Man with a Past (5 page)

He eyed the loose shingles that had already pulled away from the tar paper beneath and
frowned. No way were they going to make it, but there wasn't anything he could do about them now.

“You can't do this alone,” she shouted back from where she crouched near the ladder. “Let me help! It'll be faster if we work together!”

Head low, he scrambled across the roof toward her and tossed a hand up toward the sky. “Look, Mrs. Cade, I don't mean any disrespect but you'll get hurt! Go back inside and see if there are any tornado warnings!”

She blinked at him, her eyes widening even more. “And leave you up here? No! Let's fix that tarp and we can both get off this roof! Look, I'm sorry about the crib, okay? I'll get another as soon as I can, but I
can't
afford to lose the only handyman willing to work for me and what I can afford to pay him so stop being stubborn and
let me help you!
”

Joe raised his brows rose at her tone, but one glance told him the storm was nearly on them and he'd wasted precious time arguing with her.

He'd gotten the first tarp in place with no problems, but the last one over the bedroom was tricky because it needed to go on the back part of the house where all the angles V'd together. And with the wind blowing against him, he couldn't anchor the sections into place without help.

Joe locked his jaw and ignored the urge to order her inside again. So he did the next best thing and
made his bossy
boss
sit on the tarp with her legs outstretched to keep her from falling while holding the tarp down.

He handed her some of the rope he'd found on the porch and showed her how to thread the rope through the grommet rings until he had enough to descend the ladder and tie the tarp to cinder blocks on the ground.

The outward facing side covered, he made several more trips up the ladder with more cinder blocks to hold down the rest, and all the while Ashley crawled along the roof on her hands and knees, her glorious rear end in the air.

Joe ignored her as best he could as he carried the last of the blocks up the ladder and joined her midway across the roof. He helped her fan out the heavy-duty blue plastic until it met the base of a windowless wall. While she held it in place, he anchored the tarp.

“Will it hold?”

“Yes—now go!”

Rain streamed down and pelted them with sharp needles of water as the wind kicked up yet another notch. Thunder rumbled directly overhead. They'd pressed their luck too far as it was, and Joe knew it. This wasn't a normal storm. Someone somewhere had a tornado on their hands. He just hoped it wasn't about to descend on them.

Balance was precarious for both of them as they
made their way down the rain-slickened plastic toward the ladder. Joe held on to Ashley's arm to steady her, but found the help went both ways when his boots lost traction.

Lightning snapped, the flash illuminating the purple-darkened sky and giving their position on the roof an otherworldly quality.

“Let me go first so I can help you if you—” His boot slipped again and Joe lunged into a crouch, instantly letting go of Ashley so he wouldn't take her with him. He slid down the roof, grappled for something to stop him, then managed to grab on to a block and find a foothold almost simultaneously.

If Ashley had planned on arguing, his slide silenced her. He looked up to see her on her butt trying to edge down toward him, concern apparent in her wide-eyed stare. Joe gripped the ladder and carefully swung himself around. He descended a few rungs, then waved to her to get on. Ashley glanced up at the sky, squared her shoulders.

The woman had guts, he'd give her that.

Thunder crashed again, loud and angry and directly over their heads. The very air around them shook. The ground, the house. The ladder.

His instincts went haywire, the hairs on the back of his neck lifted and stood on end. If he'd learned nothing else during his ten-year lockup, it was to pay attention when his gut spoke to him.

He took in his position, a little over halfway down, with Ashley above him and moving much too slow.

Without time to second-guess himself, Joe reached up and grabbed her ankle, yanked her foot off the rung and pulled her toward him as hard as he could. Her scream echoed against the house. Ashley's body collided with his, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as he kicked them both away from the metal ladder.

S
OMEWHERE ABOVE THEM
a deafening crack erupted. Sparks flew and lighting zigzagged across the sky, everywhere at once. A streak hit the metal ladder and spread out in another jagged formation, striking at least one of the large willow trees directly behind them.

