Chapter Five

Mandy stood outside the nondescript gray exterior of the Playground the following afternoon, staring up at the homemade sign, complete with small, colorful handprints. Gina hadn’t been wrong, Mandy loved kids, but now that she was here, peering inside the front windows at the group of about fifteen children, all huddled around a man with buzz-cut gray hair and a pink flowered shirt, she couldn’t seem to stop fidgeting with the black pantsuit she’d changed into after her shift at the diner. Maybe it was too formal. Maybe she should go home and change and come back later. Maybe the extra money she needed would drop from hooves of a glittering unicorn.

Dang it. She needed this job and she wasn’t about to let her nerves keep her from getting it. She took a deep breath and entered the place, stepping into the large open room. The first thing she noticed was the thick purple mat on the floor. The second was the battered upright piano against the far wall and the plastic milk crates stacked high and frothing over with toys. The air smelled like childhood—Play-Doh and crayons and baby wipes.

“Can I help you?” a woman asked from behind a desk to Mandy’s right. She reminded Mandy of Octavia Spencer, and the tension inside her eased a bit. Octavia was one of her favorite actresses, and she hoped to work with her one day.

“Uh, hi. Yes.” She smiled and smoothed a hand down the front of her white shirt. “I’m here to apply for the reader position.”

“Okay.” The woman handed her a clipboard with an attached pen. “Fill this out and bring it to me when you’re finished.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Mandy glanced down at the nameplate on the desk. “Brenda.”

“You’re welcome.”

Brenda went back to work, and Mandy took a seat in one of the plastic chairs lining the front windows, keeping an eye on the group while filling out her application.

The guy leading the group was reading from one of her favorite books as a kid, Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and he just reached her favorite line.

“Let the wild rumpus start!” the man yelled, and pandemonium ensued. Children scattered, yelling and giggling and running. Mandy couldn’t help chuckling along, her feet itching to join in the ruckus. Finally, the group returned to their circle and Mandy finished her application. She took it all back to Brenda’s desk, along with a sheet of references.

“All right,” Brenda said, giving the application a quick once-over. “Dr. Scofield should be right with you.”

“Thanks.” She returned to her seat to wait, nerves nipping at her heels once more. Based on the group leader’s jeans and pink Hawaiian shirt, she’d definitely overdressed, but it was too late to change now.

Soon the group disbanded and parents arrived to pick up their kids. The man who’d been doing the reading came over and picked up the clipboard from Brenda’s desk.

“Miss Reynolds?” he said, extending his hand. “I’m Dr. Leo Scofield.”

“Nice to meet you.” She started to get up, but he waved her back into her chair then took the seat beside her to read through her paperwork. The longer he stayed silent, the more her mouth dried and the heavier the quiet became. She should say something, anything, so he didn’t think she was a total dud. Mandy swallowed hard then said, “Impressive how you kept all the kids engaged.”

“Thanks. It’s a skill you develop. And why a theater background helps—or at least a flair for the dramatic.” He looked up from her application, frowning. “Why are you interested in the reader gig?”

“I majored in theater.” She waved toward her application with a shaky hand then clasped her hands in her lap. “I’m a professional actress. I love children and want to help people.”

Dr. Scofield watched her closely, gaze narrowed, as if assessing her truthfulness. Mandy held her breath, shocked at how much she wanted this job. Yes, she needed the money, but there’d been something about watching those kids that rang deeper for her. She wasn’t exactly sure what yet, but she definitely wanted to find out.

Seconds ticked by like hours before Dr. Scofield gave a curt nod. “Okay, we’ll give you a try. To clarify, the reader hours would be Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from one to four.

You’ll have to pass a background check and drug screen. If both come back clean, then you’ll have an audition.” He walked behind Brenda’s desk to check the calendar on the wall. “How about we tentatively schedule that for a week from this Thursday? That should give us time to get your test results and contact your references.”

“Sounds great,” Mandy said, unable to keep the smile from her face as she stood.

“Wonderful.” Dr. Scofield handed the clipboard back to Brenda then checked his watch. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Reynolds. Sorry to rush out, but I’m meeting my partner at Tiffany’s on Michigan Avenue at four and I need to get going. He’s insisting we pick out our rings before we head to Hawaii next month to get married.” He gestured to his colorful shirt. “I don’t usually dress like this in October but keeping with the mood and all.”

