“Great. I’ve got the food planned out and will help you decorate before the party.” Mandy grinned as she thought about their best friend. “I can’t wait until she has Jasmine. This is as close as I’ll ever get to having a niece.”
“Do you think Tricia would hit me if I did the shower in a princess theme and bought her baby a stuffed tiger?” Raven feigned an innocent look.
Mandy flung an apple peel at her. “Don’t you dare. Jasmine is a beautiful name.”
“I’m joking, and yes, it is.” She used both hands to scoop up her pile of apples and deposit them in the bowl. “I guess you’ll be next to have a baby.”
The words instantly set Mandy’s cheeks blazing. “Raven, you know well why we got married.”
“Yes. But have you looked at your husband lately? I don’t see how you spend every day with a man like that and not want to change the stipulations of your marriage.” Raven gave an exaggerated wink.
Mandy’s gaze flew to the back door. The last thing she needed was for Preston to walk in right now while they were talking. “Raven!”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. I guarantee you he has.”
As if she couldn’t get more embarrassed. “You are far too outspoken for your own good. Has anyone told you that before?”
“You. At least a dozen times.” Raven watched her as though she were waiting for some kind of confession.
Okay, maybe Mandy had thought about the kiss a million times since their outing. And maybe her thoughts were in a constant battle between wishing he’d kiss her again and hoping he wouldn’t. But ever since their argument the other night, it’d all been a non-issue anyway. They got along okay, but the easy camaraderie between them had disappeared. Mandy hated it. It was as if they were at an impasse with both waiting for the other one to make the first move.
Raven was still staring at her, and Mandy was well aware Raven wouldn’t let it go until Mandy confessed to something.
“We kissed on Saturday.”
Raven leaned forward as though Mandy had revealed the most interesting piece of gossip in years. “And?”
“It was amazing and scary all rolled into one.” That was an understatement.
“What happened after that?”
“We argued about money that night and everything’s been weird ever since.” When Mandy said it like that, the whole thing seemed lame. She told Raven about their conversation.
Raven looked thoughtful a moment before she leaned back in her chair. “You realize he’s just trying to help you, right?”
“Yes, I do.” Mandy tossed several apple slices into the bowl harder than was necessary. “But I told him I had it handled, and he got offended.” Raven stared at her and Mandy finally set her knife down and sighed. “What? Just spit it out.”
“You’re working all hours of the day and night. It sounds to me like you could use some help. Men like to fix things, Mandy. Preston’s been doing that for your family for years. He married you to help you keep this place, for crying out loud. Why are you pushing him away now?”
Mandy rolled her eyes. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”
“I am. I’m looking out for you. And you, my friend, are far too stubborn for your own good. Maybe he doesn’t understand why it’s so important for you to handle everything yourself. Frankly, neither do I.”
Raven always did tell it like it was. Mandy groaned and cradled her head in her hands. “So, what am I supposed to do?”
“Figure out what you really want. If you’d rather he left you alone, I think you’ve probably accomplished that task pretty well. Or, if you want him to kiss you again, you’re going to have to mend fences and take some initiative. Because if Preston is one thing, he’s a gentleman.”
Raven was right. The poor guy didn’t know where they stood. Good grief, she didn’t know where they stood. But the weirdness between them the last day and a half had to end. They needed to talk about it. Kiss again. Something. And she was probably way over-thinking the whole blasted thing.
It was time to change the topic. Or at least turn the focus on something besides herself. “What about you? Have any handsome princes snagged your attentions as of late?”
Raven’s laugh filled the kitchen. “Oh, no. I’m not holding my breath waiting for someone to come and sweep me off my feet.” Her voice was strong, but there was a vulnerability in her eyes. “I’ve got my job at the rehab center and two of the best friends in the world. Who needs romance?”
Mandy wasn’t fooled. Raven had always had a big personality and a take-charge mentality, both of which scared guys off a little. They were the same personality points that made her such a great physical therapist, though. “There’s a guy somewhere just waiting for you. He’ll show up when you least expect it.”
“Like I said, I’m not holding my breath.” Raven finished slicing the last apple, gathered the peels for the trash, and rinsed the knife off in the sink. “Do me a favor and save me one of these fritters.”
“You’re welcome to hang out until they’re done if you want to.”
“I wish I could, but I have patients later this afternoon, and I’d better get going.” Raven dried her hands off on a towel and then gave Mandy a quick hug. “Your prince is right here under your nose. He’s the guy who told Grady to lay off when he kept teasing you our sophomore year. Preston was the one who helped you glue your science experiment back together again after you dropped it in the hall. And it’s because of him you still have your grandparents’ place. Don’t forget that, okay?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Then apologize and kiss him again, already!”
“Unless you want me to put you to work actually making the fritters, I suggest you quit harassing me.”
Raven lifted both hands and grinned. “I’m out of here. Baking is on my short list of torturous activities. You have fun, and I’ll talk to you later.”
“See you.”
As much as Mandy wanted to shake off her friend’s words, she couldn’t. It was true, Preston had always been there for her. When she was a freshman, he’d gone out of his way to say hi or help when he could.
