Riding Tall: Fencing You In Part 4

"When Gage came in Sat.u.r.day night, I might have mentioned you were at Jo-Jo's for the evening with a date." Megan held her hands up. "Don't kill me."

"I can't believe him." Tess narrowed her gaze. "He purposely went there to spy on me." A strange thrill went through her belly at the fact that he had gone after her.

Tess's phone vibrated in her pocket and she slipped it out. The screen said the caller was Mrs. Webb.

Tess pushed curls behind her ear, turned up the volume on her phone, and answered. "Hi, Mrs. Webb."

"Honey, you need to find a plumber and fast," the older woman said. "I came over early and found your kitchen flooded."

Tess put her hand to her forehead as she started to feel panicked. "What happened?"

"I hurried and got the nice neighborman to come over," Mrs. Webb said. "He couldn't turn off the water to the house because the valve is frozen, so he had to shut off the main. The water is off and I'm laying down some old towels to soak up some of this water on the floor."

"d.a.m.n." Tess raked her fingers through her hair. "Will you be okay while I find a plumber? I'll make some calls and I'll be right home."

"It's under control now that the water is shut off," Mrs. Webb said. "But there's now no water to the house."

"Thanks, Mrs. Webb. I'll see you in a few." Tess disconnected the phone and looked at Megan. "The kitchen is flooded. I need to find a plumber."

"I'll find someone to cover your shift," Megan said before moving away.

Jo slipped off her stool. "I can help until you get another bartender to come in."

"I appreciate both of you so much." Tess looked at her sister and friend gratefully.

When Jo stepped behind the bar to put on an ap.r.o.n, Tess searched the local business directory via the Internet on her phone and called the first plumber listed.

The first one had no openings until tomorrow afternoon and the second was short-staffed and couldn't get anyone out until the following day, too.

"I need a plumber as soon as possible." Tess gripped her cell phone as she spoke to the third plumber she called. The only remaining plumber in the directory.

"We can make you an appointment for tomorrow afternoon," the woman said and Tess nearly groaned.

"Don't you have any appointments available for today?" Tess had to press her fingers to one ear to block out the noise in the bar.

"Sorry, ma'am. Nothing until tomorrow," the woman said. "Would you like me to book that appointment?"

"I'll call back." Tess braced one hand on the wood bar. "Thank you."

She disconnected the call and groaned. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger as she closed her eyes. Seemed like everyone was having plumbing problems this fine Monday afternoon.

"You okay, Tess?" came a deep voice and a thrill went through her despite everything.

She looked up and met Gage's eyes. "Not really," she said, frowning at him.

He studied her. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"I don't have time to go into it." And no time to deal with him having gone to Jo-Jo's to follow her. She ruffled her curls with her hand in an agitated motion. "I have to find a plumber. Mrs. Webb called a few minutes ago and we have a busted pipe or something. She called a neighbor who turned off the main, but in the meantime I have a flooded kitchen and no water. I need to get home."

"I might be able to help." Gage pushed away from the bar. "I may not be a plumber, but working with pipes and water is my business. I happen to be pretty handy around the house, too."

"Do you really think you can help?" Despite her irritation with him, Tess felt a rush of relief as he nodded. "Give me a moment," she said to Gage, "and I'll grab my purse."

When they walked outside, she gave Gage her address and he said he'd meet her there before he left to head to his truck.

She hurried home and let herself in through the garage door after parking in the garage. She found Mrs. Webb had laid old towels over the kitchen floor and they were all soaked. Towels were stacked where the tile met the carpet, keeping more water from seeping into the carpet. The refrigerator had been pulled away from the wall and towels were behind it, too.

"What a mess," Mrs. Webb said when she saw Tess. "Glad to have made it here early."

"So am I." Tess looked at the disaster and sighed. "Do you know what's wrong?"