Joe landed on the rain-softened earth with a grunt, Ashley on top of him, and the ground beneath them rocked from the force of the blast. Dazed, near blinded, he saw stars thanks to the flash and sudden darkness.

“Oh, my—did you
see
that?” Ashley scrambled on top of him and squeezed out what little breath he still had in his lungs. Without a doubt tomorrow he'd feel every muscle and bone, but at least there would be a tomorrow.

He didn't answer her. Couldn't answer. Tried instead to catch his breath.

Finally, painfully, he managed to inhale and the smell of burnt wood and hot metal filled his lungs. He coughed weakly.

“Are you all right?”

Ashley's hands flew to his face, angling it toward her. He registered the feel of her trembling fingers, ice cold and soft against his stubbled cheeks. Squinting he made out the fear marking her expression.

“Joe—Joe, say something.”

“Missy? You okay? Both of you get on in here before you get yourself killed!”

Wilson's voice brought him out of the fog surrounding him, and Joe imagined the old man seeing them on the ground and trying to come to their aid on his walker. His
metal
walker.

“Joe?”

Inhaling as deep as his squashed lungs would allow, he groaned. “Get. Off.”

“
Oh!
”

Ashley shoved herself off his chest and nearly kneed him in the groin in the process. “I'm sorry! Oh, thank God. It's a wonder I didn't kill you landing on you like that. Are you okay? Can you move?”

Did he have to?

“
Missy?
”

“Answer him,” he urged roughly. “He'll come out here if you don't.”

Ashley looked over her shoulder and shouted toward the back door. “Wilson, go check on Max and—and find the flashlight before we lose power!”

Joe heard the old man order them to hurry, but
thankfully the squeaky screen door remained closed. Ashley shifted beside him and pulled on him ineffectively until Joe gave in and rolled over. He got to his knees, only vaguely realizing Ashley had put his arm around her shoulders until his hand rested on the upper part of her full breast.

If only he felt like taking advantage of the moment. Joe growled out a curse and ignored his aches and pains as he got one foot under himself enough that, with Ashley's help, he was able to stand.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Let's get inside.”

Rain poured down from the sky in driving bucketfuls. Limbs from the downed tree were in the way and they stumbled over them in the dark, the branches snagging the wet denim of his jeans. Near the porch, tiny, rapidly growing streams gushed beside the weedy flower beds.

Another boom of thunder erupted overhead. Louder, seemingly more angry than before. The wind picked up again.

“Joe, hurry. Here comes another one.”

Lightning streaked across the sky, but this time it didn't come down near them.

“Geez, I hate storms.”

He acknowledged her comment with a grunt and gripped the porch rail, Ashley's arm around his waist and her cheek pressed against his chest as they climbed.

On solid footing and getting more air into his lungs than he'd had since landing, Joe paused at the top step to rest and looked out at the yard. Another lightning strike illuminated the greenery and dark bark of the trees in sharp contrast with the pale, inner flesh of the one that had fallen, split in two.

“Oh, no. Not
that
one.”

He wouldn't have heard her soft exclamation had he not been standing so close. Wouldn't have seen the flicker of pain in her eyes at the sight of the destruction. To him the loss of the tree limbs would mean more work cleaning up the debris, but he wondered what the fallen willow meant to her.

“What else is going to go wrong today?”

Her voice broke on the words, and surprised at the emotional glimpse, Joe tightened his arm. He liked the feel of her. The soft yet solid way she leaned against him.

“Just so you know, I'm not crying over some stupid tree,” she muttered, her words proven false by a loud sniffle. “It's just been a really, really sucky day.”

Strands of her hair stuck to the stubble on his chin as he nodded. “I understand. Shock will do that to you.”

Ashley nodded vigorously and her head bumped against his chest. “It's just…I'd thought as soon as Max was big enough I'd put a rope swing in that tree, but now it's gone like—like—”

Max's father?