“Get going,” Brenda said to him, then winked at Mandy. “I’ve got her.”

“Right. Thanks!” he said, opening the front door. “Nice to meet you, Mandy.”

“You too. And good luck with your ring shopping,” she said, waving as he walked out.

Brenda handed her more paperwork. “Fill these out and sign where highlighted.”

Mandy did, then headed down the block for her drug screening. An hour later, she was on her way to the house to meet her movers and feed Duckie. Bright autumn leaves reminded her that even endings could be beautiful, in their own way. Fall had been her mother’s favorite time of year. Grief and nostalgia prickled behind her eyelids before she squeezed them away. Mandy always loved spring with all the fresh growing things and new possibilities, but she could see now that gathering closer to home and hearth had its appeals, too. Considering this might be her last autumn in Heavenly Falls, she ought to enjoy things while she had the chance.

Speaking of enjoying things…

She rounded the corner and spotted Alex outside on the porch talking to her movers, who’d backed their truck up into the driveway. He was dressed for working on the house again, in jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, but today seemed like the first time she’d actually seen him. The real him, as he was now and not her idealized version of him from back in the day. A shadow of stubble darkened his jaw, and a smear of plaster dust covered one cheekbone. He talked with the moving guy, relaxed and animated, looking more like his old self than she’d seen him since her return. It was all a bit disconcerting. And eye-opening. And a turn-on…

Whoops. Nope. Not going there. Not. At. All.

They’d made the decision to keep things platonic, and that’s what she intended to do. Then Alex looked over and caught her eye, his gaze locking with hers for a breathless second. Her knees wobbled and warmth spread up through her chest to heat her cheeks and…whoa Nelly.

If Alex had felt the rush, too, he didn’t show it. Just waved her over, calling, “Hey, Mandy, your movers have questions about where you want stuff.”

Right. Movers. Yep. That’s what she was doing here. To get herself moved into the house. Not to lust after the one man she’d promised never to want that way again. She inhaled for four and exhaled the same, then forced her shoulders back and walked up to the house to deal with the moving guys. Once she’d told them what went where, she stepped aside to let them work, aware that Alex was still standing there, his presence like an itch she needed to scratch. She hazarded a glance at him, praying her earlier lust wasn’t showing on her face.

“How’d your interview go?” He gave her a quick once-over. “You look nice, by the way.”

“Thanks. And good, I think.” She stared down at the toes of her pumps, resisting the urge to stammer. “They…uh…want me to come back next Thursday for an audition.”

“That’s great.” He shuffled his feet, the movement stirring the air and bringing with it the scent of sawdust and fabric softener from his clothes. The movers passed by carrying her dresser and she stepped out of their way, her arm brushing Alex’s. Tiny dots of crimson dotted his cheekbones, and he cleared his throat. “I should, um, get back to work inside.”

“Yeah, me too.” She winced. “I mean. I need to make sure they put things where I want them.”

Alex nodded and licked his lips and she couldn’t help tracking the tiny movement, her mind imagining if that were her tongue, tasting him, touching him, seeing if his mouth felt as soft as it looked and…

“Coming through!”

The movers walked by again, this time with her queen-sized mattress, forcing Alex and Mandy to move apart, and if that wasn’t her cue to get her head out of the clouds and back in the game, she didn’t know what was. She tucked her hair behind her ear and followed the moving guys in through the door, saying to Alex over her shoulder, “I’ll be back downstairs in a bit.”

“Sure,” he said from the porch behind her, looking as discombobulated as she felt.

She went upstairs and supervised the movers then signed off on her bill once they were done. Afterward, she changed into jeans and a Loki Lucky Charms T-shirt then fed Duckie. She was just about to start unpacking some of her boxes when Alex called from downstairs, “Can you help me a minute?”

The sound of his deep voice had her heart stumbling again before she caught herself.

Stop it. He’s just a guy and you’re just roommates. Nothing else.

Except the more time she spent with Alex the more attracted to him she was, despite her wishes to the contrary. She’d had roommates in Chicago. She’d never wanted to kiss any of them.

“Mandy?” Alex called again, his tone concerned. “Everything okay up there?”

“Uh yeah,” she yelled finally. “I’ll be right down.”

