Apparently realizing he’d been one-upped, he said, “Fine. Since you know it all, here’s your chance.” He backed down, put the shutter on the ground against his leg, and gestured her toward the ladder.
“I’m not lugging that thing up,” she said.
“No, but if you get up there, I can hold the shutter while you do the fitting. Assuming you can see. Your hair’s a mess.”
“Thanks,” she said brightly and gripped the rail. Two ladders would have been better. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of climbing this one with him at her butt. She would be at his mercy. But she did have a point to prove.
So she began to climb, looking back every few rungs to see where he was. When she reached the top, she felt his shoulder against the back of her thighs. If she hadn’t known better, she would have said he was making sure she didn’t fall.
But she did know better. Leo Cole had no use for women, or so the story went. If he was standing that close, he was toying with her.
She didn’t like being toyed with—and, yes, her hair was in her eyes, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of pushing it back. Fortunately, she knew enough about hanging shutters to do it, hair and all. While he bore the weight of the wood, she easily lined up both pairs of hinges and pins, and that quickly it was done.
Nearly as quickly, he backed down the ladder. By the time she reached the ground, he was stowing the hammer in a tool box. The instant she was off the last rung, he reached for the ladder.
“You’re welcome,” Charlotte said.
He shot her a flat look.
“I’m Charlotte Evans.”
“I know.”
Look for these classic romances—now available as e-books—from beloved bestselling author
Coming soon…
PICTURES OF YOU
DON’T TEMPT ME
Available in September 2012
SILKEN SANDS
HOLD MY HEART
Available in November 2012
CALL MY NAME
AMBER’S EMBRACE
Available in January 2013
From St. Martin’s Press
And stay tuned for these special two-in-one editions
Heat Wave and A Special Something
Available in October 2012
LOVE SONGS
Up All Night and Sweet Serenity
Available in February 2013
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Also from Barbara Delinsky
ESCAPE
NOT MY DAUGHTER
WHILE MY SISTER SLEEPS
THE SECRET BETWEEN US
FAMILY TREE
LAKE NEWS
THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR
MORE THAN FRIENDS
THREE WISHES
Available wherever books are sold
Photo Credit: Jerry Bauer
BARBARA DELINSKY is a New York Times bestselling author with more than thirty million copies of her books in print. She has been published in twenty-five languages worldwide. A lifelong New Englander, Barbara earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. Barbara enjoys knitting, photography, and cats. She also loves to interact with her readers through her website at www.barbaradelinsky.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bdelinsky, and on Twitter as @BarbaraDelinsky.