She blinked again. There he went again, and this time he was definitely almost smiling. The gentle upward curve of his hard mouth cut the hint of dimples into his lean sun-browned cheeks. She felt a flutter of interest down deep in her heart, and dismissed it. She was a woman after all, sworn to a single celibate life, but that didnt mean she was dead. Call for help if I dont return.
You cant deal with that yourself.
Watch me. She swept past him, wading through the torrent streaming down the hallway. What would it be like to be free of this place? Shed been here so long, she couldnt even imagine it. But she would sure like to.
She was planning to put the diner up for sale this summer. Shed been accepted at the nearby university to begin classes in the fall.
Do you want me to call a plumber? He spoke with that polished baritone that could make a girl take a second look.
She absolutely refused to turn around. She didnt need a second look. She wasnt interested in Evan or in any man. Not yet, it might be something I know how to fix.
Are you telling me youre a good cook and a handyman, too?
Just because Im a woman doesnt mean I cant use tools.
Right. Evan watched Paige McKaslin march away from him, all business. She was a study in contradiction. On the surface, she was brusque, crisp and coolly efficient. A man might draw the conclusion that she was made of ice.
But if he watched close enough, hed see a different woman. A woman who was vulnerable and overworked and tender. Hed seen the look on her lovely face when the crying customer had said they were on their way to a funeral. She cared. And she hadnt charged the couple for the hot coffee and snacks to help them along on their all-night drive.
She wasnt as coolly tough as she let on, either. Not judging by the way her straight shoulders had slumped when shed first eyed the leak cascading down the hallway. She was handling the flood now, marching up the water-filled hallway braced like a warrior facing battle. She was a small woman, and that came as a surprise. She was always moving, a busy, no-nonsense, get-things-done woman. Now, as he watched her, he realized just how lovely she was.
Why he was noticing, he couldnt rightly say. Hed given up on women and the notion of trusting them ever since hed come home to find a quick note from his wife taped to the refrigerator door explaining why she was leaving him. That wasnt all. Shed drained their bank accounts, maxed out the credit cards with cash advances. Shed even liquidated their nest egg of stocks and bonds.
All very good reasons never to notice another woman again.
So, why was he standing here watching as Paige disappeared into the mens restroom? Water lapped around the toes of his shoes. A smart man would go back to his seat and finish off the rest of his meal and contemplate the dessert menu. He would not be staring down the hallway, feeling as if he ought to lend a hand.
Why? That made no sense. He wasnt much of a handyman, so there was very little he could do to help, unless it was to turn off a valve. Paige had been clear she could handle the leak and any required tools. She was a competent woman; hed have to believe her. Maybe the reason had more to do with her beauty than her competence.
No, that didnt make any sense. After Liz had broken his heart, wrecked their family, and destroyed his financial security, no womans beauty could affect him. No, the reason he was standing here as the flood rushed past him into the dining room had nothing to do with Paige McKaslin. Not one thing. His chest constricted with a pain worse than a root canal.
He thought of his absolutely quiet, very empty house and took a step upstream. Water sloshed over the top of his shoes and wet his socks. Helping her was the only decent thing to do. It wasnt likely that she could find a plumber this time of night. And certainly not fast enough to save her entire diner from water damage. At the very least, Paige would have a serious repair bill on her hands.
Hed see if he couldnt help keep that to a minimum, he thought, as he knocked on the closed mens bathroom door and shouldered it open. Water resisted, and when he shoved harder, he saw why. What might have started as a small leak had resulted in complete erosion of the major water pipe to the sinks. Water gushed out of the floor full-force now, and Paige sat beside it, her face in her hands, her shoulders slumped.
In utter defeat.
Evans heart twisted. He stepped forward, blown away by an overwhelming need to help her. To make this right.
Chapter Two
This is going to wipe out the diners monthly profit. And a lot more as well.
Paige scrubbed at her face. Tired, she was just so tired. She had to call a plumber. She couldnt do this herselfthis was no minor repair. Already the water level had risen a few inches. And since the break in the pipe was below the shut-off for the sinks, the main line would have to be shut off.
