Second Chances (Nugget Romance 3) Read Online Free PDF

of propane. You have to get it delivered. And that may take a few days. In the meantime, you can use my shower. I’ve got lots of hot water.”
    “Seriously? Isn’t that kind of weird?” She didn’t even know the guy.
    “Probably,” he admitted. “But you can come over when I’m not there.”
    “Where will you be?” she asked.
    “Construction site—I’m building a house. You’ll have the whole place to yourself.”
    “Wow. That’s so amazingly nice of you. I might take you up on it.”
    But more than likely she’d take sponge baths instead. Or hit up Darla. Even though she didn’t know her any better than Colin, it seemed more kosher to shower at another woman’s house. Although she was dying to see more of the inside of that fancy abode of his. Just not naked. “In the meantime, can I borrow some firewood?”
    “Yup,” he said, and she could tell that he thought she was a dope for not being better prepared. “I’ll hook you up.”
    “Thank you. And, Colin, I want to take you to dinner for helping me out like this.” She couldn’t afford it, but the guy was a total saint.
    “No dinner,” he muttered.
    “I insist. Pick a nice restaurant. Maybe something at one of the casinos in Reno.”
    That seemed to startle him. “I can’t do that.”
    “Of course you can.” Was the guy some kind of throwback that he wouldn’t let a woman pay for his meal?
    “No, I can’t. So just drop it, please.”
    He said it so adamantly that for the life of her, Harlee wondered what she’d done wrong.

Chapter 3
    C olin felt like the world’s biggest prick for turning down her invitation in the way he had. She’d only been trying to show her appreciation and he’d all but bitten her head off.
    But he had a good reason for saying no. For him to go to a restaurant was simply impossible.
    Crowds and small closed-in spaces scared the hell out of him to the point where Colin couldn’t breathe and felt like he was dying. Clinically, the diagnosis was social anxiety disorder, also known as demophobia, and claustrophobia. The former affliction made any kind of large gathering unbearable. The panic attacks came on so fast and furious—like a vise squeezing all the air out of his chest—that he avoided public places the way most people avoided gang-infested neighborhoods.
    Outdoor functions, like the farmers’ market, were about the only kind of large group gatherings he could tolerate. Something about being in the open, where he could see the sky, eased his anxiety. Inside, he could manage a half dozen people, but more than that sent him into a tailspin—sweats, nausea, and heart palpitations.
    If he had to go into the Nugget Market or the Ponderosa for food or business, he waited until there were only a few customers. Sometimes it meant stalking the places for an hour. On job sites, he found ways to work alone, where no one would discover his dysfunction.
    The phobias weren’t anything he advertised—Colin firmly believed you kept your crazy in the closet where it belonged. For that reason, he spent a lot of time at home or in his workshop.
    At least the claustrophobia he’d gotten a firmer grip on. If he did his breathing exercises and concentrated really hard, Colin could usually endure a tight space for a short time, despite feeling like the walls were closing in on him. Good thing, because in construction he found himself in a lot of cramped quarters. Basements. Attics. Closets. You name it.
    He hadn’t always been this screwed up, but like the shrinks said, he had extenuating circumstances. And until he could conquer his fears—so far, Colin hadn’t had much luck in that department—he wasn’t going to any restaurants.
    Hopefully, he’d make amends by building Harlee a toasty fire and lending her a space heater. There was probably one in his garage somewhere. That pretty woman was so ill equipped for mountain life it made Colin scratch his head and wonder why she’d come here in the first place.