Invisible butterflies swarmed her belly. Maybe. But she refused to stress over it. The afternoon’s to-do list required her full attention, starting with making sure her grandfather ate something good. By the time she parked in her driveway, she had her head screwed back on straight, a meal planned for dinner, and a determination to fix the railing.
After checking on her grandfather, she changed into jeans and a T-shirt, pulled her hair into a ponytail, then threw a load of clothes in the wash. One of her least favorite chores, but like the others, it was a necessity.
On her way to the door, she grabbed her toolbox and pink tool belt from the closet, secured the tool belt around her hips, then headed outside.
Maybe this once, her chore would go off without a hitch.
Sending a fervent wish that the repair gods were in a good mood today, Kaydee set the toolbox on the porch and inhaled slowly. She had a better chance of hitting the lotto. Exhaling, she tugged the railing that extended from the half wall that separated the sides of the porch down to the bottom step. It wobbled back and forth while she examined it from top to bottom, and end to end. Not too bad. She needed to nail the top and bottom rails more securely to the end posts.
Easy peasy. She hoped.
Grabbing a long nail from one of the front pouches and her hammer from a ring, Kaydee’s mind drifted to Leo. Would he show up today? It was possible he got tied up at the ranch or stuck in traffic. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like she was going to take Fiona’s advice and make a move or anything.
She lined up the nail, drew her hammer back, and swung.
“Hey, Kaydee.”
Leo’s low timbre hit her ears a second before her hammer missed the nail completely and struck her thumb.
Son of a BB gun.
Dropping the hammer, she shook her hand, hoping to alleviate the throbbing in her thumb. “Hey, Leo,” she said, turning around.
“Sorry.” Brow creased in concern, he took the steps two at a time and stopped at her side. “I thought you heard me coming.”
Hell, she hadn’t even heard his truck pull in across the street. Because her mind was too preoccupied…with thoughts of him.
Her thumb throbbed like nobody’s business until Leo grasped her hand and kissed it.
And just like that the universe stopped, or maybe just the space around them, because the world faded away, leaving her in a warm bubble with her fantasy man. The feel of his lips brushing her skin was as unexpected as it was amazing. In the next instant, her thumping pain eased, and her heartbeats quickened. Kaydee lifted her gaze from Leo’s mouth to stare into his fathomless blue eyes that darkened to a sexy cobalt hue. Unable to move, and barely able to breath, she watched his gaze drop to her lips.
Holy…
Anticipation rushed through her body, and her still-thudding heart rocked in her chest.
He was going to kiss her.
Chapter Three
“Hey, Leo.” Her grandfather stepped out of his house and broke the spell. “How was your drive up?”
Leo blinked, and the heat immediately disappeared from his gaze. “Good,” he replied, releasing her hand before turning his attention to her grandfather. “I must’ve just beat the rush.”
Her grandfather chuckled. “That’s like hitting the lotto.”
“I know,” Leo said with a grin.
Needing a moment to regain her composure, Kaydee bent down to retrieve her hammer. For her, hitting the lotto would’ve been that kiss she just missed out on.
“Would you like a beer?” her grandfather asked, settling into his favorite porch chair.
Leo nodded. “Sure.”
She straightened and frowned at her grandfather. “You don’t have any.”
“I know. But you do.” The conniver smirked. “So when you fetch Leo a beer, would you bring me one, too?”
She snickered. “You’re incorrigible.”
