Page 63 of Single Dad Dilemma
Somehow I managed not to smile. “I think you know by now that I have no game to speak of.”
“Lord, if that ain’t the truth.”
“May I?” I said, gesturing to the open garage.
She blew out a harsh breath. “Is it hard?”
“Nope. It is loud, though. And your arms might feel a little wobbly when you’re done, if you’re not used to the feel of it.”
Lily shook her head, peering over my shoulder toward my house. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure I can continue this conversation. My mind is too dirty.”
“What?” Then I thought of what we’d just said, and I cleared my throat. No wonder I was single. “Ah. Up to you, if you need to go somewhere and need the driveway cleared out.”
“No. Just ... trying to get some energy out, and apparently exercise is good for you. Or whatever they say.”
I studied her face, a smile tugging at the edge of my lips. “They do say that,” I murmured.
“Does it ever snow during daylight here?” she asked, staring up at the sky. “I swear it doesn’t.”
The change in subject had me blinking. “Um, yeah. But I guess maybe not since you’ve been here. Why?”
She sucked in a deep breath, avoiding eye contact again. “Nothing.”
“You sure you don’t want me to show you?”
Lily glanced at the snowblower, then back at me. There was nothing to glean from her expression, the curtains carefully drawn again. “No, thanks. Me and big machines don’t really mix, no matter how hard and loud they are.”
I held her gaze. “You always react this way when someone tries to help you?”
“Yes,” she answered with a tight smile. “Especially your version ofhelp, which is both unhelpful and mildly destructive.”
I cleared my throat and broke eye contact. “Right. Sorry.”
Just before I turned to go, she took a step closer, and I found myself holding my breath. “You’re not working today?”
“I am,” I said. “Just finished watching some film with my dad, but I’ve got stuff to do at the office later today.”
Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she stared at the house, eventually giving a distracted nod.
Before she could say anything else, I turned and marched back into my own garage, staring at the line of shovels mounted on the wall. A couple were older, that I’d taken from our old house, even though we rarely needed them there. The brand-new one leaned against the wall next to the garage door.
I grabbed it and strode back over to Lily.
Her eyes widened as I approached, and her jaw went slack when I thrust the new shovel in her direction.
“Take it,” I said gruffly. “Use your legs when you lift the snow, and toss it farther out of your way.”
She blinked. “Oh.”
My cheeks felt like they were on fire, and her stunned eye contact only seemed to make it worse. I nodded, cursing my own ineptitude, which multiplied whenever she was around. Then I spun around and marched back home, wondering, not for the first time, if I’d ever get laid again.
Chapter Sixteen
Lily
“I did it. I actually did it.”
The counter was covered. An absolute mess remained. Sticky circles of lemon juice. Powdered sugar clung to places it shouldn’t cling. One batch had gotten a little too crispy, and that was already in the trash. The pile of discarded lemons was much bigger than I’d thought it would be (and the reason I’d bought half a dozen, when I knew we really only needed two), but Maggie and I stood by the island, my arm slung over her shoulders, as we stared down at the most perfect batch of lemon meltaway cookies.
