Page 29 of The Contractor & the Entrepreneur

Returning to the hotel, she was searching for restaurants when she saw Blue Samurai Sushi Bar literally around the corner from the hotel. Was that a coincidence or from heaven above? Thanks to Annabeth, Rhett had been close to her thoughts all day. She’d half expected someone at the county to tell her he’d called and pulled some strings to ‘help’ her. It was what her father would have done.

She hadn’t heard that. Rhett hadn’t overstepped her line, and she appreciated that. He’d had her car towed to her andsomeone had thoughtfully cleaned it, but he’d told her he would get her car to her.

Could Rhett Coleville be a protective, burly man who would rescue her from the mud and her cousins without trying to take over her life?

Sloan took her purchases to her room and changed out of her skirt and button-down shirt into a new T-shirt, jeans, and the work boots. They felt nice and warm. She put her sweater back on. It was too big, but she wanted the warmth of Annabeth’s welcome.

After dinner, she’d search for long-term rentals. She’d had high hopes of staying in Grandpa’s cabin, but her cousins had tainted it and she had forgotten how remote and rustic it was. It would be fun to stay there on a getaway with someone like Rhett, but not by herself.

Ugh. She wouldn’t be staying anywhere with Rhett and needed to stop thinking about him.

Sloan walked to the sushi bar. She’d eat her first meal of the day and then she could find a place to stay. If she could get road base down and electrical to the sites, maybe the contractors wouldn’t be so frustrated with her, the work could progress, and she could sell more lots. She’d check her listings tonight too, maybe refresh some details, and she could make the descriptions even more alluring now that she’d been here. The sky was weepy around the clock and the ground a mud pit, but the lush, green mountainous beauty was out of this world.

A smiling middle-aged Asian lady seated her, setting down a menu, a paper list of sushi rolls, a pencil, chopsticks, a napkin, and a small bowl for soy sauce. She ordered water and the lady brought it promptly. It was quiet on a Wednesday night, and she was grateful to see no deer heads with glassy eyes and tongues out staring at her from the walls.

Perusing the menu, Sloan started marking rolls on the list. She was starving and shouldn’t over-order as she often did with sushi. Last night’s dinner was almost two hundred dollars, and the hotel had been four hundred for the two nights. The clothes and boots had been two hundred and fifty. She needed to slow down her spending, but she was feeling optimistic after her day with the county and finding a road base company who was eager to help.

The door opened, and she glanced up. Her mouth went dry and her pulse sped up. The tall, well-built, dark-haired contractor filled up the doorway. He took off his cowboy hat and his blue, blue eyes scanned the restaurant, settled on her, and stuck.

“Sloan.”

Rhett strode across the space. She had turned him away last night, but that didn’t seem to be between them at the moment. She stood to greet him. He stopped in front of her with his blue eyes all lit up. She could hear Annabeth calling him ‘that hunk a bunk of burning manliness’ and she blushed.

“Hi, Rhett.” Her voice was deeper than usual.

“I like the sweater,” he said, his lips curving up.

“My friend Annabeth made it.”

“County offices?”

She nodded.

He brushed at his hair. “Annabeth loves to tease me.”

“Oh, I bet she does. She calls you ‘a hunk a bunk of burning manliness’.”

His tanned skin darkened. “She doesn’t.”

Sloan laughed and nodded. It was nice to see him be the one embarrassed for a change.

He slid out of his flannel jacket, and she thought of Annabeth talking about his muscles.

She held up a booted foot. “How about these beauties?”

“Very nice. They look fabulous on you.”

“I know.” She grinned and read his T-shirt. “I didn’t know I’d be a burly contractor, but here I am killin’ it.” She laughed. “Where do you get these?”

“It’s a joke with my brothers. They buy me funny T-shirts for every birthday.”

“I like that.” She really liked the way the T-shirt pulled taut across his broad shoulders, faintly outlining the chest muscles she’d been able to touch yesterday. She couldn’t help but glance at the arm muscles that had lifted her up and protected her. Had one of her cousins given him the bruise on his bicep? She hoped he hadn’t been hurt for her sake.

“How’d you know I’d be here?” she asked.

“I gambled.” He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling at her. “I think I won.”

There was a question in his eyes. If she wanted him here, it would be a win. She did want him here. Was it smart? She didn’t know, but she could hear Kathy’s voice in her head screaming at her to go for it.

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