Over the next couple of days, Eliza found her thoughts drifting to a certain tattooed and gorgeous man.
The planning session with Amelia had lasted a good hour and a half after Carter had excused himself to take Piper home to get her bathed and ready for school the following morning, but even after he'd left Lincoln's home, Eliza wasn't able to completely relax.
During the evening, she'd found herself noticing the similarities between Carter and his older brother. And given how many there were, seeing Lincoln so sweetly interact with Amelia left Eliza wondering if Carter would be the same way. Could be the same way?
His blunder in inviting her to stay had brought more than one smile to her lips in the time since because he'd seemed so sincerely awkward afterward. And awkward on Carter wasn't something she'd consider a normal occurrence for a man who looked like he did.
The brothers intrigued her as a whole. Lincoln was just as handsome as his younger sibling, but he didn't have the edge Carter carried. One born of… difficulty?
Eliza learned through Amelia that Lincoln's first wife had passed away, so he'd had a hard life, too. Especially considering he'd raised his twins alone the last three years.
But why the rougher edge with Carter? What had honed him to such a degree?
Curiosity killed the cat. And considering she'd told Carter she wasn't interested, she couldn't exactly ask, because that expressed interest. Maybe she could get some info on the down low from Marsali?
You know what'll happen if you so much as mention his name.
A knock sounded on her door and she glanced at the clock. Lincoln was right on time. Some of the items Amelia had chosen from Eliza's portfolio were pieces Eliza had created or purchased and now kept stored in her spare rooms as rentals.
Eliza was thankful Amelia had chosen them, too, since it boosted her income from the event. Lincoln had volunteered to stop by and help her load the boxes into his truck and her van for transport to his house. With less than a week and a half left, every moment counted. Thankfully once the small weddings booked for this weekend were over, she could focus fully on Amelia and Lincoln's.
Eliza glanced in the mirror by the door and smoothed her hair before swinging her front door wide. "Lin—uh, Carter?"
"Hello, Eliza," Carter said in his deep, gravelly voice.
His gaze swept over her quickly before shifting back to her face, taking in the sundress she'd worn for the day's errands. "What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?"
The corners of his firm lips tilted up, and he gave her a patient-looking grin.
"I saw your van."
"And you just knocked on the door? What if this was a client's house?"
"Lincoln mentioned he was picking up some boxes from you at this time, and I had a job to check on down the street. After seeing your van, I put two and two together and offered to do it since I'm already here."
"Oh." Well, that did make more sense than where her mind had gone but—
"Can I come in?"
She inhaled and stepped back. "Of course. I'm sorry, I was just surprised. I, um, got most of the items out earlier, but there are a couple of things you'll have to help me get. They're quite heavy." Normally she would've had James or Clarissa or Kellie help her with such things, but since James had taken off with her trustworthy crew…
"Not a problem."
Carter stood there and stared at her, and with a start, she realized he waited on her to lead the way. She did a mental eye roll at her nervousness and headed toward the bedrooms.
It wasn't like she hadn't had a man in her home before. But something about Carter's broad shoulders and those eye-popping tattoos on his bulging arms left her pulse racing and insides quivering.
Finally they made it to the storage rooms and she turned to find his gaze low—on her behind? She watched the way his gaze quickly shifted upwards and locked on hers, seemingly unapologetic.
Men. They were all the same, weren't they?
She twisted the knob and stepped back to allow him to enter without her. "Those four boxes right in front. The white box on the left, and in the other room are the heavy boxes containing glassware and some other props. The settee will have to be transported, too."
"You've got quite the stash," Carter murmured, eyeing the room.
"Things added up over the years, and since I wasn't using these rooms… I do wish I had shelving to better organize it, but that's on a mile-long list of to-dos, especially now that I'm… restructuring my business," she said, trying to stay politically correct and not sound bitter. "I'll, um, have to do more digging later to get the rest of the items."
She watched as Carter bent and lifted the first bulky box in his arms, then scrambled to get out of the way, back down the hall, and hold the door open for his exit. She noted his red logo-ed truck parked behind her van and watched as he loaded the first box into the back.
On his return, Carter removed his cell phone and moved his finger over the screen.
"Your shelving issue… I'm working a job and this is part of the stuff they're getting rid of. It's free, and it might work for what you need," he said, handing her his phone.
His long finger swiped through a couple of images as she watched. "Free?"
"Yeah. Want me to load it up and bring it to you? I can put it in your garage until the wedding is over and then help you get it inside and ready for your boxes and bins."
Ah, but what did he expect in return? "Uh, that would be great but I'm not sure I can hire you right now."
"Eliza…"
Did he have to say her name that way?
"The stuff is free. And you taking it will help me to get it out of the guys' way."
"But your labor costs—"
"Plan a party for me."
She blinked at him. What? "Excuse me?"
"Look, I'm not worried about it, but you apparently are so… I know you don't do birthday parties, but how about in exchange for labor and whatever storage you need me to come up with, you plan Piper's birthday party? She wants everything mermaid, which goes along with a lot of the beach stuff I saw in there."
She blinked at him, unsure of what to say. "I…"
"Look, she's turning five, and it would be a great way for her to get to know some of her classmates and for me to meet their parents."
Eliza stared down at the shelving that would be perfect for her needs before she handed the phone back. She crossed her arms over her chest, waited for his gaze to shift downward, but surprisingly, it didn't. "You do realize a birthday party for a five-year-old is way easier than what you're going to have to do to set up storage for all of my stuff."
"Easy for you," he countered. "Do I look like I know how to create a mermaid party? That stuff," he said, lifting the phone and the images she'd just perused, "is easy for me. Come on, even exchange. How about it?"
Well, it was better than him asking her on another date. "Nothing else?"
A wry smile flashed over his handsome face and shot her pulse into orbit.
"Nothing else. And for the record, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I shouldn't have asked for a date last Saturday after the arbor or invited you to stay over."
"You flirt. A lot."
"Only with certain people. And never with bad intentions," he countered, holding her gaze. "But I am sorry if I've made you uncomfortable."
She really wasn't sure what to make of the apology, only that he seemed sincere.
"Okay, next box," he said when she remained quiet. "You think about it and let me know if you want to make a trade. I'd have one happy girl on my hands if you could work some magic and bring her mermaid party up a few notches from just cake and ice cream."
The last was said with wry bemusement, and she realized the older Piper got, the more into girlie things she became—and the more out of his depth Carter probably felt. The majority of single fathers would have no clue how to do the cutesy, feminine stuff girls loved. But for Piper? "I'll have to check my schedule but… I accept your offer."
Carter grinned and a look of supreme relief flashed over his face.
"You're a lifesaver."
"Yeah, well, you may regret the swap when it comes to making storage that works for me."
"It'll be worth it to see Piper's face."
She held the door for him to enter and get the next box, and his long strides carried him down the hallway. Carter might be too handsome for his own good, but no one could deny his love for his daughter. And like it or not, she admired that about him.
"Eliza?"
She blinked up at him, only then realizing she'd stood there and ogled his masculine form every step of his return. "What?"
His gaze narrowed on her, sparkling with something she couldn't quite name along with quite a bit of amusement.
"You gonna open that door?"