Her Texas Hero Read Online Free Page A

are plenty of books on doing home repairs.” She crossed the room and stopped next to what could only be the inoperable door. Then she turned to face him. “I’m a fast learner.”
    He should have known that, as determinedly as she’d hung on to keep from falling off that roof, the woman was bound to have a stubborn side. Carter stepped up to the door to inspect it. “Before I leave, I’ll get that Frisbee down off the roof for you.”
    â€œI’d rather you not risk getting hurt trying to do that for us,” she said with a frown.
    His gaze shifted to her children, who were taking in every word like little sponges. “While I appreciate your concern for my safety,” he said as he once again removed his sunglasses and shoved them down into the front pocket of his shirt, “I go up onto roofs, good ones and bad ones, for a living.” He knelt to check out the doorknob and its locking mechanism. “And I’d never forgive myself for driving off with that Frisbee still up there. Too tempting for certain persons who might be stirred to try and find some way to get it off all by themselves.” He gave a slight nod in the direction of the children. “That should be left to someone who knows what they’re doing up on that roof.”
    She glanced in her children’s direction. “Mr. Cooper’s right. Never go up on the roof. It’s too dangerous.” Her gaze shifted back to him. “If you’re sure you have the time to spare, I’d appreciate your help in getting it down.”
    â€œFinished up work early today,” he told her, his focus returning to the stubborn old door, which was determined not to budge from the frame it was nestled far too snugly in. “Nothing else planned for the rest of my day except removing this ridiculous raccoon mask I’m sporting.”
    A soft giggle sounded beside him, drawing his gaze upward. He quirked a brow.
    â€œSorry,” Audra said, not bothering to hide her amusement. “Actually,” she said, studying his face more closely, “in some strange way, the ‘mask’ suits you.”
    â€œI’m not sure if I should thank you for the slightly offhanded compliment, or if I should put my sunglasses back on, which I will tell you will make it pretty hard to see what I’m doing here,” he added, motioning toward the door.
    â€œCompliment,” she said with a smile. “Without a doubt.”
    She was sweet, but he didn’t believe a word of her flattery. There was no doubt in his mind that he looked ridiculous. It was no wonder she wasn’t jumping at the chance to hire him on for her house renovations. Who in their right mind would consider hiring on a man wearing a shoe-polish mask? He stood, straightening to his full height. “As I suspected, the door’s rotted and swollen. It’s gonna need to be replaced.”
    Her smile faded for the briefest of moments before she drew back her shoulders and lifted her chin. “We’ll just have to make do with one door for a while.”
    One door?What if there were a fire and the front door wasn’t accessible? “It could be shaved down some as a temporary fix,” he suggested. “But you really should consider replacing it.”
    She bit her bottom lip as if mentally assessing her choices. Then she turned to her children. “Kids, run out to the van and get Mr. Cooper a bottle of water from the cooler.”
    Before he could tell her not to bother, her children were gone.
    She turned back to him, craning her neck as she looked up at him. He hadn’t realized before what a tiny thing she was. Five-three if she were fortunate. Nearly a foot shorter than his own six foot two inches. “My children have had enough to deal with in their lives. The last thing they need to do is worry about my being able to take care of them. The truth is, my funds are limited right now. So a new door