Unfinished Dreams

Excerpt:
“Do you need more from me, Gabe?”

Her words beckoned to him for more than the simplicity of the pipe repair.

A faint trickle of water grew into a gushing torrent. He gave a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. Today he felt like he’d actually solved Mrs. Crane’s drain problem for good. He often wondered if the widow simply manufactured repair problems just to have his company.

Lately though, he sensed a desperation in her that gave him pause about accepting jobs at her secluded home. Why she stayed in this small rural town puzzled him. Still, he didn’t want to ask questions for fear she might take it the wrong way.

He wiped his hands on a torn rag as he strolled from the bathroom, stopping dead in his tracks as his gaze followed Mrs. Crane’s painted toenails, up the red satin kimono, finally settling on her glossy red lips.

She was serving lust ala Carte today.

“That ought to do her, Mrs. Crane. Shower and sink should work just fine….” Gabe’s words trailed off and he swallowed as she waltzed toward him.

“Why thank you, Gabe honey. Lord, it’s so blessed hot in that basement. I can’t imagine how you feel up here. You know what they say. Heat travels up. Maybe you should test the shower too, just to see if it works properly.”

She held a glass of iced tea against the generous gap in her robe. The condensation from the glass dripped, sending a single drop sliding down her barely concealed cleavage.

Gabe’s throat went dry. This was about the strangest encounter he’d had with her. Hell, maybe the strangest encounter with any woman—ever.

He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, yet with money getting harder to come by, the high road to morality was getting tougher and tougher. Reason warred with his libido.

Besides, with that body, she didn’t appear to be fifteen years his senior.

“Uh, thanks, I’ve got to get over to Bill Buxom’s—Buston’s place.”

Her lips curled up at the corners, forming a smile that left her closely resembling a spider closing in on her prey.

He quickly wiped his mouth, picked up his toolbox, and slid past her, feeling her shoulder brush his arm. There were days when living in a small town gave a man few choices, especially in women, and he supposed it went likewise for some women.

“Do you like me, Gabe?”

Lord, did she think he was dead? How much could a red-blooded male take? Little by little she’d worked her way to this moment. Hadn’t he seen it coming? Yet he continued to dutifully arrive each and every time she called for help.

So, here was the gauntlet.

He let out a sigh as he turned to find her leaning against the wall, a sassy pout on her fire engine red lips. The woman should come with a highly combustible label tattooed on her forehead. The humorous visual caused his mouth to twitch in a smile She raised brow and he sobered quickly.

A gentle movement of her hip parted the robe, revealing a set of incredibly enticing legs that stretched—

She’s old enough to be your aunt and that would be your mother’s sister. Gabe frowned as that particular thought took a grapple hook in his brain.

He tore his gaze from her body and focused on her face instead. The look there was as open as the great outdoors. He had a sudden overwhelming sadness for her.

Still, there was something else behind that melancholy twinkle in her eye.

“You feel sorry for me, don’t you, Gabe?”

He’d heard talk it was bad news to get tangled up with this one. The woman went through husbands like he went through a bag of potato chips.No telling what she’d do to you, boy. He shivered at the thought, imagining her teeth lengthening into fangs.

He blinked a couple of times, clearing his head of the hallucination. “No charge today, Mrs. Crane.” He quickly turned on his heel and headed straight for his truck. Only when in the safe confines of his cab, did Gabe chance to look back at the house.

He eyed the front door weighing his physical need against his intelligence. Sure enough, she appeared behind the screen door.
Smiling, she zeroed in, locking on his gaze, then with a flick of her wrist, the belt fell and the robe slid from her shoulders.