Page 21 of Major Love

I breathe out a laugh, shaking my head. “It’s not a big deal,” I rumble quietly. “But I know how many situations people can find themselves in up the mountains.”

The small crease on Sunday’s brow stays in place.

Then she asks me the question that makes me understand the guarded expression.

“Um,” she says quietly, “so, when are you going back?”

Her eyes lock with mine and my chest heaves when I realise what she’s insinuating.

What she doesn’t know.

“Sunday,” I rumble slowly, “I don’t do that anymore.”

She watches me without blinking, and I search her eyes, my chest rising.

“I received honorary discharge a few years back. I’m not in the Army anymore.”

In less than a second she’s on her feet, closing the space between us until there’s only an inch.

“What?” she exclaims. “You’re… you’re not…?”

I swipe my tongue over my bottom lip, looking away from her, suddenly parched.

I jerk my chin toward Casey’s front porch, to where Sunday will be able to see my truck parked up on the curb. The wordsCOLESON CONSTRUCTIONprinted in capital letters on the side.

“I run a construction company,” I tell her. “And do a little search-and-rescue during the winter.”

I rub my palm down my stubble, casting a wary look down at Sunday.

Her jaw’s on the floor. And I’m not sure how she’ll take the news that I left one dangerous job and started another.

So I just keep on talking, hoping that the more I explain, the more she’ll understand.

I jerk my thumb toward Casey’s yard and say, “Case doesn’t have a clue that I’ve done that, by the way. During the winter, me and the guys focus in on small-town jobs, and because we’re not as booked from November to March, I can use the free time to…”

I trail off and shrug a shoulder, not sure how to describe it.

“I wouldn’t call it doing a favour, because I don’t expect anything in return. Guess it’s just showing appreciation. Using my skills to… make someone’s day.”

Sunday shakes her head at me, looking even more confused now than she was thirty seconds ago.

“Do you have, like, any free time at all?” she asks breathlessly.

I roll my shoulders and search her eyes. “Want me to make some?”

Her breathing hitches and she blinks quickly away from me, blushing prettily.

Case would probably shoot me if he knew I was flirting with his little sister in his cabin right now.

“Tell you what,” I rumble, grabbing my wallet so that I can slip out one of my business cards. It’s a simple black rectangle with my company’s name and two numbers on the bottom – one for my company cell, and one for my personal phone. “I’ll be finishing up Casey’s yard, ideally before the heavy snowfall, but if you want any company while you’re in town… or if you need help with anything at all… you’ve got my number, okay?”

Sunday watches me for a moment before cautiously taking the card from my hand.

“Anything?” she repeats, trying to gauge what that word means when it comes to us.

There are too many unknowns for me to cross any lines, and it’s way too fucking soon to even consider asking her out.

So for now the least I can offer her is a helping hand while she’s at the cabin.

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