Even armed with the list Chad had sent him, walking into Home Depot made Landon uneasy. There was some comfort in the familiar layout of the store, although he’d rather be riding buck naked on a high roller than face the rows and rows of hardware. Especially while using crutches. He’d thought about leaving them in the truck, but they had a lot of walking on hard cement floor ahead of them.
“Wood first?” Kylie asked.
“Yep. Let’s get one of those platform carts. And a regular one for the smaller stuff.”
She insisted on pushing the flatbed, which, yes, okay, was necessary. That left him to maneuver with one crutch under his arm and the other tucked in the cart in order to give him a free hand. Kylie looked as if she was about to protest but met his eyes and didn’t argue.
“I can’t believe I forgot to tell you,” she said, as they walked toward the back of the store. “I mentioned you needing a helper to Rachel, who told Matt, who then got in touch with some friends of his. He found a kid named Barry who’s a high-school wrestler, which means he’s pretty strong.”
“No kidding?” Landon saw that his lack of enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed. But he would’ve preferred a kid her friends didn’t know. Just in case this Barry let something slip. “That’s great.”
“It’s not for sure.”
“If it doesn’t work out we’ll find someone else.”
“You know you can back out at any time, right?”
“Hey, I’m looking forward to this. I just don’t want any of it to be an added burden on you.”
“It was a phone call,” she said, laughing. “Not to mention I’m the one benefiting from all this. Anyway, Joe’s coming in at three tomorrow, so I won’t have to close too early. Then I’m supposed to meet with the woman who wants part-time work. After that I’ll be free to help do whatever you need.”
Landon did a quick mental calculation. “Won’t you have prep work to do for the next morning?”
“I’ll try not to get in the way,” she said, clearly disappointed. “But if you’d rather I stay out of your hair—”
“Hey.” He stopped in the middle of the plumbing aisle and cupped her elbow. “All I’d planned to do was hang around and pester you until I was all healed up. And if you think this little project is going to keep me out of your hair, think again.”
A faint blush and a shy smile encouraged him to slide his palm down her arm and give her hand a light squeeze. Her skin was so soft, her fingers small and delicate. This little trip to Home Depot wasn’t turning out so bad after all.
And then her phone chirped and ruined the moment. Not that those few lousy seconds amounted to anything earth-shattering. “It’s just a text,” she said, her gaze lowering to the phone she’d pulled out of her pocket. “But I do need to check it.”
“No problem.”
Whatever she saw brought a smile to her lips. It could’ve been Rachel confirming the kid was a go, or any one of her friends, for any number of reasons...
She finally looked up, but got distracted by something behind him.
He followed her gaze and found an orange-vested dude waving and racing toward them in one of the store’s motorized scooters they had for people with disabilities. As if the crutches weren’t bad enough.
At Kylie’s laughter, he transferred his glare to her. “What?”
She bit her lip. “Your face.”
“I’m glad you think this is funny.”
“It won’t be when his head explodes from the way you’re looking at him. He’s just trying to be nice.”
By the time the kid reached them, he must’ve picked up on Landon’s vibe because he didn’t look quite so eager. He stopped the scooter a few feet away and looked from Landon to Kylie and back again.
“I appreciate the gesture.” Landon kept his tone light with the boy, refusing to sound like Smaug, although if that cart didn’t turn around right now, he might start breathing fire. “But I’m good.”
“It doesn’t cost anything. We keep them for customers who—” The boy’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he noisily cleared his throat. “Okay, sir. But if you need—”
“Turn that thing around. Now.”
The kid disappeared before Landon’s scowl did.
Kylie was still giggling, only now her cheeks were a deeper pink and her eyes were damp. “This is a new side to you.”
“Oh, hell, can you see me riding around in one of those things?”
“Doesn’t fit your macho image?”
“As a matter of fact...” His glare was wasted on her. “No.”
The admission set her off again. “Come on, that was priceless.”
“Hilarious,” he said, and looked at his watch. Then her. Then his watch again.
“Fine. Go on ahead if you’re so anxious. I have to find a tissue.”
He hobbled away as quickly as he could without losing his balance or his dignity. Although that last one was already a goner.
* * *
BY THE TIME they reached the lumber, Kylie had pulled herself together. It hadn’t been very nice to laugh at Landon, but honestly he’d asked for it. And she hadn’t been kidding about seeing a new side to him. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“You said oak?”
She nodded as she led him down the aisle with all the appearance boards. Everything from hardwoods to laminates.
“It’s a decent wood.”
Kylie slowed. “But?”
“Oak is a hardwood, but it’s not going to last as long as something like ash or maple.”
“Are you saying I’d have to replace it in a few years?”
“No, nothing like that. More than likely you won’t have to worry about a thing. I’m just saying you should keep an open mind.”
