She blushed and moved her napkin and silverware a few inches to the right. “Yes. I’m too busy to date much.” Then she bit her lip and glanced up at him as if trying to gauge his reaction.
He smiled. He already knew that she was a strong woman with loads of creativity and a solid work ethic. Seeing these feminine signs that she was nervous made him feel better. At least he wasn’t the only one struggling here. In fact, he was wound tighter than a spring.
“I’m glad we’ve established that,” he said softly. “Now, about Mrs. Garland, don’t worry anymore. I can take care of myself.”
“I know. I just don’t want you walking away. I mean, definitely walk away from Mrs. Garland. Just not from me.”
Hunter studied her expression, trying to determine her meaning. “Not from you, huh?”
She flushed. “I mean from the job. You’re really great, and I’d hate to lose you. As a handyman I mean. Even if it’s only temporary.” She took a deep breath and pulled a bowl of salsa closer.
As she dipped a chip in, Hunter enjoyed the chance to admire her for a moment. He loved her pale, blonde hair and fair coloring—especially since she didn’t wear much makeup. He liked a more natural look. She had delicate cheekbones, straight brows, and perfectly shaped lips. He would have studied her lips longer, but then she took a bite from a salsa loaded chip and looked up at him with her wide, almond-shaped eyes.
Of all the unusual features of her face, her eyes were the most fascinating. They were a swirl of gold, olive green, and warm brown. They were the kind of eyes you could look at for hours and still not be sure exactly what color they were.
“Don’t worry. I’m always glad for a good job. Especially right now when I’m trying to help my brother out.”
She nodded and looked thoughtful as she chewed. “So, you change jobs a lot. Do you plan to ever settle down in one place?”
“Maybe someday. But I like to explore new places.”
“No wonder you look so rugged.” She waved a hand up and down his chest. “This whole lumberjack look works for you though.”
Hunter burst out laughing. “Lumberjack? Because I have a plaid shirt on?”
“And because you’re tall and big and smell like freshly cut timber.”
He chuckled. “Well, I have been busy sawing boards for you all morning.”
Looking serious again, Ava asked, “Think you can get the mantle done this afternoon?”
“No problem. I can even get it primed today and paint it tomorrow.”
“Good. I want to get this job over as soon as possible. Don’t worry. I’ll stay close.”
Even though Hunter had absolutely no problem with that, he asked, “To protect me?”
She shrugged. “Mrs. Garland will probably be passed out when we get back, but there’s no telling with her. Imagine if she decided she’d be more comfortable without the negligee.”
He closed his eyes in horror. “Don’t you dare leave me alone the rest of the day.”
Ava was true to her word and spent the rest of the day by his side, even though Mrs. Garland was snoring on the couch. Olivia had thoughtfully covered her up with a warm blanket. But despite the fact that the black lace monster was unconscious, he was glad Ava didn’t renege on her promise. He liked being around her. It felt at once natural and exhilarating,
The next day went quickly as Ava pushed them all hard to finish. Fortunately, Mrs. Garland stayed in bed till late in the morning. When they were done, the place looked ready for a magazine shoot. While Hunter and Olivia packed up, Ava walked around taking pictures for her portfolio.
He shut the door of the van and turned to wait for instructions. He knew he’d be working with her until her other handyman, Harold, was well enough to come back to work, but he didn’t know what they’d be doing. Hopefully something where he could get to know her better, even though it might mean trouble where his heart was concerned.
He was definitely interested in her, and there was chemistry between them. For a moment, he allowed himself to imagine dating Ava, but where could it go? There was no way she’d come out to Colorado and settle into his work-hard, play-hard life. Ava was invested here.
Strange how after only three days, his brain had moved from, “Here’s an attractive woman”, to, “Slow down before you get hurt.” But he doubted he’d pay much attention to such rotten logic. He was too attracted to her for that.
As this debate swirled through him as Ava and Mrs. Garland stepped outside. They discussed the decorations Olivia had done outside, then Ava gave Mrs. Garland a clipboard to sign off on the completed job.
