shouted back to him as she pulled the sunglasses back down over her eyes—which were a baby blue.
He’d noticed her eyes.
He’d noticed her.
Okay, he thought as he headed back into the house, he wasn’t dead from a broken heart.
Pete returned fifteen minutes later. He had two cups of coffee, one in each hand, and a plate tucked under his arm.
“I thought you could use some coffee and I had an extra plate,” he said as he walked up to the back of the pickup truck where Jill was moving boxes.
“How attached are you to that plate? You see I’m not any kind of good luck charm.”
Pete laughed. He actually laughed for the first time in a month. “No sentimental value attached.”
Jill rested her fists on her hips and looked at him. “Are you attached to the mug?” She nodded to another box of broken items. “I could use one of those as well.
Now the laughter rolled from him. Was there some kind of God that knew he needed a breath of fresh air? Jill seemed to be that today.
“Cup is all yours,” he said lifting it in the air so she could reach it. “I didn’t flavor it or anything, but I have some cream in the house if you want some.”
She looked down into the mug. “You wouldn’t be offended?”
“No. You wouldn’t be the only woman who took my coffee and made it taste good.”
“Good, because this looks very dark.” She handed him back the mug and jumped out of the back of the truck bed before taking it back. She took the plate from him and stowed it in another box. When she looked back at him, she gave him a satisfied nod. “Thanks for the plate. Now show me the way to the creamer.”
He couldn’t help but take a moment to stare at the woman he’d just met. She was so different from anyone he’d ever known. Her energy was contagious and he found himself smiling at her—which she noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing at all.”
She slowly nodded. “You’re smiling really weird. Listen, if you’re some kind of creeper I’ll tell that John guy I don’t want to rent this place.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Even if I tell you I’m not some creeper wouldn’t that be hard to believe? I mean a creeper would be hell bent on making sure you didn’t think he was one. What if you’re the creeper?”
Jill rested a hand on his shoulder as she laughed at him. “I’m going to take my chances. Now get me to that creamer before this coffee is cold.”
Pete led her up the back steps and into the house.
Jill stopped as she entered. “This is nice.”
“Thanks. The last tenant left the lacey curtains. I didn’t choose those.”
“Not judging,” she said. “So you know John too? The guy who rented me the basement?”
“I’ve known John most of my life. I’m a family friend,” he added, but he felt as though he should have just said he was part of the family.
“That’s cool. You could fill me in then.”
Pete opened the refrigerator and took out the creamer and handed it to her.
“Thanks. Do you have a spoon too?”
He opened a drawer and took out a spoon.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked as she perfected the coffee and then took the spoon to stir it.
“About a month.”
“John told me the tenant from my apartment moved out and is getting married. What about this tenant?”
Pete swallowed the hard knot that had lodged in his throat. “She moved to France.”
“No way!” She looked up at him. “Moved to France? That’s about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.”
He wished he could be as excited about it, but that just wasn’t the case.
Jill sipped her coffee, added more cream, and sipped again. “Now that’s the perfect cup of coffee.”
Pete wasn’t so sure. He liked it just the way he’d brewed it.
Jill set the spoon in the sink and replaced the creamer before resting up against the counter. “Why did she move to France?”
Pete shrugged. “Opportunity. Family. Her mother is from there and she wanted to know a different
He’d noticed her eyes.
He’d noticed her.
Okay, he thought as he headed back into the house, he wasn’t dead from a broken heart.
Pete returned fifteen minutes later. He had two cups of coffee, one in each hand, and a plate tucked under his arm.
“I thought you could use some coffee and I had an extra plate,” he said as he walked up to the back of the pickup truck where Jill was moving boxes.
“How attached are you to that plate? You see I’m not any kind of good luck charm.”
Pete laughed. He actually laughed for the first time in a month. “No sentimental value attached.”
Jill rested her fists on her hips and looked at him. “Are you attached to the mug?” She nodded to another box of broken items. “I could use one of those as well.
Now the laughter rolled from him. Was there some kind of God that knew he needed a breath of fresh air? Jill seemed to be that today.
“Cup is all yours,” he said lifting it in the air so she could reach it. “I didn’t flavor it or anything, but I have some cream in the house if you want some.”
She looked down into the mug. “You wouldn’t be offended?”
“No. You wouldn’t be the only woman who took my coffee and made it taste good.”
“Good, because this looks very dark.” She handed him back the mug and jumped out of the back of the truck bed before taking it back. She took the plate from him and stowed it in another box. When she looked back at him, she gave him a satisfied nod. “Thanks for the plate. Now show me the way to the creamer.”
He couldn’t help but take a moment to stare at the woman he’d just met. She was so different from anyone he’d ever known. Her energy was contagious and he found himself smiling at her—which she noticed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing at all.”
She slowly nodded. “You’re smiling really weird. Listen, if you’re some kind of creeper I’ll tell that John guy I don’t want to rent this place.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Even if I tell you I’m not some creeper wouldn’t that be hard to believe? I mean a creeper would be hell bent on making sure you didn’t think he was one. What if you’re the creeper?”
Jill rested a hand on his shoulder as she laughed at him. “I’m going to take my chances. Now get me to that creamer before this coffee is cold.”
Pete led her up the back steps and into the house.
Jill stopped as she entered. “This is nice.”
“Thanks. The last tenant left the lacey curtains. I didn’t choose those.”
“Not judging,” she said. “So you know John too? The guy who rented me the basement?”
“I’ve known John most of my life. I’m a family friend,” he added, but he felt as though he should have just said he was part of the family.
“That’s cool. You could fill me in then.”
Pete opened the refrigerator and took out the creamer and handed it to her.
“Thanks. Do you have a spoon too?”
He opened a drawer and took out a spoon.
“How long have you lived here?” she asked as she perfected the coffee and then took the spoon to stir it.
“About a month.”
“John told me the tenant from my apartment moved out and is getting married. What about this tenant?”
Pete swallowed the hard knot that had lodged in his throat. “She moved to France.”
“No way!” She looked up at him. “Moved to France? That’s about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.”
He wished he could be as excited about it, but that just wasn’t the case.
Jill sipped her coffee, added more cream, and sipped again. “Now that’s the perfect cup of coffee.”
Pete wasn’t so sure. He liked it just the way he’d brewed it.
Jill set the spoon in the sink and replaced the creamer before resting up against the counter. “Why did she move to France?”
Pete shrugged. “Opportunity. Family. Her mother is from there and she wanted to know a different
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