Meet Me In Texas. Sandy Steen

not sound like much, but if you think of supplying materials for a half-million-dollar-home or a multimillion-dollar housing development, it adds up to a chunk of money. Plus, I know I’ll be considered an outsider who doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.”

      “But you do know, don’t you? You wouldn’t have made such a commitment if you hadn’t known what to expect and what you wanted to accomplish.”

      A little surprised at her comment, he said, “Yes, I do. Actually, very few people know it, but I’m the son and grandson of skilled carpenters, and I put myself through college working part-time and weekends for a home-repair company and working construction full-time in the summers. I started out as a grunt and made it to crew chief by the age of twenty.”

      “No wonder you liked this house. The woodwork is marvelous.”

      “I know, and there are thousands of houses like this that are being neglected, or worse, torn down every day. I’d like to preserve what I can.”

      “So this wasn’t just a decision to start a new business. Your interest goes way back.”

      “I used to tag along with my father to jobs on weekends. I would listen to him explain the benefits of using recycled flooring or woodwork to clients and be amazed at how wonderful and sensible he made it all sound. And even while I was with the FBI, I kept my hand in over the years, building furniture for myself or helping friends with additions to their homes. I spent more than a couple of vacations working with Habitat For Humanity.” He glanced down at his hands. “Carpentry work became a major stress reliever for me. A kind of safety valve from the pressures of the job.”

      “And there must have been a lot of pressures.”

      “Not so much in the beginning, but it sure ended that way.”

      Gently, she put her hand on his arm. “I can’t begin to imagine the kinds of horrors you’ve witnessed. It’s no wonder you needed something as simple and honest as working with your hands. It must have helped you stay grounded, and keep in touch with what was real. I imagine that at times you had to do it to preserve your sanity.”

      Del looked down at her hand on his arm then into her eyes, so soft, so understanding. He’d never thought of the satisfaction and peace of mind he’d achieved by working with his hands in quite those terms, but hearing her put it into words made perfect sense. “Yes,” was all he could say.

      Allison wanted to put her arms around him, comfort him, yet at the same time make him feel needed and wanted as only a woman could want a man. Her emotions were all mixed up. She wanted to comfort Del and kiss him at the same time, but not in a comforting way. She wanted to tell him she understood the pain and loneliness she saw in his eyes, and tell him he didn’t ever have to feel lonely again. She wanted all these things, yet knew she shouldn’t want them. In the end she settled for the simple truth.

      “Have I told you how glad I am that you decided to come back to Crystal Creek?”

      “Yes, but I like hearing you say it.”

      “I am glad, very glad. And there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be successful. Before too long, Evergreen will be the talk of the Hill Country.”

      Now Del smiled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he said, inordinately pleased at her unqualified support.

      She smiled back, and for a split second Del thought that kissing Allison seemed the most natural thing in the world to do. Then reality grabbed him by the collar and he realized how close he’d come to doing exactly that. He was much too close to her, the moment much too intimate and too dangerous for a lonely man. He took a step back. “I, uh, hope your confidence is contagious.”

      The instant he moved away from her the intimacy was gone, and Allison felt a twinge of sadness. “I think it might be once people understand who you are and what you’re trying to accomplish.”

      “Maybe I should hire you as my PR rep to spread the good word.”

      “I’ll do that, anyway, with your permission, of course. Since you’ve kept all of this under wraps until now, I wouldn’t want to blow your cover.”

      “By tomorrow, everybody will know, anyway, so there’s no harm if you mention it. I just didn’t want to give the town weeks to chew on the information and make false speculations.”

      “They’ll do that, anyway, so don’t worry. Besides, I’m proud to announce your presence because I know you’re going to be good for the community.” She paused, and then added, “Just like I know that this dog will be good for you even if it’s short term.”

      Del laughed. “That’s about as slick a left turn back to complete a circle as I’ve ever seen. Has anybody told you that you have a one-track mind?”

      “Frequently. I can be a bit manipulative, I admit. And I do have a reputation for tenacity, but since it’s always for such very good reasons, people seldom object.”

      “And honest to a fault, I see.”

      “That, too.” She shrugged. “With me, what you see is definitely what you get.”

      Del saw a lot and liked what he saw. Namely, a beautiful woman with an open heart and loving spirit. Why couldn’t she be someone other than Sam and Lynn Russell’s daughter, and ten years older? As for the dog, he supposed that, at least, was something he could handle. “So, I’m to be a foster parent, huh?”

      “It’ll be a piece of cake. And just think, you’ll have your own personal veterinary technician on call twenty-four-seven. Free of charge, I might add.”

      Del shook his head, knowing he was beaten. “All right.” He held up his hands in surrender. “You win, but just on a temporary basis, okay.”

      “And speaking of veterinary services, one of the main reasons I came this morning was to change— Hmm, I think you need a name for this dog.”

      He sighed. “I called her Lucky when I first found her.”

      “Boy’s name.”

      “I know. What about Lady?”

      “Bor-ring.” Allison gazed at the dog, then back at Del. “I know, Doodles.”

      “You can’t be serious.”

      “Well, look at her. She looks like someone has taken a gold paint pen and doodled all over her brown fur.”

      Now that he saw the dog from this distance, he had to admit Allison’s description was appropriate. But a guy with a girl dog named Doodles?

      “Can’t we come up with something a little less cutesy?”