Page 3 of The Summer Dare
“This is my house and you’re trespassing,” I remind him with authority.
“No, I’m not.” He crosses his arms over his broad chest, yet doesn’t let go of the tool he’s carrying.
“Yes, you are. You’re not only trespassing, but you’re also disturbing the fucking peace.”
Damn. Just how tall is this guy? He can’t be much older than me, and I’m fairly certain he’s not dangerous, but evenfrom the distance I’ve kept between us, I’m forced to crane my neck up to look him in the eye.
Before I can let his height detour me, I continue my rant. “You have no right being on my property, let alone destroying it at the fucking ass-crack of dawn,” I spit out like a petulant child. “Here I am, enjoying my first full day of summer, only to be woken to the sound of a saw coming through my fucking wall. Just who the hell do you think you are?”
His jaw ticks for a few moments, then a heavy breath is released.
“First, it’s not the ass-crack of dawn. It’s already seven-thirty and the sun’s been out for hours. Second, I’ve been hired by Jane Lancaster to do some renovations on the place, so I’m clearly not destroying it.”
At the mention of my grandmother’s name, I hesitate for the briefest of moments and mutter, “That’s… not possible.”
“I assure you, it is,” he firmly states, looking down at me from his towering height. His muscles twitch under his well-fitted black t-shirt. He’s not bulky, but he isn’t a string bean, as Nana would say, either. No, he fills out his lengthy form perfectly.
Taking a breath, I stammer out the words I hate to admit. “That’s… really… not possible. She’s been gone… since… January.” My chest aches as if those words are once again a finality that Nana’s really gone.
Clenching his jaw, he sighs heavily. I watch impatiently as his eyes dart to the hanger in my hand, then down my body before returning to meet my gaze. “Look, I’ve got the contractin my truck,” he starts out forcefully, then looks to the sky before adding, “Can you put on some pants, so we can talk about this? And maybe stow your killer coat hanger while you’re at it. I don’t mean you any harm.”
When I mentionher lack of pants, all the wind momentarily drops from her sails. Her fierceness droops and her cheeks darken, but somehow she remains standing tall. She’s got a rockin’ body—but unfortunately her freak flag is flying—so it’s best if my mind doesn’t go there.
I mean—who uses a coat hanger for protection? There has to be a million things she could’ve grabbed on her way out. I must’ve scared the piss out of her, for her to come out screaming like a banshee brandishingthatas a weapon.
I can’t blame her. No one wants to be woken like this.
But I’ve got a job to do.
I need to finish this project, so I can move on to the next and get this dreadful summer over with. Working at my family’s company is the last thing I want—I certainly don’t have time to deal with a pretentious princess.
After watching her nod once and say, “I’ll be right back,”she turns on a dime and stomps into the house. She’s wearing tiny boy shorts as underwear and her toned legs look amazing on her retreat. Not to mention, her beautifully round ass… Holy hell, it’s the perfect combination of sway and jiggle as she firmly retreats.
Fuck, man. Get it together.
Shaking my head, I walk to my truck so I can find the necessary paperwork to show her I am in fact NOT an intruder and the entire scene plays on repeat in my mind. If I wasn’t so irritated that her tantrum was putting me behind schedule, I’d probably find it funny.
I’ve seen a lot of things on the job, but this by far takes the cake. I kinda like her inability to back down. Her darkened cheeks were her only sign of being embarrassed. I’m fairly certain if she’d been fully dressed, I would’ve had my ass handed to me this morning because clearly, she was just getting started.
She’s not short but compared to me, I dwarf her. I’m six-six and she barely stands at my shoulders. Her hair was stacked on her head in a messy bun, and it flopped as she shook her head at me. Her face was free from makeup, and her expressive blue eyes made it hard to look away.
As soon as I find the contract I’m looking for, I slam my truck door shut and return to the scene of the crime. I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding that we can sort out—like rational adults.
Surely, she won’t stay mad forever, right?
At twenty-two, I’m used to not being taken seriously. But I’ve been on job sites like this since I was fourteen. My dadtaught me the ropes from the time I could walk. Now that I’ve just finished my junior year of college and have only one year left in completing my construction-management degree, I’d say I’m more than capable of a simple project like this.
With the weather expected to hold out for the week, I’m pulling off the siding from the most weathered side of the house, then I’ll have a few members of my father’s crew help me replace it. Typically, we’re not alone on a job, but Jared had a family emergency and I can do this part of the job by myself—as long as that feisty girl inside cooperates.
When she returns a few minutes later, I’m relieved to find she’s wearing a pair of leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. It’s sad to see her beautiful body covered, but it’s far less distracting.
I hand her my copy of the contract. “As you can see, Jane Lancaster paid us last fall—in full—to redo her siding, roof, and replace both the floor and tub in the master bathroom. So…” I draw out to prove my point.“I am—in fact—entitled to be here.”
Shaking her head, she mutters, “This is so like Nana. She always thought of everything.”
“Nana?” I ask, not wanting to make assumptions. If she’s not here to oversee this herself, where is she? I know for a fact the front office confirmed this project—it’s protocol. I wouldn’t be here otherwise or have the code for the alarm.
“She’s my grandma…” The woman bites on her lip then sighs heavily. “Well, was my grandma. We lost her in January.”
