Chapter 8
Pulling up to my house, I suddenly felt really stupid.
I almost turned around, except another car pulled up behind me, blocking me, a man in construction clothes clambering out and heading for the open front door.
Gripping the steering wheel, I took a deep breath. Sugar, apples, and spices wrapped around me. Usually, the smell of baked goods brought me peace. Right now, it made me feel like I wanted to crawl out of my skin.
This is going to be so weird, Phoebe.
You have to treat professional people professionally.
You’ll make them uncomfortable if you don’t keep boundaries.
Dad’s voice replayed in my head from when the upstairs bathroom flooded in the Atlanta house.
I’d made the plumber a sandwich and some cookies, feeling bad at how hard he had to work given the issue turned out to be Jeremy’s fault.
Dad had come by and given me a lecture, again, about my inappropriate behavior.
It wasn’t exactly a new lecture. If I wasn’t being inappropriate like baking for people hired to do work, I was being awkward as hell saying things I shouldn’t say or asking questions when I should keep my mouth shut.
I sighed. This was so dumb. I needed to learn how to behave normally.
With that in mind, I went to restart my car when a knock on the window had me screaming.
Whipping around in my seat, I saw Wade’s apologetic face in the window. “Sorry!” His voice was muffled by my closed window. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Staring at him, I tried to will my lungs to accept air.
Without being asked, Wade opened the door, letting in the sounds that had been blocked out: the whine of a saw, the pounding of hammers, and the cracking of wood, mixed with the sounds of the wind and the rustle of leaves on the trees.
“Sorry,” he repeated. “I thought you’d seen me walk up.”
Shaking my head, I admitted, “I wasn’t really paying attention. I have a—Are you okay?”
Wade was now leaning into my car. I reared back so he didn’t headbutt me. He kept sniffing, his nose dipping the way dogs do when they are sniffing for a grassy spot. “What is that smell?”
“Smell?” I took a sharp breath, snapping my mouth shut. Shit. “Oh, it’s nothing.” I undid my seat belt, hoping he’d not look in the back—Oh, crap.
“Are those apple muffins?” His throat bobbed. “With caramel drizzled on top?”
Without asking, he opened the back door.
“It’s really nothing—” I tried to explain, feeling heat creep up my neck.
Of course, my blood pressure spiked, which resulted in a fit of rambling.
“I just thought since Ty called and asked me to come, and he’s been so nice to Lachlan”—that was an understatement— “and he took on the repairs so quickly that I should—I wanted to make something to say thank you? Then I didn’t want to exclude anyone, so I made a whole bunch of stuff for everyone working and—”
“Oh, God,” Wade groaned, a muffin in his hand with a huge bite taken out of it. I’d barely said I’d brought them for everyone when he’d ripped the cling wrap off and was devouring one. “’hese ’re so go’d.”
I was impressed he could talk at all given he’d shoved almost the entire muffin, and they were not small muffins, in his mouth and was already reaching in for another one.
“Yo, Wade.” A large man with tan skin and hair that was white with dust strode over to us. “Boss wants to know if you can pull out…What is that?”
Wade turned, shoving his hand with the muffin behind his back. “Nothing.”
The man gave me a curious look, which I answered with what I hoped wasn’t a creepy smile.
I tended to smile too wide when I was nervous.
Given rambles were now firmly engaged, I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “Er—hi. I’m—I’m Phoebe.
I made some muffins”—my hand flapped in the direction of my back seat—“for everyone who was working ’cause I thought you all might be hungry.
Of course, if this is some line I’m crossing or—”
“You made us food?” the man asked me slowly.
My mouth worked for a second, and with his attention directly on me, I couldn’t really answer with words, so my head did the talking for me.
He gave me a soft look, then shifted, glaring at Wade. “And you were going to hoard them, weren’t you?!”
“What? Of course not!” Wade tried to block the door and the muffins.
“What’s this?” Another voice came from the other side of my car, and I twisted in my seat to see two men carrying a large post up my driveway.
“The lady brought us snacks and the asshole—sorry, ma’am—was going to steal them,” the man said, giving me a chagrinned look.
“Again?!” the one man snapped.
At the same time, the other man snapped, “You jackass!”
Before I knew it, they’d put the post down, and I guessed someone had radioed everyone that there were snacks, because I found myself surrounded by a large group of men in hard hats, boots, tool belts, and clothes with some questionable stains on them.
