Page 15 of The Dallas Dilemma

“Sure,” she says, then walks to the small closet in the living room that mirrors my own.

Pulling out a two-step stool, she brings it to me. I thank her as she hands it over, and my fingers accidentally brush over hers. A shiver runs up my arm at the contact, and Josette must feel it, too, because she snatches her hand away like I’ve burned her. I mumble an apology before turning around and setting the stool down near the sagging cabinets.

After getting a closer look at the damage, I realize this is going to be an even easier fix than I thought. Pulling a tube of polyurethane-based construction adhesive from the pocket on my toolbelt, I apply a generous amount along the length of the nailing strip. Recapping the tube and setting it on the counter, I push the row of cabinets up and back until the top edge sits against the nailing strip like it’s supposed to. Grabbing my drill and three screws from my belt, I zip them in one-by-one to hold the cabinets flush against the nailing strip so the adhesive can do its job.

As I stretch to my left to screw in the last one, I glance down at Josette. Her eyes are fixed on my arm muscles. She must sense my gaze, because her own darts up to meet mine for a fraction of a second before dropping immediately to the floor. And that pretty blush is back in fullforce.

Turning back to my work so she won’t see my expression, I grin like a fool. Oh, yeah. She likes what she sees.

So do I, Josette. So. Do. I.

Turning back to double-check my work, I ask, “So, what do you do for fun around here?”

She doesn’t answer right away and, satisfied the cabinets are secured firmly, I climb down from the stool and turn to face her. She’s got a kind of deer-in-the-headlights look on her face like she’s trying to read meaning into my question. Does she think I’m asking her out?

I mean, I’m notnotasking her out.

But the idea is obviously making her freak out, a little, so I cock my head, smile, and say, “You said you know every place in Grenville, right? I was just wondering what people like to do for fun.”

She visibly relaxes, and the muscles in my neck loosen a bit, as well. She takes a sip of her sweet tea, her expression contemplative. Then she shrugs.

“I usually just hang out with my sister and our friends,” she says.

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah,” she says, her expression brightening as she nods. “Her name is Calliope, but everyone calls her Callie.”

“Calliope,” I say thoughtfully. “I like it. Almost as much as I likeJosette.”

Okay, now I’m blatantly flirting. And I’m rewarded with one of those pretty pink blushes.

“Is that who you had your pajama girls’ night with last night?” I ask.

She nods, then immediately changes the subject. “Speaking of last night, how was O’Malley’s?”

Okay. At least she’s not kicking me out. Yet.

“It was great. It was the first time I met my new boss face to face, and we seemed to click really well. He brought his brother with him, and he was cool, too.”

Josette goes completely still, her eyes wide as she stares at me. Then she looks from me, to the cabinets I just fixed, and back to me again. Her mouth opens, then closes, and she clears her throat.

“What?” I ask, confused by her behavior.

“Your new boss wouldn’t happen to beLinc Manning,would he?” she asks, shaking her head slightly.

My head jerks back in surprise. “Yeah, it is. Do you know him?”

A laugh huffs out of her as she shakes her head again. “Royal is my sister’s boyfriend.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. She said he was at O’Malley’s with Linc last night, but I assumed it was just a coincidence that you were meeting your new boss there.”

“Wow. Small world.”

She nods, and a long-ish, slightly awkward pause falls between us. I search for something else to say, something that will keep me here for a while longer because even though I’ve finished the repair, I’m not ready to leave.

“Do you want some help putting everything away?” I ask when nothing else comes to mind.

---