Jardin's Gamble (Haven, Texas 9)

“Well, now I know why,” she joked.

“What do you mean you got off on the wrong stop?” he asked. “Did you take the bus to get here?”

“You kind of have my car so . . .”

He ran his hand over his face, looking exasperated. “Babe, why didn’t you call me? I could have picked you up at the bus stop. Hell, if you didn’t want me picking you up at your house, I could have met you someplace public so you didn’t have to take the bus. Exactly how many blocks did you have to walk anyway?”

“Um, about six.”

He gave her a knowing look from those blue eyes. “It didn’t even occur to you to call me, did it?”

She shrugged. What could she say? She’d never had someone to call. Someone she could rely on. No, it hadn’t occurred to her.

“I’m here now.”

Sighing, he walked up next to her, wrapping his arm around her. She stiffened at the feel of him against her, getting a whiff of his cologne. Oh, that was nice. He smelled like the woods. Fresh and masculine.

“Easy, I’m gonna help you into the garage so you can sit down, all right? Unless you’d rather I pick you up?”

“Uh, no, best we save your back,” she joked. “I’m not exactly light.”

He looked her over. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way you look. Unless you were trying to insult me? I have missed a few gym sessions lately. Are you saying I’m looking puny?”

Her mouth dropped open. Insult him? “I wasn’t insulting you. You . . . you look perfect. And there’s nothing wrong with your muscles.”

“So, you were insulting yourself then?” he asked calmly. But something warned her to be careful of her answer.

“Not sure if you noticed, but I’m carrying plenty of junk in my trunk.”

“From what I can see, your trunk is perfect. Good for grabbing. And for spanking.” He winked down at her, making her wonder if he was just joking.

She let him half-carry her into the garage. And there was definitely nothing puny about him. He walked her into small office that seemed to be overrun with paperwork.

“Sorry,” he told her, red filling his cheeks. “Administration is my nemesis.”

It kind of surprised her, because from what she’d seen of his garage, it was spick and span.

“This is a disaster,” she told him bluntly.

He drew out a chair on wheels for her to sit in and she did, spinning around as she took in the piles of papers everywhere, along with sticky notes pasted onto almost every available surface.

Placing his hand on the back of his neck, he gazed around almost stupefied, as though he couldn’t work out why this room was in such a state. “I know. I just can’t seem to get on top of everything.”

“Maybe I can help,” she said. Wait. What? You don’t have time to help. She had a full-time job and two kids to look after. The only reason she’d been able to come out tonight was because of Juanita. She’d agreed immediately to take Keir and Ace for the night, telling Thea she could pick them up as late tomorrow as she liked. As though she thought Thea would be sleeping in for some reason. She’d had to explain this wasn’t that sort of date. Juanita wasn’t buying any of it, especially after hearing about how she’d met Carrick. She thought it was romantic.

Thea wasn’t even sure she’d know what romantic was unless it bit her in the ass.

“You don’t have to do that,” he told her, although there was a hopeful look to his face.

“I kind of owe you.”

He frowned. “No, you don’t. And I don’t want you to do anything out of obligation. You owe me nothing. Now, what are we going to do about your feet? Can’t take you out if you’re limping.”

Now she felt terrible. She hadn’t meant that the way it sounded.

“Carrick, I’d like to help you. Really. I wish I had more free time. Would you mind if I brought my brothers with me? Maybe I could come on a Saturday morning? Are you open then?”

“You have custody of your brothers?”