She ran her hand over the smooth surface. It was difficult to believe something that looked so strong had hidden weaknesses.
Moving onward, Kylie stopped by the ash samples, which had that rustic look she liked, but was a little cheaper than the oak.
Mesmerized, she watched the way Landon stroked the lighter wood. They were big, his hands. Sturdy and calloused from hard work, helping at his family’s ranch, even doing some chores for Kylie when her pleas to Gary had fallen on deaf ears during those last two awful years.
But she’d also seen Landon with horses, and the way he could gentle a tempestuous stallion was a sight to behold. It was difficult not to imagine those hands on her. Stroking the tension out of her muscles, easing her fears, her doubts...
A loudspeaker announcement jerked her out of her reverie, and she studied the wood as if it were the most fascinating thing ever. As her racing heart slowed enough to let her breathe again, she had to admit, his suggestion had merit. “Well, it is beautiful.”
“Hey, I’ve been mulling something over... I wasn’t sure when to bring it up, but I guess now’s as good a time as any. What would you think about an investor?”
“In the bakery?”
“Well, yeah, now that you’re expanding.”
She knew exactly what he was doing, and she appreciated the gesture, but it sure left a sour taste in her mouth.
“Before you answer, just remember I meant it when I said I won’t be rodeoing forever. I figure I have a couple more good years. After that...”
“Stop. I don’t need your help. I’m doing fine. Besides, you told me last night you had to put away money for your future, not lend it out. At the moment, you’re already helping me more than I ever expected with the furniture.”
He looked as if he wanted to argue but just nodded, and she turned her attention to the wood, imagining what it would be like as a bench seat, as tables and chairs.
“Rachel suggested that maybe I could find some cute funky chairs at garage sales. That might make up for some of the extra expense. Because I do like this ash a lot,” she said, “especially the durability. I plan on having that bakery for a long time.”
“How long?” Landon asked, as if the answer actually mattered to him.
That was all it took to send her brain off in a thousand different directions. Yet the truth was, the question could mean nothing at all. “Um, at least until my next birthday,” she said.
His mouth curved into a feeble smile. Guess he didn’t appreciate her little joke. Or maybe all this wasn’t simple for him, either.
* * *
“I’M GLAD WE decided to eat,” Kylie said as they climbed back into the truck. “I think that just might’ve been the best burger I’ve ever had.”
“Me too. And that strawberry shake. Man, I couldn’t live near here.” Landon started the engine and looked over at her when she laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“You have the most self-control of anyone I’ve ever met.”
“I don’t know about that,” he muttered and pulled out of the burger joint parking lot, heading for the highway.
She’d changed her mind about dinner after she’d gotten the text from Rachel. Matt and Trace McAllister had offered to meet them at her place to help unload the truck. She hadn’t told Landon about the plan, but it was the sensible thing to do. He’d promised not to go overboard and she was just helping him keep that promise.
They ended up spending the drive discussing the pros and cons of upholstering the benches. By the time they reached Blackfoot Falls, she’d officially vetoed any upholstery. If people wanted cushioned butts, they could go hang out at the diner.
“What’s this?” Landon asked, as he slowed down at her house. A truck was parked in her driveway off to the left.
“Matt and Trace are here to help unload,” she said.
“Trace?”
“Rachel’s brother.”
“Why?”
She waited until Landon had backed up to the garage. “Because it’ll take half the time and they volunteered.”
“I’m not crippled, Kylie.”
“Yeah, but who has the patience to watch you carry one board at a time? Come on. Let’s get this done.” She jumped out of the truck, hoping he’d drop his objections.
Trace, whom she didn’t know well—only that he liked apple fritters more than was healthy—opened the garage door, and turned on the lights.
She saw the guys hadn’t come empty-handed. “What’s all this?” she asked, nodding at the stuff that hadn’t been there that morning.
Matt walked out of the shadows. “Workbench, miter saw, jigsaw, router. If you need anything else, I’m sure someone around here has it.”
Landon moved in next to her, without his crutches. “That’s so nice,” she said. “Landon, you know Matt Gunderson.”
“We met at the San Antonio Stock Show a couple years ago.” Landon stuck out his hand and the men shook.
“Sorry about your leg. Man, you’ve been flying up the ranks. Think you’ll be ready for the finals?”
“If he doesn’t hurt himself building all this furniture.” Kylie went to the back of the truck and put down the gate. “Okay, guys, looks like I have to get up extra early to make you donuts and fritters. You’re totally awesome. Oh, and Trace, introduce yourself.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Trace said, as he walked up to Landon and shook his hand. “Trace McAllister. Nice to meet you.” Then he pulled four 2x4s from the truck bed and walked them into the corner of the garage while Matt moved the worktable out of the way.
