Alone Read Free

won’t let you do any of it because you set off my alarms and I’ll shut down on you.”
    “And that would break my heart forever.” He stepped back and slowly traced his fingers down my arm before taking my hand. “A truck has pulled up on the street. Who are you expecting?”
    “I have a company that mows every week. The owner is coming to give me a quote about some extra landscaping and putting in a garden.”
    “That would be a waste of your talents and—”
    “Something I love to do and relaxes me,” I cut in, giving him a look. “I plotted several of my books digging in my last garden in Colorado. Even watering it, playing in nature, and just sitting there watching the sprinkler calms me and lets my brain decompress.”
    He smiled widely and immediately agreed. “I do like fresh vegetables.”
    “You eat?” I gaped at him, feeling rude when he frowned.
    “We are not so different, Nina. I simply cannot produce my own platelets as your body does.”
    “Sorry,” I muttered as I stepped away, trying to drop his hand, but he kept hold of mine and came with me. Okay, guess he was joining me. Great. That was going to be fun to explain.
    Sure enough, the very nice owner of the local lawn company I’d talked to a few times shot me some strange looks when the pompous Brit took control of the conversation and negotiation. I shot Conall a dirty look, and he finally took the hint and backed off, but it was still embarrassing. I had been doing my own dealings for a long time after all. It wasn’t as though I was fresh out of college and living on my own for the first time.
    He really needed an attitude adjustment and fast if this was going to work.
    But then he made up for it by doubling the owner’s asking price if the guy could fit in my project in the next few days and put in the plants I already had and would be purchased by the time they would be there. I practically skipped back into the house after that.
    “I take it I’m forgiven then,” Conall chuckled as he slid his hand into mine as we entered the garage.
    “I’m starting to come around to your way,” I teased, shooting him a smile. “You just have to remember I’m not some ditzy maiden or whatever you’re used to. I’m competent, just with too much on my plate. I’m not denying I need help. I don’t need a master though.”
    “I understand. I will learn to make the distinction.” He stopped and tugged on my hand so I halted as well. “Let’s start in here. What do you need done here? I see this is your thinking space. What can I have done in here to help?” I glanced around and winced. My garage was a mess, still in winter chaos, spring cleaning, and a bunch of other stages all wrapped into one.
    Conall called Tim out, and the man came with his little notebook, shooting me a dirty look that Conall didn’t see. Oh goodie, the man didn’t like me. That wasn’t uncomfortable in my home or anything. I listed everything, even cleaning and checking out the lawn mower. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t using it this season, because I’d decided to pay a crew, power tools and machines still needed proper maintenance.
    After that, I went back to writing. I could tell Conall was trying not to hover like a groupie, and after I finally threatened to throw my big ass all-in-one computer at him, he finally made himself scarce.
    Dinner came in the form of Tim picking up Olive Garden which was well over forty minutes away but I wasn’t complaining. I never went that far for it and it was a nice treat. And while we ate, Conall had me list everything I had been needing to do in my personal life that I either hadn’t had the time or energy to do and Tim would see it done. I really didn’t like the man hanging around but he behaved like an angel when Conall was there.
    And since Conall didn’t seem like he was leaving my side anytime soon, I didn’t foresee a problem. If he did, there might be, but hopefully soon I might feel comfortable enough