Series: Paige Michaels
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“Here, set those down.”
She turned at the sound of that voice. Callen stood behind her with a cart. Gratefully, she set down the boxes. “Thanks. That sale was too tempting.”
“Just what I want to hear. I’ll call you soon,” he promised before moving away.
When he leaned over to pick up a squeegee that had fallen off the display, she reined in her desire to take a photo of his ass. No one would notice, right?
“Ma’am? I’m ready to check you out,” the cashier called.
Jordi whipped her head around to find a huge space between her and the cash register. She’d totally missed that the person before her had finished and left. “Sorry. I don’t know where my head is today,” Jordi apologized as she pushed the cart forward.
Thank goodness I don’t have a Daddy to spank me for lying.
Jordi pushed the image of Callen from her mind as she stacked boxes of nails on the counter. Get a grip!
Two days later, she assembled the framework of the beauty stations in the empty space. The owners of Shear Beauty had decided to move to the popular shopping area when a store front became available. Jordi loved the big open area and planned all sorts of magical touches. The stations were the first step. Once she got these done and wired, she’d have it made—a few coats of paint and lots of lightbulbs.
She’d hired a helper for the day, but he’d sent her a last-minute message that his daughter had come down with the flu. Jordi mustered on, sure she could figure out how to hold the heavy pieces in place to secure them. The first one was a challenge. Her muscles were screaming now as she lifted the back of the third into place on the base.
“Whoa! Let me help!”
That distinctive voice made her head jerk upward. “Callen?” She tried to look around the bulky piece to see him but it was too big.
“It’s me. Here.” Callen easily hefted the back and slid it into place. “Go ahead and secure it.”
“Crap! I’m sorry,” Jordi apologized as she forced herself to move and stop gawking at him. Quickly, she nailed the two pieces together.
“I surprised you,” he said with a chuckle before looking around. “How many of these do you have to do?”
“Twelve. That was number three. Thanks.”
“You should have some help hauling these around,” he suggested.
A spark of indignation lit inside her. Handsome muscleman thought he needed to explain things to the dainty woman. “You’re absolutely right. If it wasn’t for the flu, my assistant would be here today. But since you can’t leave a baby girl with a fever, he’s not here, and I’m figuring it out.”
“Of course you are,” he said without missing a beat as if he had confidence in her. “I’ve got your supplies. No one will tell the boss if I’m a bit late getting back to the store. I’ll help you get these lifted into place.”
She cocked her head to one side. “Aren’t you the boss?”
He winked. “Yep.”
Jordi was about to refuse his help, but after following him out to his truck, she realized there was no way she could carry it all herself, and they quickly unloaded the mass of decorator lightbulbs along with the rest of her list.
When they were finished, he walked to the stack of display pieces. “Shall we start here?”
“It’s not necessary,” she repeated quickly, trying to keep herself from admitting she needed some muscle power.
“I know. I want to help. I never get to actually put things together anymore. Running a hardware store is like having a jumbo puzzle that you know will be spectacular, but you can’t ever put it together. The pieces are all there, but someone else gets to have the fun.”
She stared at him and understood completely. Jordi had wanted to be in the construction class at school but her female counselor had refused to okay it. Thank goodness the teacher of that class had had four daughters and believed Jordi should be permitted to do anything the boys were doing. When she’d gathered her courage to beg him to let her enroll in the class, he’d gone straight to the principal and secured her spot. Jordi had lived in his classroom for the last three years of her high school career. He’d taught her the curriculum and so much more. He’d done more for her than he would ever know. At the time, her home life hadn’t been fantastic, and having someplace to be after school where someone cared about her and supported her had meant the world.
“Sorry for the attitude. Some men think women can’t do this job. I shouldn’t have lumped you in that group. I could use some help,” she confessed, rubbing her shoulder.
“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, moving forward to take her arm and rotate it gently around as if he were testing her range of motion.