“You’re lending me Georgie. That more than makes up for it.” She winked as she struck the last nail in place.
Little by little, the float was coming along. In no time she’d be throwing candy out to the crowd and, with some luck and a lot of patience, she might hear Danny laugh again. Even when he won the horseshoe competition, he’d only smiled and thrown his arms around Aidan.
“If I wasn’t so sure of myself, I’d be offended by that remark.” Her brother crossed his arms and fell backward into a soft patch of grass.
Natalie laughed, hopped off the platform and extended an arm to assist him up. “Nice to see your sense of humor’s returned since Georgie came back to town.”
“I’d be offended by that if you weren’t right. Getting a second chance with Georgie was the best thing that’s happened to me.” He wiped the grass off his shorts. “That and Rachel.”
“The float’s coming along, don’t you think?” She tilted her head one way, then the other. “It’ll come together in the end, right?”
Mike shrugged and picked up the hammer off the grass. “Most things do. I didn’t feel like it would when I arrested Georgie, but it did. I think you’re finally returning and coming back together, too.”
She slipped back to the pavilion area and started cleaning up around them in case Danny and Aidan arrived earlier than expected. Mike followed and waited on the edge.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Natalie tidied the piles of scrap wood.
“Part of you has been AWOL since Francisco died. You’ve been so busy throwing yourself into everything and urging others to have fun. Anyone not close to you wouldn’t guess anything was wrong, but I’ve seen the faraway looks and the longing glances at Rachel.”
She hadn’t hidden her feelings as well as she thought, and he knew she’d thrown herself into a haze of productivity to balance out the grief. Staying busy and living in the moment only worked up to a point. There was a time everyone went home and she had to be satisfied with silence.
It was taking some getting used to, but she was making progress. With a quick glance at the sky, gray clouds on the horizon, Mike shook his head. “Looks like it’s going to rain. Maybe we should move it back into the shed.”
She checked the weather app on her phone. “The system’s heading our way, but there should be enough time to get more accomplished.”
“Seems like you’re throwing your whole self into this.” He headed to the toolbox and traded the hammer for a wrench. “Whirling dervishes are a force of nature, little sis.”
Leave it to her big brother, the class clown turned sheriff, to know her so well. “Forces of nature make things happen. Nothing wrong with that.” There was an edge in her voice that wasn’t normally present. Now he was talking to her one-on-one and she realized Mike was the last member of the family she’d have expected to confront her. “Danny needs a force of nature in his life, one that will provide him with sunshine rather than a constant deluge.”
“When Rachel burned herself in that accident, I wanted to take away her pain, endure it for her, scream, but I couldn’t. She faced it with me at her side. I was so proud of her. I’ve learned the best I can do is make sure she has an umbrella and knows how to use it.”
She sat on the nearest bench. He came over and settled next to her. She clenched her jaw and fists, anything so the tears burning her eyes wouldn’t fall. “Do you believe Aidan would be a better choice to teach Danny how to use his umbrella?”
“Did Mom say something to you?”
“So Mom and Becks are both against me keeping my promise to Shelby?”
If she sat here any longer, she’d start crying. She walked over to the chicken wire and unrolled the spool. One by one, she twisted and fluffed the tissue paper loops poking out of each hole until they formed beautiful flowers.
Mike followed her and watched for a minute before imitating her actions on his end of the wire. “I haven’t talked to Becks about it but, judging from the way you said that, I assume she said something to you. On the record, neither Mom nor Becks has said anything to me. The way you said ‘too’ made me think Mom had talked to you since you two are so close. You take after her the most.”
His words soaked in, and she took a moment to absorb everything around her. On a normal day, the birds singing and the kids playing boosted her morale, pushed her a little more to finish what was in front of her. Today, they were reminders of what she stood to lose. She glanced at the ceiling of the pavilion with a myriad of initials written in Sharpie, a couple of spiderwebs and more than enough gum to keep her kindergarten class in ecstasy for several hours. “What do you think?”
One look at his face, more serious than she’d seen in some time, and her stomach dropped. “You’ll make a great mom…”
She finished his sentence for him. “For someone else, right?”
“That’s the most pessimistic thing I’ve ever heard you say.” Creases lined Mike’s forehead, getting deeper with every word. “It doesn’t take blood to make a family. It takes love.”
And those might be the wisest words she’d ever heard her brother say. If anyone could say that, though, he could, considering her parents adopted him before they found out they were expecting twins. She slugged his shoulder. “And fun.”
“And jokes.”
Shelby’s compact pulled into the parking lot. A few seconds later, Danny emerged and ran to Natalie. He wrapped his arms around her, and she breathed in baby shampoo and pine trees. “Smells like you did something outdoors. Did you have a good time with your uncle?”
