A few days later, Dawn was on her way back to the site, driving a moving van that contained everything she was bringing with her and towing her small blue car behind it.

It felt odd leaving her old place, her apartment where she’d lived close enough to help take care of her grandpa in his last days.

Her heart ached momentarily as she drove up the road and the plot of land he’d left her came into view. At least the trees surrounding it did.

It was so big and wide and beautiful out here, so much more space than what she was used to, so much fresh air.

She’d said her good-byes, but there weren’t many of them because her neighbors were mostly acquaintances, and her friends online in her book groups would still be able to talk to her.

But she was looking forward to a new life in a new place where she might be encouraged to get out there more.

See new things, meet new people.

And oh God, she was going to see Garrett again.

She’d tried not to think of him, after their awkward first meeting. Sure, he was tall, handsome, and rugged in exactly the way she liked, with the kind of short, manly beard she just wanted to rub her face on. But he was her contractor, nothing more. His kindness, his smiles, his ability to pay acute attention to her were all part of the job he was doing.

Make the customer happy at all costs.

At least that’s what she thought it was. Why else a man like that would be paying that much attention to her, she didn’t know.

Yet there was this electric little spark of anticipation as she turned and drove up to the job site, and it was more than just seeing where they were at in building her house.

It was at least a little bit about seeing him again.

She gasped as she saw the perfectly cleared ground and solid concrete foundation in front of her. Framing was already going up as well, and she could see the vague shape of the walls of her house standing in front of her.

There were tools, machinery, and materials everywhere, and amongst the busy scene… men.

Oh geez, was this a construction site or a male revue at Las Vegas?

Yes, it was hot, but did they really have to work with their shirts off?

The blond-haired man had his hair pulled back in a short ponytail that showed under his Stetson, and his bronzed skin glowed in the sun as he walked across the work site. The one with the dark hair buzzed into an army haircut was bent over a clipboard, frowning as he had been when he met her. His muscles were so defined they could have been used for an anatomy class.

And then there was Garrett, a pleasant smile on his face as he walked toward his friends, carrying an obscene number of two-by-fours on his shoulder. She wasn’t an expert on strength, but she was pretty sure that amount of weight should be impossible for any one human to carry.

He turned in her direction, and a wide smile broke over his face.

His beard was more like stubble this morning. Had he shaved it?

She could see a bit more of his perfect jaw, and he looked even more handsome, if possible. He looked like the kind of guy that probably had a shadow even if he shaved every day.

There was something so intimidating about him, his sheer height, his broad shoulders, his obvious strength and power.

Yet there was that smile, warming everything up and making him seem so much more approachable.

She liked everything about him and didn’t even know him at all yet.

She walked forward, telling her heart to stop stammering.

In the distance, she saw his two friends start to come over as well. So many shoulders, so many abs, so many arms, glistening and bulging in the summer heat…

“Hunter, Grayson. Get your shirts on,” Garrett barked behind him. “We got a client here right now.”

She was grateful to be reminded of the other men’s names. “It’s okay, really.”

“It’s not,” Garrett said, rubbing the back of his neck. “And besides, it’s getting cooler anyway now that it’s evening.”

It wasn’t necessary, but she was a little glad he was being so considerate about it. As a shut-in who spent practically her whole day on the internet either doing graphic design or reading internet forums, she was not prepared for that much luscious maleness.

Garrett walked to a nearby trailer and grabbed his shirt off the table in front of her. It was blue flannel, and as he shrugged into it and slowly started to button it up, regret waved through her.

The urge to reach out and stop his hand surprised her, but it was nearly painful to see that perfect chest disappear beneath so much flannel.

She bit her lip, trying to remember what she was supposed to be doing here. “So… the job?”

Garrett gestured for her to take a seat around the campfire with him. It wasn’t lit now, of course, but there were camp chairs around it and she could imagine it got cozy here at night.

Probably more pleasant than the hotel she’d be staying at.

“So we’re on target,” Garrett said. “Ahead, actually. The land here is great. The foundation looks perfect. The weather has been on our side. I think the framing is going to go really quickly. So no real updates except that we’re looking good.”

“It looks amazing,” she said, scanning the work site where Hunter and Grayson were talking about something together, shirts hanging over their shoulders but not all the way on. “I didn’t think it would be this far along in just a few days.”

Garrett smiled as he leaned back with his hands behind his head. Those long, lean legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles, and his whole beautiful body was on display. “That’s why we’re the best in the biz.”

But there was a twinkle in his eye that made his confidence attractive rather than off-putting.

He stretched, looking back at the sky, and then sighed as he moved back into a normal position. She was supposed one got tired after doing the kind of work he did, especially when carrying such an unnatural number of two-by-fours.

“So what’s your plan now?” Garrett asked.

She eyed him nervously. “Not much of one. I’m going to be staying at the hotel in town until the house is finished. I’ll be doing some work, but I told my clients I was moving and would probably need a break.”

“Moving is stressful. I get it,” he said.

“But you travel everywhere,” she retorted. “If it’s stressful, why would you?”

“Well, travel is different than moving. Uprooting everything and putting it in a different spot is different than relocating when you don’t have roots.”

“And you don’t have roots?”

He looked at his friends and the job site. “These are my roots.”

