Page 15 of Trust

“How can I help?” she called out.

“Stay out of the way,” he yelled, lifting a chainsaw from the truck.

“I’m a lot stronger than I look.” Sauntering over, she lifted herself on her tippy toes and studied the various tools. “My goodness, are you going to build me another house?”

“No, I just don’t want to run back and forth tomorrow.”

Feeling a moment of regret for roping him into her project, she studied the grim smile decorating his face and knew letting him off the hook was the only answer. “Zane, let’s just forget this little undertaking. You’re in the middle of redoing your house, taming the ghosts, and whatever else a hermit does. My project is meant to waste my time, not yours.”

“What about your earlier comment regarding long-held dreams and me crushing them?”

“I didn’t say anything about crushing, did I?”

He set down an enormous clipper. “I’m paraphrasing, so don’t choose this moment to become literal and bust my chops.”

“That’s just it,” she said as she moved to his side. “I’m having a horrible attack of guilt and feel bad for jumping on your brother’s offer. It was selfish on my part, and…”

“I’m a big boy, Olivia, and wouldn’t be doing this unless I wanted to.”

“That you are,” she said under her breath. Putting her hand on his, she looked down and noticed his fingers were twice as long and decorated in scars where hers were covered in rings. “I’m sure you have a hundred things you’d rather be doing, and I don’t want to hold up your renovation.”

“I’m waiting on the kitchen countertops, so I have a few days free.” Zane flipped his hand and wrapped his fingers around her palm. “And…”

“Yes?” she whispered. The way his green eyes darkened made her heart skitter, and she hoped it was desire, not annoyance making his breath quicken.

“I decided that I wouldn’t mind taking you on. I mean your Ferris wheel.”

Nodding slowly, she said a silent hallelujah and decided that making a big deal of what she prayed was a Freudian slip would be foolish. “Okay. If you’re in it for the challenge, then that makes sense. As long as you weren’t shanghaied into something you’ve got zero interest in.”

“One thing you’ll soon learn about me is that I’m unshanghaiable.”

“And the zero-interest component?” Holding her breath, she felt his fingers tighten and his body shift closer.

“Definitely not zero.”

Letting out a nervous laugh, she pushed herself back on her heels. “Guessing you’re not going to give me a number.”

“Not a numbers guy, Olivia.”

“Fair enough.” She slid her hand away and stepped back. “Let me help you unload the rest of this, and then I can give you the info I dug up about this beast of burden.”

Zane handed her a roll of black trash bags. “You can take this.”

She lifted her arm and fisted her hand, making the muscle in her arm pop. “I may be small, but I’m no wimp. I lift weights at least twice a month.”

Zane circled her bicep with one hand. “Impressive.”

“A gentleman wouldn’t mock me.”

“What gave you the impression that’s what I was?”

“Not a thing,” she said quietly, picturing several ungentlemanly things he could do to her.

A loud crash near the house pulled her attention away, and she saw a streak of black as the cat she’d been feeding was being chased by Bella.

She slipped her arm away from Zane’s grip and whistled. “Bella, remember what we said about chasing boys who aren’t interested.”

Being the strong-willed woman she was, Bella ignored the second whistle and tore into the trees after the object of her affection.

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