by Kay Lyons
"Thank you."
Once everyone was served, he loaded his own plate and took the spot opposite Eliza, noting she deftly cut her steak but didn't so much as look at the corn.
"I love fresh veggies," Amelia said. "Though you're not helping me keep things low-carb with this."
"You don't need to worry about that," Lincoln said.
"Agreed," Carter added. "Men don't want to cuddle stick figures."
Eliza avoided eye contact and kept chewing.
"Oh, Carter, while you were grilling, we decided on colors," Amelia said. "Mostly white and sand, with hints of gold and blue. I'm thinking a tulle gown for Piper. Blue to match her beautiful eyes."
"Will it have a poofy skirt?" Piper asked, butter running off her chin.
"You can have the poofiest skirt available," Amelia said.
"And be the most beautiful flower girl there ever was," he said to his daughter.
Carter felt the moment Eliza's gaze landed on him, but when he shifted his attention to her, she averted her gaze once more.
She still hadn't touched her corn. Surely she wasn't one of those women who didn't like to get a little messy? What about ribs? Seafood?
Sex?
"Izzy and I are going shopping tomorrow to look for a wedding dress," Amelia said, referring to her best friend. "You're welcome to join us, Eliza."
"Can I come?" Piper asked.
"You'll be in school, kiddo," Carter said. "But you'd better believe Amelia will pick out something pretty for you, too."
"Definitely," Amelia said.
The subject changed to what the groomsmen would wear and how Lincoln would differentiate himself from the pack. Carter listened with half an ear, not really caring what he wore.
His gaze locked on Eliza, and he watched as she eyed the corn like a project she was about to undertake. "Not your favorite?"
"Too messy."
Hmm. He happened to like some things messy. But what was more, he got the distinct impression by the way she was eyeing it that she would've chowed down on the corn had no one been around, so messiness had a place with her, but not where everyone could see.
Really? Comparing the way she eats—or doesn't eat—corn on the cob to other areas of life?
It made him wonder, though. Because that first night when he'd met her, she'd been tipsy and her guard had been down. Eliza had been messy and messy looked good on her.
Now she appeared much too professional, not to mention stressed, and he wouldn't mind seeing her with butter on her soft, kissable lips. Or hair wet and stuck to her skin in the pool.
When dinner was over, the half ear of perfectly grilled corn remained on Eliza's plate, and he mourned not getting to see her eat it.
"Oh, I'm stuffed," Amelia said. "Eliza, can I get you anything?"
"No, I'm fine. That was delicious. Thank you."
The thank-you was said to him, and Carter dipped his head in a nod.
Everyone gathered plates and glasses, and he and Eliza were the last at the table.
"Next time I'll cut the corn off the cob for you."
She lifted her head at his words, and her eyes widened a bit before she shook her head. "That's… thoughtful but not necessary. I just didn't want to seem unprofessional when I'm on the job."
"What about when you're not working?"
A smile tugged at her lips. "Grilled corn is a huge favorite, actually."
A laugh left his chest. "So basically you sat there being tortured through dinner because you didn't want to be messy?"
"Yup."
He paused at the entrance to the house, her comment drawing his attention to her lips just like it had that night in the elevator. Was that only a few days ago? Given how many times she'd wound up in his thoughts, it seemed like a lot longer.
"Um… I should probably get in there so I won't be here all night."
"You can always sleep over at my place." The moment the words came out of his mouth, he wanted to take them back, but it was too late. And he hadn't meant them like that. Well, he wouldn't be opposed to that but still… "On the couch. Or spare bedroom. Not… Sorry."
A low laugh emerged from her, and she shook her head as she slipped by him into the house.
He watched her every move, taking in the sway of her hips as she walked back to the kitchen table.
Across the room, Lincoln cleared his throat, and Carter looked up to find his older brother shooting him a dark glare. Carter sighed.
The next two weeks were going to be a whole different type of torture.
Chapter 9
Over the next couple of days, Eliza found her thoughts drifting to a certain tattooed and gorgeous man.
The planning session with Amelia had lasted a good hour and a half after Carter had excused himself to take Piper home to get her bathed and ready for school the following morning, but even after he'd left Lincoln's home, Eliza wasn't able to completely relax.
During the evening, she'd found herself noticing the similarities between Carter and his older brother. And given how many there were, seeing Lincoln so sweetly interact with Amelia left Eliza wondering if Carter would be the same way. Could be the same way?
His blunder in inviting her to stay had brought more than one smile to her lips in the time since because he'd seemed so sincerely awkward afterward. And awkward on Carter wasn't something she'd consider a normal occurrence for a man who looked like he did.
The brothers intrigued her as a whole. Lincoln was just as handsome as his younger sibling, but he didn't have the edge Carter carried. One born of… difficulty?
Eliza learned through Amelia that Lincoln's first wife had passed away, so he'd had a hard life, too. Especially considering he'd raised his twins alone the last three years.
But why the rougher edge with Carter? What had honed him to such a degree?
