Courting Alley Cat Read Online Free

it up.
                  Fifteen minutes later, she stood glaring at the lawnmower, her hands on her hips. A door slammed behind her and she whirled. Justin York pushed open the wooden gate separating their backyards and was walking toward her. What was it with this guy and early morning pre-shower greetings?
                  “You have to choke it and hold that lever there on the handle,” he said.
                  “I’d like to choke it,” she answered. “Where?”
                  He laughed. “No, choke it,” he repeated. He came up next to her, pushed a button on the mower five or six times, held down the lever on the handle, and jerked the pull cord. It roared to life.
                  “Show off,” she said, but with an impressed smile.
                  “You’re welcome.” He nodded toward the mower. “Mind if I try it out?”
                  Her forehead creased, she tilted her head to one side. “I guess not.”
                  He grabbed the handles and took off toward the far corner of the backyard, leaving a row of freshly mowed grass in his wake.
                  Why was he mowing her grass? Why didn’t she have a second cup of coffee before going outside her door? Why did she care that she hadn’t showered or put on make-up? She was mowing grass, for God’s sake.
                  Halfway down the yard, the mower sputtered and turned off. She groaned. “Now what?”
                  “Don’t worry. I can fix it. I’ll be right back with some tools.”
                  “What’s wrong with it?”
                  “Just need to change the spark plug and I’ll also adjust the cutting level. I’ll just be a sec.” And he took off toward his house.
                  Alley watched him go, then looked suspiciously at the mower. “Why are guys with tools such a turn on?” she asked the machine, then rolled her eyes. “Never mind.”
                  Less than a minute later, he was back, with what looked like some kind of wrench.
                  “Looks serious,” she said.
                  “Not really,” he said. “It’s pretty basic.”
                  “Why do you have to adjust the cutting level?”
                  “I’m just trying to save Granny’s grass,” he said. “Last year was dry and so far this year, we’re getting more rain, so we can lower the blades and keep you from mowing every week.”
                  Alley shrugged. “Either way, Granny’s paying me to do it. I don’t want to kill it though.”
                  “Uh huh,” he said, squatting down next to the mower. “I’ll raise the blades back up when it’s drier.”
                  She squatted down next to him. “Maybe you’d better show me how to do it in case you forget to.”
                  He lifted his head, their eyes inches apart. His gaze dipped to her lips and back up to her eyes. “I can assure you, I won’t forget,” he said, his voice oddly hushed.
                  Several seconds passed, then Alley smiled and sat back. “Well, just in case you aren’t home, maybe you can show me anyway.”
                  “I’m always home,” he murmured and turned back to the mower. “Each wheel has to be done individually - like this.” He adjusted the first one.
                  “Oh, is that all there is to it?” She asked. What she really wanted to ask was why didn’t he go to work? But she didn’t ask. If her mother had taught her one thing, it was tact. She would find out, though, eventually. Her dad had taught her persistence.
                  “Want to do one?”
                  “Sure,” she moved closer, her head nearly touching his. She pushed on the