Page 10 of Out on a Limb
Collette was exactly what every man expected to find in Florida. She was blonde and tan with blue eyes and a perfect smile. She was on the short side, but what she lacked in height she made up for in curves that threatened my focus at least ten times a day.
I managed to free the box, dropping it to the ground as Collette shifted the fluffy white chicken around, finally settling on holding her in the crook of one arm. “Where should we set this up?”
I started to drag it in the direction of the landscaping building located at the back of the property. It was tucked away, hidden in a spot that kept it from being accidentally found by the visitors who usually flocked to the attraction.
Flocked.
Collette snorted beside me.
I glanced her way. “Are you laughing?”
She pointed at my face. “You laughed first.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.” She wiggled her finger in the direction of my mouth. “You were smirking.”
I forced my eyes off her smiling face. “I don’t smirk.”
I didn’t love the idea of her looking at me. Paying attention to the things I did.
Because sooner or later I would mess up. Show her just how inept I was.
Not that it mattered. Collette Johnson was not the kind of woman I should ever set my sights on.
She was funny and friendly and easy to talk to.
The exact opposite of me.
“I guess if I don’t laugh at it I’ll cry.” Her lips twisted to one side, smothering out the smile I wasn’t supposed to be looking at. “And I don’t feel like crying anymore.”
Normally crying made me uncomfortable as hell, but the thought of Collette crying made me something else.
Something that might be a problem.
“Who made you cry?”
Collette’s blue eyes went down to the hen in her arms. She stroked along the back of the bird’s neck. “It doesn’t matter.”
Like hell it didn’t matter.
She glanced at the box behind us. “Where are we putting this?”
I struggled to look away from her. “I will put it wherever you want it.”
Her expression changed, shifting to something I couldn’t quite read. “I’m not sure I should be making that decision.”
“If you don’t then who will?” I waited, knowing Collette would make a decision.
She’d been doing it for the better part of a year, proving exactly who she took after in the family.
She pointed toward a shady spot under the largest tree on the property. “What about there? Then they won’t get too hot in the sun?”
“Perfect.” I dropped the box on the spot she indicated, reaching into my pocket to pull out the knife I always carried. After flipping it open I cut through the plastic ties, popping them free before tucking the knife back into place.
“My grandfather should be the one making the decisions.” Collette set the chicken in her arms down before grabbing the end of the box, bracing it as I tried to wrestle the stack of metal and fencing inside free.
“But he’s not here.” I fished through the items until I found a stack of papers stapled together.
