LITMIR.BIZ

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think of some nastier things to say. Anyway, I was stuck. I can’t sell the house as is, I won’t get back the money I put into it. So my only option is to fix it up as best I can and sell. But without his money, I’m having to do it all on a shoestring.”

      Her ex deserved a load of bad karma for doing this to Mari. Brody hadn’t known her long, but she was sweet, and didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

      Thinking of the situation at the grocery store only made him angrier. After all the jerk put her through, then he rubbed her nose in the fact he was marrying another woman.

      “Do you need me to kill him?”

      She smiled. “You know, earlier today when I found out how much it was going to take to bring the plumbing up to code, I might have taken you up on that. No, my proposition, well, it’s a little out there.”

      “Just ask. Honestly, my curiosity is starting to get the better of me.”

      She sipped, more like chugged, the sangria. Then she set down her glass.

      “I watched you fixing the roof on your house a couple of weeks ago. And then you repaired the mailbox and put in a new post. I promise I’m not stalking you, but I’ve also seen you tinkering with your motorcycle. A lot. And your truck. I just wondered if maybe you might be able to help me out around here. Maybe there’s something I could do for you in return. Wait. That came out really wrong. I meant cook or something.” She laughed nervously.

      It took him a minute to figure out what she was proposing. “You’d like me to do handyman stuff?”

      “Yes. Over the years I’ve learned a lot. I’ve even helped out on jobs. I have to bring in tradesmen for the electrical and plumbing, and those guys aren’t cheap. So most of the other work is going to fall to me. This time, as I explained, I can’t afford to hire the guys I normally would.”

      He pressed his lips together. It wasn’t a matter of him not being able to do the work. He could. But hanging around Mari all the time probably wasn’t a good idea.

      She was the sexiest woman he’d met in, well...forever. And he didn’t need complications like that. And he sure as hell didn’t want to care about her or her rickety house.

      He glanced up to see her chewing on her lip again.

      “It was a dumb idea. Forget I asked. Really.”

      “No. It’s that I’m pretty busy at the base. Lots of new recruits and...”

      Liar. He could do the job in his sleep. And he was out of there every weekday at five because he didn’t like being reminded of the past, which left him hours at home with nothing to do.

      “Of course. Like I said, forget I asked. I don’t know why I even thought it—I probably sound totally desperate. Can we just drop it? Please?” She cleared her throat and averted her eyes.

      Shoot. He’d disappointed her. Her ex had left her in a bad spot, and Brody wasn’t the kind of guy who could say no if someone genuinely needed his help. He’d done his best when he’d visited the families of his team members to make sure they got the benefits they were due and lend a hand any way he could. It didn’t get rid of his survivor’s guilt, but it made him feel useful. Mari was a kind woman who didn’t deserve what life had thrown at her; he hated to see injustice of any kind, no matter what form it took.

      “Tell you what, let me see what my schedule’s going to be like the next couple of weeks. Maybe I can take care of a few things on the weekends, or some weeknights. Can I let you know tomorrow?”

      Her head popped up and her smile did strange things to his insides, not to mention what was going on in his lower regions. He was glad she couldn’t see under the old table.

      “Are you sure? I mean, if you decide it’s a no, I’m okay with that. You helped me more than enough today.”

      He had a feeling it was going to be hard to say no to Mari, and this was just the start.

      * * *

      THE NEXT MORNING at her Bay Area office bungalow, Mari crossed her arms on her desk and put her head down. This was why she was swearing off men.

      “I’m an idiot.”

      “Hey, don’t be so mean to my boss. She’s a sweetheart.”

      Mari lifted her head as her trusted assistant, Abbott, walked in and took a seat on one of the upholstered chairs in front of her desk. She was also her closest friend. One of the few people Mari could confess to about her crazy night with the Marine. The one where she’d put the poor guy on the spot and begged him to fix her house.

      What was I thinking?

      “Still an idiot. You won’t believe what I did yesterday.”

      Her friend steepled her fingers and waggled her eyebrows. “Oh, this has got to be good. I haven’t seen you this bent out of shape since you broke up with the turd, which, let me remind you, was the best thing that ever happened to you. Do tell.”

      Abbott had been joyous over the breakup with Gary. She’d always disliked him. If only Mari had listened to her friend’s warnings, she might have saved herself some heartbreak.

      She told Abbott about what happened.

      Her friend sat back and blew out a breath. Her brown curls in a righteous halo were piled on top of her head. “Wow! A true hero. What a great guy.”

      Mari lifted her face to the ceiling. “I know, right? And you should see his abs. He’s hotter than any man has a right to be. That’s what makes what I did next so atrocious.”

      Abbot’s eyes widened. “You threw yourself at him? I told you this not dating thing was going to backfire on you. Those hormones can only be caged without release for so long. And then, boom!” She slapped the desk and made Mari jump.

      Her friend had a thing for the dramatic. “No. Though, I wish I had. It’s probably the last time I’m ever going to see him. He’ll probably move.”

      Abbott leaned forward on her elbows. “Now I’m totally intrigued. Seriously, what did you do this time?”

      “I asked him to be my handyman.”

      If she hadn’t felt so bad she might have laughed at her friend’s confusion.

      “Is that some kind of new kink? I’ve never heard of that. Does he show up in just a tool belt or something?”

      “Wow. Come on, Abbott, do you ever think of anything but sex?”

      “Nope. Not really. So what do you mean?” Abbott wasn’t supercrazy about commitment, either, but she also never lacked for a date. Her friend was the queen of love ’em and leave ’em. Mari had never been able to do that. Just have sex to have sex. In a way, she was envious of her friend’s ability to have fun without getting emotionally attached. It wasn’t that Mari was clingy. She just wanted something more than just the physical from her sexual partners. Not that it had worked out well for her so far.

      She explained.

      “Wow. You really are desperate.”

      Mari frowned. “Thanks for pointing out the obvious.”

      “So what did he say?”

      “He was sweet. He said he’d think about it, but he added he was really busy at work.”

      “So he gave himself an out?” Abbott asked. “Hmm.”

      She nodded. Secretly, Mari had been a little crushed when Brody had said he was busy, which was stupid since she’d never believed he’d agree to her off-the-wall plan. “I think he was trying to get out of it gracefully, and he didn’t want to have to tell me to my face that I was totally crazy.”

      Abbott leaned back. “So what are you going to do?”

      “Well, I can’t afford to move. Though, I did consider it. Living with my parents again,

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