Page 61 of Where You're Planted

“But it’s a restricted area,” she protested, hearing the impatient whine in her own voice.

“Hasn’t stoppedyou,” he pointed out, dropping a quick kiss to her forehead.

That easy affection, firm and sweet, made her melt again. “Yes,” she sighed. “You’re right. This is wildly inappropriate.”

“I still want to do it,” he said, the corner of his mouth kicking up. “When can I see you somewhere else?”

“I don’t know. I have Briar…” Tansy said.

“Babysitter?”

“I have one, but she already goes after school every day.”

He nodded, but she wasn’t sure that he understood. It probably sounded like she was making excuses, like she didn’t really want this. She was surprised by how badly she wanted it. But she felt selfish putting Briar anywhere except first in herlife. And she wasn’t sure whatthiswas. He wasn’t a relationship guy. And although she didn’t have space in her life for a relationship anyway, she wasn’t practiced at casual sex either.

She could do that, couldn’t she? Scratch this itch with him and put it to rest?

“Spring break,” she said, suddenly remembering. “Briar will be in Dallas with her dad next week.”

“Yeah? I could…come to your place?”

She absolutely could not let Jack come to her house. She didn’t have a couch. Or a bed. Not only was the state of her house incredibly embarrassing, but she also required furniture for the things she wanted to do with him.

“I’m still painting,” she lied. “And finishing some other projects. It’s a mess.”

“I don’t mind a mess. If you need help with your house—”

“I don’t,” she said immediately.

“Just saying, I have tools. I can lift things. I’m decent with a paintbrush.”

“ ‘I had a boat,’ ” she muttered.

His offer was tempting. She’d just had all but the kitchen flooring installed this week, and a set of discounted kitchen cabinets was coming tomorrow. She’d balked at the store’s installation fee, and now putting them up was going to be her spring break project, but she feared she’d taken on more than she could handle with only ImYourDadNow tutorials and her own two, inexpert hands.

“Fine. We’ll do it at my place.” Jack shook his head at the suggestive double meaning. “We’llgoto my place. When does Briar leave?”

“I’m driving her up Saturday morning.”

“I’ve gotta wait two whole days, huh?” He made a disapproving sound, swiping a finger down her arm, but noddedlike he’d take what he could get. “Saturday night then…it’s a date.”

A date.Obviously, this was just a thing people said. It didn’t mean anactualdate. But Tansy couldn’t deny her relief that, even though this whole conversation was essentially her scheduling a hookup like a teenager whose parents were going out of town, at least he wasn’tcallingit that.

He pressed another kiss to her forehead, and after everything he’d offered her today, the revelation that Jack was aforehead kiss guywas almost too much to bear.

“Now get out of here, so I can get some work done,” he said gruffly, as if reading her thoughts.

She took a left out of the gate, and he immediately called out, “Wrong way.”

“It’s a nice day,” she called back. “Think I’ll take the rest of my break by the creek.”

“That’s still restricted. You really don’t heed any signs ever, do you?”

She laughed, throwing a jaunty wave over her shoulder at him.

“Be careful,” he hollered as she entered the trees.

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