Curiosity killed the cat. And considering she'd told Carter she wasn't interested, she couldn't exactly ask, because that expressed interest. Maybe she could get some info on the down low from Marsali?
You know what'll happen if you so much as mention his name.
A knock sounded on her door and she glanced at the clock. Lincoln was right on time. Some of the items Amelia had chosen from Eliza's portfolio were pieces Eliza had created or purchased and now kept stored in her spare rooms as rentals.
Eliza was thankful Amelia had chosen them, too, since it boosted her income from the event. Lincoln had volunteered to stop by and help her load the boxes into his truck and her van for transport to his house. With less than a week and a half left, every moment counted. Thankfully once the small weddings booked for this weekend were over, she could focus fully on Amelia and Lincoln's.
Eliza glanced in the mirror by the door and smoothed her hair before swinging her front door wide. "Lin—uh, Carter?"
"Hello, Eliza," Carter said in his deep, gravelly voice.
His gaze swept over her quickly before shifting back to her face, taking in the sundress she'd worn for the day's errands. "What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?"
The corners of his firm lips tilted up, and he gave her a patient-looking grin.
"I saw your van."
"And you just knocked on the door? What if this was a client's house?"
"Lincoln mentioned he was picking up some boxes from you at this time, and I had a job to check on down the street. After seeing your van, I put two and two together and offered to do it since I'm already here."
"Oh." Well, that did make more sense than where her mind had gone but—
"Can I come in?"
She inhaled and stepped back. "Of course. I'm sorry, I was just surprised. I, um, got most of the items out earlier, but there are a couple of things you'll have to help me get. They're quite heavy." Normally she would've had James or Clarissa or Kellie help her with such things, but since James had taken off with her trustworthy crew…
"Not a problem."
Carter stood there and stared at her, and with a start, sh
e realized he waited on her to lead the way. She did a mental eye roll at her nervousness and headed toward the bedrooms.
It wasn't like she hadn't had a man in her home before. But something about Carter's broad shoulders and those eye-popping tattoos on his bulging arms left her pulse racing and insides quivering.
Finally they made it to the storage rooms and she turned to find his gaze low—on her behind? She watched the way his gaze quickly shifted upwards and locked on hers, seemingly unapologetic.
Men. They were all the same, weren't they?
She twisted the knob and stepped back to allow him to enter without her. "Those four boxes right in front. The white box on the left, and in the other room are the heavy boxes containing glassware and some other props. The settee will have to be transported, too."
"You've got quite the stash," Carter murmured, eyeing the room.
"Things added up over the years, and since I wasn't using these rooms… I do wish I had shelving to better organize it, but that's on a mile-long list of to-dos, especially now that I'm… restructuring my business," she said, trying to stay politically correct and not sound bitter. "I'll, um, have to do more digging later to get the rest of the items."
She watched as Carter bent and lifted the first bulky box in his arms, then scrambled to get out of the way, back down the hall, and hold the door open for his exit. She noted his red logo-ed truck parked behind her van and watched as he loaded the first box into the back.
On his return, Carter removed his cell phone and moved his finger over the screen.
"Your shelving issue… I'm working a job and this is part of the stuff they're getting rid of. It's free, and it might work for what you need," he said, handing her his phone.
His long finger swiped through a couple of images as she watched. "Free?"
"Yeah. Want me to load it up and bring it to you? I can put it in your garage until the wedding is over and then help you get it inside and ready for your boxes and bins."
Ah, but what did he expect in return? "Uh, that would be great but I'm not sure I can hire you right now."
"Eliza…"
Did he have to say her name that way?
"The stuff is free. And you taking it will help me to get it out of the guys' way."
"But your labor costs—"
"Plan a party for me."
She blinked at him. What? "Excuse me?"
"Look, I'm not worried about it, but you apparently are so… I know you don't do birthday parties, but how about in exchange for labor and whatever storage you need me to come up with, you plan Piper's birthday party? She wants everything mermaid, which goes along with a lot of the beach stuff I saw in there."
She blinked at him, unsure of what to say. "I…"
"Look, she's turning five, and it would be a great way for her to get to know some of her classmates and for me to meet their parents."
Eliza stared down at the shelving that would be perfect for her needs before she handed the phone back. She crossed her arms over her chest, waited for his gaze to shift downward, but surprisingly, it didn't. "You do realize a birthday party for a five-year-old is way easier than what you're going to have to do to set up storage for all of my stuff."
"Easy for you," he countered. "Do I look like I know how to create a mermaid party? That stuff," he said, lifting the phone and the images she'd just perused, "is easy for me. Come on, even exchange. How about it?"
Well, it was better than him asking her on another date. "Nothing else?"
A wry smile flashed over his handsome face and shot her pulse into orbit.
"Nothing else. And for the record, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I shouldn't have asked for a date last Saturday after the arbor or invited you to stay over."
"You flirt. A lot."
"Only with certain people. And never with bad intentions," he countered, holding her gaze. "But I am sorry if I've made you uncomfortable."
She really wasn't sure what to make of the apology, only that he seemed sincere.
