Stonehill series collect.., p.103
Stonehill Series Collection, page 103
“He never should have had the chance to touch you.”
“This is exactly why you’re teaching me to defend myself, right? And I did. Now sit. Finish your onion rings. I need to clean this mess up.”
“I’ll clean it up.”
“Your snack will get cold.”
“I don’t care. Check on your customers.”
Before she could argue, he went to the back. She started another pot of coffee and walked to each table, reassuring her customers one by one that she was fine and again apologizing for the scene.
Daniel’s conviction to teach Jenna self-defense had relaxed a bit after she’d learned a few basic moves. Seeing her use what he’d taught her should have eased his mind, but his determination to make sure she could keep herself safe grew. Seeing that man grab her had lit Daniel on fire. The rage burned so hot and so fast, he was surprised flames weren’t shooting out of his eyes by the time Jenna stopped him.
And good thing she did. He was eager to snap that bastard’s wrist in half for daring to put his hand on Jenna.
Splashing water on his face in the café sink, he tried to extinguish the burning anger that still roiled inside his chest. He’d spent the rest of the afternoon on that stool, watching, keeping an eye on things in case the man returned. She’d accused him of standing guard. He was. He’d been on high alert until she clicked off the open sign and locked the front door.
Even then he wasn’t ready to leave her alone. He helped her clean, his muscles tense and nerves fully aware and ready to respond on cue.
“All done,” she announced after putting the last of the ham she’d been cutting into the fridge. Tomorrow’s special was a meat-lover’s omelet. She’d spent an hour preparing ham, bacon, and sausage to make her morning a bit easier. Taking her apron off, she hung it on a hook and walked to the sink where she washed her hands and accepted the towel he held out to her. “You look tired.”
He rolled his shoulders. “I’m good.”
“You’ve been hyperaware ever since that man left this afternoon. He won’t be back.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I deal with disgruntled customers on a regular basis. Some people think if they start complaining early enough in the meal, it justifies not leaving a tip.”
“People grab you like that all the time?”
“No. That was new. But I handled it. Thanks to your brilliant training skills.”
He smiled when she did. He couldn’t help it. Her smile eased the stress in his chest. Sliding his arm around her waist, he pulled her closer. “I would have killed him if he’d hurt you.”
“I think everyone there realized that.”
“I won’t apologize for that. But I am sorry if I frightened anyone.”
“You didn’t. They were all very glad you were there to stand up for me.”
He put his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. “I don’t think you know what you’re getting into with me, Jen. You should tell me to leave.”
Instead, she whispered, “Stay.” She tilted her face, brushing her lips over his, but he turned enough to stop her from being able to fully kiss his mouth. Her lips fell on his cheek.
He dug his fingertips into her sides. “You’re asking for trouble.”
“And you’re killing me.”
He caught her hand as she trailed her fingertips over his cheek. If she didn’t stop touching him like that, he wasn’t going to be able to resist her. “You’re not making it easy for me to be honorable.”
“Good.”
He turned his face into her palm. Her skin was slightly rough against his lips, dry from washing so many times throughout the day. He didn’t mind. He didn’t mind at all. In fact, he couldn’t wait to feel her hands on his body again, touching more than just his scars.
He pulled her hand from his face, entwining their fingers as he did. “Come on.”
He led her from the café and upstairs, stopping at her apartment door. He put a kiss on her head after she unlocked her door. He waited until she engaged the locks before heading upstairs. Inside his apartment, now filled with secondhand furniture, he sat at the table and grabbed the pad of paper he’d been making notes on before venturing down to the café earlier in the day.
He was a long way from making Maguire Construction a reality, but he had plans on paper. That was a hell of a lot closer than he’d been the day before, and he knew that with Jenna believing in him, he’d be even closer tomorrow.
Chapter 16
Jenna wouldn’t exactly say she was disgruntled, but damn that Kara Canton for giving Daniel something to do outside the café. Actually, she was thrilled for Daniel. He’d come into the café the night before dirty, exhausted, and happier than she’d ever seen him. He’d laughed as he ate his meatloaf and told her how Kara had indeed tried to barter for his work. Kara’s mother had saved him by offering a fee and asking if he wanted cash or a check, provoking from Kara what Daniel said was the biggest eye roll he’d ever seen from a grown woman.
Today was day two of working on the roofing project. Day two of not being able to run up to Daniel’s apartment with lunch and sit across the table from him and hear his stories while enduring his powerful stare. She’d come to understand that stare much better in the last few days. His intensity, his dark looks, and his looming physique might have been threatening to others, but were pure comfort for her. He used his natural intimidation to keep others at bay, but it’d drawn her in and she could hardly stand that he’d been so far away the last two days.
But having a bit of distance between them was good, too. Not only because Daniel was finally working for pay, which was so important to him, but because she was doing exactly what she’d told Annie she would do. Daniel’s dominant personality was swallowing her. She could hardly function without him near.
The other day, all the fumbling and mistakes that had gotten her customer so frustrated that he’d grabbed her was evidence of how dependent she was becoming on Daniel. She swore she’d never let herself get that tied to another man after Peter, but here she was, walking into another web of co-dependency.
