“Yeah. And there’s Duke to look at.”

Carmella burst out laughing even as a blush heated her cheeks. “My workday is full of hot men covered in ink who bring me baked goods and obey my orders.”

“Look at you neatly avoiding the Duke topic. Should I back off totally?” PJ asked.

“We had sex,” Carmella blurted out loud enough that the people passing by on the path turned to look.

PJ waved and they kept going. “I knew it! We saw him yesterday afternoon and he was all goofy. Well, even more goofy. And lots of lady-type people were all over the place and he couldn’t be bothered.”

Carmella found herself very satisfied by that information.

“I told Asa this morning that something had happened between you and Duke recently. He said Duke was always weird and to leave it alone.” PJ snorted.

“Which you promptly ignored,” Carmella said, but she laughed.

“He’s my friend. You’re my friend. I’m in love, so as Asa likes to tell me, I want everyone to be happy.”

“Love? We had sex. I hope to have more. But he’s my boss and it’s already complicated.”

“Like I told you,” PJ said, “you have a job with me if things go bad. Asa will kill me because he, Duke, and Mick think you’re perfection in that office. But whatever. I hate the idea of you feeling like you have to do one thing or the other.”

“Thanks.” It actually did make it easier to throw a little caution to the wind and keep seeing Duke. “So, things are good with you and Asa?”

“We’ve been living together six months. I keep wondering when it will get sucky, but he’s pretty awesome. This is it. The real thing.”

Carmella didn’t say much. She didn’t believe in the real thing. There were people you had good click with. But this concept that one person could be trusted not to dash your heart and mind on the rocks for all time? She didn’t think it was possible.

But that didn’t mean she wished anything but happiness for PJ and Asa. If forever existed, they deserved it.

They walked and talked as Carmella got to know PJ better and opened herself up as well. It was nice to have a friend she saw regularly. It made her feel normal. Normal was kind of nice.

Finally, they went their separate ways after making plans to hang out later on in the week and Carmella headed home, where she was going to obsess over what to wear to Duke’s house.

Carmella pulled up and saw Duke out in his yard. Great, because she was sweaty and fresh from exercise and he looked fucking fantastic.

She’d expected him to stay over there so she could duck in and change, but nope. He waved, heading over.

“Is he kidding with this?” Carmella murmured to the dog. “I’m not ready yet,” she called out, hoping to keep him at a distance.

But Duke Bradshaw went where he wanted, which was taking the keys from her hand and opening her door for her all while he talked to the dog.

“It’s cool. Take your time. Though.” He paused to look her up and down, that smile of his making her all tingly. “You look just fine right now. Fine enough to lick. You smell good.” He bent to sniff her.

“Dude!”

He laughed. “What, darlin’?”

“I am stinky. I’ve been exercising. My hair is frizzy. Why do you have that giant toolbox?”

“Pick a topic, darlin’, any topic at all,” Duke teased. “You smell good. Like woman and work and sunshine. Not stinky at all. Your hair is adorable. The toolbox is because I’m taking a look at your oven.”

“What?”

“Your oven is broken. I’m pretty good at fixing things. I think at the very least I can replace the spring on the door so you don’t have to tape it.”

She was speechless for long moments, and when she spoke, it was around a lump in her throat. “Oh. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure. Ginger and I are going to hang out in the kitchen while you clean up. Even though I’m just dandy with how you are right this moment.”

She knew she blushed. “So full of it.” With a wave and another thank-you, she headed down the hall to her room.

It bugged Duke that she always seemed so surprised when people did nice things for her. It meant she wasn’t used to it.

She took care of her things. Which told him she scrimped and saved for them and couldn’t easily afford the hit of having to replace something major. Duke remembered that time in his life. Remembered the time his mom took a second job to pay for a new furnace. Remembered, too, the way they’d all slept in the living room with the woodstove going until they could afford that new furnace.

Duke didn’t miss winters in New Hampshire. And he sure as fuck didn’t miss being that on the edge.

It made him want to spoil her.

Ginger watched as he worked. “This part is pretty easy. I had a feeling it was the spring.” Apparently he was going to talk to the dog too. “Now I need to figure out what’s causing the problem with the heat. Don’t be offended when I’m quiet.”

Duke lost himself in the task, looking at the oven from a few different angles. He knew enough electronics that it wasn’t so difficult once he found the problem and began taking things apart.

That’s how Carmella found him some twenty minutes later. He looked up from his place on her floor, struck by how much he enjoyed the energy she gave off.

“I found the problem. I don’t have the part I need, but I got the info and I’ll grab one for you. I put the old one back so you can use the oven until I get the new one installed. It still works. The door was a spring. I had a few I thought would work and they did.”