Moments later, she headed downstairs, determined to keep things nice and simple with him. Friendly. Polite. And if he needed help, she was here to give it. She walked up behind him in the foyer. “What can I do for you?”

…

“I need help with the plaster ceiling in the living room,” Alex said, swiveling to face her and…damn. He’d thought the time alone had ebbed the wave of awareness that had crashed over him on the porch earlier, but nope. There she stood in those threadbare jeans and that tight T-shirt showing off her curves, and his body tightened. Man, oh man. Fresh heat prickled his neck and blood rushed in his ears, nearly drowning out her words.

“Plaster, huh? I’m happy to help, but I should warn you I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“It’s fine. I just need an extra set of hands.” The words came out gruff and he hurried back into the living room, images of her hands and exactly what he’d like her to do with them, do to him, flooding his brain. If there’d been anyone else to call for assistance at that moment, he would have. But Mark and Jack were both working in the city that day, and he really needed to get the ceiling work done because the floor buffers were coming tomorrow, so yeah. It was fine. All good. He’d just ignore the inconvenient flicker of need that seemed to flare inside him whenever she was around these days and get the work done. He’d think of Mandy as one of the guys. A guy with a killer bod and golden hair and a voice like velvet that rubbed him in all the right places, but still.

Not helpful, dude.

Distracted, he pointed up to the large molded plaster medallion resting on a platform at the top of the scaffolding he’d installed earlier. “We’ll be securing that in place. You up for it?”

She eyed the twelve-foot height. “Let’s do it.”

He ignored her double entendre and the fresh jolt of need it caused and carefully climbed the six feet up the scaffolding. He’d been working on equipment like this for years and had never had a mishap, but one couldn’t be too careful. That’s why he’d made sure the railings on three sides were secure and that there were plenty of tarps and cushioning below in case a fall did occur. Bracing his feet apart on the thick plywood, he gazed down to where Mandy stood and waved her up. “You’ll be fine. Just be careful. It can be tricky your first time around.”

She climbed slowly, following Alex’s path, and once she got close, he grasped her hand to help her the rest of the way up. Mandy gripped his arms to steady herself, and goose bumps raised in the wake of her touch.

“Okay?” he whispered, his breath stirring the hair near her temples.

She nodded, staring up at him, and time seemed to slow. This close, he could see the freckles dotting her nose, hear the hitch of air in her lungs, feel her pulse racing in time with his. If he bent slightly, he could kiss her right now, see if she tasted as sweet as she looked…

Then she was gone, crouching to get a closer look at the medallion near their feet, offering him a fine view of her taut backside. Which did nothing to ease the searing hot desire welling inside him. Dammit. He needed to douse that flame and fast.

“This thing is cool,” Mandy said, her attention on the medallion. “How much does it weigh?”

“Twenty pounds, give or take.” Except he didn’t really know how much the thing weighed because his mind felt like a big black hole at present. Work. He should concentrate on work. Alex picked up a putty knife and a bucket of joint compound and started putting putty around the edges of the medallion. “This mud will hold it in place until it’s clamped to the joist above.” He pointed to the other side of the platform with his elbow. “I need you to use the drill over there to put the screws in. You can stand on that stepladder there to reach. I’ve already measured and marked everything.”

“Got it.” Mandy walked over to pick up his power tool and whirred it a few times. Heaven help him, but it made her look even sexier, if that were possible.

He turned away to set his putty knife and bucket of compound aside, his words croaking out, bullfrog deep. Maybe if he kept talking, she wouldn’t notice. “Great. Once we raise the medallion, there are lines on the front we need to match to the corresponding red ones I made on the ceiling. Then I’ll hold the medallion in place while you drill in the screws.” He handed her a pair of safety goggles without looking at her. “Put these on.”

For whatever reason, Alex seemed to be having a harder time remembering why getting involved with Mandy as anything more than friends was a bad idea. Especially since if they did end up becoming more than roommates during their time here together, it would only be sex.

And even considering sleeping with Mandy was wrong.

Right?

Yes. Yes, it was. She had her plans for the future and he had his. Those plans didn’t intersect. Besides, there was all the baggage from their past. Best to keep things neat and tidy and clearly delineated. Easier that way in the end. And these days, Alex could use all the easy he could get in his life.