Good grief, the guy had even married her to get her out of a scrape. Granted, it helped him, too. But still. All her life, things had been such a mess she’d been forced to rely on others. First her grandparents to give her a home, her few friends to get her through school, and now Preston to keep her from losing her home. Would she ever get to the point where she didn’t need someone to save her?
~
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Mandy’s words and the frustration in her voice were the first things Preston registered when he walked in through the back door. “Mandy? What’s wrong?”
She came into the kitchen, her posture stiff, and both hands up in the air. “Our air conditioner’s not working. And, of course, I don’t notice until it gets warm in here and it’s,” she gestured indignantly at the clock above the stove, “after five o’clock. No one will be able to fix anything until Monday.”
The house hadn’t seemed that bad when Preston first walked in, especially compared to the high-nineties outside. Now that he’d been inside for a few minutes, he could tell it would get stifling hot, and fast. Especially upstairs. “Have you tried calling in case someone is working late?”
“Two of them. I’m about to call a few more. They’ve all expressed their regret but say they can’t get here until sometime on Monday.”
“Okay, you keep calling and I’ll see if I can figure out what’s going on.”
“The fan keeps running, but it’s putting out warm air. I had someone come and service the unit in April. We shouldn’t be having any problems.”
“I’ll check on it. How many guests do we have tonight?”
“One room is rented out.” She clenched her jaw, worry in her eyes.
She’d already been on edge since their disagreement the other night. The last thing they needed was t
o have these guests leave and demand a refund. “Keep calling. I’ll be right back.”
There didn’t appear to be anything wrong with the part of the unit inside the house, but when he checked on the compressor outside, the issue was immediately apparent. The line was frozen solid. There wasn’t anything he could do, so he headed back inside.
Mandy was still on the phone with someone, but by the dejected look on her face, the news wasn’t good. “Yeah. I understand. Thank you anyway.” She hung up. “I’ve got someone coming first thing Monday morning, but that’s the earliest anyone committed to. Any luck?”
He shook his head. “I wish I had better news. The line is frozen and the compressor is overheating. They may have serviced it, but I think it’s out of coolant, which probably means a leak. We may as well turn the A/C off because it’ll just keep running indefinitely otherwise.”
Two hours later, their guests had opted for a hotel in town. There was nothing Mandy could do but give them the refunds they requested. She texted Jade and Elise to let them know they didn’t need to come in until Monday.
By seven o’clock, Preston and Mandy were the only people left in the house. Preston walked up behind her as she checked the thermostat for the temperature. “It feels a lot warmer than eighty-two, doesn’t it?” Sweat trickled down his back. “I can’t believe it’s so warm. The weatherman on the radio this morning said this should be one of the last heatwaves for the year.”
“I sure hope that’s the case. I think it’s probably five degrees hotter upstairs. No way can we sleep up there tonight.”
“I’m sure my parents would let us stay with them over the weekend.”
She objected immediately. “I’d rather not. I don’t want to put them out.” Her stomach let loose a long growl and she sighed. “I forgot about dinner.”
“I’ll order us a pizza. You go take a shower while I see what I can do to get the living room cooled down.” She looked dubious. Preston put his hands on her shoulders and steered her toward the stairs. “I’m serious.”
“Okay.”
After getting dinner ordered, Preston went to Mandy’s room to retrieve her box fan. He stopped when he entered her room. There, on the side table, was a picture of them from their wedding. When had she framed it? He smiled. With her fan in one hand and his own oscillating fan in the other, he headed downstairs. He opened the front door and slid the glass on the screen door upwards, letting in the slightly cooler night air. Then he set both fans in front of the screen. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. Finally, he found a spare sheet, wet it in the kitchen sink, and draped the damp fabric over the front of the box fan. The difference was immediate and Preston stood in front of it for several moments, relishing the cooling effect on his sweaty skin.
“Wow, that already feels better.”
He turned to find Mandy walking into the room, her wet hair hanging past her shoulders. The knit shorts and tank top looked a lot cooler but ratcheted his own body temperature up ten degrees. He swallowed hard. “We may want to sleep in here tonight. You can take the couch, and I can crash on the recliner.”
She looked like she might object. But when she stopped in front of the fan and closed her eyes with relief, she quickly agreed. “You’re probably right.”
Preston couldn’t take his gaze off her as she enjoyed the cool air. “I’m sorry this happened tonight. I know it’s the last thing you needed right now.”
Her long eyelashes lifted to reveal eyes filled with uncertainty. “I need to apologize for the other night. You were only looking out for me, and I threw it back in your face.” She paused. “I’m not very good at accepting help from people.”
“You’re not kidding.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and raised an eyebrow. One side of his mouth quirked upward. “As much as you like to think otherwise, we’re in this together. What happens to the B&B affects me, just like changes to the woodworking business affect you.”
“I know.” She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. “I hate needing help in the first place.”
“Yeah, you’re stubborn like that.” He winked at her.
Mandy chuckled. “You’re not the first person to tell me that today.”
