Light the Fire (Jackson's Hollow #1)

Chapter 18

"You want to what?" Jo lowered her coffee and raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"Paint. With you, at your house," he said. It had been a couple days since the start of school, and today Jo had decided to leave the crutches behind. She needed to start strengthening her ankle again, even if Ryker had grumbled about her needing the crutches. Soon she would be able to drive herself to the college, and he wouldn't have to put himself through the chore of picking her up and dropping her off at home each day.

Then again, judging by his offer, he might like chores.

The two of them were standing outside of Ms. Blue's place, out on the porch among the rocking chairs and the old iron and concrete planters. He was looking out at the road instead of at her as he spoke, holding his own coffee down by his side, his hand wrapped around the tip of the cup.

Jo stared. "Why?"

Ryker's head jerked toward her. "You don't want to paint?"

"No, I do, it's just really specific, especially because I didn't mention painting." Or at least she didn't think she had. Maybe he just assumed she was planning to since she lived in an ancient house that could use an entire paint job makeover. He wasn't wrong, she just hadn't been expecting it. She narrowed her eyes. "Do you think my house needs painting?"

Ryker rubbed the back of his neck and started down the steps to the sidewalk. "I thought you'd like the idea. What's wrong?"

"You're sort of implying that my house looks bad," she said. Which, well, wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't really polite to say it. Or insinuate it. Though maybe his honesty should be appreciated?

"I didn't say that." He stopped at the bottom of the steps to wait for her as she slowly followed, being more careful on the steps thanks to her stupid ankle. "You're fixing up the house, and painting is usually a part of doing that, right?"

"Right..."

"So I didn't mean anything bad by offering to paint."

"Fine, fine," Jo said, holding up her hand that wasn't occupied by coffee. "It just came out of the blue."

"We met in a hardware store. I don't think it's that random," he argued as they walked toward his truck.

Okay, that was true. But it seemed like he could've asked her for a project instead of choosing one himself...now she was being picky. He was offering to help and the only reason she was getting mildly defensive about it was because he seemed to be helping her a lot lately but he wasn't super happy about it.

She climbed into the truck, settling her foot carefully on the floorboard beside her bag. "Why do you want to paint, specifically?"

He shrugged. The truck rumbled to life and he pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. "It doesn't have to be painting. That was just something a lot of people hate doing or get someone to do for them." He switched lanes and glanced at her for a split second. "It's harder to do by yourself."

"People do it alone in movies all the time," she said. "But...yeah. Okay." The living room could use a new coat of paint. Actually, every room in the house probably needed to be repainted.

Taking a sip of coffee, it suddenly occurred to her how strangely comfortable she felt in Ryker's presence. She'd only known him a few days, but they already had developed a morning coffee routine and talking to him came...easily. Naturally. She should be on edge getting to know a complete stranger but she felt nothing but safe and...protected around him. Wow. Getting lugged up a mountainside by him must have really done a number on her.