Close to Perfect (20 page)

Tess turned around, waiting for the fallout.

To her surprise, her father actually seemed intrigued, rather than pissed. “So, you're protecting him from the babes, too?”

Peg nodded. “I also take care of the guys, if they get to be a problem.”

Freddy's smile faded. “Guys are after him now?”

“Of course not,” Tess said, before this got completely out of hand. “Peg's not talking about the kind of protection we're providing; she's his executive secretary. She makes his appointments, takes care of his schedule, and keeps people out of his office when he doesn't have time to see them.”

“That's right,” she said to Freddy. “Did you think I was a bodyguard, too?”

He shrugged as if embarrassed. “You sure don't look like a secretary.”

She gave him a sexy smile. “You sure look like a cop.”

“Ex-cop,” Hank said, as he continued setting up the table.

Freddy looked from him back to Peg. “That guy good to you?”

Her smile faded. “What guy?”

Here it comes.
Tess wondered what Peg would do when her father called Josh the naked guy or the bum. Given how tight those two were, Tess figured Peg would come to Josh's defense, and her father was definitely not going to like that.

At last, he said, “Your employer.”

Tess arched one brow.

Her father ignored that as he continued to speak to Peg. “He good to you?”

“He better be.” She winked.

They were both laughing, again.

“Will you look at this?” Sammie asked as she came back inside holding several trays. “We got enough here to last clear through to tomorrow.”

“Oh, goodie,” Tess mumbled.

“Any of it look normal?” Hank asked. “It's not that diet crap that Tessie makes, is it?”

She turned completely around so she could glare at him.

“Nope,” Sammie said. “This is the real deal.”

“Josh only prepares the best,” Peg said.

Freddy looked surprised. “You mean he made all that? He can actually cook?”

“Boy's a whiz in the kitchen,” Hank said.

Sammie nodded. “Makes a mean breakfast.”

Freddy's eyes continued to widen, then quickly narrowed as he looked at Tess. “Why didn't you tell me that?”

“Why should I? Did you want him to make you breakfast, too?”

“Quit changing the subject. Why didn't you tell me the boy likes to cook and likes to do stuff in the kitchen?”

“Ah, Freddy,” Peg said, before Tess could answer, “Josh cooks, sure, but he is just a regular guy. Real regular. Believe me, he likes the ladies. Don't you, Josh?”

Tess's heart caught, her belly fluttered as she looked over her shoulder and saw him in the front doorway.

He was such a tall man, he made this already-cramped house appear far too snug.

And yet, he seemed to fit here as much as she did. Gone was his business attire. Instead, he wore battered jeans, mocs, and a black T-shirt that hugged his powerful chest.

He was also blushing badly. Even the tips of his ears were pink as he stared at Peg.

“He does like women,” she answered for him, before she spoke to Freddy. “I've even met some of his old girlfriends. Haven't I, Josh?”

He wasn't about to answer that question, either.

Why was Peg taking this moment to convince everyone of his sexual preference, especially Freddy? The man should have already known where Josh's mind, heart, and body were, given that tabloid picture of him kissing Tess. Of course, maybe that's why Freddy wanted to be convinced otherwise.

Josh wasn't about to help him out on that one as he looked past Peg and finally saw Tess.

The screen door made a loud whack as Josh came inside. His gaze swept Tess's thick, dark hair, that soft gaze, those plush lips. They were slightly parted, the same as his as he continued to regard her with wonder. Since leaving the office Tess had changed into cutoffs and a gray T-shirt that bore the emblem of her old police force. Her feet were bare; she was curling her toes.

Josh liked that. He sensed she would do that when he was finally within her, his cock giving pleasure.

His gaze lifted. “Hi.”

Tess moistened her lips. “Hi.”

“Yeah, hi from me, too,” Freddy said, then moved in front of Josh, blocking his view of Tess. “I'm Fred Franklin, Teressa's father.”

