She could hear her dad puttering around in the kitchen. Exhausted, she slipped on her snow boots and silently prayed she would see only white when she opened the front door. At the bottom of the stairs, she yanked open the door while crossing her fingers.
No such luck.
The dried-up grass was a sickly gray-green. Cars left outside last night would need their windshields scraped, which was a good sign that the weather, at least at night, acted wintry. With a sigh, she headed for the kitchen.
“Hi, pumpkin,” her dad called out. He carried a glass of orange juice and walked with his cane back to the den.
“Dad, did you eat?”
“Oatmeal. Tasted like wheat paste.”
He probably forgot to add cream, raisins and sugar. Oh, well
He set the glass on the little table beside his recliner and settled himself in the chair. She walked over and covered him with the quilt, then handed him the television remote. “Don’t forget to take a pain pill.”
“I hate those things, but I will if needed. I’ll be fine, but in case you want to brighten my day, here’s a list. Get going.”
She climbed into the big red truck and drove slower than normal to the fire house. This was her life. Work and more work. No time for kissing big city men who might disappear tomorrow. Still, she ought to enjoy it while it was available. Such thoughts made her heart race and her skin flush.
She parked in the Chief’s bay to keep the vehicle warm. Her dad’s list included butterscotch scones, a container of cream, and a mystery novel. There was only one place in town to get all three, especially this early. She decided to walk to the bookstore to clear her head.
Walking along Main Street, she tugged her jacket tighter to her neck. She should have worn a hat. It was cold. She waved to a few of the store owners she spotted inside their stores.
See? If I owned a shop, I would be up early anyway.
A car slowed beside her. Rudy rolled down the police car’s window. “Are you a vagrant? Please say yes. This town is too quiet.”
“Maybe you should head back to Montpelier.”
His eyes widened and he slammed the brake, skidding to a stop. “Dear Lord, no! Too many politicians!”
They both laughed.
“Where you headed? Kind of cold out here,” he asked.
“Sarah Jane’s store. My dad already burdened me with a list of things he needs. The guy is antsy, but the doc said at least two more weeks of rest.”
“I bet he’s chomping at the bit to get back to work. Guess I need some breakfast, too. When is Sarah Jane going to expand and serve hot meals?” He pulled to the side and parked. He got out and joined her on the sidewalk.
“That is a dream of hers, but part of it is money, the other is space, although I would hate for her to get rid of the books.”
“I’m not a big reader, but everyone I talk to loves both sides of her business. I heard tell the owners of the ice cream shop next to hers left for White River Junction. Maybe she could open a wall or put the books there?”
“I saw the For Sale sign, too. That’s a great idea, and might give her enough space to expand her kitchen and make bigger and prettier specialty cakes.”
“Like wedding cakes?” There was a certain gleam in Rudy’s eye.
“Is there something you and Elvira want to tell me?”
He blushed. “Not yet.”
“Well, getting back to Sarah Jane, money is a concern. I’ll mention it to her.”
“My, my. Don’t they look cozy,” Officer Jackson said, pointing through the window of Sarah Jane’s shop.
Bradley leaned his elbows on his usual table next to the window and Sarah Jane was talking up a storm. Her eyes widened at something he said, followed by laughter. They looked really comfortable with each other.
“Right. Um, I should go get dad’s truck. He gave me quite a list of things to pick up. See you. I will have to deliver them, so I should get the truck.”
“The truck. Right. You said that.”
She turned on her heels and nearly ran down the sidewalk. They were at it again! Bradley’s gorgeous face and big blue eyes were melting Sarah Jane and bringing her under his spell. It usually happened the opposite way, but her sister was smart. Would she remember he was only here for a short spell? What about Greg Peabody? She could have sworn they were interested in each other. Bradley was a poor choice for a romantic relationship. He might disappear back to his life in the big city any minute.
Why does my heart keep forgetting about that as well?
