Free Construction Beauty Queen by Sara Daniel Page A

ripping off shingles any more than she was.
    …
    Matt parked his truck on the street in front of the single-story home with attached garage. The Dumpster he’d ordered was sitting in the driveway, and the new shingles hadn’t arrived yet but were on their way. He glanced across the cab, wondering for the fifteenth time how Veronica had managed to produce something edible from her toxic kitchen. He refused to ask. It wasn’t any of his business.
    However, in case she hadn’t eaten and was too proud to admit it, he said, “There’s beef jerky in the glove compartment and a thermos of water by your feet. Sit down and help yourself if you start to feel light-headed.”
    She smiled as if he’d offered her a diamond necklace. “Thank you.”
    Man, she had a great smile. He was far from immune to its effect.
    He jumped out of the truck and slammed the door to resist leaning toward her and doing something monumentally stupid like tasting that delectable smile. He stood at the side of the truck, taking several deep breaths before rounding the back bumper.
    By the time he had his hormones under control, Veronica had beaten him there and was pulling down the tailgate. She wrestled the long metal extension ladder from the truck bed. It seesawed as she struggled to keep both ends off the ground at once.
    Matt took an instinctive step to help her. But he wasn’t her friend. He was her employer, and a reluctant one at best. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped back. The action kept him out of range of her shaky grip and from giving her a hand, but it didn’t stop him from feeling guilty about making her do more than she could handle.
    She staggered toward the house, the back end of the ladder banging against the side of the truck. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t hit your truck, did I?” Veronica turned to look and nearly knocked him in the head with the long, unwieldy metal apparatus.
    Matt ducked and inspected the damage. She’d given him a small ding near the gas door but had missed breaking his taillight…and his skull. “No damage. Just watch where you’re going with that thing.”
    “I’m headed up on the roof with it, aren’t I?”
    He hauled the pitchforks out and then glanced in her direction. Veronica had leaned the ladder against the gutter over the front door. She put her foot on the first step without verifying the equipment’s sturdiness, and it wiggled precariously. She ignored the warning and lifted her other foot.
    “Stop!” Matt dropped the pitchforks and rushed toward the house. The ladder swayed.
    He wasn’t going to get to her in time. She was going to crash to the ground—for the second straight day. But Veronica continued to teeter for another moment, allowing him to reach her. He placed his hands on her legs, ignoring her soft sound of surprise, and snatched her off the ladder as it tipped sideways.
    Matt clutched her, turning her body away from the falling metal in case it shattered the front windows. The ladder timbered harmlessly into the bushes instead. He could feel Veronica’s heart thundering against his chest through both their shirts. Silky strands of her sweet-smelling hair curled around his face.
    He was falling, and he wasn’t going to land as gently as the ladder.
    He pulled her back to arm’s length. “What were you thinking?”
    “You need a new ladder.” Her voice was shaky, making him want to take her in his arms all over again. “They’re not supposed to fall like that.”
    Matt fought the urge to tuck her body against his and reassure her while he soaked in her warmth and softness. He made himself think about the expense and hassle of replacing the extension ladder. After a moment of concentration, the urge to hold her shifted into a need to shake some sense into her. Better. He could harness that energy.
    “The ladder works the way it was intended.” At least it had before it toppled to the ground. “You need to learn how to set it up correctly. I’ll bring you