Unfortunately for him, Taryn had spent the past few years dealing with three former NFL players and not much got to her. Instead of looking nervous or even guilty, she simply raised her eyebrows and waited.
“You and Angel are bailing,” he told her, his tone accusing. “On your Sprouts. There’s a toy drive and I got hauled in to the whole thing.”
“What are you talking about? How did you know about our trip? We just decided a couple of days ago to spend a month in Fiji. We haven’t told anyone yet.”
“Someone told Mayor Marsha. I just got back from a meeting with her. I’m going to be working with Bailey Voss on the toy drive. It’s not like I could say no.”
Taryn’s mouth twitched, but it wasn’t nearly as sexy as it had been on Bailey. Because he knew Taryn was laughing at him rather than with him.
“It’s not funny,” he grumbled.
“It kind of is.” She rose and walked around her desk toward him.
As usual she wore some fancy designer-suit thing and was barefoot. Because she wore stupid shoes that were too high to walk in all day. She put her hands on his chest and stared into his eyes.
“Thank you for helping my Sprouts with the toy drive.”
“You owe me.”
“I do. I don’t know how Mayor Marsha found out, but she did and you’re a really good guy for stepping in.”
He made a growling sound in his throat. No way she could mollify him with a few compliments. He was tougher than that.
She smiled. “Seriously. It means a lot to me. Those are my girls and I want them to have a good holiday.”
He shook off her touch and glowered. “I said I’d do it, okay? You don’t have to convince me.”
“No, but I would like it if you’d at least pretend it might be fun. Unless...” The humor fled her violet eyes and worry replaced it. “Oh, Kenny, I didn’t think. Is this going to be too hard for you? I can ask Jack or Sam.”
Kenny was sure their other two partners would agree. And while that would free up his time, he wasn’t one to walk away from something he’d already said he would do.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “Bailey has the details figured out. It’s the holidays, right? I can help kids who need toys.”
Taryn wasn’t fooled. She continued to study him. “I worry about you. You need somebody in your life.” She held up a hand to stop him from talking. “Not just friends, but someone special. Someone to fall in love with.”
“I’m fine.” The truth, he thought. He was completely fine. As for falling in love—well, he wanted that, too. But so far it hadn’t happened. He liked women but he hadn’t found the one. When he did...he would be all in. As long as she didn’t have kids. That was his only caveat. No single moms. No exceptions.
“I want you to be more than fine,” Taryn told him. “I want you to be happy.”
“I will be.”
One day, he thought longingly. Because there was someone for everyone. Even a guy like him.
CHAPTER TWO
THE FWM MEETINGS were a lot louder than Kenny would have guessed. He knew that there were only eight seven-year-old girls in the room, but it seemed like there were more. Of course all the girls had brought at least one parent. Adding the Grove Keepers along with him, that was a fair number of people in a smallish space.
He kept to the back of the room, careful not to make eye contact with the mothers. The dads he could handle. They would either want to talk about a game they remembered or try to prove that his having played pro ball didn’t mean anything. He could handle that, no problem.
The mothers made him more nervous. He didn’t mind the ones who said their sons wanted to play. It was the women who looked at him the way a hungry cat watches a goldfish that made him glance longingly toward the exit. He’d been propositioned plenty of times. For some people, a wedding ring was an accessory, not a commitment. He didn’t feel that way.
While he was good at shutting down the lady in question, there was always the risk of hurt feelings. Or a husband feeling he had something to prove. Kenny wasn’t in the mood for either. Better to avoid the problem completely.
He kept his attention on Angel and Taryn, who ran the meeting like the experts they were. When he felt the need to look at something more appealing, he let his gaze drift over to Bailey. Now a proposition from her would be most welcome. Then he remembered Chloe and knew he was totally screwed.
Angel, a tall dark-haired man with gray eyes and an air of danger about him, explained about the toy drive. The Sprouts didn’t seem to care that their Grove Keeper was a former special ops guy with a scar on his neck like someone had tried to slit his throat. Kenny would guess that day hadn’t ended well for the other guy.
Taryn stood by her husband and smiled. “You all know Bailey—Chloe’s mom. She’s going to be helping with the toy drive service project. But it’s a big job, so we have someone else joining the grove for the next few weeks. My friend Kenny Scott.”
Kenny waved from his place by the wall. A few of the girls waved back. He saw Chloe looking at him and he winked at her. She giggled.
Maybe he was looking at this all wrong, he told himself. Sure, he had his rules for his dating life, but this wasn’t that. He could help the girls with their service project, enjoy the holiday season and walk away without worrying that he’d gotten too involved. That made it a win-win for everyone.
He acknowledged that at some point he was going to have to deal with the fact that holding himself apart from nearly everyone wasn’t the best idea. But not a psychological hurdle he had to deal with today.
Taryn explained how the bins would have to be decorated and when that would happen. She also pointed to the sign-up sheets on the wall.
“Parents, this is where you come in. We’re going to need all the bins emptied every day. Then either Kenny or Bailey will meet you at the trailer so the presents can be secured. Any questions?”
