The Cowboy's Christmas Baby. Carolyne Aarsen

me,” she huffed, sounding insulted. “I know how to handle a hammer and nails. I’ve done home renovations before.”

      Her snippy tone was a shock. “So tell me, Miss Home Renovations, why is it okay for you to question my abilities but not okay for me to question yours?”

      She looked taken aback. “What do you mean?”

      So now she was going to play dumb. Tiffany had excelled at that. Throwing back his suspicions about her faithfulness by going on the defensive and lobbing out questions.

      He wanted to make it easy for both of them and drop it. But if he was working here for the next week or so, he needed to face her doubts head-on. “Tuesday, when Jan and I were here, you asked if there was someone else who could do the work. Like you didn’t think I was capable.”

      She blushed, which did two things. Confirmed his suspicions and made him even angrier.

      “I may not be able to ride a bucking bronc, but I can fix your siding and replace your windows,” he said, wishing he could keep the anger out of his voice. Seeing his ex-girlfriend’s pitying look just before she dumped him had been a tough pill to swallow. Going through the slow and painful steps of rehab even more so. But to have this girl whom he once admired and dreamed of dating treat him like less of a man was like a slap. “It might take me longer than usual and if that’s a worry, I’ll tell Jan to adjust your bill,” he snapped. “Call it a disability discount.”

      Erin took a step back, looking as if he had hit her and he regretted being so defensive.

      “I’m sorry” was all she said. Then she turned and strode back to the house, her sweater flaring behind her in her hurry to get away from him.

      He blew out a sigh as she closed the door, shaking his head at his stupid outburst. Way to go, Moore, he chided himself. Way to treat the customer.

      She was probably in the house, calling Jan up and telling him she didn’t want this crazy man on her yard anymore.

      He sucked in a breath and picked up one end of the ladder, pulling it away from the truck. Then he started toward the house, his steps deliberate as he dragged the thing behind him.

      He hoped she didn’t look out the window at this point to see just how disabled he really was. He knew it shouldn’t matter to him what she thought.

      But it did. Far too much.

      As he lifted the ladder against the house, moving slowly and carefully, he struggled with his own doubts.

      He would finish up here today and then he would phone Jan and tell him he had to find someone else.

      No way was he going to work for someone who didn’t think he could do the job.

      Especially not Erin McCauley.