Chapter seven #2
Or just the woman in front of me that has offered me friendship with no strings attached?
“Anytime. And hey, let me get your number while you’re here. I’m not letting you out of this beach trip.” With a cunning smile, she pulls her phone back out of her pocket as I rattle off my number to her. “I’m gonna text you so you have mine too.”
I feel my phone vibrate in my purse. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Have a good day! And good luck with the house!” she calls after me as I wave with my free hand and make my way out to my car, ready to find a few things I can work on to fill in the time between work and when Penn is scheduled to swing by the house later.
And maybe I can push Penn to give me more insight into his brother, too.
***
I drag my chosen chair in its bulky cardboard box up to the register, stopping every few feet to catch my breath.
Of course the one I liked the most was also the biggest. It’s not like this tiny hardware store had much to choose from anyway, but, seeing as the only other place to buy furniture around here is the dollar store, I figured I’d have better odds here.
I was also hoping to run into Penn since I had a few questions for him, but he’s nowhere to be found. Instead, the older woman behind the counter watches me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, not bothering to assist.
"Having some trouble?” It’s more a statement of the obvious than an actual question. When I only grunt in response, she asks, “What’s a little thing like you doing with a chair that size anyway?”
“It’s for my new house,” I huff out as I continue to drag the box with what little upper body strength I possess.
“New in town, huh?” she prompts as she leans on the counter, her interest clearly piqued.
“I am. And I just need to pay for this chair and get it home, okay?” This damn chair better be worth all of this trouble.
“Good choice.” A voice to my right pulls my attention, and the person it belongs to holds it for a moment before I realize I’m staring.
Dallas.
“That’s the one I had my eye on for the balcony,” he says.
The thump of my heart has me taking a moment to gather my thoughts. “Um, yeah, that’s what I was planning.”
“Gotta have somewhere to sit to watch the sunrise and sunset, right?” He walks over to me and takes the cardboard behemoth from my hands, lifting it with ease and walking around me toward the register.
“I had that!” I call out as he walks away from me, carrying the box like it’s as light as a feather.
“Just say thank you, Willow,” he says over his shoulder as I sigh in defeat.
“Thank you,” I mutter, trailing him as the employee watches us both now with her eyes bugged out.
“Mrs. Hansen.” Dallas nods at the woman as he leans the box against the counter. “How are the puppies doing?”
Her face lights up for the first time since I’ve walked in here, and her eyes finally focus on something other than me. “Oh, they are perfect. Such a rambunctious little bunch. Your brother came by yesterday to check on them.”
“Sounds like Parker is doing his job, then.”
“All of you boys are responsible and loyal to a fault. Your daddy would be proud of y’all.”
I watch Dallas’s face fall, but he simply clears his throat and nods. “Thank you.”
“Such a shame the cancer took him so young.” She shakes her head as she holds up a handheld scanner to the box.
I try to make it look like I’m not paying attention, but she is doing a better job of offering up information about this man than Astrid did earlier today.
His dad died from cancer? Well, that presents some intriguing insight.
Seems we actually have something in common.
“Yes. It is.” He flicks his eyes over to mine. “I think Willow here needs to pay so she can get going, right?”
“Oh. Yes. Go ahead and insert your card into the machine, dear.” Her voice has taken on a much lighter tone as I break my stare with Dallas and pay for my item.
“Thank you.” She hands me the receipt just as Dallas turns to face me.
“So how did you plan on getting this thing back to your house?”
“Uh, I have a car.” I point out the window to my Tesla.
He shakes his head, his smile full of amusement and cockiness. “Like this is going to fit in that.”
“Yes, it will,” I say with determination. “I can slide this into the backseat, no problem.”
He arches a brow. “Is that so?”
“Oh, absolutely. Don’t underestimate me, Dallas.”
“Well, this I can’t wait to see, Willow.” The low grumble of his voice makes me wonder what my name would sound like coming off of his lips while his head is between my legs, and the thought has me tripping over the box in front of me as soon as I try to step around it.
“Whoa.” Dallas reaches out to prevent me from falling forward. “Easy, Goose.”
“Goose?” I ask incredulously when I find my footing again.
He smirks, and suddenly I want to slap that smirk off his face. “Yeah, seemed more fitting than ‘Tiger.’”