Taryn and Angel fielded the questions. A couple of the parents walked over to the sign-up sheets and wrote their names. Kenny wondered if it was too early for him to duck out. Before he could decide, Bailey walked toward him.
Today she had on a fluffy sweater and tight jeans. Both made his mouth go dry. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. She looked great.
She bit her lower lip as she glanced at him. “Um, I’d like to ask you something,” she murmured. “If you have a second.”
Did she want to come to his place for the night? Because his answer to that was a big, fat yes. But somehow he doubted that was what she was thinking.
She drew in a breath. “Okay, so I’m buying a house. It’s so strange to think I can afford it and some nights I worry that I can’t.” She paused and shook her head. “Sorry. The rambling wasn’t supposed to be part of the question.”
“No problem. Congratulations on the house.”
“Thanks. It’s my first. The inspection is tomorrow.”
She tucked her hands into her jeans’ back pockets, which made her chest stick out more. He held in a groan. Seriously, she was killing him.
“I, ah, don’t know what happens at a house inspection. Or what I’m supposed to ask. I was going to go by myself, but now I’m worried I’ll miss something important. Would you mind coming with me?”
It took him a second to stop looking at her body long enough to realize there was a question in all the words.
“Sure,” he told her. “I’m happy to be there.”
She relaxed. Unfortunately that meant she pulled her hands out of her pockets, but nothing lasted forever.
“Really? That would be so great.”
“Tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
She rattled off a time and address. He entered both into his phone’s calendar.
“It won’t be difficult,” he told her. “The inspector’s on your side. He or she wants you to know what you’re buying.”
“That’s what my agent told me, but it’s still a little sca
ry. I’ll feel better having you along.”
One of the mothers claimed Bailey’s attention. Kenny stood in the back of the room feeling as if he could take on a whole defensive line by himself. Yup, he was the man.
* * *
BAILEY SPENT HER morning alternating between worrying about why on earth she’d asked Kenny Scott to join her for her house inspection and being incredibly grateful that he was going to be along. There was just something about being around him that made her feel...safe. As if he knew what he was doing. A ridiculous assumption, she reminded herself. The man was a former professional football player. Why would he know anything about houses?
But ask him she had and she was grateful he’d agreed to join her. Despite the fact that her late husband had been deployed during their marriage and gone for nearly two years, there were still some things she found hard to do alone.
The house was in an older part of Fool’s Gold. The neighborhood was well-established, with a nice mix of residents. Young families were buying homes and refurbishing, while older couples still lived in the places where their kids had grown up.
Bailey’s house-to-be was two stories with a large front porch. There was a small yard in front and a big one in back, a detached garage and an unfinished basement.
While the one and a half bathrooms hadn’t been remodeled in a while, the roof was new and the kitchen’s appliances were younger than her daughter. All pluses. Bailey figured she and Chloe could live with the oversized tub and two-tone pink tile in the bathrooms a lot easier than they could handle a leaky roof.
Bailey had loved the house from the moment she’d stepped foot inside of it. It wasn’t huge. There were only two bedrooms upstairs and a bonus area that Chloe could use as a playroom. Downstairs there was a tiny office for Bailey, a decent-size living room and the eat-in kitchen. There were lots of windows, big trees in the backyard and beautiful hardwood floors throughout.
What had most appealed, aside from the reasonable price, was the sense of rightness she felt when she’d first seen it. Despite the fact that the house was empty, she’d been able to see herself and Chloe living here for a long time. There had been other contenders—larger homes that were a little newer. But with all that space and shininess came a heftier mortgage. Today was her day of reckoning, when she found out if her home, barely in escrow, would pass its inspection.
She heard the rumble of a powerful engine and turned to see Kenny pulling up in front of the house. He drove a large Mercedes SUV. She was sure it cost about half of what her house did, but then he could afford it.
It must be nice not to have to clip coupons and save for things like winter tires and unexpected repair bills. In her next life, she thought with a smile. She would remember to be rich.
Kenny got out of his SUV and started toward her. The sun had been playing peek-a-boo with some clouds, but obviously shared her fascination with the man. It slipped into view and cast warm, golden light on the object of its affection. Kenny’s hair gleamed, his smile was easy and Bailey felt her heart give a little jump of appreciation.
Even if he didn’t know anything about construction or houses or the difference between a screwdriver and a wrench, he would be a nice distraction if she started to freak out, she reminded herself.
“Nice house,” Kenny said as he approached.
“Thanks.” She waited until he stopped in front of her. “So, do you know anything about houses?”
He grinned. “Regretting your impulsive request I be here?”
“Not at all. Just wondering if my assumptions are correct.”
“That because I’m a guy, I know something about electricity and plumbing?”
“Um, yeah. That would be it.”
He put his arm around her and turned her toward the house. “I am more than a pretty face. Growing up I helped my dad with all kinds of projects. I can lay tile, replace a light fixture and repair most plumbing leaks.”
“Good to know.”
