“There’s a flashlight in my shirt pocket,” he offered, not wanting to risk falling over something while carrying her.
Her fingers stroked along his chest as she hunted for the pocket opening before sliding down the soft fabric to retrieve the light. In the dark, the movement felt somehow more intimate than he had expected, and his heart raced with an increased blood flow.
“There’s a button on the end,” he said softly, his lips close to her ear.
She fumbled with the light, her breath coming in short, quick little puffs. Heat radiated from her skin, warming him. After what seemed like an eternity, the bright beam shot down toward the ground to guide his feet, and he made his way from the room.
The big grandfather clock struck one as he stepped off the last stair and Allie jerked, clamping both her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek close to his shoulder. He could live with that. In fact, one of the best new ideas he could think of was to take that old clock on all his dates.
Only this wasn’t a date, he reminded himself. This was his best friend’s little sister.
“I’m… My foot is…” She seemed to search for words, her breath catching before she started again. “I can walk by myself now.”
“I guess you can at that,” he agreed, reluctantly lowering her legs to the floor, but keeping his arm around her back as if his brain had forgotten to tell his muscles he was supposed to let go.
Her face tipped up toward his, barely visible in the sliver of moonlight reflecting through the big windows up front. Her breathing matched his own ragged pace and her heart thudded against his chest.
Or was that his heart?
As if some strange spell possessed him, he felt himself unable to move, his face hovering above hers. And then, as if drawn by a force outside his control, he dipped his head toward hers, every fiber of his being straining toward the kiss he was about to take.
She lifted her left hand to his cheek, her fingers soft and trembling against his skin. Her right hand followed, still clutching the ultrabright little light, shining the beam directly into his eyes.
With the jolt of light, his senses cleared, returning from wherever they’d been held captive. Hers too, apparently.
“Jiminy Christmas,” she muttered, backing away from him until she bumped into one of the small café tables, sending the condiment bottles clattering against one another.
Logan cleared his throat and slipped the flashlight from her hand, shining a path ahead of them. “We need to make sure your car starts so we can get you on your way home,” he said.
She muttered something that sounded vaguely like agreement as she followed behind him. At the entrance, she stopped and pulled a key from her pocket, her fingers trembling in the beam of light as she locked the door behind them.
Her car started on the first try.
“Whatever you did earlier must have done the trick,” she said.
“Yeah, well, you still better get it in for a checkup.”
“Right,” she said, putting the car into gear. “See you tomorrow, I guess. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. See you tomorrow,” he echoed, watching as she drove away, remembering only after it was too late that they hadn’t specified a time for him to show up at her house.
Not surprising, really. How could he be expected to think of something so mundane after what had felt like his world quaking a nine on the Richter scale?
Shaking his head, Logan climbed into his pickup and started the engine.
Whatever time he planned to arrive at her house, one thing was clear. He was in for a long night waiting.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Nine in the morning! Allie could hardly believe the clock on her dresser. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so late.
It shouldn’t be such a surprise, though, when she considered that it had to have been well after four before she was finally able to get to sleep. An evening alone with Logan O’Connor had proven to be a powerful stimulant.
“On multiple levels,” she muttered, kicking off her covers and stretching her arms above her head.
The man was like chocolate to a compulsive dieter.
Even in the bright light of day, she could still feel his touch if she closed her eyes and concentrated hard enough. It was almost as real as the embarrassment she felt at her own reaction to him.
Her eyes popped open at that thought and she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed to rest her feet on the cool wooden floorboards.
He must think her an absolute idiot. She had certainly done her best last night to prove that she was one.
Over the years, she’d imagined being in Logan’s arms countless times. She’d dreamed up hundreds of scenarios. That particular fantasy was the way she’d put herself to sleep at night. In those moments after her head hit the pillow, it had been images of him that had filled her thoughts and transported her into her dreams, like little stories she’d act out in her imagination.
In each of those imaginary encounters, they’d meshed wonderfully. They’d bantered so seductively, behaved so comfortably, it was almost as if those moments had really existed.
So when the time had actually presented itself, when fate had thrown them together and hoisted her into his embrace, what had she done?
She’d panicked like some silly schoolgirl.
No clever banter for this gal. No sir, not her. The best she could manage was some incoherent stuttering, a massive case of blushing and then, oh, best of all, then she’d topped everything off by nearly blinding the guy when she’d thought he was going to kiss her.
She groaned and scrubbed her hands over her face.
“As if,” she muttered.
And how desperate was that? Assuming he was going to kiss her just because it always worked out that way in her little imaginary scenarios.
Another groan and she made her way to the bathroom to stare at herself in the mirror. Mascara she hadn’t bothered to wash off before falling into bed ringed her eyes in raccoon-like fashion and her hair was a tangled mess of curls.
Yeah. Like Logan O’Connor would ever have any interest in trying to kiss that.