And Josie.

Joe loosened his hold and stepped away from her. He might acknowledge being desperately in need of a woman, but he had too much pride to be a stand-in for Ashley Cade's dead husband.

Nor would he allow Ashley's son to bring back memories of a life and time he'd never again have.

Beside him Ashley wrapped her arms around her narrow waist and hugged. “There's still a big, thick branch over there,” she said with a nod of her head. “I guess that one would work. I won't be able to look out the window over the sink and watch Max play, but maybe this is a sign I'm too overprotective in wanting to keep such a close eye on him.” She laughed sheepishly and sniffled again.

Joe looked at the second-best tree, his thoughts trapped by the past. Overprotective? Watching over a child and wanting to protect her from harm seemed like a natural part of being a parent. At least to him.

He shook his head to clear it, determinedly putting the past behind him yet again. “Count yourself lucky. Only one tree down, and the storm's nearly over.”

A wry expression spread across her face as she glanced up at him. “We fell off the roof, Joe. I wouldn't exactly call that lucky.”

He liked the way his name sounded on her lips.
“We jumped off the ladder,” he countered, “and if we hadn't, we'd be burnt to a crisp instead of arguing about it.” He pulled his gaze away from her upturned face, damp with rain and tears and much too revealing, and looked out at the yard again.

A rough laugh escaped her. He glanced down and saw Ashley's eyes sparkle in the muted light of the stormy evening. The sight tempted him beyond measure.

A grin curved her lips as she laughed again.

“What?” he asked, wondering at her thoughts.

“Nothing, I'd just never have taken you for an optimist.”

An optimist?

“Even though you're right. Things certainly could've been worse. There's absolutely no way I would've listened if you'd simply told me to jump.”

Joe accepted her words with a nod and turned away, gingerly making his way to the door. He held it open for Ashley to step through only to bump into her when she stopped abruptly on the threshold. She swung around and stared up at him, her hazel eyes wide and suspicious, and all traces of humor gone while she searched his face.

“You fell off the ladder.”

And he felt the results. “Yeah. So did you.”

His next inhalation brought with it a whiff of musky woman, rain-soaked earth and shampoo.
The tantalizing scent teased his body to instant awareness despite his aches and pains. She was so natural in her looks and appearance. The kind of woman a man wouldn't mess up when he made love to her.

He wiped a hand over his face.
Get a grip!

Bite Me
was written across her front—or rather plastered across her breasts. Joe smothered a groan and forced himself to stare at the tiny freckle on her right cheek, Wilson's voice in his head telling him to mind his manners.

Ashley widened her stance and frowned at him. “Yeah, but—you're not going to sue me are you?”

“Now, missy, what kind of question is that to be askin'?”

Ashley exhaled in a rush and her face darkened with color. She turned toward Wilson and glared, but the old man simply glared right back.

“You shouldn't insult a man like that.”

“It's a legitimate question,” she argued softly. “Considering he fell off the roof—
my
roof.”

“We didn't fall off the roof.”

“You fell?” Wilson asked.

Joe shook his head and sidestepped around Ashley to lean against the cabinets and ease the strain on his aching body. “I jumped off the ladder and took her with me to keep us from getting struck by lightning.”

Wilson's eyes widened. “You mean when that big one hit and got the tree you two were still up
there? I thought you were in the garage! It's a wonder you didn't get yourselves killed!”

“We're fine, Wilson. But I want Joe to answer my question.”

The old man went back to scowling. “Now, missy, ain't I taught you nothin' since you got to town? You don't go askin' a good man if he's gonna sue you. It ain't right.”

“He fell off my
roof!
What if he'd been injured? Does he have insurance? Is he bonded?” She swung to face him. “
Are
you?”

“No.”

“Oh, no.” She moaned and shoved tendrils of wet hair out of her face. “The books said—”

“Those books don't know everything. They don't talk about the good people, just the crooked ones. Stop worryin'. Joe ain't gonna sue you.”

