by Ruth Langan
“Tuna on rye?” She glanced around before tossing another, then read the label of a third with a growing smile. “Did somebody here actually order peanut butter and jelly?”
The entire crew howled as a blond, freckled football player raised his hand. In defense he shouted, “Hey. Knock it off. My mom taught me that pbj was good for me.”
“Boy, did she have you conned,” one of the older guys said as he bit into his second hot dog. “It never occurred to you that she said that because it was easier to make than anything else?”
The kid had a blank look for a moment before he ducked his head.
“That’s all right, Kevin.” Hannah stretched out beside him and began unwrapping her own lunch. “My mom tried that line on me, too. And I believed it until I was, oh…six or seven, anyway.”
That brought another round of laughter from the crew.
“Hey, Hannah.” Bret nudged the guys on either side of him. “What do you eat to keep that girlish figure? Sprouts and watercress?”
“In your dreams, Bret.” She bit into a thick burger dripping with lted cheese and chili. “I’d rather keep up my energy and let you worry about my girlish figure.”
While the others roared with laughter, she looked up to see Ethan and his boys standing over her. She felt her cheeks grow hot, and was grateful when Ethan held up a six-pack of soda, deflecting attention away from her.
“I saw that you’d stopped for lunch and figured you’d enjoy this.” As he passed around the frosty cans, Danny and T.J. plunked themselves down in the grass on either side of Hannah.
“Did you two have lunch?” she asked.
Danny nodded. “Daddy made us peanut butter and jelly.”
That brought another round of laughter from the crew.
“I bet he told you it was good for you,” Hannah said with a straight face.
“Uh-huh.” Danny pointed to the plastic bottle of water resting at her hip. “Don’t you drink soda?”
“Not while I’m working. I can’t deal with the sugar buzz. I prefer plain old water.”
Ethan nodded toward the pile of boulders. “Think you’ll be able to get all those in place before dark?”
“That’d be nice, but I don’t think it’s possible. We’ve probably got another couple of days on this project.” Hannah polished off the last of her burger and washed it down with a long drink of water. As she capped the bottle she glanced at the two little boys. “How about another tractor ride before we get back to work?”
The two were up and dashing toward the tractor as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
She turned to Ethan. “I guess that’s a yes.”
As he strolled along beside her he couldn’t help laughing. “You certainly know how to make two little boys happy.”
“It’s easy. I work with guys all day. After a while it becomes second nature.”
“I doubt your crew would be happy with a simple tractor ride.”
“You’d be surprised at how little it takes to keep them happy. A sunny day, a good lunch and a fat paycheck.”
“And what does it take to keep their boss happy?”
She glanced over to see him watching her. Again that odd little tingle. She decided to keep it light. “Pretty much the same. I’m a sucker for a sunny summer day.”
She pulled herself up to the seat of the tractor and helped Danny settle himself onto her lap. Ethan lifted little T.J. into his arms and sat beside her. Minutes later they were circling the backyard, moving slowly around the pile of boulders and debris from their morning chores.
Above the noise of the engine, Ethan said, “I can’t help noticing how much you seem to love your work.”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t trade with anybody.”
“That’s one of life’s great gifts. I hope you appreciate it.”
“Oh, I do.” Hannah glanced at her watch. “We’ll take another turn around the yard. My guys deserve a little more time to relax before I start cracking the whip.”
Danny looked over his shoulder with big eyes. “You have a whip?”
She broke into laughter. “Not exactly. But I let them think I do.”
“They don’t look like they’re afraid of you,” he said matter-of-factly. “They like you, Hannah.”
“Now how would you know that?”
He shrugged. “I could just tell, ’cause they were all laughing and easy with you when we walked up.”
“Yeah. They were.” She ruffled his hair. “I guess I’ll have to come up with something else besides a whip to keep them in line, huh?”
The little boy merely grinned and returned his attention to the steering wheel of the tractor. With little yelps of pleasure, Danny and T.J. continued holding tightly to the wheel until Hannah brought it to a stop near the porch.