Teressa?
Josh liked that, too, but kept his face expressionless as he met the man's gaze. Thank God Tess looked like her mother. Freddy's face was nothing but hard angles interrupted by that nasty scar on his chin.

“Sir,” Josh said, offering his hand, “Josh Wyatt. Nice to finally meet you.”

Freddy looked down at Josh's offered hand, then over his shoulder at Tess.

She narrowed her eyes.

Freddy rolled his, turned back to Josh, then finally took his hand and squeezed, just like Sammie and Hank had. “Likewise, I guess. You don't look so bad with clothes on. You should plan on doing that all the time.”

Tess lowered her head, while Sammie and Peg snickered.

Josh shot Peg a look. He didn't ask her here to be a part of the problem. “Yes, sir,” he said to Freddy, then finally squeezed back, showing this man his strength, that he was no pushover, that he couldn't be scared away from Tess.

Freddy's eyes narrowed. “About kissing my daughter.”

“Pop!”

He ignored her and squeezed even harder. “I'm not supposed to mention that even though it made the cover of those tabloids. I'm supposed to thank you for the contract.”

Josh put even more strength into his grip. “No need.”

“That's what I told my daughter.”

Tess finally joined them. She looked from those squeezing fingers to Josh. “Why don't you help me in the kitchen?”

“Too late for that,” Hank said. “Even if he recooks what you made, he ain't gonna be able to make it taste good.”

Josh laughed.

Tess frowned at him, and then her dad who was also laughing.

“Unless you two intend to start dating, you can let go now.” She smacked their joined hands, then took Josh's. “Help me in the kitchen.”

They hadn't taken two steps towards the room when Vic asked, “Hey, Freddy, you want me to go in there, too, and keep an eye on them?”

Josh stopped; he looked over his shoulder at Freddy. The man immediately stopped rubbing his squeezed hand and spoke to Vic. “You made Tessie frown again.”

Josh looked at her. She ignored him as she continued to glare at her father.

“Now, Tessie,” Vic said, “you know that's the way cops are. They stick together. They protect their own.”

“So, is that where you got that mean scar on your chin?” Peg asked Freddy. “During your cop days when you were protecting one of your friends?”

Tess spoke before he could. “Actually, he tripped over one of my toys when I was three and banged his chin on the kitchen counter. Mama had to revive him after he passed out. Right, Pop?”

He gave her a hard stare, then actually smiled at Josh. “So, I hear you can cook.”

They were back to that? “You bet,” Josh said, facing the man, even though Tess was trying her best to pull him into the kitchen. “Just a sec,” he said to her, before he looked back at Freddy. “Learned it when I was in construction and between jobs. Had to; I like to eat.”

“You are a big guy,” Sammie said.

He gave her a wink.

Freddy crossed his arms over his chest. “You worked in construction, huh?”

“Yes, sir.” He moved closer.

Tess growled, “Josh.”

He looked at her, then back at her father. “One of the first houses I worked on was a lot like this one.”

“You really screw that one up?” Hank asked. “Is that why they chased you out of construction?”

“He wasn't chased out of anything,” Tess said. “He left on his own to do real estate development, but he still keeps his hand in construction. You should see what he's doing to his own house.”

“Yeah, we should,” Freddy said, “before we read about it in a tabloid.”

Josh gave Tess a look that said,
Really walked into that one, didn't you?

A blush stained her chest and throat. She spoke to her father. “He's restoring it to the way it looked in the eighteen-hundreds when the first guy who owned it brought his bride there for their wedding night.”

Huh? “Where'd you hear that?” Josh asked.

Tess looked at him, then seemed to realize what she had just said. “Read it on the Internet.”

“While you were looking for more photos from those tabloids?” Freddy asked.

Tess lowered her head and shook it.

Time to change the subject. “So, your house was built by the Sanger Company?” Josh asked.

“Maybe.” Freddy shifted his weight. “That the company you used to work for?”