She turned on the shower and headed back into her bedroom to lay out her clothes for the day. It should be a busy one. She needed to get back over to the coffee shop to determine which pieces of furniture she’d need to drag downstairs and…
The jeans slid from her hand as she froze in the middle of the room.
Logan had said he was coming to pick her up this morning.
Damn.
As if acknowledging that memory had set the world in motion, Matt chose that moment to knock on her bedroom door
“You up and at ’em, Allie? You got company.”
And double damn.
“Be right out,” she called, bending down to retrieve the jeans before hurrying back to the bathroom.
He’d come, just like he’d said he would. Maybe this meant he wanted to see her again. Maybe he wanted to spend time with her as much as she’d wanted to spend time with him.
No time for a shower this morning. A quick scrub would have to do. She ran a brush through her hair and twisted her curls up into a ponytail before she grabbed for a washcloth. At least she could make the raccoon look go away, even if she didn’t have time for more makeup.
Faster than she could ever remember, she was dressed and headed down the hallway. Matt and Logan waited in the living room, near the front door.
“About time.” Matt stood barefoot and bare-chested, sipping from a steaming cup, his eyes tracking from her to Logan and back again. “I’d offer to come along but I doubt I’d be much help as a furniture mover.”
“No problem,” Logan said. “Katie’s waiting out in the truck. You remember my sister, right? She might be small, but she’s a powerhouse when it comes to getting things done.”
He’d brought his sister along? So much for the fantasy of him wanting to spend time alone with her. Likely as not, he’d forced K
atie to come to protect him in case Allie got all weird again.
“Coffee?” Allie made the offer as she turned toward the kitchen. Whether her guest wanted some or not, she certainly needed caffeine. Almost as much as she needed a minute or two to disguise her disappointment.
“Not when I’m headed to the Hand.” Logan grinned in a way that made him look ten years younger. “No offense. It’s just that coffee doesn’t get any better than what Dulcie brews. You might want to reconsider that yourself.”
“Good point.”
It did seem rather silly to be bringing her own coffee, considering where she’d be in just a few minutes.
To her surprise, it wasn’t the aroma of coffee that captured her interest when they opened the door to The Hand of Chance Coffee Emporium and walked inside. It was whatever her cousin was baking this morning.
“What is that heavenly smell?” she asked, following her nose to the counter in the back.
Dulcie’s face lit up as if she’d just received the world’s best compliment.
“This week’s special. Caramel apple bread. Want a piece? It’s fresh out of the oven. I’ll toast some for you and bring it over.”
Did she ever want some! She wanted it every bit as much as the coffee Dulcie was pouring as she spoke, and coffee was like Allie’s lifeblood first thing in the morning.
She nodded gratefully and joined Katie and Logan at a table to wait for her toasted slice of heaven.
“Oh. My. God.” Katie closed her eyes and licked the fork she held after her first bite. “This is practically orgasmic.”
After her own first bite, Allie knew it had been well worth the wait. “Absolutely orgasmic,” she agreed.
Even if she hadn’t skipped dinner last night, this was still one of the best things she’d ever tasted.
“And you would know about that how?” Logan asked, setting his cup down to frown at his sister before turning his glare in Allie’s direction.
“You know you don’t really want an answer to that question.” Katie wiggled her eyebrows at her brother and grinned before she stuck another bite in her mouth. “I would come here every morning if I lived in town,” she said after she swallowed.
“And then you would be as wide as you are tall,” Logan grumbled, pushing back his chair to stand up. “And I wouldn’t have to worry about you tempting men anymore. Maybe you should have a second helping. I’m going up to start hunting for shelves that might work. I’ll see you both up there.”
Allie watched him head for the stairs, thinking, not for the first time, that some men were just born to wear jeans and tight T-shirts.
“He’s grumpy enough today, isn’t he?”
Katie’s comment snapped Allie’s attention back to the table.
“Oh, yeah? I didn’t really notice.” Allie tried for a nonchalant response, fixing her gaze on the last bites in front of her. If she was lucky, maybe Katie hadn’t realized she’d been staring at Logan’s backside as he’d walked away.
Katie nodded, finishing off the last of her bread and washing it down with coffee. “I don’t think he wanted me to tag along this morning, but oh well. That’s what little sisters are for, right? Besides, I wanted to see what was going on in town.” She grinned and stood up, pinching her fingers together. “I’m going to wash off this sticky caramel sauce and then I’ll meet you guys upstairs. Behave yourselves until I get there!”
It would appear that Katie hadn’t missed a thing.
Allie’s face flamed as she gathered up their plates and carried them back to the counter, forcing herself to concentrate on the task at hand rather than the man upstairs.
“Thanks for doing that,” Dulcie said as she took the stack from Allie. “Do you think you’ll start moving things down today?”
“I don’t know yet.” But it wouldn’t surprise her. Contrary to what she’d expected when she made the decision to come back to Chance, circumstances in her life felt like they were moving at the speed of light.
* * *
Damn, but that woman rattled him.