Olivia looked at him as she leaned against the van. “So you’re working with us till Harold gets back, right?”
“I’m here as long as you need me.”
“Don’t worry. This next job will be better. The Trundell’s aren’t crazy. They’re just an older couple that like a lot of decorations but can’t do it themselves anymore.”
“Sounds good.”
“Yeah. Hope you don’t mind the cold. You’ll probably be outside putting up lights most of the time. Oh, and moving heavy boxes.”
He shrugged. “I get paid by the hour. Ava doesn’t have to make use of my incredible skills if she doesn’t want to.”
“Maybe you should offer to show her your incredible skills.”
Hunter was glad the cold would account for any redness in his cheeks and ears. Especially since Ava walked up while Olivia was still giggling like a school girl.
“What’s so funny?”
She looked adorable with her nose turning red in the cold, but he wasn’t about to tell her.
“Nothing,” Olivia said, surprising him. “Are we off to the Trundell’s now?”
“Yeah, but I need to stop by my house and get something first.”
“Okay,” Olivia said. “
“But I don’t want to leave too many vehicles in their driveway. How about you leave your car at my house and I’ll bring you back in the van?”
“Works for me,” Olivia said.
“And Hunter can follow us.”
The three of them stood in an awkward circle, the clouds of their breath joining together between them. Olivia giggled and slapped her hands together. “And break!”
Chapter Six
The Trundell’s lived outside of town on ten acres of wooded property. Ava drove down the long driveway, enjoying the beautiful scenery. Olivia held her gift for Mrs. Trundell on her lap, and Ava smiled as she thought of giving it to her. The sweet woman was going to be so excited.
When they pulled up in front of the house, Olivia jumped out with the box and waited for Ava in front of the van. Hunter pulled up behind them and joined them as they walked up to the front door.
It was a clear, sunny day, but cold. A plume of smoke rose from the chimney, filling the air with the distinct scent of a wood-fueled fire.
“This is an awesome property,” Hunter said, looking around.
Ava nodded but Mrs. Trundell answered the door before she could respond. The elderly woman’s hair was gleaming white, styled in carefully shaped, short curls. She wore a pink sweatshirt printed with a trio of kittens in a basket of yarn. Ava’s heart warmed at the sight of her.
Mrs. Trundell’s smile beamed with excitement. “Come in! I was so excited about today that I barely slept last night.”
“Oh no,” Ava said, stepping through into her entryway. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, I’m not. I can sleep anytime I want. It’s one benefit of being old.”
Hunter and Olivia followed behind her as Mrs. Trundell led them into the living room where her husband was reading the paper.
“Victor,” she said, trying to get his attention. He didn’t move at all. Instead of calling his name again, she walked over and folded over the top of the paper. He looked bemused when he realized they had company, but when his wife made a turning motion by his ear, he immediately turned up his hearing aid. She tried again. “Victor, the decorators are here.”
“I’ll be off then,” he said. He stood up slowly, using a cane to steady himself. Then with meticulous precision, he folded his paper, put his wallet in his pocket, grabbed a few wrapped candies out of a bowl on the coffee table, which he also put in his pocket, and nodded to the three of them with a friendly smile as he passed by to the front door.
Mrs. Trundell sat down in her recliner and motioned for us to find a seat. “He’ll be so much more comfortable playing cards at the senior center than staying here. Now I don’t know you, do I, young man?”
Hunter smiled at her and said, “No, I haven’t had the pleasure. I’m Hunter Newman.”
“Harold is sick right now,” Ava told her.
“Oh dear. I hope he gets better, but I’m kind of glad to have a younger man here. Harold always makes me nervous when I see him on a ladder at his age.”
Since Harold was only in his 50’s and Mrs. Trundell was pushing 80, this comment amused Ava, but she just said, “I heard from him this morning. He’ll be ready to come back to work in a few days. In the meantime, Hunter does a great job filling in for him.”
