Page 38 of A Lesson for Laurel

Easton grinned. He could almost picture that magnificent sight in his mind and started to grin. “I think you would have gotten more applause had you done that.”

“Most likely,” she said. “And it brings us back to this and us. I thought we had the start of something good and hate that my behavior, thoughts, and actions set it back.”

“Those things happen in life.”

“They do. I told my boss that I was sick of swallowing crow but needed to do it.”

“Your boss knows about this?” he asked. He wasn’t so sure he liked that. “Who?”

“Lily. She said you went to school together.”

“We did,” he said. “I liked her. She got picked on a lot. She and her sisters. It’s a small town and they had a hard life.”

“I hadn’t meant to say anything to her. She won’t say a word. I trust her. But I was a little off today and she noticed. She said some nice things about you. The funny thing is, I’m not one for opening up. Last week after I helped you with the pavers, I was a bit sore at work. Poppy was picking on me and wanted to know if a man caused the soreness.”

“Not the way I would have liked,” he said, smirking.

She grinned. A big one that moved to her eyes. They definitely were going to be able to get back on track.

“She brought up men and dating. If I had said your name, she would have known and told me what was going on. She’s the one who knows the most.”

“Poppy is a client of Abe’s. She absolutely would have said his name and you would have gotten your first clue.”

He’d seen the client lists and knew Abe was reaching out. The crew would be going to the McGill estate next week to start work. It was a big project and he’d have to be out there to oversee things too.

“That will teach me to be so private. It doesn’t matter. It’s probably better it worked out this way. Now you get to see one of my flaws.”

“Pushing your ex off the front porch wasn’t a flaw?” he asked.

“That was restraint,” she said. “And I didn’t even use more than one finger.” She held her pointer finger up and bent it a few times.

“I was smiling all night thinking of that when I first saw it. Told myself someone that looked like you and acted like that had to be taken.”

“Nope. I’m not.”

“You could be,” he said. “If you want to give it a try. I don’t share.”

“You know my feelings on cheating and lying. I date one man at a time and it’s been no one since Philip. What about you?”

“No one since Rachelle.”

“Which was six months ago?” she asked.

“Give or take.” He stood up and moved closer to her where she’d been sitting on the couch and put his hand out to pull her up. “Are we good?”

“That was going to be my question to you,” she said.

His mouth slanted against hers again before she could say another word.

He wanted to see if they still felt that heat and burn they had days ago.

For him, it was only hotter.

When her hips pushed into his, he had his answer.

“I’d say we are great. How about some dinner? I haven’t eaten.”

“I’m starving,” she said. “What do you have to eat?”

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