if you want to drop me back at the office, too,” Gus said.
“That’d be fine, Gus.”
As Gus led the way up to the parking lot, carrying his toolbox and clipboard, Murphy followed behind Kate, enjoying the view. Tall and lanky, she moved with a refined, casual grace. She could’ve just as easily been strolling along a runway instead of hiking up a mossy trail covered with pine needles and brush. And the cut of those jeans ...well...
When they reached the company truck, Gus began to laugh once again after glancing back at Murphy. “I guess I’d better sit in the back.” Sliding his toolbox onto the back seat, he scrambled into the seat beside it.
Murphy dumped his sneakers into the bed of the pickup. Noticing Kate had laid a tarp over the passenger seat, he hopped into the truck and sat on top.
When she slipped behind the wheel, her eyes met Gus’ in the rearview mirror. “Would you like me to stop for some lunch, Gus?”
“Nah, Kate. I’m good. I’m actually done for the day.”<
br />
Ten minutes later, after traveling northwest of town, they pulled into the parking lot of the offices of Callahan Construction. “Where, to, Gus?”
“The warehouse is fine Kate. I have to talk to Dan about ordering some drainage pipe and fittings I’m gonna need at the campgrounds.”
“Alright,” she said, pulling into the parking space nearest to the warehouse. “I’ll see ya next week.”
“Nice to meet you, Murphy,” Gus said, as he opened the truck door.
Murphy gave him a half-hearted salute. “Same, here, Gus.”
Scooping up his toolbox and clipboard, Gus hopped out of the truck. “See ya, Kate,” he called, before entering the warehouse through an opened portal.
“Okay, then.” Kate turned to Murphy with a puzzled frown. “So what are you wearing for work clothes? I recognized the label on those jeans right away.”
“I’ve been wearing some older clothes that I brought along. But everything’s pretty grimy after my first couple of days. Luke had me clearing out brush and raking up debris around the cabins. I haven’t had a chance to make a trip to the Laundromat and wash my clothes yet.” Murphy admitted sheepishly.
“Laundromat?” Kate shook her head in disbelief. “Michael Murphy, what are you trying to do – offend my mother?”
His widened eyes met hers. “What do ya mean?”
“We’ve got two sets of washers and dryers in the house. You’re more than welcome to do your laundry in the laundry room. You’re our guest. My mother would be horrified if you tried to go to the Laundromat!”
Murphy chuckled. “Alright. I’ll bite. But where’s the laundry room?”
“You know where the mudroom is – leading out onto the patio?”
He nodded.
“There’s a door immediately to the left when you step out from the kitchen. It’s right behind there. My parents decided they needed another washer and dryer upstairs because of the kids.”
“I won’t be in anyone’s way?”
“Nah. I’m probably the only one who regularly does laundry in there, now, anyway – since I don’t have a washer at the cabin.” She continued, “The laundry room also has a huge garden tub and shower. It’s nice to have a place to wash up and shower after coming home from skiing or lying out on the beach. In fact, why don’t I drop you off when we’re done here and you can take a shower? You can just leave your clothes and shoes soaking in the laundry tub.”
Her gaze dropped to Murphy’s feet. “You’d better wait out here in the truck. I’ll go dig up those boots.”
Before Murphy could answer, Kate was already scooting out from behind the wheel and on her way into the office.
Damn. Murphy sighed. This was getting to be ridiculous – he hadn’t quit thinking about Kate since the first time he’d seen her. And now, he was becoming really, really attracted to her – her smile, her easygoing personality, and even her maturity. She was just so different from the women he’d always been drawn to.
Kate was carrying boots when she came back out from the office five minutes later. “I found a couple of pairs for you to try on.” She held up a pair that appeared to be brand new. “It’d be nice if these fit. Dad bought them a few years back without trying them on, and they ended up being too loose. And then he forgot all about exchanging them.”
Reaching over, Murphy pulled one of the boots from Kate’s hand. Unstringing the laces, he slipped it over his foot. “Hmm. It appears to be a perfect fit,” he said, stepping out from the truck.
Kate had already worked out the laces for the other boot. After pulling it on and tightening up the laces, he took a quick stroll around the truck.
Kate nodded her approval. “Make sure that you’re wearing a couple pairs of socks while you’re breaking them in. There’s nothing more miserable than being on your feet all day, on site, with blisters rubbing up against that stiffened leather.”
Murphy grimaced.
“Let me guess – you need some heavier socks too?”
Sheepishly, he nodded. “I was planning on waiting until I got my first paycheck. I’ve been pricing clothing around town – everything’s a little expensive. I didn’t want to leave myself short on cash. I’m always a little tapped out financially once the semester ends.”
Kate nodded. “Since this is a resort town, most of our locals go shopping in Eau Claire or even Rice Lake. How much do you think you can you afford to spend right now?”
“Like fifty bucks?”