“I’m sure he does.” Then Mrs. Trundell looked at him, leaning forward in her chair, “You remind me of my grandson. I’m not sure why though because he’s a short, homely little fellow.” She tilted her head like a bird and tried to figure it out.
Olivia and Ava stared at Hunter, not sure what to say to this, but Hunter took it in stride.
“I bet he’s a nice guy.”
Mrs. Trundell smiled. “Yes. He really is. Well, the day is wasting away. Ava, you know where I like all my special things. And I can’t wait to see what new ideas you have for me this year.”
“Before we do anything, I wanted to show you something. I just got it in the mail yesterday.” Ava held the box out to her.
Mrs. Trundell’s face lit up like she was a little girl getting a birthday present. “Oh, what is it, dear?”
“Open it,” Ava prompted.
She tried, but her frail fingers struggled with the tape. Ava moved forward to help, wishing she’d thought to take it off earlier, but Hunter was ahead of her. He made short work of the tape with his pocket knife and soon Mrs. Trundell was able to open the box and see her treasure.
She pulled out a paper-covered object, sending packing peanuts falling to the floor, and unwrapped it with quivering fingers. “Oh, my goodness. How did you ever find one?”
“It wasn’t easy, but I was determined. It took me all year though.”
Before she could even finish unwrapping it, she set it on the coffee table like it was made of glass, covered her eyes with both hands, and started crying.
Ava knelt in front of her. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Mrs. Trundell sniffed and pulled a packet of tissues out of her pocket. She fumbled with the packaging, then wiped her cheeks and blew her nose. “I’m so touched. I can’t believe it.”
Glad that she was happy with it, Ava turned and finished unwrapping the gift so she could see it in all its glory. Last year, Mrs. Trundell had shown her a picture of the Christmas tree she had decorated with her husband the first year of their marriage. On top had been a gold angel with a crimped foil gown, gold foil net overlay, sculpted gold wings, and a cherubic little porcelain face. Little porcelain hands held a golden hymnal, and the rosebud mouth was open in song. She had lost the angel topper in a fire long ago but had never forgotten it because it had been a gift from her grandmother.
“It’s beautiful,” Olivia said, inspecting all its little details. “How has it ever survived this long?”
Ava shook her head. “I don’t know, but I happened to see a listing for it online. I checked several antique specialty websites frequently, hoping to find one. I couldn’t believe it when it suddenly popped up.”
“It’s a miracle,” Mrs. Trundell said.
Ava smiled, feeling warm inside. “Well, it will also take a miracle to get your decorating done by tomorrow if we don’t get going.”
“Yes. Let me just put this in a safe place until we are ready to put it on the tree. You three go ahead and get started. I’ll be there to help in a minute.”
As she turned away cradling her angel, Ava motioned for Hunter and Olivia to follow her out to the garage. As they stepped out into the crisp, cold air again, Ava sighed with relief. The stuffy heat of the Trundell’s house was hard to bear for long.
“She helps even though she’s paying to have it professionally decorated?” Hunter asked.
Ava nodded. “Whatever the customer wants. She’s a bit feisty about how she likes things, but she’s such a sweetheart. Guess what? You get the easy job—putting up the outside lights. Here is a diagram of how they like them. All the lights and supplies are in those tubs.” She pointed to a stack by the front of the garage.
“I’m on it,” he said cheerfully.
Ava turned to Olivia. “Ready?”
She took off her scarf, coat, and cardigan until she was left in a tank top. She put her hair up in a messy bun and said. “Ready.”
Laughing, Ava took off any extra layers she could as well.
For the next few hours, they moved boxes into the appropriate rooms and started decorating, one room at a time. Mrs. Trundell followed along with them, directing their efforts and helping wherever she possibly could. Every once in a while, Ava would see Hunter walk past a window as he worked and pause for a second to watch him.
Olivia caught her at it once and teased, “Something interesting out there?”
“No,” she said, returning to the wreath she’d made from fresh evergreen boughs cut from Mrs. Trundell’s property. “I’m just going to go hang this on the front door.”
“Uh-huh,” Olivia said. “You go do that.”
