Free Hungry for You by Lynsay Sands

she contemplated the meal she had been heading outto collect, but then sighed, and asked, “What are you doing here? ”
    “Bev mentioned you had run into a problem and I wondered if I might help,” he said quietly.
    “Why?” she asked with surprise, drawing a short laugh from him.
    “Do Canadians not believe in helping others when they are in need?” he asked rather than answer the question.
    “Well, yes, but you don’t even know me,” she pointed out dryly.
    “I’d like to,” he responded, and Alex stilled in surprise. She’d become so used to men simply walking away or ignoring her lately that his words quite took her breath away. It was a bit stunning … and—if she was honest with herself—tempting. Cale was a good-looking man, and at another time she might have been pleased to let him get to know her, but this wasn’t the time. Alex had a restaurant to get up and running and another to keep from floundering. Flirting with a coworker or—even worse—an employee just wasn’t smart.
    Shaking her head, she said quietly, “I’m afraid I don’t have time in my life right now to get to know anyone. Excuse me.”
    Alex turned to cross the short distance to her car but was only halfway to it when Cale was at her side again.
    “Where are you going?” he asked, matching his step to hers as she walked around her car.
    “Home,” she lied, hoping that would get rid of him, but instead she caught him shaking his head out of the corner of her eye.
    “I don’t think so. You left the lights on in the restaurant and you haven’t finished painting yet,” Cale commented.
    Alex stopped at the driver’s side door and glanced at him sharply. “You were looking through the windows?”
    “I have been here quite a while. I did knock several times, but you apparently couldn’t hear me with your headphones on,” he said wryly. “Besides, it is a business, not a private home. You needn’t make it sound like I am a Peeping Paul.”
    “Peeping Tom,” she corrected absently, wondering how long he’d been watching her. Deciding it didn’t matter she hit the button to unlock her car and pulled the driver’s door open. “Fine, I’m not going home, I’m heading out to get something to eat. But I have a lot on my plate and really don’t have time for men right now, so good night.”
    Alex then quickly slid into her car and pulled the door closed before he could say anything else to tempt her. Fortunately, he didn’t make a pest of himself but backed a couple of steps away from the car. Breathing out a little sigh of relief, Alex stuck her key in the ignition and quickly cranked it forward, only to freeze as all she got was a click click click.
    “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered, cranking the key again with the same result. She was no mechanic, that had been her father, and while he’d tried to teach her the fundamentals about cars when she was young, she hadn’t paid much attention. Still, she knew that sound couldn’t be a good sign. Alex tried a thirdtime with the same result, and then groaned and let her head drop to rest on the steering wheel in despair. This was the living end. She just could not handle all these problems hitting her one right after the other. What the hell had she ever done to deserve this ridiculous run of bad luck? She was a good person, generally nonjudgmental and nice to everyone she met. She also gave to charity. What the hell had she done to deserve this?
    A tap at her window made her raise her head to peer out at Cale. To give him credit, he looked concerned rather than smug about her latest problem, which was nice since she’d just basically told him to hit the road in a very polite way. Alex heaved out a breath and straightened in her seat. Forgetting that the engine hadn’t started, she hit the button to unroll the window, realized her mistake when nothing happened, and instead opened the door.
    “Can I help?” he offered quietly.
    Alex felt her lips