Her Texas Hero. Kat Brookes

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СКАЧАТЬ keep up. His gaze dropped down to her adorable little face. “Did she now?”

      “A little glue goes a long way,” Audra said, her determined strides taking her into the kitchen.

      Maybe when it came to small fix-its. But glue wasn’t going to make this house habitable. “You really should reconsider hiring someone on to help with the repairs.”

      “There are plenty of books on doing home repairs.” She crossed the room and stopped next to what could only be the inoperable door. Then she turned to face him. “I’m a fast learner.”

      He should have known that, as determinedly as she’d hung on to keep from falling off that roof, the woman was bound to have a stubborn side. Carter stepped up to the door to inspect it. “Before I leave, I’ll get that Frisbee down off the roof for you.”

      “I’d rather you not risk getting hurt trying to do that for us,” she said with a frown.

      His gaze shifted to her children, who were taking in every word like little sponges. “While I appreciate your concern for my safety,” he said as he once again removed his sunglasses and shoved them down into the front pocket of his shirt, “I go up onto roofs, good ones and bad ones, for a living.” He knelt to check out the doorknob and its locking mechanism. “And I’d never forgive myself for driving off with that Frisbee still up there. Too tempting for certain persons who might be stirred to try and find some way to get it off all by themselves.” He gave a slight nod in the direction of the children. “That should be left to someone who knows what they’re doing up on that roof.”

      She glanced in her children’s direction. “Mr. Cooper’s right. Never go up on the roof. It’s too dangerous.” Her gaze shifted back to him. “If you’re sure you have the time to spare, I’d appreciate your help in getting it down.”

      “Finished up work early today,” he told her, his focus returning to the stubborn old door, which was determined not to budge from the frame it was nestled far too snugly in. “Nothing else planned for the rest of my day except removing this ridiculous raccoon mask I’m sporting.”

      A soft giggle sounded beside him, drawing his gaze upward. He quirked a brow.

      “Sorry,” Audra said, not bothering to hide her amusement. “Actually,” she said, studying his face more closely, “in some strange way, the ‘mask’ suits you.”

      “I’m not sure if I should thank you for the slightly offhanded compliment, or if I should put my sunglasses back on, which I will tell you will make it pretty hard to see what I’m doing here,” he added, motioning toward the door.

      “Compliment,” she said with a smile. “Without a doubt.”

      She was sweet, but he didn’t believe a word of her flattery. There was no doubt in his mind that he looked ridiculous. It was no wonder she wasn’t jumping at the chance to hire him on for her house renovations. Who in their right mind would consider hiring on a man wearing a shoe-polish mask? He stood, straightening to his full height. “As I suspected, the door’s rotted and swollen. It’s gonna need to be replaced.”

      Her smile faded for the briefest of moments before she drew back her shoulders and lifted her chin. “We’ll just have to make do with one door for a while.”

      One door? What if there were a fire and the front door wasn’t accessible? “It could be shaved down some as a temporary fix,” he suggested. “But you really should consider replacing it.”

      She bit her bottom lip as if mentally assessing her choices. Then she turned to her children. “Kids, run out to the van and get Mr. Cooper a bottle of water from the cooler.”

      Before he could tell her not to bother, her children were gone.

      She turned back to him, craning her neck as she looked up at him. He hadn’t realized before what a tiny thing she was. Five-three if she were fortunate. Nearly a foot shorter than his own six foot two inches. “My children have had enough to deal with in their lives. The last thing they need to do is worry about my being able to take care of them. The truth is, my funds are limited right now. So a new door is out of the question. My money needs to go to the more demanding repairs.”

      He nodded. That didn’t mean he liked the thought of her trying to handle this project on her own. Pulling out his wallet, he withdrew his business card and handed it to her. “Since you don’t know me from Adam, here’s my card to prove I have a little bit of experience with these sorts of things.” He wanted her to trust him. Why it mattered so much he had no idea, but it did.

      She took the offered card, her gaze drifting over it. “As I’ve already said, hiring on a professional isn’t in the budget. But with the good Lord’s help we’ll figure it out.”

      He fought the urge to frown. The good Lord might be watching over them, but home renovations were not something he’d be seeing to. And even with God’s guidance Audra Marshall would not be able to do this on her own. “I’ll stop by tomorrow to repair the back door.”

      “That won’t be necessary,” she said without hesitation. “Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.”

      Stubborn. Determined. Prideful female. Carter mentally ticked off a list of appropriate descriptions for Audra Marshall while he came to terms with her refusal of his offer. But it was her house. Her door. Her decision to make. So he grudgingly explained what she would have to do to fix the door. At least temporarily. “If there’s anything else I can do to help,” he told her, “just give me a ring. My cell phone number’s on the bottom of the card.”

      She glanced down at the light gray business card she still clutched in her hand and then back up at him. “Thank you, but I’m sure it won’t be necessary.” She held out her hand, intending to give the card back to him.

      “Keep it,” he insisted and then added with a tempered smile, “Just in case.”

      He waited, fully expecting her to refuse him again. Instead, she nodded, setting the card on the kitchen counter beside her.

      Odd how such a small victory had him feeling like he’d won the Super Bowl. “Reckon I oughta go get that Frisbee down so you and the little ones can get back to settling in.”

      “I suppose so,” she said, her gaze taking in the room. “We have a bit of cleaning to do to make the bedrooms sleep-ready.” She started from the room, limping slightly as she went.

      “Your calf okay?” he asked as he followed.

      “Starting to feel a little tender.”

      “Try not to baby it,” he said. “I know it’s uncomfortable to walk on, but you have to keep that calf muscle stretched out.”

      “I think you went into the wrong line of work, Mr. Cooper,” she said, flashing a smile back at him over her shoulder. “You really should have been a doctor.”

      “I was a volunteer firefighter for a couple of years after I graduated from high school, during which time I received training in first aid, but my true calling is construction.”

      “I have to wonder,” she said with a smile.

      He let out a husky laugh. “Trust me. These hands are far better off hammering nails than tending to patients. I’m blue collar through and through.” СКАЧАТЬ