“Thanks, Hannah.” Danny scrambled down and ran a hand lovingly over the big tires. His little brother followed his example and did the same.
Ethan touched a hand to hers. “I’ll add my thanks, too. I haven’t seen them this excited in a long time.”
“It’s nothing. Really.” She wondered at the heat that raced up her arm.
“Maybe it’s nothing to you. But it’s a really big deal to them. And to me. Thanks again.”
He stepped down and scooped up the two boys, carrying them to the top of the steps where they turned and waved.
Hannah returned the wave before backing up the tractor and heading toward the retaining wall, where her crew had already begun the tedious task of removing the last of the timbers.
The heat of Ethan’s touch remained, she realized. Warmer even than the heat of the sun.
Not a problem, she reminded herself. A couple of weeks and she’d move on to the next job, the next client.
Still, she had to admit that having a client as sexy as Ethan Harrison added a little spice to the job.
Chapter 4
“That’s it for today, guys.” Hannah tipped up her water bottle and drained it before glancing at her watch. “Just hang here a minute and I’ll see if the client wants us to clear the equipment.” She crossed the big yard and climbed the steps. Before she could knock, the door was thrown open and she stared down at two little faces peering up at her. “Hi, Danny, T.J. Is your daddy around?”
“In here.” Ethan turned from the stove. “Come on in.”
“Sorry. I’m too dirty.” Hannah remained on the deck. “I just wondered if I could leave the equipment here overnight. We’ll cover it with tarps. It won’t be pretty, but it’s a lot easier than hauling it away every night and returning it every morning.”
Ethan walked over to stand behind his two boys, who were holding the door open. “Of course you can leave it. We’re not planning any garden parties.” He grinned at his two sons. “Are we?”
Danny looked up at his father. “What’s a garden party?”
Ethan shrugged. “Just what it sounds like. A party in the garden. And since our gardens haven’t been planted yet, it’s too soon to have one.” He turned to Hannah. “There’s no need to cover the equipment. In fact, I know two little boys who are itching to climb up and sit on that tractor the minute you and your crew are gone. That is, if you don’t mind.”
Hannah laughed. “Be my guest. But just to make sure they don’t get carried away, I’ll take the keys with me.”
“What’s the matter? Afraid I might be tempted to drive it while you’re gone?”
Hannah gave Ethan a slow appraisal. Despite the casual shorts and T-shirt and the faded leather sandals, he couldn’t hide his prep-school manner. Maybe it was the razor-short hair, or the tanned and perfectly toned body that spoke of hours in the gym. “Somehow I just can’t picture you being comfortable on a tractor.”
“I’ll have you know I worked on a cement crew my freshman year in college.” His grin was quick and deadly. “My first day on the job I dragged my hide home, aching in places I never even knew I had. I was so tired I never even made it to bed. I fell asleep right inside the doorwa
y of my bedroom.”
He shared a laugh with Hannah before adding, “And by the end of that summer I vowed I’d find an easier way to make a living.”
Hannah glanced around for emphasis. “It looks like you did.”
“Yeah. One year on a cement crew was enough motivation.” Hearing the timer on the stove, he turned away. “Time to start the rotisserie. I’m fixing chicken. Want to join us?”
Hannah glanced down at her stained denims and muddy work boots. “I’d love to. But I need to scrub off a day’s worth of grime before I can even think about dinner.”
“You’ve got time. The chicken won’t be ready for at least an hour.”
“Sorry, but I…”
She was shaking her head and backing away when Danny caught her hand. “Please, Hannah. You said you’d come up and see my construction yard.”
“I don’t think…” She saw the flash of disappointment in his eyes and hesitated. Beside him, little T.J. mirrored his brother’s sadness.
That was all she needed to cave in.
She turned to Ethan. “If you’re sure it’s no trouble?”
“No trouble at all.” He fiddled with the dials on the stove before turning to give her a smile. “How about six-thirty?”