They were all nice and gave me a hello, but that didn’t really help when the griping and snapping began over who got how much and accusations of muffin-thievery.
I slumped back in my seat as much as possible.
I wanted to close the door, but two men were there, leaning into the back seat, making it so I couldn’t without hitting them.
A normal person would have been amused or even happy that all these men seemed to love her baking. I wanted to crawl under my seat and could barely focus on anything other than the fact that my muscles were so tight I was starting to get a cramp in my leg, which I rubbed.
I don’t know how long I sat there before a strong voice interceded, breaking up an argument. “Get the fuck out of here, you jackals. You’ve got her trapped in the car!”
“What?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am! I didn’t see you there!”
“Was she there the whole time?”
“Why didn’t she say anything?”
One moment, I had a large male body blocking the door, and the next, he was replaced with a face I was starting to become too familiar with. Stupid dreams.
“Hi,” Ty said, leaning into the car, but not too far to crowd me.
“Hi.” I felt myself able to take a deep breath for the first time in several minutes, the rush to my head telling me I’d been breathing too shallowly and erratically for too long.
Ty gave me a kind smile, looking around the car. “How’s it going in here?”
It was such a normal question I couldn’t help but giggle. “Pretty good. The leather seat is super soft. I may just decide to live here.”
Ty’s smile, which was slightly crooked, had the air stalling in my lungs. Then he glanced down where I was still rubbing the cramp in my leg. “Cramp?”
“Huh?” I loved the way his firm lips were surrounded by little smile lines that matched the ones around his eyes. His teeth were perfectly straight except the one canine, which was angled slightly backward.
“Phoebe?” Ty’s voice slammed me back to the present. Ty’s smirk said it all.
Oh, right.“ I was just thinking—I spaced out.”
Ty’s face said he didn’t believe me, but he was gentleman enough to let it go. “I said, ‘How about I help you out of the car?’ Your leg cramping is a pretty good sign you shouldn’t try living in here.”
At the mention of my cramp, the pain came roaring back, and I grimaced. “Probably a good idea.”
Ty’s hand replaced his face as he stood up. I’d never had a man hold out a hand to help me out of my car before, let alone have a man not only notice when I was feeling trapped but step in and make sure I had space. It was a little unnerving.
Trying to act cool, I slid my hand over his, ignoring the way his wrapped around mine, making me feel delicate and protected.
“Sorry, ma’am!” One of the men tipped his head to me as soon as I was out of the car. All the men were still standing around but giving me a little more space.
“We didn’t mean to block you in.” One of the men I recognized from holding the pole gave me a sheepish look.
With all eyes on me, my fingers instinctually tried to close together; only Ty’s hand remained steady on mine. His calluses were rough. One felt slightly jagged, like maybe it was cut, which made me curious. Instead of letting go, Ty’s hand seemed to tighten around mine.
Usually, if I couldn’t rub my fingers together, I’d wish for a pen so it didn’t look so bizarre, and one of my other tics would settle in.
But the panic that usually came when attention was on me didn’t fully arrive.
My knees trembled a little, and I knew a good curl-up in the fetal position wasn’t exactly off the table, but I wasn’t there… yet.
“It’s okay.” It wasn’t, and I regretted not being able to say it. “I’m glad you guys enjoyed the muffins.”
“Muffins?” Ty looked at the group of men in disgust. “I’m not even surprised. You guys are animals. Apologize. Now!”
“It’s okay—” I tried to say, but he cut me off.
Giving my hand a gentle but firm squeeze, he told me, “No. It’s not okay.” The look he gave me was serious and annoyed, but I could tell he wasn’t annoyed at me. I hoped. “You were trapped in the car and none of them thought about helping you out.”
“Ah, hell.” One of the men stepped forward, twisting his baseball cap around on his head so it was backward. “Ty’s right, ma’am. We apologize.”
All the men agreed, nodding, offering apologies and words of thanks for the muffins.
Even Wade came forward, full of contrition, admitting he should have known better.
“I’m a little distracted when food is around.
” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “And your muffins were the best I’ve ever had.
” There was a hopeful look on his face when he said, “Please say you forgive me and will prove it with more?”
Ty slapped Wade upside the head. “Stop thinking with your stomach and get back to work.”
Wade glared at Ty. “She hasn’t answered!”
Unable to help myself, I giggled. I’d never known anyone like them. “I do forgive you.”
Wade gave me a considering look, sidling closer to me. “I want to believe you…I really do.”