Kylie’s heart was pounding crazy fast. Landon had said he’d been doing well, but hearing Matt ask him about the finals? Somehow that made it seem more real.
“You know I could have taken care of this tomorrow,” Landon said, leaning down so only she could hear.
“Yes. You could have. But you didn’t need to do it on your own. Honestly, if this is about you being all macho, I swear I’ll tell everyone about that electric scooter.”
His frown was exactly what she’d expected. It didn’t help that it made him look brooding and sexier than it should have. She slipped a wood panel out of the truck bed before she let her imagination run away with her, and carried it to the spot she’d cleared earlier. She’d also made sure the built-in utility shelves were mostly empty so Landon could keep his tools within easy reach.
After she unloaded, she returned to the truck and grabbed two more boards and slid them out until she could hoist them under her arms.
“Hey, hey,” Landon said. “Let me do that. Those are heavy.”
“I lift fifty-pound bags of flour on a regular basis. Don’t sweat it.”
“Yeah, Landon,” Matt said, lifting three times the number of boards. “You should have seen her when she opened the store. No one messes with the cake whisperer.”
“Sounds about right,” Landon said, then passed her, no crutches, but with his arms full of trim molding.
After putting them in the corner, he looked around the garage while she watched him. He exhaled heavily and lost the furrowed brow. From then on, things ran like clockwork, and before she knew it, Matt and Trace were saying their goodbyes.
“Don’t forget,” she called after them. “Free donuts and fritters for a week.”
“Thanks,” Matt said, looking serious. “But none for Rachel.”
“I’ll take care of her share of the fritters,” Trace said, grinning.
“Okay, I’ll be sure to let your sister know about your kind offer.” Kylie laughed at his stricken expression.
She and Landon stood shoulder-to-shoulder as they watched Matt back his truck onto the street. After a final wave, Landon ran his fingers softly up her arm. It was a wisp of a move, nothing that would have meant a thing if it had come from, say, Kevin, but it gave her goose bumps.
“That was nice of them to help. But I can tell you did a lot of prep before we got here. You always did like a clean work space,” he said, almost as if he were talking to himself. “It used to piss me off how those guys that hung out at your place were such inconsiderate jerks.”
“Remind me to thank your mother, should I ever meet her,” Kylie said. “You were always very polite.”
“It was both my folks, really. We learned our manners straight off, and while we each had our minor rebellions during our teens, it was never anything crazy.”
Somehow they were standing even closer to each other. So close, she had to look up to meet his gaze. She wanted him to touch her. To give her that little electric charge. But he didn’t.
“You should get inside. It’s getting late.” His gaze roamed over her face, as if he was mapping her from the top of her head to her lips, to her eyes, then her lips again.
Turned out his touch didn’t need to be physical.
“How about you come in and I give you a drink before I kick you out?”
“A quick one would be good,” he said. “You really have to get up at four every morning?”
“Yep. Curse of being a baker.” She smiled and led him into the house, his uneven steps, one foot, one crutch, right behind.
After flipping on the kitchen light, she went straight to the fridge. “Beer? I have some wine that I haven’t tried, orange juice and, uh...” She shifted the milk to the side “...coconut water.”
“Coconut water?”
“It’s good. Want to try some?”
“I’ll take your word for it. A beer sounds just right.”
“Chicken,” she said, handing him a bottle, and taking one for herself. She knew she wouldn’t finish it, but that was okay. Just a little would help her fall asleep. Maybe stop her overactive thoughts from going to unhealthy places.
He opened both beers, and followed her to the living room. She turned on the side table lamps, which gave the room a soft glow. The couch was something she’d found at an estate sale, and it had become one of her favorite things. It was a beautiful sea green, well built and curved so one side was long enough to be able to stretch out for a nap.
Landon had walked over to the bookshelves, where she also had placed a few pictures. There were a couple of her grandparents, some of the friends she’d made since moving in. Nothing much from her old life.
She sat on the smaller side of the couch, so he could stretch out his leg easily.
Instead, he sat next to her, leaning the crutch to his right.
The smart thing to do would be to move over. Keep her distance. For now, anyway. He’d certainly given her enough to consider before she put her heart on the line. Plus her impulses weren’t all that trustworthy when it came to Landon.
Stupid hormones. Stupid handsome cowboy.
So why wasn’t she turning away from his darkening gaze? In the quiet room, she could hear his breathing as he leaned toward her, the warmth from his thigh breaching the denim of her jeans.
“Kylie...”
The whisper was just as potent as his touch had been. Only worse, because his breath teased her lips and heated her cheek. Or maybe that was just the blush of want that was making her forget herself.
She blinked. And that split second was enough to remind her of what was at stake. She stiffened and pulled back.
Landon sighed. “Okay,” he whispered. “I waited a whole year. Guess I can wait a little longer.”