She glanced at her watch and nodded. “Okay.” She winked at Danny and T.J. “See you then.”
She could hear the two little boys actually cheering as she stepped off the porch and crossed to her waiting crew. The sound stayed with her as she and the others secured their equipment with tarps before climbing into trucks and taking their leave. By the time she’d arrived home to strip off her filthy clothes and soak away the dirt of the day, she’d come to the conclusion that those two little boys must be terribly lonely to show such a reaction to something as casual as a last-minute dinner guest.
Hannah stepped out of her car and picked up the little handled bag from the wine shop before starting toward the porch. Even before she’d started up the steps the door was opened and the two little boys came tumbling out to greet her.
“Wow.” Danny caught sight of the red convertible, and his smile turned into an ear-to-ear grin. “Look, Daddy.”
Ethan stepped to the door. While the two boys raced past Hannah to study her car, he stopped in his tracks and simply stared. Gone was the ever-present baseball cap. In its place was hair as shiny as corn silk that had him itching to run his hands through it. She was wearing simple white jeans and a white eyelet blouse tied at her midriff, which showed off her sun-kissed skin to its best advantage. On her feet were white sandals. And he noted her bare toes sported a coat of pale-pink polish that looked freshly applied.
When he found his voice he managed to say, “You clean up really good.”
“Thanks.” She dimpled and handed him the bag. “I stopped at the wine shop. I hope you like Pinot Grigio.”
“If you like it, I’ll love it.” Hearing his sons’ squeals he looked over. Seeing the car, he arched a brow. “No truck tonight?”
“That’s for work. When I’m on my own time I prefer something hot.”
He chuckled, then called, “Danny, T.J. I don’t think Hannah will appreciate your fingerprints on the door of her hot wheels.”
Danny’s eyes were as big as saucers by the time he’d returned to the porch. “T.J. and I have Hot Wheels, too, Hannah.”
“You do? I hope you’ll show them to me.”
“Can we, Daddy?”
Ethan nodded. “If you’d like, you can take her upstairs right now.”
“Come on.” Danny raced ahead, with T.J.’s little legs pumping hard to keep up.
Ethan stood watching as Hannah followed at a more leisurely pace. It took him a moment to realize that she’d disappeared up the stairs, and he was standing completely still holding the bottle of wine. With a shake of his head he went off in search of a corkscrew.
A short time later he climbed the stairs and paused in the doorway to his sons’ room. T.J. was holding up a racing flag, while Danny and Hannah knelt side by side at the starting gate of a miniature car raceway. When T.J. lowered the flag, two tiny cars were released f their gates and went careening down a plastic hill and around several curves before rolling to a stop at the finish line.
“I won.” Danny was jumping up and down. “I won, Hannah.”
“Yes, you did.” She hugged him before turning to his little brother. “Now the winner gets to race against the challenger. This time I’ll hold the flag. Come on, T.J. Which car do you want?”
The little boy took his time before choosing a candy-apple-red car and placing it at the starting gate, beside Danny’s blue one.
“Did you pick that color because of my car?” Hannah asked him.
He smiled shyly before nodding his head.
When Hannah lowered the flag, the cars again rolled down the hill and around the curves before coming to a stop at the finish line.
“Uh-oh.” Hannah walked over to study the cars before looking up. “I think this one’s a tie.”
“Can we go again?”
Hannah nodded toward Ethan. “You’ll have to ask your father if there’s time for one more.”
Danny turned. “Do we have to go eat now, Daddy?”
“We do unless you’d like your chicken burned to a crisp.” Ethan handed Hannah a stemmed glass of white wine. “Did you guys show Hannah your tractors?”
“Yeah. She knew the names of all our stuff, Daddy.” Proud of his newly acquired knowledge, Danny walked around the room where he and Hannah had arranged a mock construction yard. “This one’s a backhoe. And this is a Bobcat. And this one’s—” he paused and turned to Hannah “—I forgot this one.”
