“You shouldn’t do that, you know.” At his questioning expression, she continued. “You shouldn’t hide this part of yourself. The fun and flirty guy is all right, but the serious guy who works hard to change his circumstances and achieve his dreams is way more interesting.”
This time, Easton did look away, and Bailee hated not being able to read his eyes and know what was going on in his brain.
“You’re the first one to ever tell me that,” he finally said.
“Probably because you never show that side of yourself too often.” Bailee stood, suddenly feeling the need for space. “Thanks for your help with the porch. I can finish up the steps myself, so you can get back to whatever you had planned for your day. There’s really not enough room for both of us to work on them anyway.”
He nodded and rose. “Yeah, okay. I do have some errands to run before my shift at the bar.”
He turned his head, piercing her eyes with his, and Bailee stepped down to the lawn to put more distance between them. His smile made her wonder if he knew exactly what she was doing.
“Not sure how long your Gran’s to-do list is, but if you need some more help tomorrow, let me know. Work always moves faster with two sets of hands instead of one.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Easton looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he moved past her. He called a farewell to Roxy as he crossed to his yard and then disappeared inside his house.
Bailee doubted she would call on him to help with any more of the work around Gran’s house. Easton changed her opinion of him after the time they spent this morning, but one thing he didn’t change was her gut instinct to keep her distance from him.
Staying away was easy to do when she thought he was a player. It would be much harder now that she’d seen a different side to him.
He was exactly what she didn’t need in her life right now — a distraction that was hard to resist but promised to wreak havoc with her peace of mind.
Chapter Eight
Bailee pushed the shopping cart at a leisurely pace behind her grandmother, who moved through the grocery store like a woman possessed. With a list in hand, Darby Anne navigated the store like someone who visited often. Her list was sorted according to where items were in the store, so they started at one end and snaked through the aisles.
She wasn’t sure why Gran brought her along. She obviously didn’t need Bailee’s help, not as she did when Bailee was a young girl visiting in the summer. Back then, Gran would send her to various parts of the store to retrieve needed items. Now, Bailee’s only purpose was to keep the cart handy for when Gran added groceries to it. As the items piled up, Bailee wondered if they were going to need a second cart.
“I’m thinking of a pot roast for dinner. They have them on sale this week. What do you think?”
Bailee smiled as Darby Anne moved toward the meat section without waiting for her granddaughter’s response. She was used to Gran’s one-sided conversations. Darby Anne refused to admit she was talking to herself. If anyone was within hearing distance, she couldn’t possibly be talking to herself. Bailee couldn’t argue with that kind of logic.
The store wasn’t busy with customers at this time of day, and Bailee blamed that on the abysmal weather. She went to bed last night, pleasantly exhausted from a day of physical labor and satisfied with the number of projects she’d completed, and fell asleep plotting the tasks she wanted to tackle the next day.
By morning, her carefully laid plans were thwarted by the thunderstorm raging outside. Fat drops of water pelted the earth. Thunder rumbled, followed by deafening claps of thunder.
When the rain lessened, Darby Anne convinced her to tag along grocery shopping. They’d barely set foot in the store when another wave of heavy rain began. She had smiled at the store employees talking about the “bottom falling out,” the Southern slang for that type of storm.
As much as she enjoyed spending time with Darby Anne, she fought disappointment at having her work around Gran’s house interrupted. The projects kept her sane, and the feeling of accomplishment was heady. Not to mention, she enjoyed tackling those projects with Easton at her side. He’d come over every morning since they painted the porch together. Gran would make herself scarce while they worked. The conversation flowed freely between them. He kept her laughing, and their banter was light and easy.
She hadn’t seen or spoken to him today, and she reluctantly admitted to herself that she missed him. The man had annoyingly gotten under her skin. He still flirted with her at times, but he hadn’t made a move on her or even asked her out on a date.
They were friends. It was just as she wanted except the more time she spent with him, the stronger her attraction was to him. Their chemistry was palpable at times, and she was certain he felt the electricity between them the same as she did. She got the feeling he was respecting her wishes to remain friends, but she wondered if she should make a move toward something more.
“Bailee Anne, did you hear a word I said?”
Bailee stopped her wool gathering and blinked at Gran, who stood by the freezer with two packages of meat in her hands. Her mouth was drawn into a thin line as she regarded her granddaughter.
“I’m sorry, Gran. What were you saying?”
Darby Anne shook her head. “Never mind. Would you head back to the produce and pick up some carrots and potatoes to go with the pot roast? It’ll take me a minute to pick out just the right one.”
Bailee nodded. “Of course. I’ll be right back.”
You have to stop!She chastised herself as she backtracked to the section of the store they’d started in before her grandmother decided what to prepare for supper.
Gran may not have known what she was daydreaming about, but the fact that she had been caught thinking of Easton bugged her. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid with the man. He was a player, a guy who had a different woman on his arm at every turn. She’d purposely set him in the friend zone. She couldn’t entertain the notion of something more.
