That McCloud Woman Read Free

desperate. She had to find someone to
finish the job Frank had started.
    "I
pay by the hour, not the job," she said, then named a figure, watching his
reaction.
    He
lifted a shoulder. "That's fine by me."
    "And
I handle the purchase of supplies."
    "Whatever
suits you."
    "You
said you weren't from around here."
    "No,
ma'am, I'm not."
    "Then,
where would you live?"
    He
pursed his lips thoughtfully, then shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm sure I
could find a place."
    She
glanced away, looking down the street and away from him. "There's a small
cabin on my property," she said thoughtfully. "I lived there until
Frank made the house habitable."
    Since
she'd offered the information as a statement and not an invitation, Jack wasn't
sure what kind of response she expected from him, so he remained silent.
    "I
suppose you could stay there," she said, turning her gaze back to him.
"It isn't much, but it offers the essentials."
    "I'm
used to making do."
    "Are
you a man of your word?"
    His
chest swelled as if in asking the question she'd insulted him. "My word's
as good as any legal contract you could have drawn."
    "And
I have your word that you'll see this remodeling job through to its end?"
    He
gave his chin a tight jerk of assent. "You have my word. I'll see the job
done."
    "When
can you start?"
    "When
do you want me?"
    She
arched a brow, a smile teasing one corner of her mouth. "What are your
plans for this afternoon?"
    Jack
shrugged. "Nothing in particular."
    She
quickly dug pen and paper from her purse, then turned the bag over, bracing it
against her stomach while she used its side for a writing surface. "I have
a few more errands to run," she told him as she jotted down directions to
her house, "but I should be home by three."
    She
held out the slip of paper and Jack took it, studying her neat handwriting.
When he glanced up, he saw that her hand was extended toward him. Along with it
she offered him a smile. "I'm Alayna McCloud."
    Up
close, he found her eyes an even deeper blue than he'd thought before, and he
quickly decided that a man could probably drown in their depths if he cared to
look long and deeply enough. Thankfully Jack didn't. He took her hand, if a bit
reluctantly, and shook it. "Jack Cordell."
    Her
smile broadened, dimples winking at him from her cheeks. She added a squeeze to
the shake. "I'm pleased to meet you, Jack."
    The
warmth of her hand slowly worked its way up his arm while the added pressure in
her grip seemed to draw his insides into a knot. Frowning, he uncurled his
fingers from around hers and dropped his hand to his side, slowly flexing his
fingers. "Same goes," he murmured, then abruptly turned away.
    Jack
sat on the porch steps, waiting … and slowly melting. He shoved his cap back on
his head and used his shirtsleeve to mop the sweat from his brow. She'd said
three, and it was already almost half past.
    On
a sigh, he stretched out his legs and tucked his pressed hands between his
thighs, hunching his shoulders forward. Had he been too hasty in taking on this
job? he asked himself. Was it the job itself that had appealed to him, the
chance to work with his hands again? Or had it been the woman? It had been a
long time since a woman had caught his attention enough to make him look twice.
Even longer since he'd worked with his hands.
    Maybe
it was a mixture of the two, he decided, squinting his eyes thoughtfully as he
stared out at the drive that led to the house. He gave his shoulder a lift,
then shook his head. Didn't matter, he told himself. Either way, he had a job
to do, a place to stay for a while. And a pretty woman to look at. Not a bad
deal all the way around, no matter which way he looked at it.
    While
he was pondering all this, a cat slipped from beneath the porch steps and wound
its way around his feet. Jack scowled at the scraggly-looking cat and nudged it
away with the toe of his boot. At the sound of an engine, he glanced up, standing
when he saw a minivan coming up the long drive. It