She stiffened. “You’ve done so much already.”
His heart shredded for her. She’d had to fend for herself and her siblings for so long that she’d become destructively independent. “It’s always easier to help than be the one needing it.”
She met his gaze. It felt like their souls connected through their eyes. She searched his with an expression that beckoned the question he was trying so hard to prove in worthy actions the answer.
Can I trust you?
Colin cradled her gaze intently in an effort to anchor his answer therein:
I promise I will never hurt you again.
There were twelve inches, then ten, then seven inches of space between them, and it still felt like seven hundred miles. It became the longest seven inches of Colin’s life as he risked rejection and found the courage to reach for her. His hands spanned across the chasm of inches and years, offenses and tears of hard history between them and grasped hers.
Rather than stiffen or pull away, she held tight. “I have the hardest time accepting help from anyone, Colin, especially you. Plus, you need to spend time with your dad and your business. You’re the CEO now . . .”
Leaned forehead to forehead, he smiled. “Will you please stop that? I see Dad every day. We get quality time. He gets tired from so much visiting. And I do have staff and crew at McGrath Construction, you know. Besides, you want to pull off this catering gig or not?” He squeezed strength into her hands with each word.
“Of course.” She slipped her hands from his. Had he imagined she’d only reluctantly done so? She dug through her shiny purse until she produced pen and paper.
A yearning to recapture the closeness whittled the edges of his resistance. He forced himself to focus on how much he loved her transformation from worry to work mode. Determination fueling her movements as she quickly jotted a list made him smile.
Paper down, she pointed. “These are things I’m certain you can do.”
She made a second list. “These are things I’m okay if you can’t do, but if you think you can, would save me a lot of time and preparation.”
She bit her lower lip, then scratched a third list. “These are things it would take a miracle for you to be able to do, but since I’m desperate and you’re nuts enough to try anything, I’m turning this over too.”
He chuckled, absorbing with pleasure the camaraderie, thankful for humor lifting layers of stress from her pretty amber eyes. Owlish in the sense they were so absolutely stunning and vivid on her face. He scanned the list mostly because he could get seriously lost in her eyes, but neither of them had time for that at the moment.
Or maybe ever.
Her first list mostly involved chopping food and gathering supplies. “Got it. Keep me posted on Del.” He wanted to stay here with Meadow and support Del, but they needed him elsewhere more. He picked up her phone and put his number in her contacts.
She started to hand him his jacket. “I’ll come help you as soon as I’m able.”
He pressed the jacket back into her arms. “Keep it for now. Call when you’re ready for a ride home.”
“Home?”
“The pole barn.” He shook his head of ardent cobwebs. Things got too crazy cozy there for a second. He needed to remember he was out to earn her forgiveness, not her forever.
Colin had worked on the lists several hours before Meadow called to say Del weathered surgery well. Thanking God, he drove to pick up Meadow, satisfied with all he’d accomplished.
“You look beat,” he said as he helped her into his truck.
“Am, but can’t sleep. Have to be ready.” Her shoulders and eyelids drooped.
“I only have two things left on the last list and that’s because I wasn’t sure how to go about them.” He’d never seen so many serving dishes and cutlery in all of creation.
Her neck craned. “You finished all but two things? You’re a keeper.” She smiled so brightly and her words planted such a vivid seed, he almost ran off the road.
“You’re really pretty, but exceptionally so when you do that.”
“What?”
“Smile.” He loved being on the receiving end. Maybe they could build a close friendship after all. It took a mile for Meadow’s blush to tame. The rush of red that graced her face reminded him of the showy roses in his mom’s yard. His grin faded on the fleeting memory that she’d nurtured her flowers but never her family.
Once at the barn, Meadow guided them through everything else that could be done ahead of time. Under his outdoor lights as darkness fell, they loaded covered buffet servers, hot and cold drink dispensers, serving bowls, beverage bins, and gobs of catering gadgetry Colin couldn’t identify. He’d been able to finish the wagon wheel display, and they loaded that into his truck since Del’s vehicle was unavailable.