Page 12 of The Contractor & the Entrepreneur

“I’m learning it definitely is, but you’re not talking about utilities or roads or dealing with homeowners and county officials.”

“No.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “I’m talking about the crews of men, great guys for the most part, but you saw the roofers’ reaction to you. They might never touch you, but they’ll whistle, stare, and make some crude comments. Even if you were dressed in a baggy sweatshirt, jeans, and boots you’d have to deal with a little razzing, but dressed in a tight shirt, skirt, and spike heels …” He raised his hands, hoping she understood his point.

Pursing her lips, she blew out a breath. “On the sites in Vegas, and the ones I grew up on, the men and women in charge dress up. They only stop by the sites to see the progress, as most of the work is done from a desk in an office building.”

That made more sense how she thought she could manage this project from a distance.

“This is how you dressed the past eighteen months working for DWA Construction?”

“Yes.”

Why did that make him envious of all the men she’d worked with? Even on commercial sites, he’d bet a woman in construction was an anomaly.

“And I’m dressed modestly by Vegas standards.”

He could imagine that was true. “I’m not saying you’re immodest. I’m just saying you”—Look gorgeous. Make my heart race. Are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen—“stand out.” That was an understatement, and she’d stand out no matter what she wore. At least he hadn’t let the other descriptions fly out of his mouth. “Things are done a little differently up here.”

“I can see that.”

He lifted his hands. “I’m only trying to make things more comfortable for you.”

“I understand, and I really appreciate you being on my team.” She gave him a brilliant smile.

Rhett was dazzled, a little unsteady and a lot drawn to her. On her team? He shouldn’t be. An hour ago, she’d been a sort-of enemy, at best a thorn in his side.

But now that he’d spent some time around her?

He really wanted to be on her team.

What could it hurt to help her with the county roadblocks and pulling some strings with the asphalt company and buying her some boots? Josh would be ticked if he saw them together, but it could help Rhett and the other contractors’ progress with their homes.

What could it hurt?

Only his heart when she realized she didn’t fit here and pranced back to Vegas on her sky-high pink heels.

Chapter

Four

Sloan had moreof a mess on her hands than the mud covering her coat, legs, and heels. She was mesmerized with this cowboy contractor. Even though he’d annoyed her by intoning she was dressing sexy and drawing the wrong attention, it was also telling that he was attracted to her. She’d had fun teasing with him but she couldn’t let down her guard or get emotionally invested. She had never allowed herself to get involved with a man before, and the fact that the world seemed to light up when she first met Rhett couldn’t factor in.

She was also trying to riddle out why there would be trucks parked out front and lights on in Grandpa’s house.

Please don’t let it be Jaxon or Preston, she begged her Father above. She tried to be kind, but those two were foul jerks she’d be happy never to see again in her life. The funeral had been … She shuddered. Her father had almost gotten into a fist-fight with his brother-in-law Ron. Jaxon and Preston had been itching to back their dad up. Thankfully, the preacher reminded all of them they were on hallowed ground and Sloan had been able to get away without too much interaction with the family.

When her dad found out she inherited the land, he had called and claimed she would never be able develop it without him and insisted she sell it to him. She’d hung up on him. He didn’t know she was here now, and she planned to keep it that way. They didn’t have a relationship any longer and what she did was none of his business. Her spine tightened just thinking about him. She was fiercely independent because she had to be. Any sign of weakness and she’d be working for her dad, turned into a puppet and dependent woman like her mother had been.

When her mother was alive, Sloan had always been obedient. Her dad told her it hurt her mom when she wasn’t. Her mother had been so fragile, like a porcelain doll. Sloan always wanted to protect her, not hurt her. After her mother died from a sleeping pill overdose, Sloan started becoming more verbose and attempting to rebel. Her dad had somehow convinced her teachers at her private school, their pastor, any friends’ parents, and their neighbors that Sloan was fragile, suicidal, and unstable emotionally after losing her mom. Everyone treated her like a porcelain doll, exactly the way they’d treated her mom. No one believed anything she said, and her dad controlled every aspect of her life. Until she escaped to college, met Kathy, had a real friend and confidant, and discovered how truly messed up her life and family had been.

Sloan was surprised she wasn’t annoyed that Rhett was trying to protect her. She really appreciated him being here for her. Somehow it was easier to accept protection and opinions from a man with magnetism, confidence, an appealing sense of humor, and a face carved by angels.

Looking at the old log cabin, so far away from civilization, and fearing her cousins were living in it, made her even more grateful for Rhett in this moment.

“I guess we go see who’s hanging out in my house?” she asked into the silence. Rhett hadn’t responded to her last comment regarding being on ‘her team’.

“I’ll go see. You wait here.” Rhett looked her over and seemed to sense she wouldn’t like the command. “Please.”

“Okay, Mr. Manly Man.” The please had been sincere, but he was pushing too far. Her best friend Kathy constantly told her she was too prickly about a man just trying to be a gentleman and that was why she’d never dated anybody for longer than a week. In Kathy’s estimation she got annoyed over the ‘silliest things’ and pushed men away. Kathy didn’t understand. Sloan had lived with iron control her entire life. She had to keep up her brave façade and refuse to be in any man’s power. She could rely on the Savior, Kathy, and herself. That was it.

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