Page 139 of Mr. Flirt

A woman atop a turquoise bicycle was wobbling all over the road, desperately trying to control the hulk of metal and rubber underneath her. I ran to the road and watched with helpless dread.

“What in the world?” Uncle Carter mumbled.

As the woman careened down the gentle hill with absolutely no control but at a speed that was surely going to lead to a mountain of catastrophe on the pavement in front of us, I waved my hands frantically and tried to get her to steer toward our yard and the pile of mulch I’d just ordered.

Without warning, the woman’s legs stuck out from the sides of her bicycle. She closed her eyes and turned the bicycle right to where I’d pointed.

I jumped out of the way as she drove by, squealing, eyes still pinched shut, with a beauty that dropped me to my knees.

This was no stranger.

The moment the front wheel hit the bottom of the mulch pile, the back end of the bike raised, and she flew into the pile of bark. The turquoise bike tipped over as I ran to help.

She didn’t move. She didn’t groan. She just stayed face down in a pile of red mulch. She was missing a flip-flop, her red shorts were a little shorter than I’d expected, which I didn’t mind in the least, and her white tank top clung to her body. Her dark hair was in a messy bun, probably a lot messier since her bicycle tour, but I looked to see any sign of breathing.

I cleared my throat. “Miss, are you okay?”

A garbled and sexy voice erupted from the landscape material. “Mm-hmm.”

I knelt down next to her. “Mind if I help you up?”

“I’d rather just stay here.”

I looked up and down the length of her body. Not much had changed, and only in good ways. Her hips had more curves, her butt looked rounded and absolutely lush, and—

Uncle Carter’s figure cast a shadow over us as I looked up to see him staring at me, unable to hide his smile.

“You gonna just keep her face down in a pile of mulch?”

“I asked her if she wanted up and—”

“I’m fine,” her muffled voice appeared out of the wood chips. “Just need a minute to regroup.”

Uncle Carter rolled his eyes and shook his head as he tightened his grip on his cane and made his way back to the porch.

“Listen, I really want to make sure you’re okay. I can call for an ambulance if you think you might need one,” I offered. “It was a pretty nasty spill.”

“I’ve seen nastier,” she mumbled.

“Of course you have.” I bit my tongue from saying more and watched the female mannequin in front of me wiggle her bare foot and tense her shoulders.

“I’m perfectly fine.”

She put both hands next to her head and lifted herself up to her knees. I couldn’t help but brush a few pieces of wood chips from her cheek before she turned to look at me.

Shock darted through her gaze as she shook her head with a little gasp of air. A few pieces of bark fell off her lips as she spat at the sight of me.

I kept my expression void of emotion even though everything about the woman kneeling in front of me tore my heart in half just like decades ago. I propped myself up and stood, reaching for her with my hand. She scowled and nearly sprang to her feet. She looked like she was ready to fight me, and I’d just saved her life.

Well, technically, the pile of bark saved her life, but I’d pointed her to it.

She wiped her mouth and shook her head, looking completely dazzling in her red shorts and white tank. Pieces of bark clung to the knit fabric on her breasts, and I resisted the urge to wipe them away. The thought made me chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” She eyed me carefully.

“Nothin’.” I shook my head, noticing her gaze run down my chest. “Just not who I expected to pull out of my uncle’s mulch.”

She glanced down at her white top and started dusting the tiny shreds of wood off her, but most pieces stayed clinging to the fabric.

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