“Would it disappoint you if I told you I don’t live all that far from you in a condo I rent?” He handed her a hard hat and put on his.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the hat and putting it on. “You rent a condo?”

“See, I did shock you.”

“Yes you did.” She smiled. He didn’t want her to think he was above the men and women that worked for him, but the world thought differently when you had money.

They entered the work site. Dust kicked up, and they both shielded their faces until the breeze died down. He breathed in the thick scents of dirt and sawdust. The sounds of progress embraced him. Cranes, forklifts, drills, saws, and the vivid curses of men working hard. This was his project, and seeing it physically standing before him, he couldn’t think of a better feeling.

“Just so you don’t go home disappointed, I get the suite on the top floor of this building, but that’ll be a year away.” They both looked up at the top floor of the building, which was only a structural skeleton.

“Now that makes more sense. You deserve the top floor.” She smiled and headed toward the offices that were located in a temporary trailer on the edge of the lot. He stood, still in awe of her. Maybe she’d be the first person in the world who understood how hard he worked to keep his name on the letterhead on which those lengthy contracts were written.

John Forrester stood from behind the old metal desk, his hand already extended toward Zach as they walked through the door. “Finally, you grace us with your presence.”

“Funny, very funny.” Zach took the stab with the humor John intended. He’d been on site every three days, sometimes more often than that just to check in, even if he didn’t go through the building every time. This particular structure had been the last one his father had overseen before his retirement. Zach had promised himself he’d never take it all so seriously that it would take three heart attacks to get him out from behind the desk. However, even as he had promised, he knew he was lying. He loved what he did.

“You must be Regan.” John extended his hand toward her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Forrester.”

“Manners. You’ve got yourself a prize.” He smiled at Zach, who nodded and gave her a grateful glance, but she quickly looked away. “Please, call me John. Mary Ellen said you’d fit right in. You look like you do.” He shifted his glance back to Zach. “Well, let’s head up.”

“Up?”

The quiver in Regan’s voice put humor on John’s face.

“Yes, the work isn’t all here on the ground.” John headed toward an orange cage that hung to the side of the half-finished building.

Zach reached for her arm, but when she took a quick step back, he dropped his hand. “If you’d rather stay down here, I can go through the notes,” he offered, hating the fear that he saw in her eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder if the fear was of him or the climb to the top of the building. Regan shook her head.

“If the job is up, then I go up.”

As they rode to the top Zach watched Regan carefully. She was pale, and her knuckles were white where she gripped her fingers around the notebook in her hands. What was it that drove him to want to wrap his arms around her and let her bury her face in his chest as they rode higher and higher? Did Mary Ellen fear heights that bad? Why had he never noticed?

When the elevator jarred to a stop, he laid a gentle hand on her back to steady her and ease her out of the cage. His father had done it to him as a child. The wind at the top raced through the space with its open walls. She didn’t flinch this time, but he heard her suck in a breath when she saw the view for the first time.

Nashville lay below them like a colorful map of trees, streets, and buildings. The child in him wanted to take her to the edge so she could see how small humanity could be from such a height.

John began showing Regan around. “We’ve got six units on each floor.”

Zach kept his eyes on her. The color was returning to her cheeks, and she’d released the grip on the notebook so that she could open it and begin to take notes. Finally she was comfortable. One thing he was learning about Regan Keller was she would adapt to any situation, but she wouldn’t give in to others.

John continued his tour. “So far each floor looks much like this. We have the interior walls framed up, and the electrical and plumbing have been run throughout the building. The glasswork will be done floor by floor. We’ll get to this floor next week.”

“And when John Forrester says it’ll be done next week, it will be,” Zach added.

“Damn straight. I’ve never gone over on budget or on time with a project. I run my crews tight. There is no screwing around on my site.” He tucked his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels.

“And that’s why I use and abuse him like I do.”

Regan looked up from her notebook.

“Electrical inspections?”

“Scheduled for a week from Wednesday,” John answered, and she jotted the answer down.

“Structural inspection?”

“You sure are on top of it,” John said with a smile when she looked up at him. “In a few days. They want to get a look at the penthouses.”

Regan nodded. She fired off a few more questions about budget and scheduling, and John answered even her simplest questions with enthusiasm, which was why Zach liked to work with him. He lived for his work.

When they’d returned to the trailer and finished their meeting, John leaned back in his chair. “Regan, it was a pleasure having you visit today. You should come in with this slob every time.” Zach caught his eye and narrowed his stare. John gave a silent nod. It was understood that Zach had eyes for Regan, though he’d never assume John would venture toward a relationship, he now knew better.

“Thank you.” She stood and so did John. “It was nice to meet you. We’ll touch base in a few days.” Regan extended her hand shook his hand again and turned to Zach.

Zach gave her a nod. “Go ahead and start back. I’ll be right behind you.”

She nodded and let herself out of the trailer.

John rested his hand on Zach’s shoulder as they watched her walk away. “She’s a keeper.”

“She’s very efficient.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. That’s one very sexy, very confident woman you have manning your office. Are you man enough to handle that?”