The words sounded so normal, she thought. But on the inside, there was quivering and shrieking. Mostly because of how close she was to Kenny and how warm his arm was around her body. He made her feel small and delicate. Like an ordinary woman, as opposed to the widow and single mom she’d been for the past couple of years.
Before she could do much more than breathe in the scent of him and indulge in a little PG-13 make-out fantasy, a small pickup drove into her driveway. Bailey recognized the name of the inspector her real estate agent had suggested. All thoughts of Kenny fled as the enormity of what she was doing crashed in on her.
“I want it to be perfect,” she admitted in a whisper.
“Be willing to settle for sound,” Kenny advised. “Everything else is a bonus.”
Good advice, she thought as she walked over to meet her inspector.
Paul Jennings was a man in his fifties. He was pleasant, but seemed more interested in the house than making small talk. He had a large rolling toolbox with him and began the inspection by walking around the outside of the house.
“We start from the ground up,” Mr. Jennings told her. “Foundation to roof. I’ll tell you what I find as I go, then get you a written report via email by this time tomorrow. But before I leave, you’ll already know everything I’ve found.”
“I appreciate that,” she told him.
“Then let’s get started.”
Three hours later Bailey knew more about the house she wanted to buy than she’d ever known about any other building in her life. Even better, she was comfortable with her decision. There were a couple of small problems. The chimney needed to be cleaned before she and Chloe could use it, there were three electrical outlets that didn’t work and the faucet that connected the water to the washer had lost its turny thing.
A small list of easy repairs, she thought as the older man drove away. There hadn’t been any roof leaks, the basement was dry and the furnace put out plenty of heat. Even better was the series of stickers on the side of it, showing that it had been serviced regularly.
“Feeling better?” Kenny asked as they stepped back inside.
She nodded. “Thank you so much. You were great.”
He had been. He’d let her take the lead, but had stayed close by and asked plenty of sensible questions. He’d insisted she go into the attic herself to see into the deep corners so she understood about the insulation and venting. Because of him she now knew where the water and gas shutoffs were.
“As soon as I get the inspection report, I’ll contact my real estate agent,” she said. “We’ll get a list to the seller.”
“Don’t forget about the chimney cleaning,” he told her.
“I won’t.” She glanced at the big fireplace. “I’m going to have to read an article on how to build a fire. There’s a special way, right? With twigs and regular wood?”
Kenny sighed. “It’s kindling and I’ll show you.”
“You know how to build a fire?”
“I’m a man of many talents.”
His voice was teasing and maybe a little sexy. While Bailey appreciated the thrill of her crush, right now practical Kenny was even more appealing.
“I’d like you to teach me,” she told him. “I wonder if the local hardware store has classes on basic home repairs. I don’t want to be one of those women who has a house and doesn’t know how to do anything. I should be able to learn, right?”
“It’s not hard. There are a couple of really good books on the subject. I’ll get one for you.” He winked. “Along with a set of pink tools.”
She laughed. “I’d love pink tools. One of my favorite mystery books has a heroine with pink tools.” They wandered into the kitchen. Mr. Jennings had checked all the appliances along with the drains. “My expertise is more cosmetic. I can patch and paint with the best of them, but anything behind the walls makes me nervous.”
“What do you want to do before you move in?” he asked.
“The usual. Clean, paint.” She set her large tote bag on the count
er and pulled out a folder. “Chloe and I have been picking out paint colors.” She fanned the squares onto the counter. “Usually I’m a big believer in painting a sample on the wall, but the seller probably wouldn’t like that. I’ve talked to a few friends and they’re open to a couple of days of helping me out. The plan is to close on Thursday, then start the intensive patching and sanding on Friday. We’ll be painting by Saturday. The move will be Tuesday.”
“A well-oiled machine.”
“I hope. You know what can happen when you make plans.” She pointed to the pale lavender sample. “That’s the one Chloe wants for her room. I think it will be really pretty.”
“She’s getting the room with the dormer windows?” he asked.
“Right, with the little built-in desk between them. I thinking a good sanding will work wonders.”
“You’re right. The wood is pine. Then a nice clear finish, maybe cover it with a thick piece of glass.”
She smiled up at him. “That’s what I was thinking,” she admitted. “I want to get her a new bedroom set. She’s always had hand-me-downs. I’ve been saving and I’ve picked out a couple that would be great for her. I’m torn between letting her in on what I have planned and keeping it a secret.”
“Let her be surprised. She’ll like whatever you get.”
“You think?” she asked eagerly. “I want her to love the house. We’ve always lived in apartments. Will and I never had the money for a down payment. I wouldn’t have it now except there’s a special program that grants money to people who wouldn’t otherwise qualify. Mayor Marsha helped me apply and wrote a recommendation.”
She told herself Kenny couldn’t possibly be interested in her personal finances, but she couldn’t seem to stop talking. “I know it’s a great opportunity. I’ve always wanted to own a house. Nothing fancy, just our own home.” A place to be safe, she thought wistfully.
“Makes sense,” he told her. “I’m glad you’re getting this place. Let me know if you want a guy’s opinion on the furniture.”
Yours for Christmas Page 2
