Page 5 of She's Got that Heat

“Oh, don’t worry about me.” She flashes a smile so radiant that for a split second I want to hit the brake and pull over so I can draw her into my arms for a kiss.

“I’m used to dealing with this,” she continues brightly. “I take care of the high energy tasks when I’m feeling great. I keep the low energy brain-dead tasks for when I’m not. I always have the pills and potions and whatever I need to make it through the day.”

She sighs heavily. “I just wasn’t adequately prepared for working in the kitchen in the afternoon of a heatwave while adjusting to new thyroid meds.” Her laugh is so light-hearted that I join in. “But that’s a good thing! Now I have something else I can report to my doctor, so that she can tell other people. Like when I found out the old wives’ tale of ‘hot feet, cool head’for migraines really does take the edge off.”

“I’ve heard so many old wives’ tales in my line of work,” I chuckle.

“I bet you have!” She looks at me sideways with a sassy grin. “Having a big, handsome contractor show up to fix something… They’re going to make up every excuse to chat with you.”

“All I heard was that you think I’m handsome.” I love seeing her blush from my teasing, not the heat. “Although I really have heard some doozies,” I laugh. "One woman was freaking out overthe super modern wedding dress her granddaughter picked out. ‘Marry in black, you’ll wish yourself back’.”

Allie laughs. “What about how coffee stunts your growth?”

“Or swallowing gum will block your digestive tract, and take seven years to…ahh…pass?”

“Or an itchy palm right means money is coming your way! And the left is losing money.” She giggles sweetly. “Although that really happened once – itchy right palm, and an invoice was paid five minutes later.”

“Coincidence, or the power of the—” My voice turns spooky. “Ooold wiiives taaale.”

She laughs out loud, tapping my shoulder. “You’re a nut!”

By the time we arrive in downtown West Stoneburg and park, Allie and I are kidding around as if we’ve known each other a lot longer than twenty-four hours. We walk into Sandcastles, and she grins as she looks around at the beachy decor.

“It’s a bit cheesy, but it’s mellow and the food is amazing,” I whisper across the top of her hair. “And I called ahead to request a table in a booth that was well air-conditioned but not directly in the line of fire.” I don’t mention that I also specially requested that it was out of the way and quiet.

“It’s perfect,” Allie murmurs.

Our dinner is fantastic, as our conversation bounces from mountain life to favorite terrible movies and my craziest contracting jobs.

“What’s your dream job?” I ask.

There’s a softness that drifts through her gaze. “I don’t know. I think I just want something calm and quiet, in a place where I don’t have to work crazy hours.”

“Yeah, but what’s your dream job. Seriously.”

“Oh. Um. I really enjoy photo retouching.”

“Yeah? What kind?”

Her fingers spin her fork a few times before setting it down and pushing her almost empty plate aside. “There are some online sites where people post work they need done, and you can just pick up the jobs. It might be ten wedding photos, or fifty product shots for a catalog. It might be the perfect proposal photo, but they want some passerby in the background removed, and the sky brightened a bit.”

“None of that shaving an inch off of celebrities’ hips for their social media?”

Her eyes roll with a groan. “Ugh. No, that’s not my thing.”

My hand lands gently on her knee, as I watch her expression to make sure that’s okay. She responds by sliding a bit closer. “That’s a job you can do working your own hours at home, right? Sounds like that would be healthiest for you.”

“For sure. The only problem is building up a large enough portfolio while I get going. I’ve started, but I’m not making enough yet to pay for those pesky little things like rent and food and the occasional pair of new socks.”

My arm slips around her as we laugh together. It’s far too soon to mention that if she just moved in with me, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of that. Or is it? Worth a shot.

“I’m not sure if this is an appropriate time to bring this up, but I own my house outright and make a darn good living. Plenty of sock money. Even cash for mittens in the winter and a little silk scarf to wrap around your face in the spring. Just saying.”

“A scarf?”

“To filter the air so you’re not breathing as much pollen.”

Her lovely blue eyes fly wide. “I never thought of that!”

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