"I don't know much about plumbing, Tess honey, but the neighbor, Mr. Bagby, said the line to the ice maker busted and he couldn't get the valve to turn-it's busted, too." Mrs. Webb braced her hands on her plump hips. "Then he couldn't get the water to the house shut off-frozen or something. Finally, he had to turn the water off at the main."

Tess shook her head. "We're fortunate that Mr. Bagby knows how to turn off the water. It could have been worse."

"When is the plumber coming?" Mrs. Webb asked.

"I couldn't find one," Tess said. "But Gage McBride said he knows something about pipes and water and what have you, so he'll be here soon."

Mrs. Webb limped toward a mop propped up against the wall. "I'll work on getting this mess cleaned up before that baby girl gets home from kindergarten."

"You'll do nothing of the sort." Towels squished beneath Tess's shoes as she made her way across the kitchen to where Mrs. Webb was standing. "You go home and rest. You've done more than enough."

"Nonsense." Mrs. Webb's hands were back on her full hips. "You need the help."

Tess braced her own hands on her trim hips in a faceoff. "I can take it from here. The last thing you need to do is be bending and such when your arthritis is flaring up."

After a bit more convincing, Mrs. Webb agreed to go home after meeting Jenny at the bus stop. Gage had arrived while Tess had been convincing the older woman to go.

When Mrs. Webb turned to head out to wait for the school bus, Tess introduced her to Gage.

"One of the McBride boys." Mrs. Webb looked him up and down. "I remember you from when you were just a little h.e.l.lion. You've grown to be a fine young man."

Gage gave her a grin. "Good to see you, Mrs. Webb."

"I best be getting to that girl before the bus arrives." Mrs. Webb headed out of the house.

Tess often worried that Jenny might be too much for the older woman, but Mrs. Webb insisted that it kept her young and that the best thing for her arthritis was to keep moving.

"Thank you for coming." She tilted her head up to meet Gage's eyes. "Mrs. Webb said that the neighbor told her it's something to do with the line to the icemaker breaking and that valve not shutting off. And then the water to the house wouldn't turn off, that it was frozen or something. So he had to shut off the main."

"I'll take a look." Gage knelt behind the fridge and examined the copper tubing and whatever it was that connected them-she had no idea what it all was. When he finished, he stood. "I'm going to check the valve to the house and see what the problem is there, then head to the hardware store before it closes."

Tess gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Gage."

"Not a problem." He smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'll take care of it, so no worries."

She nodded. "You don't know how much I appreciate this."

He squeezed her shoulder and smiled before turning and heading out the front door.

Mrs. Webb accompanied Jenny in before leaving and Tess and Jenny both hugged her goodbye.

Tess squeezed Jenny to her. "You can eat your snack at the dining room table and do your homework and play with your dolls in your bedroom. I need you to stay out of the kitchen, okay?"

Jenny looked at the kitchen floor. "That's a big mess, Mommy."

"That it is." Tess stepped on the squishy towels and got out an apple and some peanut b.u.t.ter and made Jenny her snack before giving the girl the plate along with a gla.s.s of milk. She ate while sitting on the chair, swinging her legs back and forth.

Tess busied herself in the kitchen, wringing out towels and doing everything she could to get the floor dry. Jenny finished her snack and brought the plate and gla.s.s to the kitchen before picking up her backpack and going to her bedroom.

Gage returned with tools and a number of other things and set to work. She offered him ice water or tea, and he gladly accepted a gla.s.s of water from the pitcher she kept in the fridge. She kept his gla.s.s filled and continued to sneak looks at him as she finished cleaning up the mess and drying the floor. Something about him being here in her kitchen doing handy fix-it work felt comfortable, as if he belonged right there.

At that moment she didn't question her thoughts. She just went with them. What the h.e.l.l, anyway.

Then she remembered how he'd showed up at Jo-Jo's last night, thinking she was there. That caused her to frown again.