She swung around, arms wide as she faced Wilson. “
How
do you know that? If you live in the country is there some other set of rules? If so, you people need to make a handbook and clue us outsiders in.”

Joe chuckled. He couldn't help himself. The sight of Ashley in her foot-stomping upset arguing with someone so similar and like-minded as his father was entertaining to say the least.

“It's the same set of rules everywhere, people's just forgotten 'em.” Wilson lifted his walker and dropped it to the floor again as if to emphasize his
point. “Too sue-happy these days. Wastin' everyone's time and taxpayers' money.”

Sensing no end to the argument, Joe cleared his throat. “I'm not suing anyone,” he stated firmly. “I jumped, I'm not hurt and even if I was hurt I wouldn't sue.” Ashley turned to face him and he stared into her intriguing eyes. He liked the way her pupils were ringed with deep amber flecks, the hazel cast more golden than brown.

“You gave me a job,” he continued, softening his tone when he saw her glance into the living room where Max slept. “I took it and the potential problems that came with it. Besides, I doubt there are very many roofers out there who haven't fallen off a roof or ladder at some point in time in their career. It's part of the job.”

Wilson grunted. “See?”

Thunder boomed and the house rattled. Ashley jumped in response, and then turned toward the living room with a deep sigh. “I've got to check on Max. I should've already.”

“The boy's fine. He's so tuckered out he's slept through the whole storm. Even the big boom.”

“Looks like another one's getting ready to roll through,” Joe murmured after glancing out the door to keep from seeing Ashley's worry for her son etched across her features. He knew that kind of worry, that kind of fear, wanting to make everything okay for them, no matter how small the problem.

Lightning streaked across the sky, miles away but fierce.

“Were you hurt, missy?”

“No, I'm fine, but I can only imagine how awful Joe feels. I landed on top of him,” she admitted with a wince.

Wilson's bushy brows rose. Outside, thunder snapped, lightning flashed and the light above their heads dimmed, then came back on. The wind picked up outside once again.

“Oh, great. Looks like we're going to lose power after all. I'd better change and get dinner started while I can.” Ashley glanced in his direction, her frown deepening. “Thank you, Joe. I'm sorry if I offended you by asking—”

“No problem.”

She nodded. “Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital? See a doctor?”

“I'm fine,” he murmured. “After a good night's sleep I'll be ready to go again. No problem.”

The relieved smile she flashed him took his breath away, and he told himself to stop being a fool. She'd smiled because she hadn't lost her cheap labor. Nothing more.

Ashley turned and hurried up the stairs between the living room doorway and hall, and unable to help himself, Joe watched the sway of her hips as she climbed, her rain-soaked jeans making the sight lethal.

“Yup, I'd say havin' her fall on top would have any young man ready to go.”

Joe's dumbfounded gaze jerked to Wilson's, and heat crawled up his neck when he noted the old man's censure.

“But don't be abusin' our hospitality and takin' advantage, Joe. Ashley acts tough on the outside but inside she's soft. Takes stuff to heart and tries not to show it. Don't be messin' with her like you did Hal's girl. Otherwise, you'll be answering to me. Got that, boy?”

 

A
SHLEY DIDN'T REALIZE
she hadn't shown Joe to his room until she'd stripped down for the second time that day. She groaned at the thought, sucked in her stomach and fastened the shorts at her waist. She'd never lost all the pregnancy weight and her clothes were tighter than she liked. But she was as determined to lose the extra pounds as she was to complete the renovations on her house, and those cost money she didn't have to spend on clothes she could breathe in.

She gathered up her wet jeans and T-shirt and tossed the items over the shower rod along with the others, shaking her head at the growing mound.

She left her bedroom and trudged down the back stairs to the kitchen, her feet dragging as she thought of the weeks and months of nonstop work ahead.

You wanted this, remember?