Free The Sheriff Catches a Bride by Cora Seton Page B

piece of notepaper out of her pocket, consulted it, put it back and grabbed a two-by-four out of the pile. Cab stepped back as she approached the saw.
    “Do you know how it works?” he said, coming up behind her once he’d avoided getting clipped by the board.
    “I can figure it out.”
    “You’d better mark your cut first. Here’s a tape measure.” He pulled it out of his coat pocket. Lucky he’d thought to grab it from Ethan’s workroom.
    “I’ve got one.” She produced a much smaller tape measure from her own pocket. She put the board on the ground, knelt down beside it and made the measurement.
    “Remember the saw blade actually takes off a little of the wood as it cuts. You want to set the blade to the side of the mark,” he said.
    Rose dropped the tape measure and pencil and stood up. “I know how to measure and cut a board.”
    Cab straightened from where he’d been bent over her to watch. “Well, sure, but…”
    “But what?” She faced him straight on.
    Was she mad at him? What did he do? “The measurements can get thrown off by the way you cut,” he explained.
    She didn’t say anything.
    “I don’t mind looking over your design,” he offered, uneasy at her silence. “I’ve got some experience with this kind of thing and I can point out your mistakes.” A funny look came into her eyes and Cab had the feeling he should probably stop, but he just wanted to get this next bit out. “And it doesn’t seem like you’ve thought about your foundation at all. That’s probably the most important part. Did you think about a foundation?”
    “Get out,” Rose said.
    “What?”
    “Get. Out. Of. Here.” She glared at him. “I mean it. Get out!”
    Ethan, Jamie and Rob came around the side of the house, drawn by her shout. “Is everything okay here?” Ethan asked. “Cab, what’s going on?”
    “For God’s sake, would you all just leave me alone?” Rose stuck her hands on her hips. The four men stared at her.
    “I’m not sure,” Cab answered Ethan. “I was helping her…”
    “I don’t want any help!” Rose cried. “I mean…” She visibly fought for control. “Thank you, Cab, very much, but please—I’d like to do this on my own.”
    “Is that my saw?” Ethan asked, coming closer. Jamie and Rob faded back around the side of the house.
    Rose flashed a desperate look at Cab.
    “I told her she could use it,” Cab hastened to say.
    “That’s fine,” Ethan assured him. “Rose, let me just show you a few things.” He came around and picked up the two-by-four Rose had marked minutes before. He turned on the saw and positioned the board. “You hold it like this,” he said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the din of the motor. “Guide the wood but don’t push it, otherwise you’ll burn out the blade.”
    Cab stood by, burning with impatience as Ethan showed Rose everything he’d wanted to tell her. Why had she flown at him like that? And why wasn’t she doing the same to Ethan? Judging by the look on her face she’d like to, although she was keeping her thoughts tightly under wraps now. When he was done with the first one, Ethan went on to cut more boards, and although Rose pressed her lips into a thin line so hard the skin around them went white, she didn’t say a word. When she wasn’t marking the measurements on the boards, or handing them silently to Ethan to cut, she kept balling her fingers into fists. Delicate fists.
    Almost small enough to be a child’s, Cab thought affectionately. A memory intruded on his consciousness. He was standing near his father in the garage workshop in his childhood home. They were building a birdhouse and Cab longed to work the bandsaw to cut out the circular door.
    “I’ll cut and you watch,” his father said, like he always did. Cab had squirmed with impatience but bit back his protest, just like Rose was doing now.
    Understanding flooded him. “Hey, Ethan,” he said, straightening up. “Ethan, buddy—give Rose a