That was partially true.
“Apology accepted. Is that it?”
He knew. It was as though his gaze bore right into her brain, as though he could read everything there.
“No. I came to tell you that I think us as friends would be good.”
The smile that slowly spread on his face made her feel drunk. Or maybe it was the smell of all the flowers getting to her.
“I was actually at your place.”
“You were? Did you see Maddie?”
“Yeah. She opened the door before I could knock to tell me to be quiet so I didn’t wake Kara.”
“A cannon going off wouldn’t wake her.”
“She also told me you weren’t home.”
“I had an appointment cancel this afternoon. I was going to make an early day of it, but wanted to stop by here first.”
Her lips were dry again. She was moist in other places.
“I took another look around your backyard area. I’ve got an idea and thought, if you were up for it, I could get those lights installed for you on Saturday. I’ll be done with the Garden of Renewal tomorrow.”
She’d be saying goodbye to Kara for her first overnight visit. For the first time since her daughter’s birth she was going to be in a different city than her.
“Saturday would be perfect,” she said.
If anything could distract her from the depression of Kara’s absence—from the sadness and grief that continued to linger at the demise of her happy family life—Grant Bishop could.
His head dropped, and then he looked up at her. “Eight o’clock okay?” he asked.
“In the morning?” She heard the question and knew that it was asinine. He wasn’t going to install landscape lighting at night.
Brandon was due to pick Kara up at ten.
“Yeah, I thought morning would be best.”
He smiled. Her blood ran hot.
“Eight is fine. And…with Kara leaving, Maddie won’t be there so it would be the best time to have Darin around.” She tried to stay focused. To listen to her mind, which she could trust, and not get waylaid by emotions, which weren’t trustworthy at all.
“Do you have early appointments?”
She shook her head. And wondered what his kiss would feel like. “Not until the afternoon.”
She planned it that way on purpose so she could be at home when Brandon came to collect Kara. And thinking of her ex somehow led to the reminder that she hadn’t had sex in three years.
“But…you have to let me pay you,” she said, desperate to keep herself on track. “I make okay money, Grant, and I don’t have a mortgage. Let me pay your company the going rate.”
He grinned again. A slow grin that made her feel as if he’d just taken her clothes off. “Lady, you can’t afford me.”
“Try me.”
He named a price. She didn’t blanch. But if she’d tried to speak she would have choked.
“Too much, huh?” His head at a slight angle, he studied her. She didn’t want to fail his test.
“No,” she finally managed, and her voice sounded fine. Years of practice in the medical field paying off, probably. “I can afford you.”
But she couldn’t. Not financially. And not emotionally, either.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
HE SAW LYNN twice on Friday. Both times she’d been walking within view of the Garden of Renewal. She waved. He waved back. And his thoughts of her were hotter than the lights he was wiring—the finishing touch on the garden.
By the time he collected Darin from his afternoon therapy session, he was ready to remove the caution tape from around the newly remodeled garden.
He told Darin the second he saw him, lifting his left hand to Darin’s right for a high five, a ritual at the completion of every job.
“I don’t know why you keep coming here to get me, Grant,” Darin said, leaving Grant’s hand hanging in midair.
“I like to watch the last few minutes of therapy each day so I can see how well you’re progressing,” he said, aware of the slightly petulant tone of his voice.
He was hurt. He knew he had absolutely no right to be, but he couldn’t help the way he felt.
“You’ve always liked to have me around,” he added as he headed down the hall and out the back door. Darin kept pace with him.