Chapter 6 #2
“Sorry.” He picked up a handful of paper towels from the side table holding the coffeepot, then moved to clean up the splatters. “I figured you heard me come in the back door.”
She jumped up from her chair and shoved paperwork out of the way of the expanding puddle on her desk. Meanwhile, her racing heart seemed unable to calm itself to a normal beat. She didn’t want to question whether that was due to being surprised, or the fact it was Cain.
“I can do that myself.” She grabbed the towels from his hand and blotted at the spots.
“And good morning to you, too, Betsy.” His sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on her.
Pausing in mid cleanup, she tilted her head back to look him in the eyes. She’d taken her shoes off when she arrived early this morning, and her five-six came up short next to his six-foot frame. Still, his gorgeous blue eyes seemed awfully close.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Cain walked back to the office doorway and leaned against the frame. “Last night at Joanie’s, you said I could use one of the service bays to work on my truck. Did you forget?”
No, she hadn’t forgotten. In fact, that’s all she’d been able to think about as she lay awake in bed this morning, trying to figure out how to back out on the offer.
She’d also tried to figure a way out of the Friday night pool challenge she’d accepted from him for next week. She’d come up empty on both.
“I meant, why are you here so early? In fact, how did you even get in this building?”
He pointed down the hallway outside her office. “Back door was unlocked. Figured it was okay to come in. If not, you ought to keep that locked. Or at least get a buzzer to let you know when it opens.”
For once she had to agree with him. Keeping the door locked would make sense, but since she’d lived in Crayton practically all her life, she still thought of it as the place without locks.
She didn’t like locks. Opening a deadbolt took time away from a quick escape. She’d had special ones made for her house.
“I’ve told her that a million times,” Earl said. “Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”
“I doubt she’ll listen to me.” Cain straightened away from the doorframe. “By the way, Earl, when Betsy said I could work on my truck here, she said you’d show me around the service center. Maybe get me set up in a bay I can use every so often.”
“Sure thing. Whenever you’re ready just come on over.” Earl walked out of the office, and from the sound of the click of the outside lock being turned, he’d left the main building.
Cain pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket, then laid his social security card and driver’s license on her desk. “If you can use a hand on the tow truck tonight, I’m available.”
She smiled. “You sure know how to get a job, don’t you?”
“Thought you might could use some help, that’s all. If you remember, I’m just in town to rehab a heli. Not looking for a full-time job.” He braced his hands on her desk. Stole a quick down and up glance of her.
Her insides heated as she shut down her thoughts. Then she walked to the thermostat and notched the heat down a few degrees. “Guess you’ll head back to the DEA after you sell the house?”
“Not sure. Lately, a security business of my own has crossed my radar.”
“Where?”
“I’ve got my eye on some land between Rolla and St. Louis.”
“Oh.” That at least ruled out his staying in Crayton. And she’d never move from her family. Whether they knew it or not, Sadie and Marcy needed her. She’d always be there to protect them. Her younger sister, Amber, wasn’t that open to her help, but there might come a day they bonded.
Taking her chair once again, Betsy stared at his license.
The picture didn’t do his eyes justice. The weight didn’t account for the hard lines of muscles she saw every time he came near her.
And the dark, combed-in-place hair in the photo didn’t look nearly as good as the tousled look he usually wore.
“Betsy?” Cain pushed his hands in his leather bomber jacket pockets as he stood.
She felt a smile grab the corners of her face. “Sorry. I…uh…I was thinking about something Earl had said earlier.”
He raised his eyebrows and grinned. “Sure you were.”
There was nothing more irritating than someone who could read her mind. Her sisters were like that, too. So was her mama. She didn’t need another mind reader in her realm. Especially him.
“Yeah, I was considering which trucks would be more apt to be used tonight.”
“From the weather report, I’d say all of them,” Cain said.
Her business side knew tonight’s weather might be rough and they could use all the help they could get.
“That’s my thinking, too. In fact, I’m going to take you up on your offer to work a tow truck tonight.
Thanks.” She held her hand up for a moment, then dialed the insurance agent.
“Yeah, I want to put Cain Connery on our policy. Is that a problem?”
After she hung up with Crestfall’s Insurance Agency, the employment paperwork took another ten minutes. Finally, she handed Cain a packet of info plus an employee handbook. “You are now an official employee of Peyton’s Automotives.”
“Only when I want to be though.” Cain headed for the door. “I’ll check in with Earl, then head home and get a few things done on my renovation. You’ll probably be gone when I get back for the evening.”
“Nope. I’ll be here as long as my trucks are on the road tonight.”
She held out her hand. “Thanks for offering to help. I appreciate it.”
“Any time.”
He closed his palm around hers and for a moment the feel of his skin against hers felt right. Even the brief back-and-forth caress of his thumb didn’t drive her back.
“I’m looking forward to our rematch at pool this Friday night,” he said.
“Are you now? You must like losing.” She slipped her hand from his. “Besides, I think we may need to cancel because of the weather.”
“Seems a might early to cancel something that’s almost a week away just because it’s going to snow tonight. What say we wait till Friday and see how the forecast is then?”
Shaking her head, she stared at the floor. “I don’t know, Cain. I always like to plan ahead. Let’s just say it’s cancelled for now and I’ll get back to you on rescheduling?”
“Nope. Game’s still on.”
“Then I just won’t show up.”
Cain walked to the doorway and braced his forearm against the doorframe. “You know, I went through a lot of training as a DEA agent.”
“I can only imagine.”
“Did you know most people have a ‘tell’ for one thing or another?”
If she knew where this was going, she’d feel a lot better. “So I’ve heard.”
“You’ve got one, too. Happens every time you lie to me.” He laughed as he walked out of the office.
She followed him into the hallway as he went out the back door. “What? What’s my ‘tell’ you just saw?”
He grinned as he closed the door behind him. “See? I was right.”
“Damn.” She’d just admitted she lied.