"Okay, next box," he said when she remained quiet. "You think about it and let me know if you want to make a trade. I'd have one happy girl on my hands if you could work some magic and bring her mermaid party up a few notches from just cake and ice cream."
The last was said with wry bemusement, and she realized the older Piper got, the more into girlie things she became—and the more out of his depth Carter probably felt. The majority of single fathers would have no clue how to do the cutesy, feminine stuff girls loved. But for Piper? "I'll have to check my schedule but… I accept your offer."
Carter grinned and a look of supreme relief flashed over his face.
"You're a lifesaver."
"Yeah, well, you may regret the swap when it comes to making storage that works for me."
"It'll be worth it to see Piper's face."
She held the door for him to enter and get the next box, and his long strides carried him down the hallway. Carter might be too handsome for his own good, but no one could deny his love for his daughter. And like it or not, she admired that about him.
"Eliza?"
She blinked up at him, only then realizing she'd stood there and ogled his masculine form every step of his return. "What?"
His gaze narrowed on her, sparkling with something she couldn't quite name along with quite a bit of amusement.
"You gonna open that door?"
Chapter 10
Carter transported the boxes of wedding stuff to his truck, including the boxes she'd claimed required two people to carry, and entered Eliza's one last time to schedule delivery of the shelving to her. He watched as she checked her phone and then her paper calendar, and realized that, despite losing half her business to her ex, Eliza still had networking and bridal events to attend along with meetings for future weddings, cake tastings, and whatever else a bride and groom might want or have on their agenda.
The calendar pages were filled with neatly scribbled notes, and as he stared over her shoulder, he might have noted the location and times of two back-to-back bookings this coming weekend at a local hotel.
The guys needed to take Lincoln out for a low-key bachelor party anyway, so why not at the same location where Eliza would be?
A plan formed and he nodded to himself. Eliza was off-limits at least until Lincoln and Amelia were married, but nothing said he couldn’t make use of the time by getting her to see he wasn't a bad guy. And handy to have around in case she hadn't been able to replace the hired help she'd lost to her ex?
"Okay, so, you said her birthday is September first. You're in luck. I actually do have that Friday open," she said, tapping a finger on a page where something had been erased.
"You sure?" he asked, hoping to get more info.
"Yeah." She rolled her eyes and pasted on a smile that didn't brighten her eyes. "Another event lost to the ex. My loss is your gain, though."
She bent and wrote Piper's name on her calendar. In ink. And he couldn't help but be impressed. A wedding would be a lot more lucrative than a kid's birthday party done as a favor. "What happens if you get another last-minute wedding like Amelia and Linc's?"
Eliza straightened and met his gaze, tilting her head to one side.
"I won't cancel on you. When I take a job, I'm there."
He dipped his head in respect and tried not to want more from her. At least not at the moment.
As though he wasn't the only one noticing just how close they stood to one another, Eliza wet her lips and took a step to the side.
"Um, okay, so is this a surprise? Or do I need to consult with Piper on her wishes?"
He thought about it a moment before shaking his head. Eliza had enough demanding brides in her life without adding a precocious five-year-old who wanted to be a real-life mermaid. "Let's keep your involvement a surprise. I've got a pretty good idea based on things she's said. I'll write it down and bring it when I drop off the shelving."
"Okay. Does she have favorite colors?"
&nbs
p; "She's got this sequined mermaid tail she wears to play dress up." He pulled out his phone again and scrolled through his pictures until he found the right one. "There. She loves that thing."
"Ah, jewel tones are my favorite," she said with a smile. "And I do have plenty of tulle and supplies already. This will be a nice break from the norm. I'm glad you asked."
"I'm glad you accepted the trade-off."
Silence followed his words and continued long enough to become awkward. "Okay, so, I'm going to get this stuff to Linc's. If you need me to take anything else, just let me know. I'll be by again, checking on the job as it progresses, and Mac and I will both pitch in wherever we're needed. It's not a problem."
"Thank you."
He stepped back and noted the mix of industrial-style metals and beachy-looking woods mixed in her house. He'd always liked building things, and her style of decorating was a favorite of his. Nothing too feminine but functional and pretty all the same.
"I'll, uh, see you out."
He took one last glance at her calendar for a quick refresher and then followed her toward the door. "See you soon, Eliza."
"Yes. Drive safe."
Carter finished loading and started the engine to head home.
"Took you long enough," Lincoln said when Carter arrived and opened the door minutes later.
"Seriously? Have you been out here waiting for me this whole time?"
"Just tell me you didn't do or say anything you shouldn't have."
"I didn't," he said with a gentle slam of the truck door. "I actually apologized for anything I said that made her feel uncomfortable and… it went well," Carter said, moving to the back of the truck. "Eliza and I even came to an agreement."
"An agreement? So you did come on to her?" Lincoln asked, glaring at Carter.
Carter lowered the tailgate and loosed the straps securing the boxes. "No. I had to go in and dig some of this stuff out. She's got wedding stuff stored in two spare bedrooms and mentioned needing shelving—which I happen to need to get rid of off a jobsite."
"So what's the agreement?"