Page 21 of The Love Fix (The Sunrise Cove #8)

“Boy, you work too much. Did you forget what happened to you last time?”

Heath didn’t glance at his grandpa, keeping his gaze on his laptop. “I’m working for you , at the moment. Do you have any idea how much paperwork you generate? Bills, insurance claims, general accounting... the

list goes on and on.”

“Huh. I should double your salary.”

Heath snorted. “Double zero is still zero.” He was on the back porch swing, enjoying the last of a warm summer day. Or as

much as he could while trying to keep up with everything his grandpa and the house required.

“You’re going to get old and gray,” his grandpa said.

When Heath turned his head to look at the old man, his neck creaked like a ninety-year-old’s, and he winced. “You might be

right.”

“I’m always right. I’m also hungry.”

Heath glanced at the time. “I’ll put in a takeout order. Preferences?”

“Anything.”

“Soup and salad.”

“No,” his grandpa said.

“Tacos.”

“No.”

A headache began to form between his eyes. “Okay, so then what does ‘anything’ look like to you?”

“Fish-and-chips. And beer.”

“You’re not supposed to have deep-fried or alcohol,” Heath reminded him.

Grandpa dramatically tossed his hands up. “Why don’t you just kill me?”

“I mean, I keep trying.”

His grandpa cackled. “You were always my favorite.”

“Yeah, yeah, you say that now. But wait until I order you a salad.” Heath stood and stretched. His phone buzzed with an incoming

text from Ashley.

You can run but you can’t hide.

It’d been a few days since he’d slept in that tent with Lexi, since she opened up to him, since he’d had his mouth on hers,

his hands on those delicious curves, since he’d slept with her hair in his face, the scent and feel of her lulling him into

the best sleep of his life, even with the rock pressing into his ass.

And last night she’d found him working in the garage, where they’d come far too close to giving in to temptation.

And Ashley had been hounding him ever since, the nosy busybody. He loved her, but he wasn’t going to crack, which he made

clear in his return text.

I’m not hiding. I’m working. You should try it.

His grandpa plopped down at his side. “That doesn’t look like my bills.”

“Because I lied.”

The old man laughed. “You never lie.”

“Fine, I evaded. I was doing all your paperwork, and now I’m on to something else. Kaley Johnson from the ski and bike shop has a customer threatening

to sue her. She asked me to read through the emails to see if she needs an attorney. She’s coming by in a bit to go over everything.”

His grandpa grinned.

“What?”

The man lifted his hands. “Hey, you could do worse. Kaley is pretty and smart, and on the hunt for a man. Last I looked, you

were one of those. Though you wouldn’t know it by your social life.”

“I don’t mix business and pleasure.”

“You sure about that?”

Heath tilted his head. “What does that mean?”

“It means Ashley thinks you and her sister would be a good fit. And I’m assuming you think so too, given how you slept with

her already.”

“I didn’t—” He gave a purposeful exhale and then pointed at him. “You’re fishing.”

“And you nearly took the bait.” His grandpa smiled and tapped his own temple. “And you thought I was starting to lose it.

I’m sharp as a tack, boy.”

“I’ve never doubted that. Tell Ashley her intel’s faulty.”

“She said you’d say that. But she knows without a doubt that you and Lexi—”

“I will pay you not to finish that sentence.” Heath paused. “Did Lexi tell Ash that?”

His grandpa grinned. “Nope. You just did.” He pulled out his cell phone.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Reporting in.”

“Are you serious?”

“Hey,” his grandpa said. “She bribed me with promises of homemade meals and freshly baked cookies. I’m not stupid.”

“I feed you every single day, whatever you want.”

“Not whatever I want. And anyway, Ashley’s cuter than you.” His grandpa cackled. “So what kind of a moment did you two have?”

“Why, do you get extra goodies if you provide details?”

“Yep.”

“Unbelievable.”

“So that’s a hard no on the details?”