“We went for a hike near Sully Creek after our trip to the Corner Grocery.” Aidan shrugged and gave a clipped nod to Mike.
Danny broke away, and she flicked off a pine needle from his mop of brown hair.
“I saw a deer and a baby fawn at the nature preserve this morning. It was so neat. They ran away before I could pet them. Then me and Uncle Aidan saw some neat flowers at the creek. Next time, you have to come with us, Aunt Natalie.” Danny’s smile tugged at her heart, and she glanced at Aidan.
“You and your uncle need time together,” Natalie said.
More than ever, she understood the fear of missing out. She wanted Danny to live his life, and she wanted to be there right alongside him.
Aidan walked toward the truck chassis, and they followed. “I’m impressed with the progress.”
“We worked on the support frame. Mike helped since he has to miss out on the work party this weekend. Something about commitments as the sheriff and all that.” She elbowed her brother in the ribs and winked. “This afternoon, we’re going to get the background built so it can be in place for this weekend.”
Mike’s phone buzzed, and he glanced down. “Hold up a second, little sis.” Without another word, her brother headed to the pavilion.
Danny tugged at her sundress. “Uncle Aidan’s gonna take me to Timber River Outfitters this afternoon.”
Mike came back, shaking his head, his face lined with disappointment. “Sorry, but I have to bail out. Duty calls.” He hurried to his squad car.
After he left, Aidan turned to her. “What can we do to help?”
“I’m still your bestest helper.” Danny hugged her waist. “And your most favorite, too, right?”
She winked at him. “And the cutest.”
She looked Aidan’s way. Danny might be the cutest, but Aidan took her breath away. Over the past week, he’d lost some of that straitlaced exterior. Not that a person could change who they were on the inside. He’d always plan everything to the nth degree. Still, some time with Danny loosened him up enough to make this casual side of him that much more appealing.
“What’s in store for this afternoon?” Aidan stepped to the toolbox.
“Mike and I were going to lift the superstructure, which is basically that wooden thing that looks like
a cross between a stage and a platform, onto the chassis and connect it to the rectangular wooden area we cut out of the red fuzzy fabric that’s the base covering most of the float.”
He looked impressed but then folded his arms. “Would we get in the way?”
“Most likely.”
Without saying a word, Aidan seemed to understand her dilemma. Before she knew it, they dropped Danny off at her mother’s, where her niece Rachel offered to teach him how to draw cats and cows. Back in front of the park shed, she wondered if this was a good idea. The gray clouds passed overhead with swiftness, and she wasn’t sure if the weather would hold off long enough to get anything done.
Aidan looked at her and pointed. “Something’s better than nothing.”
No sooner had they fastened the superstructure onto the platform than the distant rumbling of thunder crackled in the air. The wind picked up, the tips of the pines swaying. Nearby, the splash fountains faded away to nothingness as car doors slammed with parents and other caregivers urging their charges to hurry before the storm arrived.
“Where’s your tarp?” Aidan yelled as he hopped off the platform to the grassy flat.
“I think there’s one in the shed. Wouldn’t it be easier to back the truck in?” Natalie disembarked, taking care when she landed. Her ankle boots left an imprint in the soft grass.
“We don’t have time. Besides, the truck might not fit. We should have measured the height of the tiered rainbow frame you designed. The rain’ll be here soon.” He ran to the shed and brought out a bright blue tarp.
He unfolded the plastic, and they worked together, making sure every inch of the truck was covered, securing the corners with rocks. The wind now swirled all around them, leaves hitting her face. No sooner did they pile on the last stone than fat raindrops began to fall. Her car and the pavilion were farther than the shed, so Natalie grabbed her bag from the side of the float and rushed inside the makeshift building. She and Aidan made it inside the second the skies burst open with a deluge.
Rain poured forth, coming down sideways, lightning flashing across the dark sky. She shivered.
“Are you cold?”
His words drew her attention to him standing a good ten feet away on the other side of the utility shed. He shook some water droplets off his cropped dark brown hair.
“Not really.” She removed the elastic holding her messy bun in place. She then shook out the rain from her hair. “I feel like a dog after a bath.”
She only hoped she didn’t look like one.
The rain pelted the roof, the constant pitter-patter almost a melody. She exhaled and looked around for a place to get comfortable. The smells of fertilizer and paint weren’t her favorites but, with the doors wide open, fresh air and rain dispersed the strong aroma. “Mountain storms tend to last longer than a pop-up shower.” She found a bucket and upended it before pointing to its twin. “Do you prefer to sit or stand?”
“I’m fine.” He glared outside as if that would stop the storm in its tracks.
“I’ll text my mom to let her and Danny know we’re okay.”
“Good idea.”