Chapter 15
“So, we are in agreement?” Bradley asked Sarah Jane as she wiped his table by the window. He waited until she finished, then set his laptop between them. “You will do everything you can to keep Elinor away from Mac’s field and the pond?”
“I will do my best,” she said, smiling. “This will make Ellie so happy!”
“Until she realizes I was behind it all. She doesn’t like my ideas, or my throwing money at a problem.”
“She’ll get over it when she sees how much fun people are having at the festival. Now, what about the sleigh? Dad mentioned it needs a paint job?”
“I haven’t seen it yet. Mac’s got it in a shed behind the garage. I heard you could help pick out the paint.”
“Sure.”
The door opened, but Sarah Jane had leaned closer and said, breathlessly, “When do you want to get together?”
“Am I interrupting anything?” Elinor asked, suddenly standing beside them.
Sarah Jane jumped out of the chair and ran behind the counter, where she pretended to wipe the spotless surface clean. “Of course not. Just finding out what I can get for Bradley.” She turned and smiled at him. “Another scone? I made cherry and almond ones this morning.”
He nodded, joining her at the counter. When Sarah Jane disappeared into the kitchen, he waited with his nearly-empty cup for a refill of his coffee. He drained the last drop in his cup, then turned to the woman who had filled his dreams, caused him a sleepless night, and currently made his jeans uncomfortably tight. “Good morning, Elinor.”
“Bradley, why do I constantly find you sniffing after my sister?”
Shocked by her accusation, he opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed her finger against his lips.
“Don’t deny it, I feel you’re leading her toward more sorrow. She was hurt recently, and has been working herself back to health. I would appreciate it if you would take your need to conquer back to the city.”
Sarah Jane returned with a tray of scones. Elinor asked, “Dad wants butterscotch. Any today?”
“Not until lunchtime. Sorry.”
“Cherry will have to do. After you serve this gentleman, box up three for dad.” She walked behind the counter and grabbed a container of cream from the mini-refrigerator beneath the coffee service area. She plopped it on the counter, then headed over to the bookshelves.
Bradley was unsure if he should follow her and straighten her out. He was not interested in her sister. How many times did he have to tell her? Sarah Jane was beautiful and fragile. He had heard she had been hurt physically and emotionally, but their conversation this morning concerned covertly repairing the sleigh. Keeping it a secret from Elinor was imperative. Did she really think of him in the same way as the man who took advantage of her sister? Besides, he had an inkling Greg Peabody had a prior claim to Sarah Jane Danville.
Sarah Jane placed a warm scone on a plate and set it in front of him. “I told you. Please feel free to pour your own coffee. My regular customers always help themselves. I am usually short-handed.”
“I’d be happy to do that. Here.” He pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. “Run a tab and take it out of this.”
She smiled up at him. “I can certainly do that.”
“Sarah Jane? Why don’t you have a partner? This business could use—”
She raised a hand, stopping him mid-sentence. “You’re new to town, so I will share this just once. I had a partner. He h
elped me open this place, bought supplies and books with my money, made himself at home in my apartment upstairs, then left town.”
“Sorry. I did not know. There is more to it, I assume. I can see tears threatening to fall, and I think my question started that.”
She sighed and wiped a cheek with the back of her hand. “The night he left, he stole my credit cards, debit card, and all my cash, at least what little I had left. He managed to steal all my savings and ring up several purchases with the credit cards before I could stop him. I am still in debt, but am doing the best I can.”
He could not help walking around the counter and circling the arm not holding the ceramic mug around her in a comforting gesture. She held him tight and cried into his chest.
A gasp behind him made Bradley step back, which is when Elinor must have spotted the tears.
“What are you doing to her? Get your hands off my sister!”
***
Ellie was fuming. Before she knew what she was doing, she threw the paperback mystery novel at Bradley’s head. Acting childish was one thing, but getting him away from Sarah Jane was important. Her sister had been hurt by handsome men too many times and the last one nearly ruined her business. Never mind how he’d broken her heart.