Heath gave him a look that had his grandpa grinning unabashedly, but he at least had the good sense to go back in the house

and leave Heath alone.

Ten minutes later, Kaley came by. They’d gone out twice in high school, nothing serious. He’d been in her shop a few months

ago looking at a new bike for himself. She’d flirted, and maybe he’d flirted back. As he was leaving the store, she’d asked

him out, but he’d been too busy at the time. He hadn’t even considered that she might have an ulterior motive with her request

for help.

Their meeting lasted five minutes. He gave her his advice—yes, she needed an attorney, and no, unfortunately he couldn’t be

that attorney, since he didn’t work in law anymore—and she’d nodded and thanked him.

And then asked if he was less busy now, maybe they could catch a meal together.

He declined, and maybe last week he would’ve said he didn’t know why. But he knew exactly, and it had everything to do with a beautiful honey-brunette who had somehow gotten past his defenses.

Who he’d turned down last night out of fear of hurting her.

And maybe also because he didn’t want to be hurt either.

When Kaley left, Heath went back to work. It was sometime later when he heard his grandpa laughing inside the house. Shutting

down his laptop, Heath headed into the kitchen, then blinked in surprise to find Lexi sitting at the dining room table laughing

too. She wore a gauzy sundress that hugged her to the waist and then fell loose around her long legs. Her hair had been pulled

back in a ponytail, her eyes were shiny with good humor, and her mouth... the one that had been starring in his nightly

fantasies... didn’t stop smiling when she took in the sight of Heath.

“And then,” his grandpa said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, “Cole goaded Heath into a polar plunge competition. He

said whoever went in first won a week of the other having to do all the chores. So Heath jumped in.” He grinned. “Cole didn’t.

Instead, he stole Heath’s clothes, leaving him to make the walk back home bare-ass naked. Cole always was brilliant. Not sure

what happened with this guy here...”

“Thanks, Grandpa.”

“Just sayin’.”

“Maybe you could say less.” Heath said this with zero attitude, because seeing his grandpa laugh was... well, everything.

The doorbell rang. “That’s the food,” his grandpa said.

“I’ll get it.” He pushed to his feet, then took a moment to steady himself.

“One day you’re jumping out of swings without a care in the world,” he told Lexi, “and the next you’re leaning against a wall to put on your pants.

” He gestured for her to stay seated. “I ordered plenty. Call Ashley, see if she’s hungry. ”

“Please,” Heath said. “You mean call Ashley, please .”

Grandpa rolled his eyes. “I said please.”

“You absolutely did not. You never say please.”

“It’s okay,” Lexi said. “Ashley’s out on a date.”

“I hope she’s nicer than her last girlfriend,” Grandpa said. “’Cuz that one stole from her and then left town so that even

the cops can’t track her down.”

Lexi blinked in shock as Gus left the kitchen to get the front door.

“You didn’t know,” Heath said.

Looking distraught, she shook her head. “She’s so... cheerful all the time. I guess it’s an act.”

“It’s not. She says she’s processing things just fine, but that it takes far less energy to be positive than negative.

“I... I didn’t know she’d been hurt.” Lexi closed her eyes and shook her head. “What kind of a sister does that make me?”

“Hey,” he said quietly. “You’re here now. And for what it’s worth, she’s happier than I’ve seen her in a long time.”

“I just wish...” She trailed off.

“That you could do more?”

She nodded, and he slid a hand over hers. “Trust me, I get it. But you’re doing so much more than you think. Do you know that

this is the first time I’ve heard my grandpa laugh, like, genuinely laugh, in... I don’t even know how long. Ever since

my grandma passed away two years ago, he’s been down, always grumpy and irritable. Cole and I try, but we’re not who he wants,

not really.”

Her eyes softened. “I like him.”

“He likes you too. I’m glad you’re here. Did you need help with something?”

She looked at him strangely. “Do people only come to see you when they need your assistance?”

“Mostly.”

“You deserve better,” she said.

