Read Once Upon a Proposal for Free Online

he was installing. “But it’s kind of a small space.”
    And feeling smaller by the second. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œFor what?”
    She lifted her shoulders. “Getting your name involved in all this.”
    â€œLike you said, it’s just a misunderstanding. No sweat.” He finished tightening a screw, twisted the door latch a few times and pushed to his feet. “And I know how mothers can be.” He shut the door and turned the lock. It latched with a soft, decisive click. He looked down at her. “Ought to keep you snug as a bug in here now.”
    She was feeling quite snug, with the door shutting out the world and shutting him in. “I, um, should pay you for the lock.”
    â€œNot necessary.” He shook his head and smoothly unlocked and opened the door again, letting in a rush of cool, damp air. “Fiona has a long list of things she wants fixed or replaced over here. One lock set isn’t going to make a difference.” He leaned over to fit his tools back into the tool box and his shirt stretched tightly across his back.
    She quickly looked past the tantalizing play of muscles beneath white cotton, through the open door, grateful for the waft of fresh air. “I told Fiona she didn’t have to fix anything. Except for the door sticking, everything is fine over here.” And the rent was ridiculously low.
    â€œDon’t say that,” he drawled. “Business down the way it is, I need all the work I can get.”
    Horrified, she opened her mouth, not certain what to say.
    But he was giving her that crooked grin again. The one that sent strange little squiggles of excitement through her belly. “I’m kidding. Playing Mr. Fix-it for my grandmother isn’t exactly a hardship and after all the hours I’m spending in the office these days, it helps keep me from forgetting where I started.” He lifted the toolbox. “If it stays dry enough tomorrow, I’ll get new shingles up on your roof. Otherwise it’ll be the floor in your bathroom.”
    She was almost afraid that he’d ask to see it, and considering the lingerie that was hanging over the shower rod to dry, she really wanted to avoid that. “When Fiona said she’d send someone to fix the door, I didn’t expect it to be you.” In fact, her elderly friend had implied it would be someone employed by her grandson’s construction firm. Not her grandson himself. From what she’d heard over the years from Fiona about her wealthy family, very few of them were the hands-on type. Doctors and lawyers. Administrators.
    Only her grandson had bucked the old money and professional tradition and gone into construction. And now he had branches in Colorado and Texas as well as Washington State. All details courtesy of Fiona, of course. The woman didn’t try to hide how proud she was of him.
    â€œAfraid you’re stuck with me,” he said. “I’ve got everyone on my payroll working at the moment.”
    â€œThat’s good, though, right?” She knew how construction had taken a terrible hit in this economy. “A sign of better things?”
    He looked out the door. “I’m hoping so.”
    Something in his voice caught at her, but she didn’t have time to examine it, because footsteps pounded on the walkwayoutside and a moment later, two kids—a boy and a girl—practically skidded to a stop on her porch.
    â€œWe picked the movie,” the tousle-haired boy said. “But it starts in twenty minutes.”
    â€œAnd I still have to change,” the girl said. She was wearing a black leotard with a short, filmy skirt over pale-pink tights, her hair fastened in a classic knot at the back of her blond head.
    â€œRight.” Gabriel looked back at Bobbie. “But first say hello to Ms. Fairchild. This is my daughter, Lisette. And my son, Todd.”
    Of course. He had children. Fiona had mentioned them.