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Tom looked up and pushed back the ball cap on his head She noticed his slightly shaggy hair curled around the edge of the cap, giving hiuish appearance Oh, boy She had to stop noticing things like that

“Hey yourself” He s?”

“I didn’t want to hang around while the Orkin s to that place you recoht I’d browse around town I’ve been here over a week and I’ve hardly seen anything”

He watched her carefully “No stop at the Realtor’s?”

She shrugged “Not much point until the renovations are completed, is there?”

He nodded briefly and sat back on his heels “This’sa new deck for her and putting up a pergola on that side for her to display soet it done now that your veranda is usable and while I wait forof, we should go over countertop and cupboard samples for the kitchen so you can decide what you want That stuff has to be special-ordered so the sooner the better”

She sed, thinking about poring over granite and stain sa the spicy scent of his aftershave Sothe back staircase The air between the at Tom now, his shirt dained it all and more than once she’d considered that it was all one-sided After all, Toeous She’d have to be blind not to notice He could probably crook his finger and have any woirlfriend She had no business thinking about him that way, in a secret staircase or anywhere else for that matter

She untangled her tongue and tried a smile “We can do it whenever it fits your schedule”

“After I finish here, I’m all yours”

Now that was an intriguing idea A pert coue but she kept it to herself and asked, “What about Saturday? You want to come over to the house?”

He reached for a scrap of wood and tossed it on a growing pile beside the deck “Saturday’s good, but why don’t we drive into Portland and hit the supplier’s showrooether rather than trying to visualize it from a little chip, you know?”

Drive into the city together? She blinked as realization dawned They’d be alone in her car—or his truck—together, maybe have lunch just the two of them Like a … date, only not The idea flustered her more than it should

He’d stopped working and atching her expectantly She had no good excuse It’s not like she could tell hi

“That would be okay,” she replied “What time?”

“Ten? Is that too early? It could take us a while”