She blew out a rush of air as she threw the last of the towels into the washer. Who'd have thought that Gage would turn out to be her knight in shining armor and rescue her? At the thought her frown turned into a smile, and then she frowned again.

Sheesh. He was making her bi-polar when it came to him.

He went in and out of the house as he took care of things. It took him less time to fix everything than she'd expected. It wasn't long before her floor was dry, her refrigerator icemaker reconnected, and her water running again.

When he finished he took a long drink of water then braced his hip against the countertop as he looked down at her.

"I owe you big time," she said as she slipped her hands into her back pockets. What she really wanted to do was to kiss the man.

"You don't owe me anything." He shook his head. "I'm glad to help."

"Really," she said. "If you need me, I'm here for you."

A slow grin curved the corner of his mouth. "I do need you and I'm happy to know you're here for me."

Her face heated. "I didn't mean-"

He was still smiling as he interrupted. "I know what you meant. Like I said, you don't owe me anything. I won't give up on asking you out, though."

She frowned and raised her chin. "You knew that I was supposed to go to Jo-Jo's last night. You followed me there, didn't you." She said the last more as a statement than a question.

He paused then gave a slow nod. "Megan told me."

She felt anger stirring inside her again. "What are you, a stalker?"

He blew out his breath. "I'm not a stalker and it's not in my nature to do something like that."

She put her hands on her hips. "Why did you?"

He raised his western hat and pushed his fingers through his hair. "Guess I wanted to see who you would turn me down for." He settled his hat on his head and studied her. "I shouldn't have tried to follow you. It's not my nature and it was inappropriate. I'm sorry. It's probably best if I go now. I hope you have a good evening."

Gage turned and began walking out but she couldn't let him just walk away.

"Gage."

He turned back around and for a moment neither of them said anything.

"Just to let you know," she said. "The guy I went out with is just a friend."

He studied her "You didn't have to tell me that."

"I know." She bit her lower lip as she looked up at him and hesitated. Then she took a deep breath. "Ask me again to go out with you and you might get a different answer."

His grin was so d.a.m.ned s.e.xy. "You might just say yes because you feel obligated because I fixed your water problem."

She couldn't help smiling in return. "Maybe."

"Well, I'd better be going." He picked up a toolbox he'd brought in and headed for the front door.

A rush of disappointment went through her. She'd thought he was going to ask her out again but he hadn't.

He opened the door and she came up behind him as he walked out.

"I can't thank you enough for your help," she said.

He tugged on the brim of his hat. "See you, Tess."

She shut the door behind him and sighed. Maybe she should be glad that he hadn't asked her out.

Just as she reached the kitchen, she heard a knock. Gage must have forgotten something.

When she opened the front door again, Gage had his arm braced against the doorframe, wearing a s.e.xy grin. "My daddy always says strike while the iron is hot. Figured I'd better. Will you go out with me?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "Why I thought you would never ask."

"Well, that was easy." He moved in closer to her and she couldn't help an automatic step back, allowing him into the house. "Truth is you want to go out with me. You have for a long time."

She tilted her chin. "Think whatever you like."

"I will." He closed the door behind him and moved in closer until his body was but a breath from hers.

The heat of him burned through her even though their bodies weren't even touching. His masculine scent wrapped around her and she swallowed hard.

He looked like he was waiting for her to step away from him but she didn't move. He slowly lowered his head and she found herself closing her eyes.

And then his mouth was on hers. He kissed her slowly, his mouth moving across hers in a sensual kiss that took her breath away. He slid his hands down her sides to her hips and drew her close to him so that their bodies were firmly together.

A hard ridge pressed into her belly, the feel of it sending flutters to the place between her thighs. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s ached for his touch and her body ached for his.

She found herself lost in the kiss, loving the taste of him, loving the way the kiss intensified with their pa.s.sion. It grew stronger and stronger until she wanted nothing more than to take off his clothes and her own and feel steel of his body against her softer skin.