Not only that, but the clean-up was going to take timehours of hard work. Dont think about that, she commanded herself as she climbed to her feet. One step at a time. First she had to get this water turned off.
Wheres the main shut-off valve? A mans voice came out of nowhere, bouncing off the bare walls.
She jumped, splashing the water around her. Evan. I didnt know that you were there. What are you doing? Youre going to ruin your shoes.
Ive had worse problems. This is an older building. Dont tell me the shut-off is underneath.
Theres a crawl space, but you cant go down there. She waded across the room, splashing and slipping, as fast as she could go.
Evan had already turned and was wading down the hall. Evan!
He was gone with a splash, but like the ripples ringing outward from his movements in the water, the effect of his kind presence remained.
Youre only imagining that the kindness in his voice is personal, she told herself as she slogged after him. Waves washed against the tile protection along the walls and threatened to start wetting the wallboard at any time.
Evan had gone back to his seat, right? As she scurried down the hall she caught a glimpse of the nearly empty dining room. Evan wasnt in it.
Men. This was why she didnt have one. You couldnt trust them to do what you saidyou couldnt trust them at all, not as far as you could throw them. She grabbed her coat from the kitchen closet and the flashlight from the top shelf.
The chill in the wind cut through her, tearing at the edges of her coat, and she zipped it up tightly as she ran. The light from the windows gave just enough light to thin the shadows as she tripped along the icy flagstone path around the far edge of the building.
The trap door was flung wide open and the scant light down below gave her no hint of what was happening. Had Evan already found the valve and turned it off?
He peered up at her from the shadows below. Dust streaked the top of his head. You wouldnt happen to have any tools on you, would you?
Those dimples had dug into his cheeks again and caught her off guard.
I Her brain shut down. Tools. He was talking about tools. You dont need one for the shut-off. Just let me
I found the valve, but its stuck open.
Its stuck? No, it cant be. The handle has to be jiggled just right. Its temperamental. She barreled down the wooden steps, swiping cobwebs out of her hair. Let me try it.
Do you have a toolbox upstairs?
Theres a kit in the kitchen closet by the door but She stumbled along the uneven ground and went down on her knees by the valve. He was already gone. It didnt matter. She wrapped both hands around the small metal handle and pulled. Nothing.
She strained harder. Nothing.
Okay, what she needed was a little more muscle. She braced her feet, used her weight as leverage and heaved with all her strength. The pipe groaned. The valve screeched a millimeter and then stuck as if it had been cemented into place.
No, this cant be happening. She took a step back and her heel splashed in something wet. Water. It was coming through the floorboards at the end near the bathrooms. What was it doing upstairs?
Before panic could set in, Evan was back, thundering down the steps and into the narrow space, stooping as he went, the toolbox clinking with his movements. He dropped the box at her feet and snapped it open. Her hand shot out for the wrench but hed already stolen it.
Hey, this is my job, she decided loudly.
He didnt seem to care, as he was already shouldering next to her and fitting the wrench into place. Its just rusted some. Lets hope this doesnt break the pipe.
And if it does?
Theres always the shut-off at the meter in the street, but lets he paused as he put some muscle into his effort hope that it doesntcometo that.
Metal screeched in protest.
Is it working?
Not yet. Could you aim the flashlight right here? Itd help if I could see what Im doing.
Sure. She moved close to point the beam at the stubborn valve in the narrow corner. I keep imagining that Im going to need an ark to rescue the last of the customers I left in the dining room.
He gave the wrench a little more muscle and the screech of old copper pipes told him he was making some difference. If it comes to that, Ill engineer you one.
Then Ill be even more in your debt. The gentle curve of her mouth eased into a ghost of a smile as she leaned closer to give the flashlight she held a better angle.
She smelled of cinnamon and roses. Cinnamon from the kitchen, he guessed. And roses from her lotion. The subtle aroma made him take notice. His chest throbbed. Heartburn, he thought, dismissing it as he felt the valve give a tiny bit. At his age, chest pain wasnt a good sign. Being forty-two was a thrill a minute.