“Take your time, my dear,” Mrs. Trundell said laughing.
Ava stared at them in surprise. “Good grief, ladies. I don’t know what you’re implying.” But she smiled as she walked outside.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to hang the wreath. Even after standing back to make sure it was centered and adjusting it a few times, she’d only been on the porch for a few minutes and hadn’t had a single glimpse of Hunter. The cool air felt wonderful, so she decided to prolong her break by checking on his progress. As she walked around to the garage, she shook her head, despising her weakness.
Hunter faced away from her, coiling a strand of lights around his arm.
“How’s it going?” she asked.
He turned and smiled, rolling his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t have some wood for me to saw or something I can build?”
Ava chuckled. “Not this time.”
His smile looked a little forced. “So, your regular guy might be back tomorrow, huh?”
“Yeah. I guess so.” Not knowing what else to say, Ava shifted awkwardly. Finally, she tried to put her thoughts into words. “I wish…”
Before Ava could finish, a car pulled up in the driveway. She and Hunter turned at the same time to see the big silver van completely covered in vinyl advertisements for “McBrady Design” come to a stop behind Hunter’s truck. They watched as Marcia, looking polished in red heels and a charcoal grey pea coat, wove her way through all the vehicles in front of her.
“Hello,” she said brightly.
She looked so cheerful that Ava got suspicious. “What brings you out here?”
She raised one eyebrow that had been tweezed within a millimeter of its existence. But she glanced away from Ava and flashed a smile at Hunter. “I came to offer Mr. Newman a job.”
Ava knew she looked stupid standing there, torn between confusion and stupid hope. If he took a permanent job, she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to him. But she hadn’t known Marcia was looking to hire anybody. Hunter looked as surprised as she felt.
Marcia looked disappointed that she didn’t get a different reaction from him. “What do you say? We’ll pay better than what you get through the employment agency.”
“That’s
tempting, and I enjoy working on Ava’s team—”
Shaking one imperious hand, Marcia interrupted him. “Actually, you’d be working on my team. Harold works with Ava.”
Hunter set down the lights he was holding and looked at her. His eyes narrowed. “I’m afraid I’m not interested in a permanent position. I won’t be in town much longer.”
Marcia’s head went back, but she wasn’t fazed for long. “Ah, well, we can take you on for as long as you’re here. Mrs. Garland was quite…impressed by you. And I like to keep my clients happy.”
Ava felt both disgusted that Marcia would use him like that and overwhelmed by the fiercely possessive feeling that swept through her. She had no reason to be possessive, though, and Hunter likely needed the job to help his brother. It would make sense for him to accept, so his answer surprised her.
“Sorry,” he answered. “If I was going to be working with Ava and Olivia, I might consider it, but I’m going to pass. Thanks.”
There was no mistaking the astonished anger on Marcia’s face. “Come work with me for a few days and you’ll change your mind. Ava is little league compared to me.”
Ava gasped and her mouth fell open. Not surprising, considering her boss had just insulted her, but she was startled to realize that Hunter had gone tense all over.
He dropped the lights he held and his blue eyes looked harder than ice. He stared straight at Marcia until she shifted uncomfortably. Then he said, “I said no. You won’t change my mind by insulting Ava.”
Tilting her head to the side, Ava asked. “Why do you want him so badly anyway? You have Rachel and Tim.”
“I don’t need to explain my personnel decisions to you. In fact, I can do without you completely. Finish the Trundell job and pick up your final check. You’re fired.”
Shock lanced through her. “What? Why?” She stood, waiting for an answer and trying to figure out what had just happened. She didn’t notice Olivia and Mrs. Trundell had come outside until Olivia said something.
“What’s going on?” Olivia asked.
“She fired Ava,” Hunter said, his voice clipped.
Olivia walked up to Marcia until she stood only inches away. “Well, I’ve always thought you were a jealous idiot. I quit. And I have a feeling all of Ava’s clients will stop using your company as soon as they hear. So, have fun with that.”
Sawdust and Mistletoe Page 4