Free Designed for Love by Erin Dutton Page A

got so far under her skin, but it seemed anytime she was around, Wil was either turned on or irritated. Sure, she’d had relationships, some serious and some—well, not so serious. She certainly wasn’t a prude, and in her younger days she’d had no aversion to physical interactions with no future. But she wasn’t a kid anymore. Now she wanted more.
    She saw what Andy and Patti had and she wanted that—someone to share her life with, someone to build that house with, another person who knew her completely. And it was clear Jillian Sealy wasn’t that woman. Her time in Redmond was far too temporary. Wil could almost feel the days ticking away. She couldn’t explain it, but somehow she knew that she’d never be able to keep things strictly physical between them even for the short weeks until Jillian left. Since she wasn’t up for having her heart broken, it was best to keep her distance, which was frustrating as hell when she kept remembering how it felt to touch her.
    Yes, she’d overreacted to Jillian’s attire, but after she’d opened her mouth she couldn’t figure out how to back down. So she’d latched on to a reason to leave. She had promised Rose she’d come over, and her crew had things covered at Mary’s. Despite the legitimate excuse, Wil couldn’t stop thinking about Jillian, and that bothered her. No one had ever gotten to her so much that she couldn’t lose herself in her work. Since the day she’d hired on with her father, it had always been her escape from whatever weighed on her personally.
    But now, at odd moments, the memory of Jillian’s lilting laugh, of the way her smile lifted one side of her mouth slightly more than the other, or of the unexpected contrast of solid metal against Jillian’s tender nipple distracted her. Jesus, it was that kind of thinking that would get her in trouble. But despite knowing this, she involuntarily recalled the feel of that nipple against her tongue.
    Just as her mind took hold of that image, Rose came around the corner of the house, and Wil shifted gears.
    “I hope being here isn’t keeping you from anything important at Mary’s.” In one hand Rose carried a pair of gardening gloves, and in the other a small foam pad meant for kneeling next to flower beds.
    “Oh, no, ma’am. Andy, Tracy, and Patti are taking care of things.” Wil paused and laid down her hammer. “Jillian’s painting the kitchen today.”
    “She’s a sweet girl.”
    Wil could think of several other adjectives for Jillian, such as stubborn, spoiled, smart, and sexy.
    “She’s got backbone and a mind of her own too. She reminds me of Mary when we were just a bit younger than she is now.” Rose smiled. “Do you think Mary knew Jillian was so much like her?”
    “I doubt it. I got the impression that Jillian didn’t know Mary well at all. Still, there must be a reason Mary chose her.”
    “I’m sure there was.” For a moment, Wil thought she was going to say more, but she changed the subject. “I have bingo, then lunch with the ladies tomorrow. But I never lock the back door, so if you come over, just go on in the house.”
    Wil nodded and picked up her hammer. Even though things were changing all over the world, it was still safe to leave the door unlocked in Redmond.
    The small town had a sense of history that had dissipated in America’s cities. In Redmond, everyone knew everyone else, and folks could still tell stories about someone’s ancestors. Where else would so many people remember when Boone Rivers got arrested for painting “Marry me, Becky” on the side of her daddy’s barn? Her father had dropped the charges, but only after Boone had repainted the entire barn. Of course, Wil suspected Becky’s father didn’t still have any hard feelings, since Becky and Boone had just given him his fifth grandchild.
     

Chapter Seven
     
    “The edge of the island will start here.” Wil pulled a tape measure to a point near the center of the kitchen.
    “How long is