The Promise of Paradise - By Allie Boniface Page 0,3

out for a while if you want.”

The thought tempted her. Despite her need to be alone and sort through the snarl of feelings around her heart, despite the funny, run-down house that was already starting to seem like home, part of her wanted Jen to stay. Ash opened her mouth to answer, but a roar from below drowned out her words.

“What the hell is that?” Jen turned to peer through the slats in the railing. A second later, she pulled herself to her feet and leaned over as far as she could. A grin spread itself across her face. “Whoa. Take a look at this.”

“What?”

But Jen didn’t answer and instead just stared.

Curious, Ash joined Jen at the railing and looked down. Near the curb, engine still running and rock music bellowing from the speakers, idled a red pickup truck. White and yellow flames danced along both sides. Bending over the tailgate was a broad, bare, definitely male back. Yow. No wonder Jen looked like she was about to start drooling. Even one floor up, Ash could trace the outline of nearly every muscle in his arms and back. A bright red and yellow king cobra tattoo curled around his left triceps. Wavy brown hair fell across the sides of his face. His jeans, faded in all the right places, sat low on his hips. Ash squinted harder and ran a hand over her hair.

Oh God. They still make men who look like that?

“Turn around, please,” Jen commanded under her breath. As if he’d heard her, he straightened, biceps flexing as he hauled two large boxes from the back of the truck and turned into the sidewalk. Her sidewalk. He looked up, and Ash’s heart dove into her stomach. A neatly trimmed goatee underscored a crooked nose. He flashed a smile and winked.

“Hey,” he called. “You live here?”

Jen nodded and jabbed a thumb in Ash’s direction. “She does.”

“I’m Eddie West. Movin’ in today.” It was hard to hear him over the noise of the truck’s humming engine and the music. Ash watched his mouth move instead.

“Need any help?” Jen asked.

Eddie shook his head. “Nah. I’ve just got a couple of boxes to bring in. The rest is coming tomorrow. But thanks.” He continued up the sidewalk.

Jen cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled down. “Come up later if you want.”

Ash elbowed her. “What are you doing?”

Eddie backpedaled and nodded, grinning wider. As he disappeared from their view, the heavy front door creaked open and, after a few seconds, thudded shut behind him.

Jen straightened. “See? I told you he’d be good-looking.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s beyond good-looking, Ash.” She fell back against the railing, hands to heart in a dramatic pantomime. “He’s perfect.”

But she wasn’t sure a good-looking housemate was what she needed this summer. Hadn’t she sworn off men just a few weeks ago? “I’m sure he’s not perfect, Jen. You don’t even know if he’s available. Maybe he has a girlfriend. Maybe he’s married.”

“He’s not. He wasn’t wearing a ring.”

“How do you know?”

“I looked.”

“From ten feet up you looked?”

Jen winked, grinning. A few minutes later, the pickup’s music squawked off. Less than two minutes after that, footsteps thundered up the stairs, and a fist pounded on Ash’s front door. Already? He's coming up to visit already? Her heart crept from a steady gallop to a sprint. She didn’t need to meet anyone new, not now. She needed to get her head straightened out. She needed to heal. She needed to –

“Are you getting that?” Jen stood perfectly still and stared at her.

“Fine.” She crawled back through the open window, crossed the living room, and stood before the door. Please don’t be perfect. Please have one lazy eye or a limp or something caught in your teeth or…

Ash opened the door, and Eddie stood on the other side, smiling.

A breeze kicked through the living room, one of those warm summer gusts that sweep in from nowhere. It lifted the hair off her neck and blew a puff of dust across the doorstep. For an instant, the room seemed to widen, to swell with warmth, and sun flooded the space.

Wow. Maybe Jen is right. Maybe he is perfect.

Eddie wasn’t tall, but the faded green t-shirt he’d put on outlined every muscle she could see. Sweat lined the creases in his forehead, and brilliant blue eyes met hers. Their color startled her, so bright they made the summer sky seem shady and dull. The more she examined them and tried in