“No, sir. But their work is similar to this.”

“So, how much damage did you do to that house that looked like mine?”

Josh grinned. “Not much. That sucker's still standing—made it through the ninety-eight hurricane.”

“No shit,” Freddy said, then quickly blushed and looked at Peg. “Sorry.”

“Not a problem, hon. I'm no Girl Scout.”

He smiled. “Believe me, I'd be a Girl Scout if they had members like you.”

Peg laughed.

Josh held back a sigh as those two continued to flirt. Although that's what he had hoped for when he thought to invite Peg here, he still had a lot to do to make Freddy like him. He spoke to Tess. “I saw construction material to the side of this house as Vic and I pulled up. Someone thinking about doing a few repairs?”

“That would be me,” Freddy said.

“For over a year now,” Tess said.

He shot her a look. “I got a life.”

“Exactly,” Peg said to him, then spoke to Tess. “Those repairs can wait if your dad's dating some—”

Freddy interrupted, “I'm not dating anyone.”

Peg pressed that dainty handkerchief to her neck. “No?”

Josh held back another sigh as they started flirting again. He needed to get the man back on track and the best way to do that was to focus on Tess. “So,” he said to her, “what's your dad thinking of repairing?”

“Like she would know?” Freddy asked.

Tess made a face. “Excuse me?”

The man seemed to have no clue why she was pissed. “Well, do you?”

Of course, she didn't. But that hardly excused his rude behavior to her and Josh. “He was only asking me, because you refuse to tell him.” Tess spoke to Josh. “Could be that Pop just doesn't know what he's going to repair.”

“The hell I don't.” He left Peg's side and went to Josh. “I'm gonna upgrade the kitchen and the bath and do some repairs on the roof, if that's any of your business.”

“It's not, though I would like to know where you got your materials.”

“Why? They're not good enough for you?”

Tess frowned.

Josh took it in his stride. “I think you might have paid too much if you bought them at Taylor's.”

Freddy looked surprised. “Their prices are high? That's not what I heard.”

“Then you heard wrong. You want rock bottom prices, you go to Robard's.”

“Where's that?”

“I'll give you the address before I leave. You need anything there, you ask for Tommy Bell and tell him Josh Wyatt sent you. He'll pull down those prices faster than if you used your gun.”

“Oh, yeah? Think old Tommy can get me a cheap hot tub?”

“What?” Tess asked. “You're going to put in a hot tub now?”

Freddy's gaze slid to her. “I might.” He looked at Josh. “So, can he?”

“Let me know when you want it and I'll have it delivered. What else do you need?”

Freddy told him. Josh nodded to some of that junk, but shook his head at others, telling her father that he should use another type of bolt or nut or something.

As the two of them got into an animated discussion about studs that Tess found boring as hell Peg pulled her aside.

“What?” Tess asked.

Peg leaned close, keeping her voice low. “I just wanted you to know, I think your dad's very nice.”

“He can be when he wants to.” She shrugged. “He's ruder than usual tonight, but that's only because Josh is here.”

“Forget Josh,” Peg said, her expression serious. “Your dad's a nice man. And I'm nice, too, really. So, don't you worry.”

Oh, Peg.
She touched the woman's arm. “Josh trusts you and so do I.”

“Then you don't mind if we maybe have dinner sometime—me and your dad?”

“Not at all.” Tess wished they'd do that right now as she noticed Josh and her dad leaving this room. “Hey,” she called out, “where you two going?”

Josh spoke over his shoulder as he followed her dad down the hall. “We're going to see where the hot tub should go.”

Tess didn't believe it for a minute. She was afraid the moment her father got Josh outside, he was going to lay down the law and tell him that if he so much as touched her again he was a dead man.

“I'll go, too,” she said.

To her surprise, it was Josh, not her father, who stopped dead and frowned. “You'll just get in the way,” he said.

“Yeah,” her father said, “you stay here.”

“I'll make sure she does,” Vic said.