Home Sweet Home: A Sweet, Texas Novella by Candis Terry Read Free Book Online Page B

change.”
    How about you? she wanted to ask, but figured he’d tell her why he was standing there looking scrumptious enough to eat in his own good time.
    “Change can be good.” She leaned against the side of her truck, facing him, hoping to hear some good news. “But it doesn’t have to leave a bad taste in your mouth. So what brings you to Bud’s parking lot?”
    “You.”
    She liked the sound of that, and hope danced in her heart.
    “I’ve given your business proposal some thought.”
    “And?” Hope was now jumping up and down, gleefully clapping its happy little hands.
    His broad shoulders lifted on a slow exhale. “I’m sorry, but I’m not in any position to make promises or consider anything long-term.”
    “I see.” Disappointment blew through her like a cold, harsh wind.
    “But as long as I’m here in Sweet,” he said, “I don’t mind helping you out with some chores. You’ve done an awful lot for me, and it’s the least I can do to—”
    “Whoa.” She raised her hands. “So … what? You’re going to help me so you can pay back an obligation?”
    “That’s not what I said.” His strong, squared chin came up. “In fact, you didn’t even let me finish.”
    “No need. I get the point.” The cold, harsh wind shifted. Hope dropped its now-sad hands. And Paige faced reality with a huge lump parked in the center of her chest. “But I don’t need anyone helping me because they’re taking pity on me. I don’t need a handyman. I’m looking for a legitimate partner. If that’s not you, then don’t worry about it. I can do it myself. The last thing I’d ever want would be for you to think you owe me something for loving you.”
    As much as it hurt, she turned away from the frustration etched on his face, got in her truck, and drove out of the parking lot.
    DUSK HAD BARELY settled over the treetops before Paige couldn’t take it anymore and closed her laptop. Mr. Breene, who owned the Laundromat in town, had called on her way home and asked her to run some numbers on the tax advantages of purchasing another building on Main Street that was about to become available. Accounting was her thing. But crunching numbers became impossible when she could barely see past the flood of frustration wetting her eyes.
    After pouring a glass of wine and running a bath with an extra capful of the sweet, tropical-scented bubble bath Faith had given her for her birthday, she slid into the tub until the bubbles tickled her chin. From the Bluetooth speaker sitting on the bedroom dresser, John Mayer sang “XO.” How a man could make such beautiful music yet have such disastrous love affairs was anyone’s guess. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and waited to be swept away.
    Midsong, a horrible racket crashed above the lovely strum of bad boy John’s guitar. The noise came so loud and so sudden, she jumped, and water sloshed over the sides of the clawfoot tub.
    “What the …”
    The crash boomed again and even rattled the window glass. She had no choice but to get out and take a look. Either aliens had landed behind her house, or someone was demolishing her barn. Neither would be welcome.
    Throwing open the window, she leaned out and took a look. In the waning light she saw a huge trailer backed up into her driveway with a cherry-picker sitting on top. Attached to the long trailer was Aiden’s truck. The man himself was balanced with one long, muscular leg on the trailer bed and the other on the step of the cherry-picker while he loosened the straps securing the humongous piece of machinery.
    “What the heck are you doing?”
    His head swiveled around, and the thick-webbed straps in his hands stilled. For a long beat, he just looked up at her on the second floor. From her angle, she couldn’t really tell exactly where he was looking or the expression on his face. His silence wasn’t giving her a clue either.
    “Aiden? What are you doing?” she asked again, hoping for better success this time.
    She got zip.
    “Stay right there, I’m coming down.” She