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regarded her as fragile, probably because she wasn’t, and while she couldn’t let it interfere with learning her job, she secretly treasured the attention.
    She was working on the second deck of the house, laying four-by-eight sections of three-quarter tongue-and-groove plywood. She stuck a nail into the wood and whacked it three times, driving it home. She moved over six inches and set another nail.
    She was beginning to understand why Matt liked building houses. Every hour you could stand back, look at your progress, and know you were making something that would last a long, long time. Children would grow up in the house, they’d leave for college, get married, and return with children of their own—and still the house would remain. It was important that the house be built correctly, she decided. It wasn’t just a matter of safety. It had to do with pride and creativity and immortality.
    She stood up, took a step backward to admire her handiwork, and fell into the open stairwell.
    Benny Newfarmer, all 254 pounds of him, was there to break her fall. He caught her square in the chest and crashed to the floor with a thud that carried the length of the cul-de-sac. Lizabeth sprawled across Newfarmer, stunned by the impact, then rolled off his huge belly as if it were a giant beach ball.
    â€œI’m so sorry,” she said to him. “Are you all right?”
    Newfarmer stared unblinking into space, his breath coming in short gasps.
    Bucky Moyer ambled over. “Cripes,” he said, “I’ve never seen him flat on his back like this. He looks like a beached whale.”
    Lizabeth nervously cracked her knuckles. “Why isn’t he saying anything? Why isn’t he getting up? Maybe we should call an ambulance.”
    Bucky grinned. “Nah, he’s okay. You just caught him by surprise. He’s not used to women jumping on his body like that.”
    â€œYeah, I’m okay,” Newfarmer said, struggling to get up. “You just took me by surprise.”
    Lizabeth glanced over at Matt. He had his hands on his hips, and his face looked as if it had been chiseled in granite. It was the sort of steely-eyed, hard-jawed look you get whenyou grit your teeth for a long time. She grimaced. “Are you mad at me?”
    He unclenched his teeth and expelled a long breath. “No, I’m not mad at you. I’m just glad you didn’t kill him. It would take a forklift to get him out of here.” He unbuckled his carpenter’s belt. “Lunch, everyone.”
    Matt sat back and waited until the men had dispersed. When he was alone with Lizabeth, he stared at her for a long time before speaking. He was torn between wanting to take her in his arms and hold her close and wanting to shake her until her eyes crossed.
    â€œLizabeth…”
    He was at a loss for words. What the hell was he supposed to say to her? He’d known her less than a week, and his heart had stopped when he saw her disappear down the stairwell.
    â€œLizabeth, you really scared me.” He gave a frustrated shake of his head, because what he’d said was so inadequate.
    He pulled her to him and took her face in his hands while he slowly lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her with infinite tenderness, pressing her closer, needing to feel her soft warmth, needing to be reassured that she wasall right, that she was his, at least for the moment.
    Lizabeth tilted her head back so she could look at him. “That felt like a serious kiss.”
    â€œMmmm. I’m having some pretty serious thoughts.”
    â€œI don’t know if I’m ready for serious thoughts.”
    The pain went straight to his heart. He clapped a hand to his chest and grunted. “Boy, that hurts. The first time I have long-term plans for a relationship and look where it gets me. Heartbreak City.”
    He was a flirt, Lizabeth decided. The nicest man she’d ever met, and also the most outrageous.