Page 17 of Delicate Escape

Jesus.That thing was older than dirt. No wonder it had snapped right off in her hand.

“Give me a sec,” I said, pushing to my feet and striding back to my truck. The kittens were safely tucked in their carrier with the AC pumping, so they’d be fine for as long as I needed to get things shut down. Leaning over the bed, I opened the lid of my crossover toolbox and rummaged around until I found the wrench I needed.

I grabbed it and jogged back toward Thea and the geyser. She stood there, drenched and staring at the stream. I didn’t blame her. No one wanted a river in their front yard—or to drain their well’s reserves.

Crouching again, I got to work trying to close off the water at the root. The damn thing was rusted in place, and I cursed as I put my full weight into it, dousing my shoulder in the process. After a few more tries, the water flow started to slow and then stopped altogether.

I heaved a sigh as I straightened. Thea was right there. Probably the closest she’d ever been. Her scent wrapped around me, grabbing hold and burying itself deep—something floral with a hint of coconut. She stared at the water valve as if it were some sort of snake before her head jerked up, her deep brown eyes locking with mine.

It was only then that I fully realized just how close we were—close enough that I could see every wrinkle in the wet clothes clinging to her and how they hugged every lean, sinewy curve. Everything about her was alluring grace, the kind that pulled you in and held you captive.

Thea’s gaze dropped to my mouth for one beat, two. Then something snapped her out of the moment. She stepped back, hands gripped in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t snapped out or angry, but there was an underlying suspicion to her words that had the hairs on my arms raising.

“Rho got caught up at work and asked me to bring the kittens from Nancy.”

“Oh.” Thea’s mouth made a perfect circular shape as she said it—a shape I wanted to trace with my tongue.Fuck.

A little of the tension eased from her shoulders. “Thank you. I mean for the kittens and the water. I wasn’t sure what to do.”

“No problem.” I held my hand out, motioning for what was in hers.

Thea’s focus shot to the valve she still clutched in a death grip. She dropped it into my palm, and I studied it carefully.

“This is completely corroded.” My gaze flicked to what I could see of the pipe heading toward her house. “Wouldn’t be surprised if your pipes have damage, too.”

Thea’s fingers wove together, gripping tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her together. “I think there’s a leak in my half bath,” she said quietly.

Shit.That wasn’t a good sign. Leaks could do untold damage before you even knew they were there. “Why don’t you let me take a peek, and I?—?”

“No.” She snapped the word, and it cracked like a whip.

My brows rose at the ferocity in the single syllable. “It’s no problem.” I gestured to the side of my truck that readColson Construction. “I do this for a living.”

She quickly shook her head. “I don’t want you in my house.”

Annoyance and maybe a little anger flared. I was trying to help her. I— That thought cut off as I saw it, the slight tremble racking Thea’s muscles. She was gripping her hands together to try to hide the shaking, but she was fucking terrified. Of me?

I took two huge steps back, giving her plenty of space. A sick wave of guilt swept through me, and fast on its heels was something I could only identify as grief. Someone had hurt Thea. There was no question in my mind about that. They’d hurt her so badly that she wouldn’t even risk me coming into her home to help her.

“Okay,” I said, making my voice as soft as possible. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. You’re in charge.”

Thea stared at me for a long moment, her eyes glistening in the late-afternoon sunlight. She licked her lips, her hands still clutched in a vise grip. “Could you tell me how to fix it?”

God, that slayed me. I knew Thea had been in Sparrow Falls for nearly two years. She’d worked odd jobs until landing with Sutton at The Mix Up and getting her part-time gig at Bloom. She was polite to everyone but had an unmistakable do-not-get-close vibe. Whichmeant she was doing everything alone. Had no one to help her. No one to take some of the burden.

I tried to choose my words carefully. “Maybe. Plumbing is tricky and is something you really need to make sure is done right.”

Her lower lip trembled, and she pressed her mouth into a thin line to stop it.

Jesus.“Could I look at the siding? Just the outside?” I hurried to say.

Thea’s gaze moved from me and traced the route the pipe would likely take to the house. She stared at it for a moment, and I could see that the structure was her haven. The only place she probably felt safe.

“Okay.”

The word was barely above a whisper, but I was so damn attuned to Thea I heard it as though she’d yelled it.

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