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This was a terrible joke. The last thing he needed was Jess on top of him–fueling the fire of his very unwelcome feelings for her.

Unwelcome.

That’s definitely what they were. He didn’t want to have it bad for Jess. They worked together every day, and he liked it enough the way it was.

That was the problem. He liked it too much. He liked her straight-forward attitude. He liked her work ethic and her dedication to her job. He liked her honesty.

And it definitely didn’t help that she was too beautiful for her own good.

She stood, brushed off her knees, and extended a hand to him again.

Linc chuckled and waved her hand away. “I got it.” He got to his feet and twirled the wrench in his hand.

Jess looked him up and down. “Are you okay?”

“You might weigh a hundred pounds. I think I’ll live.”

Her neck and face were blooming pink. “Sorry.”

Jess never blushed, and certainly not around him. He got the impression she had absolutely no romantic interest in him, and that was a good enough reason to stomp out his wayward feelings whenever they chose to rise up.

Which was all the time. He really needed help.

“If you wanted to throw yourself at me, you could have waited about thirty more seconds and I would have caught you.”

“For the record, I think you did catch me.”

Linc bit his tongue and opted for the safer response. “Happy to do it, ma’am.”

Jess rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Like I was saying, can you help me? I have a date tomorrow, and I’m lost as a goose.”

“Do geese get lost? That seems unlikely.”

She slapped his shoulder. “Focus, Linc. I need to know what guys want on a date.”

Nope. He did not want to have this conversation. He turned to the toolbox and stored the wrench where he’d gotten it.

“Please? I don’t know what I’m doing,” Jess said, almost pleading.

How to answer? He knew what he would want on a date with Jess, but he couldn’t speak for anyone else. If the guy had his head on straight, he’d see Jess was special and do everything to make her happy.

Then, he’d pray she said yes to a second date.

The thought of Jess giving any guy what he wanted on a date made him want to punch a brick wall.

“I think you should ask someone else,” Linc said.

“I can’t go to any of the girls here. They’ll get all mushy and talk about how it’s time to settle down and do the whole ring, babies, and minivan thing.”

“What about your brother?”

Jess’s shoulders sank. “I don’t want anyone to know about it. I’m not even sure I want to date, so I don’t want there to be expectations when this falls apart before it even gets started.”

Linc rested his foot on the creeper and rubbed a hand over his cheek. How could he be helpful but not too helpful?

“What if he wants to kiss me?”

Linc jerked his attention to Jess, and his foot resting on the creeper went flying. His back hit the dirt so hard his teeth rattled.

“Are you okay?” Jess asked for the second time in as many minutes.

No, he wasn’t okay. Jess was going to be the death of him, or at least the cause of internal bleeding.

“Yep.” He’d probably dislocated a few ribs, but he’d live.

“Good. If you could compose yourself long enough to stay on your feet, I’ll be waiting in the truck.”

Linc inhaled as much as his rattled chest would allow and made the mistake of watching Jess leave the garage.

Jess was going on a date, and it wasn’t with him.