I
never could resist Sheila E.”
“Who could?” Logan grinned
and shook his head. “Sorry I interrupted your alone time. I’ll see
you later.”
“Logan.” He stopped at her
voice and turned back.
“Would you stay a little?
I’ve probably got another half hour of work here. I mean, if you
don’t have anything better to do.”
Logan thought of single
breast of chicken sitting in his refrigerator at home. “Nope, I got
nothing. But I thought you wanted to be alone.”
She shrugged. “I had some of
that. Now I want some company, if that’s okay.”
He unbuttoned his cuffs and
began rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll stay if you let me help. We’ll
get done faster, and then I’m taking you down the street to Jimmy’s
for an ice cream cone. Deal?”
Jude studied him for a
minute before smiling. “Deal.” She tossed him a rag. “Want to do
the cabinets?”
***
Cooper Davis knew women.
Raised by a single mother,
married twice and now the father of a teenaged girl, he was fairly
certain there wasn’t too much about the female species he didn’t
understand. So the idea of a relationship with Jude didn’t faze him
at all.
He knew marriage wasn’t in
the cards for him, not again. He’d vowed after his failed second
attempt that he wouldn’t go down that road again. But the way he
figured it, Jude wasn’t some starry-eyed girl. She probably didn’t
want to get married again either. He pictured them in one of
those very mature, modern relationships. They could keep their own
houses, even their own lives. It would be nice to have a dependable
date for things like weddings and reunions, without all the mess of
marriage. And finding someone who already loved Alexis, whom Lex
loved, too, was a bonus he just couldn’t deny.
He was sitting in his
workshop, sanding down a credenza before he stained it as he
considered their options. Being a carpenter was a calling,
and one he had always been content to have. The whole posse had
been proud of Logan when he’d gone to college and become an
architect, and of Daniel when he’d earned his business degree and
opened his general contracting business. But the great thing about
their friends was that they were no less happy for Eric when he
became a master plumber and for Cooper when he opened his carpentry
shop.
His phone buzzed, and Cooper
grinned when he saw the caller ID. Jude. Well, if that
wasn’t just like the universe, handing him an opportunity to lay
down some groundwork.
He answered, keep his voice
low yet professional. “Cooper Davis.”
“Hey, Coop. It’s Jude. Got a
minute?”
“For you, gorgeous, more
than one. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to check with you
about the piece for the bed and breakfast. The one for the foyer?
We’re working on nailing down the opening date, and I told Logan
I’d help him with some of the loose ends.”
Cooper flipped over a page
on his planner. “It’s on track to be finished by the end of next
week. I can have it delivered any time after that.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’ll let
them know, and one of us will get back to you about a definite
date.”
“Okay.” Cooper paused as
inspiration struck. “You know, Jude, I’m glad you called. I was
thinking about the stain for that piece, and I’d love it if you
could come down here, take a look at the choices.”
“Oh, sure. I can do
that. Could I stop this afternoon, after we close? I could be there
before six, I think, if that’s not too late for you.”
“That would be perfect. I’ll
see you then.” He clicked off, ran his hand over the credenza and
nodded in satisfaction.
Jude was beginning to feel as though
she’d fallen into an alternate reality. First it had been Matt,
with the dinner that had veered dangerously close to date
territory. She’d convinced herself she was wrong about that, and
now that he was happy with Sandra, it was easier to accept.
And then there was the weird
vibe she’d been
never could resist Sheila E.”
“Who could?” Logan grinned
and shook his head. “Sorry I interrupted your alone time. I’ll see
you later.”
“Logan.” He stopped at her
voice and turned back.
“Would you stay a little?
I’ve probably got another half hour of work here. I mean, if you
don’t have anything better to do.”
Logan thought of single
breast of chicken sitting in his refrigerator at home. “Nope, I got
nothing. But I thought you wanted to be alone.”
She shrugged. “I had some of
that. Now I want some company, if that’s okay.”
He unbuttoned his cuffs and
began rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll stay if you let me help. We’ll
get done faster, and then I’m taking you down the street to Jimmy’s
for an ice cream cone. Deal?”
Jude studied him for a
minute before smiling. “Deal.” She tossed him a rag. “Want to do
the cabinets?”
***
Cooper Davis knew women.
Raised by a single mother,
married twice and now the father of a teenaged girl, he was fairly
certain there wasn’t too much about the female species he didn’t
understand. So the idea of a relationship with Jude didn’t faze him
at all.
He knew marriage wasn’t in
the cards for him, not again. He’d vowed after his failed second
attempt that he wouldn’t go down that road again. But the way he
figured it, Jude wasn’t some starry-eyed girl. She probably didn’t
want to get married again either. He pictured them in one of
those very mature, modern relationships. They could keep their own
houses, even their own lives. It would be nice to have a dependable
date for things like weddings and reunions, without all the mess of
marriage. And finding someone who already loved Alexis, whom Lex
loved, too, was a bonus he just couldn’t deny.
He was sitting in his
workshop, sanding down a credenza before he stained it as he
considered their options. Being a carpenter was a calling,
and one he had always been content to have. The whole posse had
been proud of Logan when he’d gone to college and become an
architect, and of Daniel when he’d earned his business degree and
opened his general contracting business. But the great thing about
their friends was that they were no less happy for Eric when he
became a master plumber and for Cooper when he opened his carpentry
shop.
His phone buzzed, and Cooper
grinned when he saw the caller ID. Jude. Well, if that
wasn’t just like the universe, handing him an opportunity to lay
down some groundwork.
He answered, keep his voice
low yet professional. “Cooper Davis.”
“Hey, Coop. It’s Jude. Got a
minute?”
“For you, gorgeous, more
than one. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to check with you
about the piece for the bed and breakfast. The one for the foyer?
We’re working on nailing down the opening date, and I told Logan
I’d help him with some of the loose ends.”
Cooper flipped over a page
on his planner. “It’s on track to be finished by the end of next
week. I can have it delivered any time after that.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’ll let
them know, and one of us will get back to you about a definite
date.”
“Okay.” Cooper paused as
inspiration struck. “You know, Jude, I’m glad you called. I was
thinking about the stain for that piece, and I’d love it if you
could come down here, take a look at the choices.”
“Oh, sure. I can do
that. Could I stop this afternoon, after we close? I could be there
before six, I think, if that’s not too late for you.”
“That would be perfect. I’ll
see you then.” He clicked off, ran his hand over the credenza and
nodded in satisfaction.
Jude was beginning to feel as though
she’d fallen into an alternate reality. First it had been Matt,
with the dinner that had veered dangerously close to date
territory. She’d convinced herself she was wrong about that, and
now that he was happy with Sandra, it was easier to accept.
And then there was the weird
vibe she’d been
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