I stifled a giggle. “Just Trouble causing trouble.”
Liam shook his head. “Where do you think we should set this thing up?”
I glanced around my small apartment. “Maybe over there?” I pointed to a window a few feet from my bed. “So he can look outside?”
Liam surveyed the area. “I think that’s perfect.”
We carried the pieces needing assembly over to the window. Well, Liam carried. I moved a few odds and ends while trying to keep Trouble balanced in one arm.
Liam studied the pieces of the climbing tree and then the window. His eyes caught on the boards I’d placed vertically on the sides of the window to keep anyone from opening it from the outside. Liam glanced at me, his gaze probing, questioning.
I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light even as my heart rate sped up. “Can’t be too careful.”
Liam looked around my apartment. The few windows all had boards. My door had a new deadbolt and chain that I’d installed. My coin-filled can alarm system sat to the side of the door. I fought the blush that wanted to rise. I had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Liam’s eyes bore into mine. “Do you feel safe here? I can talk to Jensen about having an alarm system installed.”
I shook my head. “My system works fine.”
Liam slowly nodded. “Okay. But let me know if you change your mind.”
“I will.” I wouldn’t. If I wanted to ask for an alarm, I’d talk to Jensen myself, not go to Liam.
Liam shook his head. “You won’t, but I’ll pretend I believed your lie.”
My mouth fell open. This man saw far too much.
22
Liam
Tessa’s newly restored car bumped along the gravel road as I drove up to where she was taking care of the horses this afternoon. I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel in a staccato beat. I hoped I wasn’t shooting myself in the foot by returning her car.
Over the past couple of weeks, we’d spent more and more time together. I’d offered to give Tessa rides home when she was done with her afternoon duties at the ranch so Jensen didn’t have to go back into town. Tessa had taken me up on the offer without me having to convince her. I took that as a sign that we were moving in the right direction.
I’d taken to coming up early and bringing my guitar. I’d tool around, working on different songs while Tessa sketched. There was something about being with her, both in our own worlds to a degree but together at the same time. There was a rightness about it that I’d never felt before.
So, hopefully, I wasn’t messing up a good thing by returning Tessa’s car. I might give back her wheels, but I wasn’t going anywhere. I was just going to keep showing up.
I pulled to a stop at the fence. Tessa glanced over her shoulder at the sound of my arrival. One look at her stole all the damn air right out of my lungs. Her hair was loose today, swirling around her as the breeze twisted it into flowing shapes. Her cheeks were a rosy pink from working outdoors, and her eyes seemed to glow in the sunlight.
I swallowed hard, willing my body under control before I did something stupid like maul her or propose. Or both.Think about anything except how fucking gorgeous she looks. Getting my ass kicked at my friend Austin’s MMA gym. Sweaty dudes. Gutting fish with my grandpa.
That did the trick. Well, it did until I got out of the car and Tessa was right in front of me, close enough for me to see the violet in her eyes and smell the faint lavender scent of whatever perfume or lotion she wore. I was fucked. “Hi.” It came out as a croak, like I was going through puberty. What the hell was wrong with me?
Tessa didn’t seem to notice. She clasped her hands in front of her chest. “My car’s fixed?”
She was fucking adorable. I patted the hood of the vehicle. “Good as new.” It practically was a new car. It probably would have been cheaper to go that route. I’d pretty much rebuilt the entire engine, installed new brakes, tires, the works.
Tessa studied the vehicle and began to twist the hem of her shirt. “Thank you so much for doing this. How much do I owe you for everything?”
I rubbed a hand over my jaw. “We were lucky, the place I got most of the parts from was having a sale. I got everything for three-hundred dollars.” It was a bald-faced lie. I really hoped she didn’t know much about cars because if she did and took one look under the hood, she’d know I was full of it.
Tessa’s brows rose. “Really?”
The tension in my shoulders eased a bit when she didn’t immediately call me out. “Yup. And you can pay me whenever. There’s no rush.” I hated that she was paying me at all. I had such a strong urge to take care of Tessa, but I knew that was the last thing she wanted. Her pride and self-reliance were too strong.
Tessa shook her head. “I can give it to you tonight. I honestly thought it would be way worse than that. That car was on its last legs when I bought it.”
