One in a Million Read Online Free PDF Page A

her sexy was one thing, but actual nerves weren't allowed.
    He turned as the footsteps approached, but instead of the petite blonde he'd been expecting, a boy stepped into the room.
    Nash remembered the other two kids had been younger and identical twins. So this one would be Stephanie's oldest. He offered a smile.
    “ Hi, there." - The boy didn't smile back. He folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes as he studied Nash. "You're not the repair guy."
    “ You're right. I'm Nash Harmon. I'm a guest here." Nash wiped his hand on a paper towel and held it out. The boy hesitated, then slowly offered his own hand.
    “Brett Wynne." They shook slowly. Nash had the feeling he was being given the once-over and judging from Brett's expression, he wasn't measuring up.
    “ Why are you messing with our washer?" Brett asked. "Guests aren't supposed to do that sort of thing. If you break it worse, Mom's gonna be real mad. Plus it'll cost more to fix." The boy looked to be about eleven or twelve. Tall and skinny, with light blond hair and blue eyes like his mother. Of course his father could have had blue eyes, too.
    He looked hostile, protective and painfully young. No kid that age should have to feel as if he was all that stood between his family and a hostile world.
    Nash carefully set the wrench on the ground. Brett's fierce scowl and hostile words brought back memories from a long time ago. Back when Nash had felt he was the one responsible for making sure his mom and brother were safe. The accompanying feelings weren't comfortable.
    “ You have a point," he said quietly. "I am a guest here. The thing is, this morning the battery was dead on my rental car, so your mom gave me a jump. I wanted to pay her back for that. She'd been working on the washer when I found her and asked her to help me. She's a real classy lady, so I knew she wouldn't let me pay her. That's when I thought of the washer." Brett's expression softened a little, but he didn't look a whole lot more welcoming. "What if you break it worse?"
    “ Then I'll pay for the repairs. The point of doing someone a favor is to make her life easier, not more difficult." He casually cleared some space on the vinyl floor covering. "I'm pretty sure I figured out what was wrong with the machine."
    “ Yeah?" Brett sounded skeptical. "Show me." Nash scooted back to give the kid a clear view of the machine. "That part back there came loose, which meant this section moved forward. These two pieces got in the way, and this one ended up a little bent." Brett crouched down and stared as Nash pointed to the problem areas. He explained what he'd done so far and how he was now putting the machine back together.
    “I'll stop if you want," he said.
    Brett sank onto the floor. His blue eyes widened in surprise. "You mean if I say not to do any more you won't?" ''That's right." Brett glanced from the washer to Nash and back. "I guess it would be okay for you to finish up. Maybe you haven't made it worse." High praise, Nash thought, holding in a grin. "Want to help me?"
    “ Yeah." Brett sounded eager. Then he gave a shrug. "I mean I'm not doing anything else right now." Nash handed him the wrench and showed him where to tighten the edge of the casing. "Turn that there." Fifteen minutes later, the washer was nearly back in one piece. Brett had given up being distant and sullen and now bombarded Nash with questions.
    “ How'd you figure out what had happened? You ever take a washer apart before?"
    “When I was a teenager," Nash told him. "With computer chips and electronics a lot of home appli ances are getting pretty complicated, but this washer's older. That made it easier to see what was wrong. Your mom had already taken it apart. I just poked around." He didn't mention that Stephanie had been trying a combination of guilt and physical abuse on the old machine. Thinking about how she's stopped to kick it as she'd walked out of the room that morning made him smile.
    “ My bike