CEO Needed A Last-Minute Wedding Date, Only One Available Was The Struggling Dad Who Fixed Her Roof

A Roof, a Fall, and a Fateful Rescue

The moment Sophia Parker’s heels snapped, sending her tumbling backward off her own roof, she knew this day was cursed. What she didn’t know was that the strong arms catching her belonged to the man who would turn her perfectly organized life completely upside down.

“Got you,” a deep voice said. Sophia found herself staring up into the most startlingly blue eyes she’d ever seen.

They belonged to a tall, broad-shouldered man with work-roughened hands and a 5:00 shadow. This shadow somehow made his chiseled jawline even more prominent.

“Who are you and why are you on my property?” Sophia demanded. She found her footing and smoothed down her designer suit, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.

Being the CEO of Parker Tech Solutions meant she was used to commanding respect. She was not used to being rescued like some dames in distress.

“Noah Bennett. Your assistant hired me to fix your leaking roof.”

He gestured toward a worn pickup truck parked in her circular driveway. The logo, Bennett’s Repairs, was barely visible under a layer of dust.

“Which you probably shouldn’t have been climbing on in those shoes,” he added. Sophia felt her cheeks flush.

“I wasn’t—I mean, I was just checking,” she said. She stopped herself because CEOs didn’t stammer explanations to handmen.

“Thank you for catching me. Please continue with the repairs. I have meetings.”

Noah watched her limp toward the house. One shoe was intact, and the other was broken beyond repair.

“You might want to ice that ankle,” he called after her. “Looks like you twisted it.”

Sophia ignored him, pushing through her front door and collapsing onto her Italian leather couch. Her phone buzzed with another reminder about her cousin Megan’s wedding in two weeks.

Her ex-boyfriend, who was now dating her former vice president, would be attending that wedding. Sophia had promised to bring a plus-one just to prove she was absolutely fine.

She was completely fine, except she had no date and her roof was leaking. Her ankle hurt, and a frustratingly attractive man was hammering above her head.

Perfect, just perfect. Noah worked steadily on Sophia Parker’s roof.

He tried not to think about how the fancy house below him was probably worth more than he would earn in ten years. He needed this job to go well.

The client was paying premium for the rush service. Referrals from someone like Miss Parker could help turn his struggling business around.

His phone buzzed in his pocket; it was the daycare again. “Mr. Bennett, I’m sorry, but Emma’s running a fever. You’ll need to pick her up immediately.”

Noah closed his eyes, calculating quickly. He’d completed most of the critical repairs, but there was still at least another day’s work.

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” He climbed down the ladder and knocked on the front door.

Miss Parker answered now barefoot, her ankle visibly swollen. “I need to leave for an emergency, but I’ll be back first thing tomorrow to finish,” he explained.

“An emergency? But my roof?” “My daughter’s sick. She’s five. I’m all she has.”

The words came out more defensively than he intended. Something in Sophia’s expression shifted.

“Oh, of course. Is she—will she be okay?” “Just a fever, probably nothing serious, but daycare policy.”

He was already backing toward his truck. “Go. The roof can wait.”

Noah nodded gratefully and hurried to his truck. As he pulled away, he glanced in his rearview mirror.

Sophia Parker stood in her doorway, watching him leave. One hand was unconsciously rubbing her injured ankle.