“Ha. Ha.” I fake a laugh, straighten my blouse, and then make my way out to my car, assuming that Dallas is going to carry the box out for me. Luckily, when I look back over my shoulder, he’s following with the box in his arms.
We arrive at the rear passenger door, and after I unlock it and set my purse inside, I attempt to lift the box and turn it so it will fit through the doorway.
I twist and turn the box, trying various angles and approaches to make it fit.
Despite my efforts, including pushing, pulling, and a bit of seat adjustment, the box refuses to comply, stubbornly remaining a few frustrating inches too big.
“Ugh. Stupid box.” I let it fall onto the asphalt beneath me just as Dallas’s laugh rings out.
“Damn. I want to say I told you so, but that was just too damn easy. Thank you for the entertainment though.”
“That’s not necessary,” I huff, glaring at him over my shoulder. “Damn it.” Irritation bubbles inside of me, more so because I have him as an audience to my monumental fail than the new problem I now have to solve.
He sighs and the sound of him scratching his chin through his beard draws my eyes back to his face.
Damn. That beard will be the death of me.
“Look. I have a little time before I have to be at the restaurant, and lucky for you, I drove my truck today. I can take it to the house for you.”
I cross my arms and eye him skeptically. “And why would you do that? Newsflash, but you and I don’t exactly get along.”
He smiles. “That’s a matter of opinion.” His gaze moves down my entire body before focusing back on my face.
And the way he’s assessing me right now has my body temperature rising to levels I don’t think are healthy.
“But to answer your question, sometimes people just do nice things to be nice, Willow. It’s one of the charms of living in a small town. ”
“But how do I know that you’re not offering so that you can get me alone and murder me, make it look like I was crushed by this box in a freak accident, and then jump on the house the second I’m dead?”
He stares at me, blinking slowly before bursting into laughter. “Oh fuck. That’s good.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re a piece of work, Goose.”
“Stop calling me that,” I seethe through clenched teeth.
He huffs out a laugh again while shaking his head. “Nope. Can’t do it. Especially now that I know it gets under your skin.”
I throw my hands up. “God, you’re a child.”
“And you need my help. So what’s it going to be, Willow?” He mimics my stance, crossing his arms and putting those strong, sinewed forearms on display, taunting me.
Silence rests between us as I debate my options, which are pretty cut and dry at this point—i.e., I have none.
“Fine. If you could bring the box over, I would appreciate it.”
“Happy to. All you have to do is say the magic word.”
My mouth drops open slightly. “What?”
“Oh, come on, Goose.” He taps his temple mockingly, leaning toward me and narrowing his eyes. “Think really hard.”
I squint back at him, hoping I’ll suddenly shoot lasers from my eyes and he’ll turn to dust right in front of me. Sadly, this isn’t a sci-fi romance. Wait, this isn’t a romance at all, which makes that thought perplexing.
“Please,” I grate out, and his smile builds to an unworldly degree.
“Attagirl.” With a wink in my direction, he bends down, hoists the box over his head, and walks just a few feet to a black truck, depositing the box in the bed of it. “I’ll see you there.”
He turns toward his driver side door and hops inside, leaving me standing by my car, confused by the anger and desire mixing inside of me right now.
How can you want to punch someone in the face but want to ride that face at the same time?
Let me just add the undeniable attraction I feel for him to my long list of things to deal with that doesn’t seem to get any shorter as the days go by.
***
“Can you take it up the stairs, please?” I ask Dallas as he carries the box through the front door. Luckily, the geese are not around to make this delivery any more difficult.
“I’m impressed. You said please without me having to remind you.”
“Dear lord, what have I done to deserve this,” I mutter, closing the door behind him and watching his jean-clad legs carry the box up my stairs, putting his round ass on display.
Reluctantly, I follow his lead and find him in the middle of my room, staring out at the ocean through the sliding glass door.
“Damn. This view is even better than I imagined,” he says, his voice low and full of awe.
Taken aback, I drop my tone to match his. “You’ve never been in here?”
He shakes his head slowly. “Nope. I wanted to, but never got the opportunity. I’ve looked through the windows on the first floor each time I’d come by, but never stepped foot inside until the other day when I came to talk to you.” His eyes are still focused on the view in front of him.
“Are you telling me I’ll have to watch out for you spying on me now?”