Page 36 of Love, Always and Forever
Chapter 12
Ricky dumped the contents of the wheelbarrow on the tarp they’d spread across the driveway. “Uncle Mikhail, tell me again why we’re digging up half your grass?”
“To make my yard look better.”
The teenager gave the torn-up lawn a skeptical look. “Really? You really think a bunch of dirt clods looks better than grass?”
“Smart ass. No, I don’t think dirt looks better than grass, but I need to clear out the sod before I can bring in new plants.”
Mikhail studied the new flower bed along the edge of the yard and tried to imagine what it would look like once the new bushes and perennials were in. It would look good, wouldn’t it? He didn’t appreciate Ricky making him second-guess his plans. Why couldn’t the kid just do the work he was being paid to do?
“Grass is plants.” Ricky took a drink of water from the bottle he’d left sitting on the porch. “Or should it be ‘grass are plants’?”
Like grammar mattered right now. “As long as you’re getting paid, do you really care what I’m doing with my yard?”
Ricky laughed. “Nope, not in the least.”
Mikhail slit open another bag of compost. “Then get back to work.”
“Yes, sir.” Ricky executed a sloppy salute and pushed the wheelbarrow over to shovel in another load.
Rolling his eyes, Mikhail felt much put-upon. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve a nephew like you.”
The kid laughed. “Just lucky, I guess.”
There was no harm in admitting that much. “Yeah, but don’t let it go to your head. No matter what that gaggle of girls who keep calling you might think, you’re cute, but not that cute.”
“Sure I am. Just ask them.”
“Humble, too.”
Ricky only grinned again. “As far as I can tell, women find all us men in the Lukash clan irresistible.”
“Yeah, right. It’s a burden we’ve all had to learn to live with.” He went back to mixing the compost into the soil. “Like I said, get to work before I dock your pay for being such a pain in the ass.”
The kid’s last comment had actually stung a bit. If Mikhail was so damn irresistible, how come he hadn’t gotten laid since who knows when? That had him automatically glancing toward the house next door. The answer to that question was pretty damn obvious. Amy was the only woman he was interested in, but they were still abiding by their friends-only policy.
Maybe he should do something about this growing need for some feminine companionship, the kind that involved getting naked together. However, with both of his brothers happily married now, he lacked a wingman to go out prowling with. Maybe he should give Tino’s buddy Jay a call and see if he’d like to hit a bar or two to check out the local action.
Surely there was someone out there who wouldn’t mind hooking up for the short term. But when he tried to picture a likely candidate for a night of sweaty sex, the only image that would come into focus was a certain leggy brunette who had a thing for motorcycles and bulldogs.
A sharp whistle cut through his tangle of thoughts. He jerked upright and looked around to spot Ricky staring at him from across the yard.
“Did you say something?”
“I didn’t.” He pointed next door. “She did.”
Mikhail shook his head to clear it. “Sorry. Guess I got lost in the pure joy of spreading manure.”
As excuses went, that one was pretty lame; however, it was better than admitting to his nephew and his sexy neighbor that he’d been too busy picturing her naked to hear a word she’d said.
“Did you need something?”
“I’m going to make a quick trip to the store. I wanted to make sure it was all right if Panda stayed here with you two for a little while longer. Otherwise, I’ll take him back inside.”
The puppy had been sniffing around the yard with Sarge for the past hour. Right now, both dogs were sacked out on the porch happily snoring away. “He’ll be fine.”
“Do you need anything while I’m there?”
