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Gabe.
He wasn’t some fly-by-night contractor. He
owned Sampson’s for chrissakes. If nothing else, at least the name
implied a warranty. If she couldn’t trust a major chain like
Sampson’s, who could she trust? Plus, she had a deadline looming
like an albatross.
    “ U m. Okay,” she gave in. “I
really could use some advice.”
    She gave him the address and he told her, “I
know that area. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
    Candace hung up before she could change her
mind.
    I can’t believe he’s coming over here!
    She placed her palm on her stomach to calm
the butterflies. She should probably comb her hair and put on some
lipstick. She shook her head. This was ridiculous. Why was she
trippin’ over a guy she barely knew? Why was she nervous and
excited and aroused all at the same time?
    “ Well,” Toye prompted,
“are you gonna tell us what happened or do we have to get the
pliers and pry it from your uptight lips?”
    Candace smiled. “That was Gabe.”
    “ I figured that
much.”
    “ So, what’s up?” Ronnie
asked. “What did he say?”
    “ He’ll be here in thirty
minutes,” Candace said, hardly believing she’d agreed to let him
come over.
    “ Omigod! We finally get to
meet the notorious Gabriel Hunt.”
    Candace smiled. “Yep. He’s coming. He’s
actually coming.”
    Marlowe burst out laughing. “And by the
looks of things, soon, you might be too.”

    # # #

    Gabe parked his truck along the curb of a
fixer-upper in a modest neighborhood. The house needed some curb
appeal. If this were his home, he’d add some colorful perennials,
paint the porch railings, and place some patio stones leading from
the sidewalk to the front door. This area was sprawling years ago,
but it had suffered a decline when the bottom fell out of the
mortgage industry. He wondered what had prompted Candace to buy a
home in this neighborhood. He would reserve judgment. Right now, it
sounded like Candace needed his help, and he wasn’t about to let
her down.
    He’d barely had time to shower before
rushing from the gym to meet her. He rang the doorbell and then
stepped back when he heard the loud barking of vicious dogs. At
least Candace was protected. Still, he wasn’t a dog lover, or any
other pet lover for that matter. He hoped she didn’t have a gang of
killer pit bulls around!
    Candace’s cousin answered the door. She
didn’t bother to hide the look of admiration as she raked him from
head to toe with a pair of blue-grey eyes. Gabe didn’t take
offense. He was used to women taking in his full measure.
    “ Gabe, how nice to see you
again,” she purred.
    His mind searched for her name.
“Thanks…Tina.”
    “ Toye,” she corrected,
“Like the kind you play with. Rhymes with joy.”
    “ Sorry. I’m not good with
names.”
    “ No kidding. You weren’t
even close. But no worries. I’ve been called worse.”
    Gabe chuckled. At least she took it like a
good sport.
    “ C’mon,” she told him.
“Candace is up to her elbows in tile.”
    As Gabe followed Toye to the kitchen, he
glanced at his surroundings. The house was practically gutted.
“What the hell happened?” he asked.
    Toye laughed. “Candace doesn’t live here.
She flips houses.”
    Relief flooded through him. “That explains
everything.”
    “ She’s working on a very
important flip right now. She’s got three weeks to get it
done.”
    He ducked under a low-hanging plastic sheet.
“Why the short deadline?”
    “ It was originally a
four-month project, but…” Toye shrugged. “It’s a long story, and
not mine to tell. Maybe Candace will give you all the details—if
you’re nice to her.”
    Gabe smiled. “I’m sure I can manage
that.”
    As he rounded the corner, he had eyes only
for the blonde bombshell in front of him. Candace’s curves were
encased in a pair of denim shorts. Her long legs sported a pair of
old-school Converse sneakers. Her checkered camp shirt was knotted
at the waist. Gabe sucked in a deep breath. If