mentioned that.”
“How about a contractor? Are you in the market for a general contractor?”
“Excuse me?” Nita said, thoroughly perplexed by not only the abrupt change in topic but by the fact that Deo seemed to have capitulated with no argument. And that bothered her. Lord, she must be sending out mixed signals because she certainly felt mixed up. She didn’t want the woman’s attention but it upset her when Deo simply gave up pursuing her as if it were of no further consequence. She hadn’t realized how vulnerable she was to any kind of attention from a woman. It had been a long time. Obviously, she needed a date—with someone non-threatening and low-key and normal. Someone whose attention would be pleasant but not distracting, someone with whom she could share something enjoyable but not consuming. Not someone like Deo whose mere presence stirred her up. Not someone like Deo—like Sylvia—who would occupy her mind twenty-four hours a day and keep her body in a state of constant arousal.
“You bought the Captain’s house,” Deo said, again stating fact. “If you plan on living in it, it’s going to take some serious work.”
“How do you know about my house?”
“It’s my business to know what’s happening with the properties in town.”
Nita shook her head. “Small-town living will take some getting used to. Yes, I bought it, but I haven’t made any decisions yet about what I’m going to do with it or who is going to do it.” What she didn’t add was that whoever she hired, it certainly would not be Deo Camara. The last thing she wanted was to see her on a daily basis for weeks.
“Rehabbing historic structures is my specialty,” Deo said, serious now. “You’re going to get the best prices if you go local, and I’m the best there is on the Cape. You’ll at least want a bid from me.”
“Lord, you really are too much.” Nita remembered Pia mentioning the township’s regulations regarding what could and couldn’t be done to historic buildings and realized she would be better off using a local builder. It was late, she was tired, and she didn’t want to argue. In fact, Deo made sense. Compromise. Compromise was something she’d always been good at. “Why don’t you send Joey around to look the place over. I’m closing on Friday afternoon and I’ll have the keys after that.”
“Joey’s not experienced enough.” Deo grinned. “Besides, he’s competition.”
“I’m sorry?”
“He wants to ask you out.”
Nita gaped. “Joey? My God, he’s just a boy.”
“He’s eighteen,” Deo said with a straight face, enjoying seeing Nita off balance.
“He’s also a patient.”
“He won’t be forever.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nita snapped. “You know I’m a lesbian.”
Deo lifted a shoulder. “Can’t prove it by personal experience.”
“And you never will.” Exasperated and recalling what Pia had said about their family enterprises, Nita said, “Then send one of your brothers to do the estimate. You must have half a dozen working with you.”
Deo jerked as if Nita had slapped her. Beneath her tan, Deo’s bronze skin paled and a world of hurt flashed across her face. For a fraction of a second, Nita actually thought she might faint. Without giving it a thought, driven only by her instinct to comfort, she grasped Deo’s hand. “What is it?” The fingers lying motionless in her palm were cold and trembling. “Deo?”
“Sorry,” Deo rasped, jerking her hand free. “No, no brothers.”
“I’m sor—”
“No problem.” Deo backed away a step. “Sorry to bother you.”
“Deo…” Nita called quietly, but Deo had already spun away. She felt terrible for bringing up something that was obviously still painful. She didn’t mind clashing with Deo’s arrogance or misplaced sense of entitlement where women were concerned, but she would never have willingly hurt her. “Damn it.”
“Everything all right?” Tory asked.
Nita gave a start,
“How about a contractor? Are you in the market for a general contractor?”
“Excuse me?” Nita said, thoroughly perplexed by not only the abrupt change in topic but by the fact that Deo seemed to have capitulated with no argument. And that bothered her. Lord, she must be sending out mixed signals because she certainly felt mixed up. She didn’t want the woman’s attention but it upset her when Deo simply gave up pursuing her as if it were of no further consequence. She hadn’t realized how vulnerable she was to any kind of attention from a woman. It had been a long time. Obviously, she needed a date—with someone non-threatening and low-key and normal. Someone whose attention would be pleasant but not distracting, someone with whom she could share something enjoyable but not consuming. Not someone like Deo whose mere presence stirred her up. Not someone like Deo—like Sylvia—who would occupy her mind twenty-four hours a day and keep her body in a state of constant arousal.
“You bought the Captain’s house,” Deo said, again stating fact. “If you plan on living in it, it’s going to take some serious work.”
“How do you know about my house?”
“It’s my business to know what’s happening with the properties in town.”
Nita shook her head. “Small-town living will take some getting used to. Yes, I bought it, but I haven’t made any decisions yet about what I’m going to do with it or who is going to do it.” What she didn’t add was that whoever she hired, it certainly would not be Deo Camara. The last thing she wanted was to see her on a daily basis for weeks.
“Rehabbing historic structures is my specialty,” Deo said, serious now. “You’re going to get the best prices if you go local, and I’m the best there is on the Cape. You’ll at least want a bid from me.”
“Lord, you really are too much.” Nita remembered Pia mentioning the township’s regulations regarding what could and couldn’t be done to historic buildings and realized she would be better off using a local builder. It was late, she was tired, and she didn’t want to argue. In fact, Deo made sense. Compromise. Compromise was something she’d always been good at. “Why don’t you send Joey around to look the place over. I’m closing on Friday afternoon and I’ll have the keys after that.”
“Joey’s not experienced enough.” Deo grinned. “Besides, he’s competition.”
“I’m sorry?”
“He wants to ask you out.”
Nita gaped. “Joey? My God, he’s just a boy.”
“He’s eighteen,” Deo said with a straight face, enjoying seeing Nita off balance.
“He’s also a patient.”
“He won’t be forever.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Nita snapped. “You know I’m a lesbian.”
Deo lifted a shoulder. “Can’t prove it by personal experience.”
“And you never will.” Exasperated and recalling what Pia had said about their family enterprises, Nita said, “Then send one of your brothers to do the estimate. You must have half a dozen working with you.”
Deo jerked as if Nita had slapped her. Beneath her tan, Deo’s bronze skin paled and a world of hurt flashed across her face. For a fraction of a second, Nita actually thought she might faint. Without giving it a thought, driven only by her instinct to comfort, she grasped Deo’s hand. “What is it?” The fingers lying motionless in her palm were cold and trembling. “Deo?”
“Sorry,” Deo rasped, jerking her hand free. “No, no brothers.”
“I’m sor—”
“No problem.” Deo backed away a step. “Sorry to bother you.”
“Deo…” Nita called quietly, but Deo had already spun away. She felt terrible for bringing up something that was obviously still painful. She didn’t mind clashing with Deo’s arrogance or misplaced sense of entitlement where women were concerned, but she would never have willingly hurt her. “Damn it.”
“Everything all right?” Tory asked.
Nita gave a start,
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