Page 20 of High Frequency

JD is the first one I pick out, he’s closest and has his back toward us, his dark, gleaming braid reaching below his shoulder blades. Wolff is easy to spot, since he’s facing our way and lifts a hand in greeting. I don’t know who the two guys in the baseball hats are, but I have no trouble identifying Dan. Even without his distinctive white cowboy hat, I’d like to think I could’ve picked him out based on physique alone. I’ve spent plenty of time fantasizing about that man’s body.

Then I watch as he pulls a rag from his back pocket, removes his hat, and wipes the sweat off his face and from his neck.

I tell myself it’s the heat making my knees buckle.

Dan

“Are you going to have a porch swing?”

“Maybe,” I mutter, fielding Carmi’s nonstop chatter.

But most of my attention is on Sloane, who is sitting on one of the logs, her arm protectively around the baby strapped to her chest. She throws her head back, laughing at something JD said, and I shove down a jab of jealousy at the uninhibited way she is around my friend, when around me I can sense her reservation.

When she picks up the bottle of water JD handed her and puts it to her lips, I can’t take my eyes off the long lines of her exposed neck. A thin layer of sweat makes her skin glisten and I imagine my tongue stroking up the slim column, tasting her.

Her throat moves as she swallows the water, and a drop clings to her plump bottom lip when she lifts the bottle away. I almost groan out loud when her tongue darts out, catching it right before it rolls down her chin.

Maybe I did make a sound, because suddenly she turns her head my way, her eyes wide and questioning.

“…Can I come pick it out?”

Carmi’s voice penetrates my real-time fantasy and acts like a cold shower. I force myself to tear my eyes from Sloane and look at the teenager.

“Pick what out?”

I’ve clearly missed some of what she said when she rolls her eyes at me.

“Your dog, silly.”

A dog?

“First let me finish building this house,” I tell the girl. “Then we’ll worry about whether or not I should get a dog.”

She shoves out her bottom lip in an impressive pout that does not go unnoticed by Sloane.

“All right, Carmi,” she intervenes as she gets to her feet. “This little one needs her nap, you and I both have work waiting, and I think it’s time for us to let these guys get back to building a house.”

I shove away from where I was leaning against my truck’s rear fender. I haven’t really had a chance to talk to Sloane since we got back on Friday. A lot has happened since then and I’m thankful I have the damn house to keep me busy, but I’m curious to know if she was able to see anything interesting on all those pictures she took.

Or so I tell myself.

“You guys get started,” I call out to the crew. “I’ll be there shortly.”

Sloane lifts her hand to the guys and starts walking. I fall into step beside her as Carmi skips ahead. I can feel Sloane’s glance in my direction and turn my head to look at her.

“Your house is going to be beautiful,” she shares.

“Thanks. I hope so.”

She beams a smile, and I have to shove my hands in my back pockets to resist the urge to touch her.

“How are you making out with those pictures? Find anything?”

I immediately regret changing the subject when her face falls.

“No. Nothing yet. I took so many, I’m only about two-thirds through.”

She did spend a lot of time making sure to get every possible angle, even going down on her stomach, hanging over the edge, while I held on to her ankles.

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