Annie was right—Peter had taken advantage of her and Daniel never would. Daniel would swallow her up and protect her, but even so, Jenna had to stop being so reliant on everyone around her. She’d gone from needing her parents to needing Peter to needing Marcus to needing Daniel. That cycle had to end and having Daniel out of the café was a good start.
But damned if her heart didn’t soar like a freaking beach kite at the sight of Charlie’s truck pulling into a parking spot in front of the café. She tamped her excitement down when she noticed Charlie wasn’t just dropping Daniel off, but was following him in. She grabbed two menus as they sat at the counter.
Charlie waved it off. “Can’t stay. Just wanted to talk over some options on the flooring.”
She listened to his suggestions, looked at the samples, and studied the quote. Damn. Any way he put it, she was going to end up spending more money than she wanted. Part of her desperately wanted to wait to talk to Marcus. He knew her budget in and out. Part of her wanted to look at Daniel and have him tell her what to do. But she took a breath and pointed to the second-cheapest option—the one Charlie said would cost a bit more but would last much longer. “That one. Let’s do that.”
Charlie smiled. “Good choice. Danny, let’s measure one more time so I don’t over-order.”
She tried to quell her nerves as they did their best to stay out of the way while determining how much flooring to order. She’d already made it clear to only replace the floor in the dining room. She’d suffer with cracked linoleum in the kitchen for a while longer. With the measurements complete, Charlie let her know he’d get that taken care of and that her vinyl was on the way—he and “Danny” had already planned to get the booths tackled the following week. By then, the flooring should have been in and ready for installation.
She thanked him, handed him a to-go cup of sweet tea, and watched him leave before looking at Daniel. “Oh. My. God. Did I really just approve your uncle to spend that much money?”
Daniel put his arm around her shoulder and led her to the counter. “You did. And it will be worth it.”
Sitting on the stool next to him, she exhaled her anxiety. “Did you finish the roofing project?”
“Yup. And guess what?”
“Hmm?”
“The lady across the street asked if I knew anyone who could build raised gardens for her. She’s finding it too difficult to get up and down these days and wants them done as soon as possible so they are ready for planting in the spring.”
Jenna lifted her brows. “And whom did you suggest?”
“Some guy I know.”
She laughed lightly. “I’m so happy for you.”
“And I’m happy for you. You took the plunge on two of the biggest projects yet. I know letting go of that money is frightening, but believe me”—he ran his hand reassuringly over her arm—“it’s going to be worth it.”
How could she not believe him when his eyes held so much promise? Everything was coming together. Everything was falling into place.
How incredibly terrifying was that?
He opened the toolbox that he’d set on the floor next to his chair and pulled out a bag. “I got paid for the roofing job today. I got you something.”
He didn’t have to do that, but she didn’t want to discard his effort by saying so. He already appeared uncertain as he held the bag out to her. She smiled as she accepted his present. “Thank you.”
“Open it before you thank me. I’m not sure you’ll like it.”
She reached into the plain white bag and pulled out a T-shirt, laughing as the words Hold Me Closer above a picture of Tony Danza unfolded before her.
He sat taller at her reaction. “You like it? It isn’t exactly an Elton John vintage tee, but it was as close as I could get.”
“I love it. It’s great.” She touched his hand. “I will wear it with pride.” And she would, mostly because he’d bought it for her.
“I hope so.”
“Tell me what you want for dinner and then go get a shower. I’ll bring it up to you.”
“Have you eaten yet?”
She shook her head, and he smiled.
“Good. Bring enough of whatever you want for two. I want to hear about your day.”
Another string of that emotional attachment she was trying to avoid attached itself to her heart. “I want to hear about yours, too.”
Daniel was bone-tired as he dragged himself from the shower. He really just wanted to fall into bed and sleep, but Jenna was coming with dinner and that was worth staying awake. He pulled on clean clothes and was clearing off the table when she knocked on his door. Despite his weariness, his heart felt light. He opened the door and gestured for her to come in.
Last time she’d been in his apartment, the attraction between them had nearly consumed him. He’d admitted his intentions with her and she’d questioned why he had to wait. She wanted him, too. She wanted to be his. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what that meant. When Kara had handed him an envelope of cash, she’d given him more than money…she’d laid the first step on his road to claiming Jenna.
“When are you going to start the raised gardens?” she asked, setting their dinner on the table.
He sat. “Tomorrow, actually. I want to get them done before your vinyl comes in. Listen, even though I’m taking other projects, the café is my priority. Your project isn’t getting back-burnered. I won’t slack on my responsibilities here.”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “I didn’t think you would.”
He removed the top of the plastic container and inhaled the scents of turkey and dressing. As they ate, he told her how Kara and her mother had both offered to recommend him. He hoped Jenna didn’t mind that he’d used the café number for people looking to reach him and promised that he’d get a cheap cell phone soon. Though she insisted she wasn’t concerned, he didn’t like the idea of her taking messages for him. She had enough on her plate without him adding to it.