So, work then. Yep. That’s what this was all about. His own safety glasses in place, Alex bent to pick up the medallion while Mandy went up the stepladder, then together they maneuvered the thing into place.

Alex held it tight against the ceiling while Mandy went to get the drill. “The screws should be right beside it.” A large glob of excess joint compound oozed out above his head, and he eyed it warily.

“Got ’em,” Mandy said from below.

“Great.” The uncomfortable position had his leg cramping and his arms burning. Plus, that joint compound was looming closer and closer. “Hurry, please.”

“On my way.” A metallic tinkle echoed through the scaffolding. “Oh!”

“What?” Alex’s pulse stuttered. “What happened?”

“I dropped one of the screws.”

“There should be a couple extras,” he said just as an icy lump of joint compound plopped onto his head. About the consistency of cake batter, it flowed down his forehead to the top of his safety glasses. With his hands otherwise occupied, he couldn’t stop the gunk’s steady flow over his face.

“Found them.” Mandy stopped eye level with him on the stepladder as another dollop of mud rained down, this time striking a direct hit on his nose. Her lips twitched and she bit the bottom one.

“Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. Please get those damned screws in. I’m drowning here.”

“Sorry.” She finished climbing the ladder. “If it’s any consolation, you’re still sexy.”

Despite his predicament, Alex’s brain screeched to a halt.

She thinks I’m sexy?

By this point, he could barely see through his glasses as joint compound rained down on him in a hailstorm of muck, but the sound of the whirring drill and the feel of the medallion tightening against the ceiling reassured him she was getting the job done. It was his own fault. He should’ve paid more attention to how much he put on, but he’d been distracted by Mandy. As usual.

“One more to do,” she said, the scrape of the ladder against plywood as she moved it to the other side of him reverberating through the space. “Doing this stuff is kind of fun. Like one of those DIY home reno shows.” Whirr. Whirr. “Okay. Second side done. You can let go now.”

Alex lowered his arms and fumbled blindly for the rag he’d hung over the railing earlier to swipe a hand across his face. “Well, that was messy.”

“Here.” Mandy took the rag from his hand and pulled off his safety glasses then dabbed at his face. “Man, you really got plastered, huh?”

She laughed at her own bad joke, the press of her body against his thin cotton T-shirt making him even more aware of their proximity. The way her tongue peeked out between her lips as she worked to clean him up did little to ease the lump of lust lodged in his throat and, if he didn’t move away from her soon, things would get out of hand fast. He snatched the rag away and stepped back to finish cleaning himself up.

Her gaze stayed on him, burning a hole through his temple and making him feel like more of an ass than he already did. Desperate to get the spotlight off of himself, he turned it back on her. “So, you go for a second interview next week then?”

“Yeah.” She crossed her arms, her gaze lowered as a slow blush spread across her cheeks. “This time will be an audition with the kids.”

“Sounds awful,” he said, shuddering. He didn’t have anything against kids per se, but honestly, they scared him these days. So small, so vulnerable, so unpredictable.

“Don’t you like children?” She frowned. “Back in the day you said you wanted a whole house of them.”

“Things change.” He tossed the dirty rag down to the floor then gave a small shrug. “Not that I have to worry about that right now anyway.”

The reminder of his old dreams made his heart shrink in his chest. He had wanted kids back then, still wanted them now, even if chances were slim to none he’d have any, given his current relationship status. Probably for the best, anyway, since how could he protect them? He hadn’t even been able to protect himself that day outside the courthouse. Aching disappointment swelled like a bruise inside him and had his pulse thundering in his ears once more. He forced himself to breathe, staring at the wall across from him instead of at Mandy, who was still talking.

“…and celebrate. My treat.”

“I’m sorry?” he said, catching the tail end of her words. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

“Dinner. You and me. At a nice restaurant. My treat. C’mon. Please?” Mandy stepped toward him again. “Getting out of here for a few hours might do you good.”

“No.” Alex shook his head and leaned against the metal railing, inching away. The last thing he wanted was leave the house tonight. “We can get delivery again. Or there’s leftover pizza in the fridge. Or—”

“Nope.” She inched closer. “No delivery. No leftovers. I want to celebrate. It’s my first night here in the new house.”

Celebrate? The thought of crowds and parties made him want to break out in hives. He swallowed hard and stepped sideways. “Sorry. I’m not up to much socializing these days.”