“A front-end loader.”
“Oh, yeah. ’Cause the scoop is in the front, right, Hannah?”
“That’s right.”
Ethan gave a shake of his head. “I’m impressed.”
“You should be.” Hannah arched a brow. “How many women do you know who can rattle off the names of heavy equipment?”
“I can’t think of one.”
“There you are.”
“Hannah said she’s been to real auto races, Daddy.”
Ethan’s smile grew. “Why am I not surprised?” He turned toward the doorway. “Come on, boys. Let’s take Hannah downstairs now and feed her.”
He waited until she walked past him, then trailed slowly behind. The view of her backside as she descended the stairs had his throat going dry. There was, he had to admit, no prettier sight in the world than a tall, tanned goddess in snug-fitting white jeans.
Hannah looked around the kitchen. “Want me to set the table?”
Ethan shook his head. “I’ve decided the evening is too good to waste indoors. I thought we’d eat on the deck.”
He led the way outside, where hurricane candles flickered on a round glass table set for four. A simple galvanized bucket of ice held the bottle of wine, as well as a plastic pitcher of lemonade.
“Oh.” Hannah breathed in the familiar scent of water and moist earth. “Is there anything sweeter than a summer evening in Michigan?”
“I can’t think of one. Have you lived here all your life?”
She nodded, then remembering her manners, turned. “Would you like me to help carry out the food?”
“I’ll handle it.” As he turned away, Ethan called to his sons, “Show Hannah where you’d like her to sit.”
“You sit here, Hannah.” Danny indicated a swivel chair. “That way you’re between T.J. and me. Daddy always sits there.” He pointed.
“All right.” Hannah took her seat and watched as the two little boys scrambled into their chairs. “Would you like me to pour you both some lemonade? Or do you prefer milk?”
“Lemonade, please.” Danny watched as she filled his glass.
“T.J.?” Hannah turned, and the little boy nodded and held his glass as his big brother had done.
Ethan carried a platter to the table. Besides the chicken, there were tiny potatoes roasted w
ith garden vegetables and a basket of rolls.
“Oh, that looks wonderful.” Hannah sipped her wine and watched as Ethan placed a small amount on each of his son’s plates before holding the platter out to her.
She helped herself to chicken and vegetables. Seeing T.J. struggling with his food she asked, “Would you like some help?”
He nodded so she reached over to cut his chicken and vegetables into tiny bites. When she’d finished buttering his roll, he smiled his gratitude before he began to eat.
“How about you, Danny? Need any help?”
“No, thanks,” he told her. “I’m a big boy.”
“Right. I forgot.”
Across the table Ethan watched in silence.
After just one taste Hannah sighed. “Oh, this is much better than the cold pizza that was going to be my dinner tonight.”
Ethan gave a dry laugh. “Thanks, I think. Does this mean my cooking is only marginally better than last night’s leftovers?”
She smiled. “You might say that. But if I’m going to be honest, I’ll have to admit that this is wonderful.” She winked at Danny, then at T.J. “Your daddy is a really good cook.”
Danny emptied his glass and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “Are you a good cook, too, Hannah?”
“If I’m in the mood. I have a couple of favorite recipes that I like to play with from time to time. But most days I’m just too tired and dirty to care what I eat, as long as it’s protein and carbs.”
“What’s protein and carbs?” he asked.
“Meat. Cheese. Pasta. And lots and lots of gooey fat. That’s what fuels me.”
“You mean like gasoline?”
She laughed. “Sort of. I burn a lot of energy in my work and I’ve discovered that I need to replace it on a daily basis or I get grumpy.”
“Is that like sad?”
She nodded. “Something like that.”
The little boy glanced at his father. “Daddy gets sad sometimes.”
Hannah saw Ethan’s quick frown before he ducked his head. “We all get sad sometimes.” She turned to include T.J. in the conversation. “That just makes the happy times even better. It’s like seeing storm clouds roll away, leaving the sky filled with sunshine.”