He was no longer young, but he wasnt anywhere close to being old. Just in between. Which is pretty much where hed been all his life anyway. Wasnt that what Liz had always mourned? He wasnt a stand-out kind of guy. Just average. Average looking, average earningjust average everything.
And that hadnt bothered him much over the years until this moment.
The wrench froze in place, and as he moved into a better position, he bonked the top of his head hard on a thick wooden beam. Stars lit the dimness before his eyes a split second before pain reverberated through his skull.
Great going, Thornton.
Are you all right? Genuine emotion softened her lean face, and in the spare glow of the flashlights dim bulb, he saw concern fill her eyes.
Im fine. Ive got a hard head.
He couldnt help noticing how lovely she was. Her heart-shaped face was classically cut with a delicate chin, a straight nose and wide, startlingly blue eyes. Dark feathery bangs spilled over her forehead, making him want to smooth those silky wisps away from her eyes. A band tightened around his chest like a vise.
Thats it, Im cutting down on French fries.
He gave the wrench a little more torque, gritted his teeth and pushed for all he was worth. The stubborn wrench didnt move a millimeter and then slowly, with a high-pitched squeal, it began to give. The pipes groaned. Evan groaned. His arms burned as he clenched his jaw and gave it everything he had.
The valve closed.
Oh, Evan! You did it! Oh, I never could have done that by myself. You are incredible! Thank you so much!
It was nothing. He removed the wrench and realized he was shivering.
Nothing? Youve only earned my eternal gratitude. Its freezing down here. Come on up and well get you something hot to drink. She grabbed the wrench from him, and her warm, satin fingers brushed his.
Suddenly he totally forgot about being half frozen. He noticed the faint blanket of freckles across her nose. Her skin was flawless, her cheekbones high and chiseled, her mouth full and her chin delicate.
The vise around his chest clamped so tight he felt close to suffocating. He shouldnt be noticing how beautiful Paige McKaslin was, because in the end it didnt matter. Hed sworn off women, and that especially included noticing the beautiful ones.
He cleared his throat. No, Im fine. And as for your eternal gratitude, why dont we call it even? Youve served me plenty of good meals over the years.
Yes, and youve paid for them.
But I didnt have to cook em for myself. See?
Thats not the same. She headed up the stairs.
He did his best to behave like a gentleman and not notice how trim she looked in her worn jeans or the delicate cut of her ankle showing above her sneakers. He hit the light switch and climbed up after her in the dark. Something cold and icy pecked against his face.
Its snowing. She towered over him, the toolbox in one hand and the flashlight in the other, aiming the shaft of light down the ladder, growing slippery with icy snow.
Great. That will mix nicely with the dust and cobwebs. The icy flakes slanted through the flashlights golden beam and pelted him as he landed with his feet on solid ground. Youre going to need a plumber.
Very observant of you. She knelt to grab the heavy trap door.
He beat her to it. Go in where its warm and call Phils Plumbing. Its in the phonebook. Hes my brother-in-law. You tell him I said to get over here pronto and give you a good price while hes at it.
Thanks, Evan. She marched away, blending with the dark until she was gone.
He didnt know if it was the icy storm or the dark that made him feel keenly alone. Well, he was used to being alone these days, he thought as he hefted the heavy door into place.
There used to be a time when hed been so busy, making a living, running after the boys, looking after laundry and meals and bills that he ran on constant exhaustion. It was painful to remember, and yet it only felt like a few days ago when hed dropped into bed well after eleven each night and bemoaned having not a second to call his own.
Funny, how he missed that now. How hed give just about anything to go back in time. Those days had whipped by so fast, hed forgotten to hold onto the good in them. And nowwell, his sons were grown up and both doing well. Cal was in college and Blake in law school. Grown men, or at least grownup enough that they didnt need him like they used to.
As he made his way around the building to the back door, satisfaction settled over him like the snow. It was good to do something useful. To make a difference. There was no way Paige could have handled that valve on her own, but she certainly hadnt been squeamish about crawling into a narrow dank space.
There she was. He could see her through the window in the back door. She was talking on a cordless phone tucked between her chin and shoulder as she worked at the counter. She met his gaze through the glass. She flashed him a smile, a rare one of the sort hed never seen from her.