Space. He needed some…

He moved a bit farther down the railing, thinking he had room, but he’d somehow misjudged the distance somewhere in his jumbled thoughts. His foot slipped off the edge of the platform and his balance went haywire. Arms pinwheeling, Alex tipped sideways, his fingers grazing nothing but air as he lost his balance completely.

“Alex!” Mandy rushed forward and clutched the front of his shirt, but it was too late. They both tumbled over the side. Luckily, the padding below did its job and broke their fall, air blustering out of the stacks of plastic tarps like a gigantic whoopie cushion. He landed on his back with Mandy atop him then blinked up at the medallion on the ceiling, winded and stunned but otherwise unhurt. Her hair had fallen across his face, and he puffed it away with his breath before pushing up onto his elbows. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.” Mandy squinted at him then around the room. “How about you?”

“Yeah.” Alex scratched a leftover hardening glob of mud from his temple. “I’m good.”

She scrambled off him then extended a hand to help him up. “Then we have a date.”

“A date?” He frowned and stood. “No.”

“Hey, you owe me after these unsafe working conditions.”

“This construction site is perfectly safe.” He dodged her question and headed to the kitchen. “I need some water.”

She trailed along behind him, persistent as ever. “And I need dinner.”

“Then order something and we’ll eat here.”

“No. I want to go out. With people.”

“Call Gina.” He shuddered and grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler. “Maybe she’ll go with you.”

“She’s working tonight.” She moved closer and placed her hand on his forearm. If she was trying to melt him, that was the way to do it. “Please? I promise we’ll go somewhere quiet. The research I did said that slow reemergence was a good choice for a lot of people with anxiety, especially those who developed it later in life. Getting out might do you good. When’s the last time you were out of this house?”

“This afternoon, when I talked to your movers.” He gulped his water.

“The porch doesn’t count.” Her shoulders drooped. “Or is this about me?” Mandy sighed, her tone turning dejected. “It’s me, isn’t it?”

His gut clenched and their conversation from the other night at dinner zoomed back into focus. Was she still upset about that stupid homecoming dance? This had nothing to do with that, nothing at all. This was him. The shooting. He needed her to understand that. Without thinking, he took her arms and pulled her closer, meeting her gaze. The air between them sizzled, and there was no denying it now. He wanted Mandy. Even if he shouldn’t.

Worse still, he liked her.

Liked her softness, liked the tingle up his spine whenever their bodies touched. Liked the idea of pulling her even closer and—

Uh-oh.

Problem was, he wasn’t thinking. Not with the right body parts anyway.

“Please?” she whispered and a little more of his resistance crumbled.

Dinner didn’t have to mean anything, right? It could just be between friends. Strictly platonic. Except the feelings raging through his bloodstream now were decidedly un-platonic.

“Hey? Alex?” She waved her fingers in front of his face. “You still with me?”

He blinked at her pink mouth, the desire to kiss her so strong he actually leaned in and lowered his head before he stopped himself. “Do you want to sleep with me?”

“What?” Her expression shifted from earnest to stunned.

Abort! Abort! He hadn’t mean to say that out loud. Crap. And now she was looking at him like he’d grown a second head. Marvelous. Grumbling, he let her go and turned away, angry at himself and embarrassed, sweating and chilled at the same time over his own stupidity. Once upon a time, he’d been a real ladies’ man. These days he needed help from Rand McNally to locate his lost game where women were concerned. “Forget I said that, okay?”

Agonizing seconds ticked by, his heart in his throat.

Finally, she said, “What if I don’t want to?”

He took that in for a minute as they stared at each other across the expanse of the kitchen. The spark of heat in her blue eyes suggested she might want him, too, but he needed to lay it all on the table to be sure she knew exactly what he was offering. “I don’t do long-term. It would just be sex. Is that what you want?”

“Maybe.” Her small smile did crazy things to his insides. The moment stretched until she said, “But all I’m asking you for tonight is dinner. C’mon. You know you want to.”

He actually did, but did he dare? She’d said she’d keep it quiet, so maybe he could do it. And if not, well he’d warned her. Fine. He plunked his empty glass into the metal sink. “One dinner.”

“Yes!” Her glowing smile returned, and she clapped her hands. “You won’t regret it.”

Alex frowned down at the tile floor, hoping she was right.