“That’s because it’s true.”
She reached for a nearby magazine and tossed it at him. “Whatever.”
The heavy awkwardness that had existed between them since Sunday night dissipated. Preston still wasn’t happy with Mandy’s need to handle everything herself, but at least they were talking again even if he wasn’t completely sure where they stood.
A car approached the house, the headlights nearly blinding them. Preston dug his wallet out of his pocket. “That must be the pizza.”
“Thank goodness, I’m starved. I’ll go grab the plates.”
It felt good to kick back in the recliners, turn on some TV, and eat. The fans worked to slowly cool the room from a self-combusting level to one that was at least somewhat tolerable. If it hadn’t, he might have suggested they camp out in the workshop for the night. It had its own air conditioning unit, and he’d checked it while outside to make sure it was still working.
He moved from the recliner to the couch where he sat against the corner between the arm and the back and stretched his legs out along the cushions. He glanced at Mandy. She was still watching TV, but her eyelids looked heavy. At least she seemed relaxed. “Since the workshop will be cooled off tomorrow, do you want to come work on your grandfather’s canoe with me?”
She turned to look at him. “With no guests, there’s nothing for me to do here.” Her voice held a tinge of sarcasm. She seemed to realize how she sounded and flinched. “I’m sorry. I’m exhausted. It’s been one of those days. Yes, I think spending the day in the workshop sounds like a great idea.”
“Awesome.” The prospect of having time with her brightened his whole night.
The TV program ended and Mandy took the plates and leftover pizza into the kitchen. He heard her check the back door and then she turned out the kitchen lights. She stopped at the base of the stairs. “I need a few things from my room. I’ll be right back.”
It was after eleven. No wonder they were both beat. Preston went upstairs to change into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He snagged his pillow off the bed and headed back to the main floor. He found Mandy spreading a thin blanket out on the couch. She handed another one to him. “It’s wishful thinking, but I brought them just in case.”
“Thanks.” He took it and draped it over his arm.
“You sure you’re okay on the recliner?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay.” She fidgeted with her thumb and then clasped her hands together behind her back.
Mandy looked uncertain and clearly needed a rescue. As much as he wanted to take her in his arms for a proper kiss, Preston leaned forward and only brushed one against her cheek.
They dimmed the living room lights. Preston got himself set up in the recliner and leaned it back as far as it would go. He was just starting to relax when Mandy’s voice broke the silence.
“Preston?”
“Yeah?”
A pause. “Thanks for looking out for me. I don’t like needing help from anyone, but I promise I’ll try not to be as much of an idiot about it.”
Preston chuckled. “I’m glad. Get some rest, Mandy. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You, too. Good night.”
The last day and a half had been near torture, but they’d made some progress tonight. The sound of the fans in the background and thoughts of Mandy eventually lulled Preston to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Mandy woke slowly Saturday morning, and she took a minute to remember where she was. The fans still ran in front of the screen door. While not technically chilly, she noted that, at some point last night, she’d pulled the light blanket up to cover herself. She shifted on the couch and found Preston watching her with a small smile on his face.
She startled a little. “
It’s kind of creepy to have you sitting there staring at me.”
He chuckled, his deep voice soothing. “I woke up maybe a minute before you did, if it helps any. So, I was only creepy for sixty seconds.”
Mandy couldn’t keep her own laughter at bay. She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. “Did you sleep okay?”
He brought the recliner to an upright position and groaned loudly. His movements were slow as he stood up. “I definitely prefer it to passing out from heat exhaustion upstairs. How about you?”
“Truthfully? I may have slept better last night than I have since Granny passed.” The confession surprised even her. Why had she slept so well? Was it because she hadn’t slept upstairs where she kept expecting to hear Granny walk down the hall? Or because she was in the same room as Preston, and he made her feel safe? Unwilling to examine the reasons much longer for fear of discovering the uncomfortable truth, she changed the subject. “I suggest we change, eat breakfast, and get out to the workshop before it gets much warmer. We can have sandwiches for lunch so we don’t have to cook and heat the place up much.”
“And I’d like to take you out for dinner and a movie tonight.” Preston had thrown that out there so smoothly it took a minute for Mandy to process it. He must have thought she’d object—and she probably would have—because he held up a hand to stop her. “Both places will be air conditioned. Then we can come back tonight, put the fans in front of the screen again, and we won’t have to be miserably hot any more than necessary today.”
It made sense. Besides, after spending little time together in the last couple of days, Mandy had to admit she was looking forward to spending the day with him. “Okay.”
His surprise at her agreement quickly changed to satisfaction. “Meet you back down here in a few.”
Not much later, they grabbed some muffins and headed out. It was warming up outside, and Mandy was glad to have a cool place to spend the day. The moment they entered the workshop, the scent of cedar enveloped her. It reminded her of Papa, and she stopped. How many times had she gone in to tell him lunch was ready, to find him running the band saw or sanding down a piece of wood? Her breath caught in her throat and tears stung the back of her eyes.
Marrying Mandy (Brides of Clearwater Book 1) Page 10