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of a name for her dog? And surely, the man had seen messy bathrooms before. After all, plumbing was his line of work. Was he going to help her or not?
    Probably not. After all, she was only paying him to fix the darn toilet.
    Heaving a weary sigh, she pushed with all her might, finally tugging Dog from the toilet. The furry animal shook, spraying water across the room. Gabe jumped backward, missing most of the flying water, but Casey's hair and robe were soaked. A streak of purple and orange slid down her cheek.
    The dog pivoted and lunged for Gabe, planting two wet paws on the front of his shirt. Gabe grimaced, slipped on the wet floor and fell back into the tub, his long legs hanging over the edge. Groaning, he grabbed the dog's soggy fur and tried to pry him loose as the mutt attempted to crawl into the tub with him. The little boy clapped his hands and squealed and raced toward them, obviously planning to join the fun, but Casey scooped him up and swung him back into the hall.
    "No, Henry S. Dog, come on!" Exhaling an angry sigh, Casey gripped the dog's collar and dragged him out of the bathroom toward the back door.
    "If you'll just get the toilet fixed, I'd appreciate it," Casey said, gritting her teeth as she came back to the bathroom. Maybe she would just have to spell it out for this guy.
    "What happened to the toilet?" Gabe asked, finally dragging himself from the tub. He frowned, swiping at the wet pawprint plastered across his stomach. Did Casey make all her dates repair her broken fixtures?
    Heat climbed Casey's neck. "Uh... Henry S. flushed a box of condoms down the toilet." Oh, well, she'd considered lying. But obviously, this guy needed the straightforward approach.
    "A whole box?" Gabe asked.
    "Yeah, well there might have been one missing." Casey's neck grew hotter. "They're neon green, the triple extra-large size." Why she added that, she didn't know. He would find out soon enough when he fished them out. Or maybe he wouldn't even know what they were. He certainly had an odd expression on his face.
    "The triple extra-large size?" he asked. Now his voice squeaked like an adolescent.
    Casey shrugged. "Yeah. Brick left them here."
    His face turned from green to a strange shade of red. Maybe she was embarrassing him. Slow as he was, he probably wasn't very experienced.
    Maybe he was even a virgin.
    Now, that would be a strange turn of events. Male virgin meets female virgin. Her gaze riveted to his flat male nipples which stood erect beneath the thin cotton shirt. Maybe we could learn together.
    Casey squashed the thoughts. Jenna was right. She needed to find a steady, nice man, maybe a husband to help her fight Henry S.' father. Not a lover.
    "Anyway, get the toilet fixed as soon as you can," Casey said. "I need to shower. My date's coming in an hour, and I have to get cleaned up." Casey swept a hand across her robe, fighting a fresh wave of tears. "After all, I've never met this guy before. I certainly couldn't let him see me like this, now could I?"
    Gabe's eyes widened in surprise. An hour. Was the woman so scatterbrained she couldn't tell time? Their date was for seven o'clock. It was ten minutes past seven now.
    Casey groaned silently as Gabe stood motionless. A dozen words sprang to mind, none of which she could use with Henry S.' innocent ears so close by. Raking her gaze over the man's strong chiseled features, she shook her head as once again sympathy rippled through her.
    The man couldn't even answer the simplest of questions. It really was such a waste giving all those looks to someone who didn't have the ability to use words. Such a pity.
    "I'll take Henry S. with me," Casey said, picking up the toddler and settling him on one hip. "If anyone comes to the door, just let them in. It should be my friend, Jenna. She's coming to get Henry S. for the night."
    Casey shot upstairs, Henry S. giggling as she bounced him up and down on her hip. Gabe stared after her, one hand closing around the slippery