Something loosened in his chest at her repeating his words back at him. She cared about him, and after a few years of not

letting much emotion get through his thick skin, and certainly not caring what others thought, it was an alien feeling. And

he couldn’t say he didn’t like it.

“I’m here because Ashley said you needed to talk to me,” Lexi said.

“Did she, now.”

“Yes,” she said slowly, clearly figuring out Ashley had pulled a fast one on them both. “But when I got here, I saw you were

busy with... someone on your patio. Your grandpa said he’d get you, but I asked him not to interrupt in case it was your

girlfriend or something.”

She didn’t look at him as she said it. Her hands were clasped, one thumbnail picking at the other like she did when she seemed

to feel the most. He crouched at her side. “Lex.”

He waited until she tipped her head up to his. “If I had a girlfriend, I’d never have kissed you.”

She stared at him for a long beat, then nodded.

Okay, so she wasn’t completely on board with the trust-Heath program, and hell, he got that. “Whatever we’re doing, whatever

this is, you never owe me anything you’re not ready to give. But I’d like you to know, I’m not built to be kissing one woman

and dating another. That won’t ever be me.”

She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, his grandpa picked that exact moment to come back into the room, a bag of food hanging off either arm.

He stopped short, a mischievous smile crossing his face. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Lexi said, just as Heath said, “Yes.”

His grandpa snorted and set the food on the table. “I’m hoping I did. I tease him,” he said to Lexi, “but he’s smart as hell.

Has two or three college degrees. Takes care of everyone in his orbit, opening his veins for us so that we’re always in a

good place. But does he do it for himself? No. He thinks he doesn’t deserve a pretty young woman looking at him like maybe

he rose the sun and the moon.” He winked at Lexi.

Who promptly covered her red cheeks. “I-I’m looking at the food, that’s all.”

“Good.” Grandpa nodded in approval. “Don’t show him all your cards, make him show his hand first.”

Heath rolled his eyes. “You’re the biggest interfering nosy-body I’ve ever met.” He looked at Lexi. “Ignore him. He’s messing

with you.”

“Actually, I’m messing with you .” The old man turned back to Lexi. “You see what I have to work with? He’s all barking alpha—Grandpa, you gotta exercise,

Grandpa, you gotta eat better—when the whole time, he’s ignoring his own needs. I think it’s because his dad was an asshole.

It’s like he’s worried he’s got those bad genes in him and doesn’t deserve love.”

Heath piled a plate with food and thrust it at his grandpa. “Take this to another room.”

The old man grinned at him. “Hit a nerve, did I?”

“More like you ran it over, backed up, and then hit it again.”

His grandpa cackled with pleasure and then... sat at the scarred table in one of the six mismatched chairs. It squeaked in protest. “This one needs to be fixed,” he said to Heath.

“The whole set needs to be refurbished or dumped.”

His grandpa looked at Lexi as he jabbed a thumb Heath’s way. “This guy doesn’t appreciate anything old.”

“I absolutely do appreciate old. I love old,” Heath said. “What I don’t love is living in an overstuffed house and watching

you trip over things. You’re going to get hurt. Pass the wings that you weren’t supposed to get.”

Grandpa smiled at Lexi. “My wife picked every piece of furniture in this place...” He passed her the wings instead of Heath.

“At first I hated everything, plus it was way too expensive. We got in a huge fight over most of it, but like in all things,

she always won. Mostly because I loved seeing her happy.” He took the wings back from Lexi and dumped all the rest onto his

plate.”

Heath sighed.

His grandpa jabbed a fork in his direction. “I think the real question is, why doesn’t he believe he’s worthy of a woman as

great as his grandma? Especially when there’s one sitting right here at this table. He’s book smart, I’ll give him that, but

he don’t seem to know much.”

Heath stood and went to the freezer for the bottle of vodka his brother kept there.

Lexi laughed, and even though it was aimed at him, the sweet musical sound made him smile as well.