Page 5 of A Lesson for Laurel

He looked at her hands. She’d just gotten her nails done two days ago on her lunch break. Not fake nails, but natural manicured ones. If they were too long they got in the way.

“You might chip a nail on the stones.”

“That is why you wear gloves,” she said. “But if you don’t want the company, that is fine. I could go fill a tub and take abubble bath with a glass of champagne. My guess is you think that is all I’m good for.”

Her makeup was done, not a lot, but enough you could tell she spent some time on looking nice. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail but still one in fashion.

The leggings she was wearing fit her body well with the long cotton shirt that went past her hips. Even on a lazy Saturday, she wouldn’t look messy.

“Nah,” he said. “Anyone that could do what you just did and not be fazed is tougher than they look. If you want to help, you know where I am.”

“I’ll be over in ten minutes,” she said, smiling. “Thanks.”

“No,” he said. “Thank you. It might give me some entertainment.”

Hmmm her snarky comments almost came back, but she bit her tongue…for now.

2

LIFE GOT IN THE WAY

Easton never realized how sexy it was to watch a woman scorned kicking some ass.

The last thing he thought he’d be doing this morning was getting help from a hot chick while laying paving stones in his cousin’s backyard.

But since Abe was in Florida helping to care for his Aunt Carrie, Easton owed it to the family that took him in and raised him to keep things going for the family business.

In the two weeks he’d been here, he hadn’t done much more than go out to sites and take a bunch of pictures to send his cousin to firm up quotes. Abe would be back in a month with any luck. Maybe sooner if need be, but Easton could hold down the fort with Abe’s crew with the weather getting nicer.

He figured since he was in the house he grew up in, he’d do some work too. He wasn’t really on leave from his job as much as he was working longer days and nights, but being remote, it was fine.

He was on a few projects in other time zones that had him starting his day at three in the morning and ending by noon most times. Not always, but it allowed him to keep things goingfor his cousin, take some breaks to run out and do things, then come back and get five or six more hours in after-hours across the pond.

If he was burning himself out, it wasn’t the first time.

The quieter life here so far had actually been better for his mental health.

He was pulling up the stones and moving them to the side. Abe had mentioned he wanted to build out the fire pit and Easton figured he could repurpose these stones to do some of it.

When he heard a door shut, he turned his head and saw Laurel walking across her driveway and into his backyard. Her house was set up closer to the road which would explain how she saw him moving the paving stones that he had delivered a few days ago at the end of the driveway.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi,” he said back. She had jeans on, a pair fitted to her well, but he could tell there was some stretch to them. A heavier sweatshirt that didn’t fit her body as well as her shirt had. At least he’d seen what was hidden under it already. She had work boots on her feet. That surprised him. They were well worn too.

“I’m ready for you to put me to work,” she said, pulling out a pair of gloves that had seen better days too.

“Looks like you’re no stranger to manual labor.”

“Nope,” she said. “Why do you look so surprised?”

He shrugged. “Most women don’t offer to help move and place stones on their weekend off.”

“Gives me something to do. I’m new to the area, which I’m sure you know since I’m living next door.”

Abe had told him there was a new neighbor, but he’d brushed it off. He wouldn’t be here long enough to chat most people up.

At least he didn’t think so, but that was being proven wrong.

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