By the time he finished his dinner, his stomach was full and his eyelids didn’t want to stay open. Jenna chuckled.
“Get in bed,” she insisted as she put the containers back in the bag. “We’ll catch up over breakfast.”
He leaned back as she wiped the table clean. Seeing her here, being so comfortable, made his heart swell. His mind had been racing since they’d damn near kissed the other day. Every thought seemed to be about making a future with her. He’d never planned a future with a woman before, but he couldn’t imagine one without her now. She rinsed the dishrag she’d been using, squeezed out the excess water, and draped the rag over the faucet before drying her hands.
As she gathered the reusable containers, he said, “Would this be enough for you?”
She stopped moving and looked at him.
He dragged his hand over his face. The question left him before he could stop it. “Sorry. I’m tired,” he said.
“What do you mean by this?”
“Nothing. My mind was just wandering and my filter isn’t engaged.” He rubbed his eyes. “Working in the sun drained me.”
She sat back down. “When I was at the culinary institute, I wanted to travel the world and learn all kinds of new techniques and foods to bring back here and apply to a restaurant. When I met Peter, I wanted to do whatever was necessary for him to succeed. When I got back here and opened the café, I just wanted to make a life for myself and run a business that wasn’t upside down financially.” She looked at her hands and bit her lip, giving him the distinct impression she wasn’t done.
“And now?”
“Now, I find myself thinking about what could be if…”
“If what?”
She flicked her eyes at him, but didn’t hold his gaze. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone in my life. I’m kind of lonely, to be honest. When I came back, Marcus and Annie weren’t even dating. He spent a lot of time here, helping me get the café started. But he’s got a wife now. My customers are great, but I don’t see them outside of the café. Hell, I don’t see anyone outside of the café except for an occasional game night with Annie’s family. And I’m the odd woman out there. Everyone is married but me.” She drew a breath and bit her lip. “It’d be nice to have someone,” she said softly. “Someone who didn’t care that I don’t have time to fix my hair or put on makeup or that I smell like cheeseburgers most of the time.”
“I happen to like cheeseburgers.”
She glanced at him and giggled, but her smile faded just as fast as it had appeared. “It would be enough for me. But I get a feeling it wouldn’t be enough for you. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t think I’m enough. I did that once. Didn’t end well.”
“You are more than enough, Jenna. I’m the one who is lacking.” He swallowed, debating for a moment before pushing himself up and grabbing his notebook. “Remember how I told you I wanted to be a builder like Charlie when I grew up?”
“Yeah.”
He swallowed his pride, knowing she wouldn’t laugh at him. She would never laugh at his goals. “I’m going to do it, Jen. I know having a few jobs lined up isn’t the same as owning a business, but I can do it. It’ll take time, I know that, but I have the skills and if I keep getting word-of-mouth referrals, I can build up a client base. I can’t take on big projects like Charlie, but I can do roofing and raised gardens and things like that. Eventually, maybe I can get a small crew and do larger home repairs.”
She ran her fingertips over his notes. “Maguire Construction. I like it.”
“Yeah?”
She squeezed his hand. “Yeah. You know, we can set up a website. We’ll post pictures of the café to show your work. Put a few ads in the paper and flyers around town. You’ll have a list of projects before you know it.”
His heart swelled at the thought, but as always, reality brought him back down. “I have to get a truck soon. I can’t keep borrowing from Charlie. And I’ll have to get better tools—saws and things like that.”
She tightened her hold again. “One thing at a time.”
Looking at the notebook, he blew his breath out. “The last two days of coming home with something to tell you about my day and with a job to go to tomorrow… It’s given me hope. It’s made me feel like a man again.” He covered her hand with his. “I want every night to be like tonight. You and me talking about our days, making plans for the future. Just being together. That’s what I meant when I asked if this would be enough for you. Would you be happy if this was our life?”
“I would be very happy if this was our life,” she whispered.
“You’d want that with me?”
“Very much so.”
That was all he needed. Standing, he pulled her up with him and cupped her face. He searched her eyes, watching for any sign of hesitation. “I promise I’ll never make you feel like you aren’t enough, because you are so much more than I deserve. I’ll take care of you and protect you. You’ll never doubt that I love you and only you. But you need to know that I’m jealous and insecure. I’ll need reassurances. Loving me won’t be easy, but I will do everything I can to make sure you never regret it.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed. He was certain she was going to tell him to find someone else to burden with his brand of dysfunctional affection, but then a hint of a smile found her.
“I’ll be timid. Indecisive. Scared. Submissive. I’ll need you to be jealous and insecure and need reassurances because that will reassure me. I’ll need you to protect me and take care of me because I find it really hard to do that for myself. Mostly…” She blinked a few times. “…never let me doubt that you love me, because I don’t feel very lovable most days.”
He put his forehead to hers and took a long breath. “Once you’re mine, I won’t give you up without a fight,” he whispered. “You’ve gotta be sure you want this, Jenna. You’ve gotta be sure you want me.”