That was puzzling. She couldn’t imagine not longing for a place to call your own. A home placed in a certain location. But perhaps he had one of those where he went when he wasn’t on a job.

“So just going to stay at the hotel?” Garrett asked. “You can’t mean the Silver Creek Lodge.”

“Yes, that one,” she said. “That’s all I could find online.”

Garrett put his chin in his hand, shaking his head slowly. “You be careful there. That’s more of a collection of shacks than a hotel.”

“It looked quaint.”

“Make sure there are deadlocks,” he retorted.

She leaned back, folding her arms. “I’m not sure why it’s your business.”

His usually jovial eyes hardened, and for some reason she found that attractive. “You’re my client, and I care about my clients. So you have my number. You call me if anything is a problem. I’ll be over there ASAP.”

She nodded, relaxing slightly. He wasn’t trying to control her. He was just looking out for her. She should be grateful for that, now that she was out here all alone.

Yet, as someone who’d always looked out for herself, other than those years her grandpa had taken her in as a child, having someone be protective was vaguely uncomfortable.

But it also drew her toward him in a weird way.

“Well, thanks,” she said, trying to sound gracious. “It should be fine, but I’ll let you know. If anything, I’ll probably just die of boredom. They make you go over to the cafe to get on the internet, and it’s closed at night, so I don’t know what I’ll do then.” She grinned. “Who would not have in-room Wi-Fi these days?”

“Can you use your phone?” Garrett asked.

She shook her head. “My network isn’t great out here. I’m going to have to talk to the people in town, get on a new plan. See who has reception out here.”

“Sounds good,” Garrett said. “I can help find out if you like. We’ve been in town the past few nights, gotten to know a few of the locals.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” she said, wondering what they’d been doing.

Garrett shifted his massive weight, making his camp chair creak. “Want to come out with us tonight?” His tone was confident, but his expression was slightly nervous, if she wasn’t imagining it.

“Where?”

“The bar. Hunter and Grayson have taken to playing cards there. I’d be happy to get you a drink, introduce you to the owner.”

She smiled, getting the feeling Garrett was the type to win over people wherever he went. A big, friendly bear of a man. “That could be nice.”

She still had stuff to move into the hotel room and so many things to do. But the thought of relaxing in a bar in the town closest to her new home was too tempting.

Besides, if she was going to be here, she should probably make some friends.

“Want me to pick you up or meet us there?”

She shook her head. “I’ll get there on my own. The Silver Rush, right?”

Garrett nodded. “If it’s dark—”

She laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. His protectiveness made her feel girlish in a way she hadn’t for a long time, even if she knew he was just looking out for a client. But it was unnecessary. She was a big girl and could take care of herself. “Thanks, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I have bear spray.”

His dark eyebrows raised. “What for?”

“I’ve heard it’s stronger than mace,” she said.

“What you want is a gun,” a blunt voice cut in, and she looked up to see Grayson looking down at them with folded arms.

His shirt was on, but not buttoned, exposing his hard chest, and his expression was intense.

“Oh, uh, I’m not sure I would know how to use one.”

“We could fix that,” Hunter said pleasantly. His eyes were a shocking light blue in the sun, and a lock was falling free of his short ponytail. “Maybe after work sometime.”

Garrett cleared his throat. “She’ll be fine, you guys.” He stood, reaching out a hand to help her up. God, even his hand was so big, so strong her fingers felt lost in it.

He pulled her up easily, and she had to steady herself when she stood.

“I’ll see you tonight,” she said shyly.

Hunter smiled. “Oh, coming out with us, then?”

“Just to meet the locals,” Garrett said sharply. His demeanor with his friends was oddly harsh compared to how he spoke to her.

But Hunter didn’t seem bothered and just slung an arm around Garrett’s waist. “We’ll see you there, sweetheart.”

Garrett lifted a hand and shoved Hunter off him, then pinned him with a glare. “Her name is Dawn. Have respect.”

Hunter tipped his hat. “My apologies.”

Dawn couldn’t resist a giggle. Despite the way these men looked and how big they were, she couldn’t help feeling comfortable around them. “I accept.”

“Good,” Grayson said grumpily. “Then we can get back to work, and you can go off to… wherever you’re off to.” He gave her a terse nod. “Have a great day.”

As Grayson headed back to the work site, Hunter following behind, Garrett gave her an apologetic smile, rubbing his beard. “Sorry about that one. He’s a little…”

“Intense?”

“Yeah, that would cover it.”

She smiled. “I like people who are open about things. Makes it easier to know what they think.”

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then thought better of it and bit his lower lip. “That’s good.”

“So anyway, I’ll see you later. Around like seven?”

“More like nine. We tend to work until nightfall, though we can make an exception if you want to.”

“No, nine is fine. Gives me time to eat and get settled in.” She headed toward her truck. “See you later, then?”

He nodded and gave her a small salute. “Looking forward to it.”

Then he was walking back to the job site, leaving her with an odd prickling sensation at his words.

Maybe he just said that to everyone, but he’d said it both times he saw her. And he seemed to actually mean it. Like he wanted to see her again.

She told herself to stop being delusional about her contractor, no matter how handsome he was, and got back in her van to drive to her new temporary home.