Logan carried another box of books out into the hallway, placing it on top of the stack he’d already started.
Allie only needed to turn those big, blue eyes in his direction and he had trouble thinking of what to say next because his brain morphed into a confused mush. How else could he explain what had happened downstairs?
“Lack of sleep,” he muttered, tipping the big bookcase on its end to drag it out into the hallway.
Four nights on call at the firehouse and three off with no vacation breaks must finally be getting to him. That had to be it. He could come up with no other reasons for his temper to flare over some silly girl-talk between Allie and his sister.
An anxious twitch rumbled through his chest and he jerked the heavy bookcase into place.
As ridiculous as it sounded, the idea of Allie with another man — any man — set his jaw tight enough to crack nuts.
He’d already tried to convince himself it was only because Allie was his best friend’s sister and he viewed her in the same light as his own little sister. It was as good a working theory as any.
“Wow. You really got a lot done up here. I’m impressed.”
She stood at the top of the stairs, one hand on the banister and the other on her hip. Blood raced through his veins, pounding at his eardrums in response to her compliment.
So much for his working theory. That reaction alone was enough to prove he felt anything but brotherly when it came to Allie. He was back to square one, where he could only assume he was responding in this unusual way because he was too tired to control his reactions.
Her expression changed, her nose wrinkling as she looked from the stacks in the hallway to the stairs and back again.
“You think we’re going to be able to manhandle that heavy furniture down these stairs?”
She had a point. He could certainly carry his end of the effort, but neither she nor Katie would be very useful.
“How about we stage everything you want to take downstairs out here in the hall and then I’ll grab someone to help carry the heavy stuff down this evening after the girls close up shop? Sound like a plan?” He felt sure his partner at the firehouse wouldn’t mind lending a hand.
Relief lit Allie’s face as she nodded her agreement.
“Tanner?” Katie’s head popped out behind Allie on the stairs. “If you’re asking him to come help then I’m definitely coming back to watch tonight. That man has some serious muscle definition going on.”
His sister only giggled when he pasted his best big-brother glare on his face. Allie appeared to be hiding her own smile as she ducked into the next room to begin her search for more usable furniture.
“You could probably get Cody to help, too,” Katie offered as she followed Allie into the second room.
It was a good suggestion. As local marshal, their older brother saw it as one of his missions to help people and businesses in the community any way he could. This should certainly qualify.
“So if that’s all, that’s not going to be nearly enough.” Katie turned as Logan entered the room. “Don’t you agree, Logan?”
Rather than answer, he held up his hands as if to defend himself from an onslaught. The way his morning was going, there was no way he was going to agree to anything without knowing what the two women were talking about.
“You’re safe. Even I agree with her,” Allie said on a sigh. “The books I found last night aren’t anywhere near enough to start a decent lending library, let alone to set up a used-book sales section.”
“You should advertise. Post a notice or something.”
His sister just might be on to something.
“Katie makes a good point. Bobcat is an old friend of your grandfather’s. I bet he’d be willing to run an ad for what you’re trying to do. Maybe even let you ask for donations in his paper.” He should have thought of that himself without Katie’s suggestion.
A smile crinkled the corners of Allie�
�s eyes as she pushed a loose strand of curls back from her face, leaving a smudge of dust on her cheek. “I remember Bobcat Baker. He still runs the newspaper here?”
“Still running the paper, all on his own. Puts a new issue out every other Monday,” Logan confirmed. “You should go call him right now. He might have space to put you in the next issue.”
“Maybe what you should do is call your grandfather. Let him ask Bobcat,” Katie suggested. “You know how those old guys are sometimes.”
“Great idea.” Allie headed for the stairs, stopping only long enough to grab a box to carry down with her. “I’ll go call Papa Flynn right now.”
Logan let his gaze follow her progress, resisting the urge to chase after her and take the box from her hands.
“When are you going to pull yourself out of that overdeveloped, self-imposed load of misery you wallow in?”
He jerked when his sister spoke standing right next to him. He hadn’t even noticed her move across the room in his direction.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Katie snorted her disbelief. “Like hell you don’t. Don’t you think it’s about time you stopped living like a monk?”
“I don’t live like a monk,” he denied, knowing as soon as the words were out of his mouth that he should have kept quiet.
“Oh, really? Well, I can’t remember the last time you brought a woman to the house to meet the family. Oh, wait!” Katie did that wide-eyed fake-innocent thing he hated so much. “I can remember. It was five freakin’ years ago.”
“Just because I don’t bring anyone home doesn’t mean I don’t see anyone.” Bringing a woman home to introduce to his family would indicate a relationship, and that wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t do relationships. Not anymore.
“Obviously you like Allie. You should just ask her out already and get it over with.”
He shook his head, doing his best to display total disinterest in whatever else Katie said.
He obviously liked her?
That would never do. If he couldn’t control himself any better than that around Allie, his safest course of action just might be spending less time around her.
TAKE A CHANCE (Chance Colorado Series) Page 7