Page 9 of Dandelion Sighs

“Handiwork?” Constance broke in with her nasally tone. “We need a maintenance person.”

“And how handy will he be for that?” I said brightly. “So when he gets here, direct him to the office. I’ll give him the tour and discuss some of the things that need to be fixed.”

“All of it,” Constance muttered.

No wonder Mom would talk about wanting to spit in the potluck meatballs some days. She loved everyone, but I thought she’d just had bad days since Dad died—but no. I’d spit in Constance’s meatballs. “That’s all for now. You know where to find me.”

Constance snorted and was the first to break away from our little huddle.

Maria was peeling away to follow her, but she stopped and stared out the front door. “Whoa. We got a good one. He’s a ten. Maybe he’s going to stay the whole week.”

I followed Maria’s gaze. Whoa.

Jasper swaggered toward the door. He had a ball cap pulled down to shade half his face, and he’d come ready to work. A tool belt was slung over a broad shoulder. A snug black shirt, with the letters KCC on it over a steer skull, hugged his chest. He was wearing cowboy boots that had likely been cleaned since I last saw him.

Butterflies took flight in my belly. He nodded at someone in the parking lot and trotted toward the door. When he entered, no one moved. We watched him.

“Ladies.” He dipped the brim of his ball cap.

Maria squeaked. Constance sashayed toward him. Age must just be a number for her since she had to have twenty-five years on him.

“Welcome to Bishop’s Landing,” she purred, nicer than she’d ever been to me. “How can I help you?”

He flashed her a polite smile, but his gaze found mine, and those lips stretched into a grin. “Sheridan. Nice to see you again.”

Warmth infused every pore. The view was more than nice from my end.

Maria put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. “Are you our new handyman?”

“Ma’am,” was all he said and crossed to me. “Tell me where to start.” He tugged on his tool belt, but all I noticed was the flex of his biceps. “I grabbed the general tools, but I have more in the box in my truck.”

I snapped my attention back up to him. “Oh. Okay. Thanks.” Everyone was watching us, and there was no boredom on their faces anymore. Act like a boss! “Yes. Let me give you a tour first. Want to put the belt in my office?”

“Nah, I’ll just throw it on.”

He unhooked it and swung it around his hips. The man had an audience, and if he noticed, he didn’t mind. Even two guests who were walking through stopped to watch him.

“Ready, boss.” He looked up and smiled. My knees trembled.

Giving myself a mental shake, I turned away. If I didn’t see him, maybe I’d be more professional and less lusty. “This is the check-in area. Maria runs the desk full time, and Constance is in charge of housekeeping.” I wouldn’t introduce them more than that. He was mine for the tour. “Paola manages the restaurant, and Landon is our summer help with the lawn and flower beds. I can introduce you to the others as we go.”

“Sounds great.” He threw a hand up to wave at everyone.

I started walking. “The entry to the restaurant is right here. On the other side, there’s a door on the outside.”

I took him through the space. The restaurant didn’t open until lunch. Paola stocked a continental breakfast in the lobby. Jasper’s spiced pine scent wasn’t drowned out by the fried food smell. Whatever soap he used should be sold as an aphrodisiac.

“Heard they have good seafood there,” he said.

“You get twenty percent off as an employee.” Constance was giving herself fifty percent off, but I was working with Paola to put a stop to it.

“I’ll have to try it sometime.”

I took the first relaxed breath I’d drawn in on resort property since I’d arrived. Just having him here made it feel like I had someone on my side. Most of the employees were excellent and supportive. But the ones who weren’t—the ones who doubted me more than my own family—well, they made this harder than it needed to be.

I stuffed the resentment back into the recesses of my mind. It would do no good until I earned their trust or they fully lost mine.

I led Jasper up and down the hallways on both levels, chattering off the top of my head. Whatever had made him easy to talk to last Saturday was still in effect, and I told him about saggy roofs, leaky faucets, cracked toilets, and smoke alarm schedules.