The book missed Bradley and knocked over a display stand holding pink frosted cupcakes instead. Cupcakes went flying in all directions. Startled, Bradley dropped his empty coffee cup on his foot.
Sarah Jane squeaked, “Hey! Stop this, Ellie. You have no cause—”
“I know what I see with my own two eyes!”
“No,” Bradley chimed in, “you saw one friend comforting another. She told me about the bastard who hurt her and stole from her. I cannot abide a woman’s tears. A hug works wonders.”
“It really does, Ellie. You used to hug me,” she whispered, wiping her cheeks. She bent down and picked up the ruined cupcakes. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to wash my face.”
Bradley lowered his shoulders and shook his head. Silently, he picked up his broken cup and placed it on the counter. He then walked over to the coffee service and poured coffee into a clean cup, making himself at home. He then walked by her, grabbed his scone, and sat quietly and alone at his usual table near the front window.
What had she done? How could she be to blame after witnessing their intimate clutch? Why had an instantaneous yearning to be the woman in his arms caused her pain? Was she jealous instead of concerned for her sister? She had to fix this, so she walked over and stood in front of Bradley, until he raised his head. His eyes were so dark, she stepped back.
“Did you want anything else, Elinor?”
“Yes. I owe you an apology. You were right. I saw what I expected to see, where my sister is concerned. She falls for guys too quickly. Her looks are to blame, I suppose.”
“Her looks? She is not as pretty as other women I have met in town.”
She almost asked what other women, until she noticed the quirk of his lips and the gleam in his eye. She fell into the chair opposite his. “I don’t understand you. You’ll leave any day, now. Toying with a woman’s heart is not very nice.”
He took a bite of the scone and moaned. “This is delicious. I must find a bakery that makes these, once I return to the city. You are correct. I am only a visitor to Snowflake Valley, but I would never take advantage of a woman. I adore women.”
“I get that,” she said.
“I’m a man, but over the past few years, I have neglected to enjoy more than a night or two in a woman’s bed.”
She jumped to her feet.
“I am sharing the truth here, Elinor. I find you fascinating. I like your sister as a friend, but I would like to know you better. You keep throwing the fact that I plan to leave in my face, whenever I get close to you. Maybe if I knew that you liked me, as well, I might hang around longer. A lot longer.” He stood and walked around the table.
His gorgeous eyes were actually a dark sooty blue that reminded her of dusk over snowcapped mountains. Heat radiated through his clothes, warming her chilled skin. He was so close, she could make out laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. What could she do to hear him laugh for her?
He stepped even closer until their bodies were toe to toe, yet not touching. Wondering what he would do next made her heart thump faster. Her palms grew damp. Her mouth was dry and she managed to lick her lips before his pressed against her mouth. No hands wrapped around her and his body stayed inches apart from hers. Was this a test? To see if she would take it further, or run away?
She took a chance and moved closer, until the heat of his chest and groin melted against her chest and belly. She raised both of her arms, which was a struggle, since she still wore her bulky jacket. Finally, her hands tangled in the softness of his silky dark hair.
Pressing her mouth harder against his, she somehow managed to slip her tongue inside. His moans intensified and she lost herself in the sweetness of the scone he’d bitten into.
I wish he’d bite me.
She could survive on the flavor of this man all day and the evidence of his interest in exploring her body pressed against her belly.
He still didn’t wrap his arms around her, which irritated her to the point that she removed her mouth from its intimate exploration. “What are we doing?”
“If you have to ask, love, we must be doing it wrong. I want more of you.”
She stepped back and released a long, slow breath. Her limbs felt weightless and the rest of her hummed with pleasure. Tugging her jacket tightly around her like a makeshift wall of defense, she couldn’t make her eyes behave. They gazed into his, sensing humor amid loss.
“I’m not someone who enjoys PDAs.”
His brows raised in question.
“Public displays of affection,” she explained.
“So, let’s find somewhere private.”
