Page 25 of The Contractor & the Entrepreneur

He realized she was joking, but the way she’d said it was a sharp dig. She didn’t know him, not really, and she wouldn’t let herself get to know him.

“Goodnight.” She started to shut the door.

“Sloan …” He held his hand out. “Please, if I can help, let me know.”

She studied him from the crack in the half-open door. A slight smile played on her beautiful lips. “Rhett … Please, you know I will never ask for help.”

He gave a half-laugh at that and shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s true.”

“It is.” She tossed him a brave and sassy smile, though her dark eyes betrayed her. She was hurting. She was alone. But no matter what, she wouldn’t let down her guard with him again. He’d hurt her by commiserating with the other builders about how horrible the developer was. This rift between them seemed irreparable. That stunk as he was drawn to her like he’d never been drawn to a woman. He wanted to be there for her, and he feared she’d go stomping into job sites in those heels—they’d never gone to buy her the boots—and have construction guys hitting on her and possibly pushing things too far. Even worse, she might encounter her cousins or, in her fierce independence, she might go searching for a battle with them.

Before he could beg her again to let him at least stay close by if she needed protection, she shut the door.

Rhett took his hat off, slapped it against his leg, shoved his hand through his hair, and jammed the hat back on.

What a day.

What a woman.

Too bad he’d made her an enemy instead of an ally and ticked off Josh.

He felt like he’d met the right woman for him today, but she wouldn’t even let down her guard and let him help her with something he knew well—construction in Montana. There was no possibility of her letting him into her heart.

Sadly, he didn’t know women and their hearts well at all.

Chapter

Nine

Sloan’s throattightened and her eyes stung as she shut the door on Rhett Coleville and shut out the hope of getting to know that incredible man better as well.

It was far too tempting to lean into his strong chest, use his expertise, let him protect her and lift her out of the mud.

She’d slipped into this mud herself and would figure out how to get out on her own. She always did.

She’d learned young not to cry. When her mom died, her dad had let her cry for half a minute, then he’d told her that ‘Jensens can do every hard thing’ and he’d put her to work on a construction site.

Her dad had taught her hard work, but she had no love in her heart for him.

When she was thirteen, she’d longed to be on the volleyball team. She’d only played in P.E. class, but the teacher had claimed she was ‘really incredible’. She stayed after school and went to the volleyball tryouts. It was only the first day, but the coach told her at the end of the tryout that she would make a spot on the team for her.

She was thrilled and rushed home, hoping her dad wouldn’t find out. Of course the housekeeper Stella told him. Sloan had no allies. Her dad paid their paychecks and probably had dirt on them as well.

The only thing her dad said to her that night was she had to learn a lesson for not coming directly home from school.

When she tried to walk into the volleyball tryouts the next day, the coach barred the locker room door. Her eyes that had been so approving were cold. Sloan would never forget her words.

We cannot allow a young lady who would sell herself to adult men to be on our team. We have to protect the other girls.

Sloan had been mortified, she’d tried to protest but the coach wouldn’t listen. The girls that had overheard spread the rumors throughout the school.

After that, she had been treated more like a pariah than ever. She didn’t know how her dad had fabricated the lie, but he had. All he’d said that night was, “Don’t push me, Sloan. That was a mild repercussion for disobeying.”

All she wanted as an adult was to stay away from him. He was an awful man who thought everything had to go his way, especially his daughter’s life.

Not happening. He would be furious if he learned she was here. They hadn’t spoken in six months, so hopefully he’d never learn about it.

Her thoughts immediately swung back to Rhett. She’d teased and bantered with him like she’d never done with a man before. Something in his blue eyes tugged her in, as if he knew her well and was still drawn to her. She thought of how enticing and tough he’d looked fighting her cousins and how mind-altering it felt to be held close to him, to smell that unique wood shavings, pine, and vanilla scent.

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