“So you’ll be going back to Boston.”
He opened his mouth to tell her the same thing he’d told Jackson. That he had work backing up
and patients to see. That he had to take it a day at a time. That this place made him think of his father and he wouldn’t be hanging around a moment longer than was necessary.
“I’ll finish the deck for you.” He couldn’t quite believe he’d said it and clearly she couldn’t either because she stared at him, as if checking the meaning of each word.
“You’ll finish my deck? How? You’re a surgeon, not a carpenter.”
“I’m good with my hands.”
Color streaked across her cheeks. “Is this a game you are playing or is it a serious offer?”
“It’s a serious offer.” He watched her mouth, hoping the dimple would reappear. “Never let it be said that I walk away from a maiden in distress. I have a free weekend. It’s yours if you want it.”
“What’s your price?”
“We’ll negotiate that later. So I assume that’s a yes? You’d like me to do it?”
Suspicion was replaced by joy. “Yes, of course, yes!” She sprang at him and wrapped him in a tight hug that almost cut off his air and his blood supply. “Thank you. Oh, thank you. I will never again shout at you even when you say Snow Crystal isn’t important.”
The scent of her wrapped itself around him, making him dizzy. Her hair was soft and silky against his jaw. “I didn’t say it wasn’t important. Just that you don’t need to have a nervous breakdown about the café opening late.”
“Thanks to you it’s not going to open late now. It’s going to be on time. What about clothes?” She released him. “You cannot work on a deck in your suit.”
“I have a pair of jeans in my car and I’ll borrow everything else from Jackson.”
“Vraiment? You would do that?” She stared at him for a moment as if she couldn’t quite believe what he was saying and then her eyes filled. “Now I think you’re a hero.”
More used to being cast in the role of the bad guy, Sean felt a flash of unease. “Élise—”
“Zach’s tools are locked inside.” She smiled and the dimple peeped from the corner of her mouth. “I’ll show you where. Then I need to take a shower and call Kayla to stop her canceling the party. She will be so happy. So will Jackson. It is very kind of you, I think.”
Sean dragged his mind and his eyes from Élise’s lips. He wasn’t sure what his motivation was, but he was fairly confident kindness hadn’t played any part in his decision making. “No problem.”
CHAPTER FIVE
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS later Élise stood on the deck of the café and wondered why it hadn’t occurred to her that accepting Sean’s offer of help would mean he’d be working here, under her nose.
Why was she so impulsive?
Why did she never think anything through?
After her daily run around the lake, she’d spent the morning in the restaurant, working lunchtime service, discussing menus, meeting with her team. She’d met with two new local suppliers and interviewed a kitchen assistant. And if all that conspired to keep her away from the Boathouse, she told herself it was coincidence, nothing more. It was everything to do with pressure of work and nothing to do with the fact that Sean was working on her deck. And she told herself that pressure of work was also the reason she hadn’t responded to frequent text updates from her new sous-chef, Poppy.
Hi boss, the view from the Boathouse is better than ever today.
And five minutes later.
It’s scorchin’ hot over here J
And now she was back at the Boathouse and could see it for herself.
Concentrating was impossible.
“What is it about a guy using power tools?” Poppy grinned as she balanced a stack of boxes in her arms on the way to the kitchen. “I just look at him and want him to nail me to the deck. He is insanely good-looking. I’m taking my lunch break outside today, Chef.”
Élise gritted her teeth. “Did everything arrive?”