The urge to follow him back to his room at the inn and discover how their naked skin might feel in close proximity, was denied the moment Sarah Jane returned from the kitchen.
“Ellie, did you still want the scones?”
She cleared her throat without taking her eyes from Bradley’s handsome face. “Yes, and that book I threw.”
He smiled, and she shivered. Throwing a book at his head was childish, but they sure didn’t kiss like children. “See you around town, Mr. Wainwright.”
With the scones and book, she sped out the door and headed toward her truck. Only then did she spot Rudy’s patrol car.
“Dear Lord! Was Rudy in the store this whole time?” Had he witnessed the argument and, worse, their kiss? If he did, there was no telling who he might share the news with. She hoped Sean didn’t hear about her and Bradley Wainwright.
***
“What do you mean? I thought the inn was half empty,” Bradley said. Sean’s face was red except for a bruised left cheek, compliments of Greg, he assumed. Bradley had spent a good portion of the day writing notes in his room while charging his laptop, and was not prepared to be confronted by an irate innkeeper.
“My bank loan came through and I’ve decided to renovate, starting with your room.”
“You are kicking me out into the street?”
Sean rocked back and forth on his heels just outside Bradley’s room, looking bored with the continued conversation. “I’m sure a resourceful fellow like yourself can find accommodations. I hear there are plenty of motel rooms available in Montpelier.”
Bradley knew Sean was aware he was without a vehicle. If he could find a ride to another town, he would not be able to easily get back to Snowflake Valley. He did not wish to leave, at least not yet. He had a lot riding on the Christmas festival surprises. He wanted to see Elinor’s reaction when she saw a working ice rink, a mound of man-made snow, and the refurbished one-horse sleigh.
“Can this wait until after the Christmas Festival? I volunteered to help and—”
“Sorry. Enjoy your last night under my roof.” Sean headed down the hall, whistling.
&nbs
p; This is a disaster. What can I do?
If another B&B was nearby, or a motel, problem solved, but his research along with Sarah Jane while searching for business donations had proved that the Peabody Inn was the only game in town. He wondered why no one else had opened up a B&B or motel in town. Snowflake Valley was beautiful, with mountains, lakes, and various not-quite ice-covered ponds.
He had met a certain slushy pond the first day he had arrived. Competition was a healthy business incentive to improve and grow, but Sean was putting his feelings toward Bradley and Elinor first. He must have heard about their recent kiss inside the bookstore. Gossip ran rapid in small towns, he feared. Knowing Sean, he most likely would spread rumors far and wide. Bradley worried that this would also affect Elinor’s relationship with the other firefighters.
Closing his door, he picked up his new phone and punched a few buttons. As he waited for Mona to pick up, he figured it was about time to show Sean and this town exactly who they were dealing with.
“Hello? I hope you are on your way home.”
“Mona, no, I am still in Vermont. I kind of like it here, so I need your help.”
Her soft laugh made him smile. “Bradley, I have been waiting for you to realize that I am the person to help you find your place in life, be it Manhattan or Vermont. Who do you want killed?”
“Dear Lord, calm down, Mona. Nothing like that, although I admit a certain individual would not be missed by most of the town. Instead, I want you to use your magical abilities with a computer and find out everything you can about Sean Peabody and his B&B, the Peabody Inn. His mortgage, his personal finances, and anything else that I can use to take him down legally. Make it quick.”
“Why? Has Hell frozen over? I swear you told me nothing would keep you from your rendezvous in Montreal, and now I find you taking out your frustrations on a man?”
He paused before answering. “Not just any man. A guy who is out to hurt a woman to whom I have become very attached. It is time for heads to roll.”
Disconnecting mid-laugh, he was confident his assistant would root out every detail surrounding the jerk. She had the entire staff at Wainwright Industries to help her, unless everyone had already departed for the holidays. That was a concern, until he realized Mona knew everyone’s home phone number. Any one of his employees would drop everything to help her.
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