She lifted a brow. “Do you mind second-hand?”
Murphy was taken aback. “Sure. Why not?”
She nodded decisively. “Okay. Hop back into the truck.”
Five minutes later, Kate pulled into the driveway of the Callahan residence. “Make it quick. Feel free to use one of the robes hanging behind the door. I’ll just wait out here.”
Scrambling out from the truck, he snatched up his shoes from the bed of the pickup.
Fifteen minutes later Kate was pulling into a parking space along Main Street. Hopping from the truck, she signaled for Murphy to follow as she climbed up a steep row of steps leading up into an antiquated brick building. Built front and square on Main Street, the Farmer’s Store had been in business for over one-hundred years.
Hearing the jingle of the bell from above the door, Gene Weldon peered up from his seat behind the counter. “Kate!”
“Hey, Gene. How’s business?”
“Kind of slow, now, Kate, since all my seed and fertilizer’s been delivered.”
“Gene, I’d like to introduce you to my parent’s godson, Michael Murphy.”
Grinning, Murphy reached over from across the counter to shake Gene’s hand. “Just call me Murphy.”
“Nice to meet you, Murphy. What can I do for you two today?”
Peeking at her watch, Kate nodded at the back of the store. “How about we just help ourselves, Gene? Michael, here, needs some work clothes.”
“Go right ahead, Kate.”
Murphy started. Michael? But noticing Kate was already moving on through the store, he quickly scrambled to follow. When they came upon a room filled entirely with clothing, she pointed out a fitting room enclosed by a curtain. “You’re probably gonna need something to eat before we go back to the worksite. Won’t you? Why don’t you just go in there and undress?” She eased over to stand near a rack displaying men’s jeans and workpants. “What’s your pants size?”
Ruefully, Mike admitted. “Like a 34 by 36. I sometimes have problems with the fit, though, because of my thighs.”
“Yeah.” Kate studied him thoughtfully. “You’d better try them on. How about we go for a relaxed fit?” Quickly sifting through the pants, she pulled out a pair and handed them over to Murphy as he stood waiting behind the curtain in the fitting room.
Moments later, Murphy stepped out from inside. “Do these look alright?”
Kate stilled. And she didn’t seem to be looking at his jeans, he noticed, as he stood before her, shirtless. Her eyes traveled down, and lingered, as she began to study his shoulders and arms.
Kate looked dazed, as she cleared her throat. “Yeah, they look great.” She turned away and began sifting through the rest of the hangers lining the rack. “And they’re only eight bucks. You’re in luck – there seems to be another pair here, too-same size and everything. You’d better wear those jeans back to the worksite. I’ll go through the T-shirts. They’re only a couple of bucks apiece. You should have new socks, and maybe a hooded sweatshirt with a zipper, too. I’ll just drop off your other clothes and the things we buy today at my parent’s house sometime over the weekend.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that,” Murphy muttered. He pulled on a navy blue T-shirt over his head. “Dan dropped me off this morning. He’s taking me out for a few beers and something to eat tonight – so he’s picking me up at the campgrounds after work.”
From the corner of his eye, he watched as Kate sighed when he put on his shirt.
But, inwardly, Murphy was scol
ding himself. What in the hell was he doing, purposely strutting around Kate, shirtless? To think of all the shit he’d given his friends for behaving just like this. Despite the curtained barrier, though, there was something strangely intimate about taking off his clothing in the same room as Kate. Determinedly, he concentrated on pulling on and whipping off an assortment of T-shirts until he discovered the ones that fit. By the time they left the Farmer’s Store, Murphy had amassed an entire work wardrobe for under forty-five bucks.
On their way back to the campgrounds, Kate whipped into the parking lot of one of the few fast food joints in town. “Any problems with eating fried chicken, just for today?”
Murphy chuckled. “Everyone’s been warning you about my diet, huh?”
Kate grinned. “Dan might’ve grumbled something about it the other day.”
Murphy grimaced. “Yeah. Sticking to my diet and workouts, every day, has been a real pain in the ass. But those first couple weeks of practice in August are killer. You can bet I’d regret it if I didn’t stay in shape. But to answer your question – I’m active enough that going off my diet a couple of times a week and over the weekend shouldn’t make too much of a difference.”
“That’s good. Because sometimes it can be pretty damned difficult choking down my mother’s cooking.”
Murphy’s head jerked up, and his eyes met hers.
“My mom was a bad enough cook before, when she was cooking easy stuff – like potatoes and macaroni. I can only just imagine how awful her meals must be – since she’s been attempting to follow recipes because of your diet.”
Kate lifted a brow.
Murphy snorted, eyeing her wryly.
And in silent agreement, they both began to grin.
“Lunch is on me,” Kate said. After handing over an order of chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, she exited the drive through.
“Nothing for you?”
That Unforgettable Kiss Page 5