“I just got off of the night shift and saw the lights on here. What on earth are you doing here this time of morning?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Couldn’t sleep, I have had this on my mind since I started working here, so I decided to get up and get it done.”
“Wow,” he said turning to the clean storefront.
“I know. Isn’t it nice?”
“It’s amazing,” he said, not believing the difference. “You have a cup of coffee?” he asked, walking to the pot not giving me time to answer.
No. I don’t. I want you to leave. I don’t have time for entertaining.
“Sure, help yourself.”
I didn’t stop to chat or entertain. I emptied my mop bucket again and started on the next wall, hoping he took the hint. He didn’t. He sat at the table and watched.
“You know coffee has caffeine. I would think after working the night shift you would want to go home and sleep,” I tried.
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
Yes. That is exactly what I am trying to do.
“No, not at all, but if you stick around too long, I might put you to work.”
“Let me go home and change, and I would be happy to help you.”
I was speechless for a moment. I was joking. I didn’t think he would take me up on it.
I laughed. “Thanks, but I’m okay. You should get some sleep.”
“I actually won’t go to bed until tonight. I am on days during the week, and if I sleep, I will be all messed up and won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“Thanks for the offer but I couldn’t ask you to help me.”
“I don’t think you asked, Riley. I think I offered.”
Now what the hell was I supposed to do? I could use some muscles to help me move the shelves, and I would really like to move the cash register counter closer to the door.
“You’ll get dishpan hands.”
“I’m a bachelor. I am used to dishpan hands.”
Great, just what I need, a bachelor.
I turned to look at him, trying to think of something to say. I noticed how handsome he was and how nice he looked in uniform. He had a military cut, and I could tell that he was very well built. He was wearing a five o’clock shadow and had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. I wondered if they were contacts.
What the hell is wrong with you, Morgan? You are not getting involved with a man. Forget it.
I broke our gaze and turned back to wiping the wall. I still hadn’t said anything, and had no idea what to say. I had never in my life said no to a man. I wasn’t trained that way.
“It’s settled. I’ll see you in an hour.”
Dawson left, and I sank to the floor. I didn’t want him to help. I didn’t want him around. I jumped when my cellphone started singing something about having a girl’s night out. I knew it was Lauren. Every time she was around she was changing the ringtone on my phone.
“Where the hell are you? I was going to come over and eat your leftovers.”
“At the shop cleaning, you can go over and eat my leftovers if you come here and hangout with me so that I don’t have to be alone with the sheriff.”
“Why is the sheriff there?”
“He saw the lights on and stopped to make sure everything was okay. He saw what I was doing and has now gone home to change so that he can come back and help me.”
“Are you kidding me, Ry? That man doesn’t have an interest in women. He hasn’t dated since his wife left him.”
“When was that?” I asked for unknown reasons.
“Um, let’s see. I have been here for almost two years, and I think she left about a year before that so I would say three years or so.”
I almost asked why she left and then remembered that I didn’t care.
“Please come here. I don’t want to be alone with him.”
“Fine, I will be there in a little bit, but I don’t understand you. Let me get Dawson Bade alone.”
“Well, I will gladly go to the back so that you can do that.”
“Yeah right, I have asked that man out three times now. My ego won’t take any more than that.”
I was dreading the day ahead with Dawson. I didn’t mind Lauren and was glad that she was coming, but I really, really, really didn’t want Dawson to be there.
Lauren showed up first, and Dawson was only ten minutes behind her. Lauren and I were talking about how handsome he was, or she was anyway. I was trying my best not to notice. That worked until he showed up in jeans and a nice fitting t-shirt.
Oh, my God. Stop it, Riley.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun we had. We all worked and talked. I was relieved that I didn’t have to answer any personal questions. I didn’t really have anything to talk about, but commented on the things that Dawson and Lauren talked about. We managed to get all of the walls washed down and after Lauren, and I moved all of the things from the shelves we all turned them. After three tries, I had them the way that I wanted them. I was proud of myself. I had a really hard time, telling them that I didn’t like it the way we moved it the first time, and the second time was even worse. Thank God Dawson picked up on it.