She rifled through her purse until she found her phone. After a quick text to her mother letting her and Danny know they were safe, she searched through the rest of her bag. With a triumphant cry, she produced a deck of cards. “What’s your poison? Poker? Gin rummy? Crazy eights?”
“Solitaire.”
Thunder boomed in the distance, and she kept herself from tumbling off her makeshift chair. “Meet me halfway.”
Rain started coming inside the shed, and he backed away, closing one of the doors while keeping the other open. Then he approached her. “What’s with you and games anyway? Basketball? Horseshoes? Cards?”
“Would you prefer to talk? I’ve been known to do that on occasion.”
“Hand me the cards. I shuffle well.”
She smiled as he upended the other bucket. “Whoa. Someone’s found his confidence. Pride goeth before a fall, and notice I’m the one who travels with a deck of playing cards.”
A clap of thunder directly overhead elicited a gasp, and she jumped off the bucket, knocking it sideways. He dropped the cards and stood.
In two steps, he closed the distance. “Are you afraid of thunder?”
Nervous laughter passed through her lips. “Of course not. Who’d be afraid of a natural phenomenon?”
“I’d classify you as a natural phenomenon in a second.”
He was close enough for his breath to tickle her cheek, the warmth of it warding off the cooler air rustling in from the storm. The rain pelted the roof, but the coziness of the dry, isolated spot embraced her. He moved even closer, and his hand tilted her cheek upward.
“Most natural phenomena, though, are scary. I’m harmless.” The deep gray flecks of his eyes stood out like charcoal.
“You’re anything but harmless.”
That was something, considering all he’d seen and done. However, at this point, he was harmful to the careful equilibrium she’d rebuilt for herself. “Why didn’t you dance with me at the barbecue?”
“Maybe because I didn’t expect to find anything like you in Hollydale. On the flight, I figured everything out about my life with Danny. Serve one more year, accept the job in DC, then meet someone who’s like me. Being attracted to you wasn’t on that list.”
So he was attracted to her, but he had come up with a convenient checklist for a relationship? “Relationships aren’t necessarily something you can plan, although it’s nice to know you feel something for me. Can I claim that dance now?”
“There’s no music.”
“There is if you listen.” She wiggled her finger, and he moved closer. “The rain and the wind are providing a melody of sorts.”
“May I have this dance?”
Her stomach fluttered, and something in his face let her know the chemistry between them was mutual. She stepped toward him and reached for his free hand, pulling him toward her for a slow dance. They swayed for a minute before his gaze met hers, and she nodded. His lips claimed hers, and the tingle traveled to her toes. This kiss was everything a kiss should be. Fun enough to keep it light but with enough emotion to make it count, make it real. Make him matter.
A faint whimper caught her ear, and she laughed. “I didn’t expect that sound from you.”
He broke away and shook his head. “I thought it was you.”
They both laughed before the sound returned, a little louder this time, more of a mewing than a whine, coming from the direction of the far corner.
Aidan beat her to the corner, and he held out his arm. “Stand back until we know what made that noise.”
A small bundle of fur caught her eye, and she reached for the kitten hovering there, wet and scared, covered in mud. “Ah, the poor little thing.”
“It might hurt you.” He blocked her hand before she could pick up the animal. “Or the mother might be around searching for it.”
“It is a kitten and if the mother cat were in here, it wouldn’t be dirty and mewling. Poor thing probably got lost or separated.”
Brushing Aidan aside, she made soft, cooing sounds and bundled the cold kitten in her arms. The kitten put up a valiant effort and unsheathed its claws for a second before Natalie held it to her chest and it purred. “Danny will love the newest addition to our family.”
The “our” slipped out, but she could hardly take it back now. The kitten protested its hunger.
“I’m not sure introducing Danny to the kitten is a good idea.” He backed up until his rear smacked the back of the shed.
“Why not? Little boys like cats, too.” She had no idea if Danny was a cat or a dog person, but there was no reason why anyone couldn’t make room in their hearts for both.
“He can’t take a kitten cross-country.”
* * *
AIDAN HAD BLOWN the moment with a simple sentence. The look on Natalie’s face changing from wonder to cold, hard reality reinforced what he already knew. They could never work, not with his pragmatic, nose-to-the-grindstone approach against her breezy light self. Storm clouds blocked sunlight every time.
Besides, Danny would be the one most devastated if Aidan tried to turn that kiss into something more and he failed. He’d failed to stop his arm from getting sliced open, despite all his training. He’d failed at being a big brother to Shelby and making sure she went to the doctor for annual checkups. Not many others could warp a kiss like that into a monumental disaster, but he’d succeeded.
He couldn’t fail as Danny’s co-guardian. The stakes were too high.
In the privacy of Shelby’s house, he shook off that train of thought as he twirled his pasta with his fork. Dinner for one wasn’t as much fun now. Should he go next door and check on Natalie and Danny? