to come from my mouth. Instead, I stood proudly and looked right at him as I said, “Get it the fuck together!”
MY EYES WIDENED and I burst out laughing. Liz was something else. After spending most of the day with this woman—who was full of love and kindness—the last thing I had expected to come out of her mouth was the word “fuck.” But I liked it. A lot. The way her lip curled and the tiny shoulder shrug she added was hot as hell, and the mantra, itself, told me I was in the company of a very strong woman.
The sound of her giggle snapped me out of my thoughts. What was wrong with me? Her life had been ripped apart. Sexy and grief and widows don’t go hand in hand. She poured out her heart to me about her love for her dead husband. Leave it up to me and my dick to find something sexual in the conversation. I was definitely going to hell. I was the one who needed to get it the fuck together .
A soft blush touched Liz’s cheeks. I couldn’t help but wonder who this woman really was underneath all the pain. She rubbed her neck and looked off to the side. “I’m sorry. What can I say? I have a bit of an issue with my language.” She pinched her fingers together, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment. “I promise you, I hide it well from the boys. It’s mostly in my own head and with my close friends. I’m afraid you might be subjected to some of it during this project.”
I leaned back in the chair unable to contain my own smile. Liz laughed out loud, clearly enjoying my shock.
“Oh, Liz, you haven’t heard anything yet. I’m not known for a clean vocabulary. But I have to admit, I think it’s cute coming from you.”
Liz chuckled as she checked her watch. “We can pick this up again tomorrow. My kids’ bus is due any minute.” She hesitated and toyed with her wedding ring. “I haven’t talked to them about this project yet, and I don’t want to catch them by surprise.”
That was my cue. I closed my laptop and stuffed it into my bag. I got that she wasn’t ready for me to meet her kids, and I agreed with her. I never wanted children or even liked them. At some point, I figured I would have to meet her kids, but not today. “I totally understand. Not a problem.”
As I gathered my trash and threw it away, Liz walked to the front door and opened it. She bounced on her feet and bit her nail as she looked out at the street and back at me with a tight smile. I slung my laptop case over my shoulder and gave her a slow grin as I walked closer. Damn, she was adorable when she was flustered.
“Thank you for trusting me with your story and for letting me have this time in your home.”
Her shoulders sagged and some of the tension left her face as she smiled. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” We strolled down the driveway with a familiar ease I hadn’t expected.
“Where are you staying?” Liz asked as we approached the Denali.
I tossed my bag into the backseat. “Not sure. I’m heading back to my hotel now to figure that out. Should we meet here again tomorrow?” I wanted to roll up my sleeves and start writing.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to work from my house. In case the kids need me for anything. How about ten o’clock? I really don’t want to write with you until I get my morning shower, and you don’t want that, either.” She rubbed her neck and peered down the street.
“Okay, ten o’clock it is.” I chuckled but took a step back as a big yellow bus rumbled to a stop at the end of the driveway.
“Shit! The bus is early. Oh, shit!” Liz looked back and forth between us like she wanted to pick me up and throw me somewhere. I felt like a teenager, caught getting home after curfew. I stifled the laugh, not wanting to be a jackass and upset her, but she looked so freaking cute.
“Should I jump in the truck?” As the words left me, the doors to the bus opened and three brown-haired boys came bounding off the bus. They each ran down the driveway
MY EYES WIDENED and I burst out laughing. Liz was something else. After spending most of the day with this woman—who was full of love and kindness—the last thing I had expected to come out of her mouth was the word “fuck.” But I liked it. A lot. The way her lip curled and the tiny shoulder shrug she added was hot as hell, and the mantra, itself, told me I was in the company of a very strong woman.
The sound of her giggle snapped me out of my thoughts. What was wrong with me? Her life had been ripped apart. Sexy and grief and widows don’t go hand in hand. She poured out her heart to me about her love for her dead husband. Leave it up to me and my dick to find something sexual in the conversation. I was definitely going to hell. I was the one who needed to get it the fuck together .
A soft blush touched Liz’s cheeks. I couldn’t help but wonder who this woman really was underneath all the pain. She rubbed her neck and looked off to the side. “I’m sorry. What can I say? I have a bit of an issue with my language.” She pinched her fingers together, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment. “I promise you, I hide it well from the boys. It’s mostly in my own head and with my close friends. I’m afraid you might be subjected to some of it during this project.”
I leaned back in the chair unable to contain my own smile. Liz laughed out loud, clearly enjoying my shock.
“Oh, Liz, you haven’t heard anything yet. I’m not known for a clean vocabulary. But I have to admit, I think it’s cute coming from you.”
Liz chuckled as she checked her watch. “We can pick this up again tomorrow. My kids’ bus is due any minute.” She hesitated and toyed with her wedding ring. “I haven’t talked to them about this project yet, and I don’t want to catch them by surprise.”
That was my cue. I closed my laptop and stuffed it into my bag. I got that she wasn’t ready for me to meet her kids, and I agreed with her. I never wanted children or even liked them. At some point, I figured I would have to meet her kids, but not today. “I totally understand. Not a problem.”
As I gathered my trash and threw it away, Liz walked to the front door and opened it. She bounced on her feet and bit her nail as she looked out at the street and back at me with a tight smile. I slung my laptop case over my shoulder and gave her a slow grin as I walked closer. Damn, she was adorable when she was flustered.
“Thank you for trusting me with your story and for letting me have this time in your home.”
Her shoulders sagged and some of the tension left her face as she smiled. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.” We strolled down the driveway with a familiar ease I hadn’t expected.
“Where are you staying?” Liz asked as we approached the Denali.
I tossed my bag into the backseat. “Not sure. I’m heading back to my hotel now to figure that out. Should we meet here again tomorrow?” I wanted to roll up my sleeves and start writing.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to work from my house. In case the kids need me for anything. How about ten o’clock? I really don’t want to write with you until I get my morning shower, and you don’t want that, either.” She rubbed her neck and peered down the street.
“Okay, ten o’clock it is.” I chuckled but took a step back as a big yellow bus rumbled to a stop at the end of the driveway.
“Shit! The bus is early. Oh, shit!” Liz looked back and forth between us like she wanted to pick me up and throw me somewhere. I felt like a teenager, caught getting home after curfew. I stifled the laugh, not wanting to be a jackass and upset her, but she looked so freaking cute.
“Should I jump in the truck?” As the words left me, the doors to the bus opened and three brown-haired boys came bounding off the bus. They each ran down the driveway
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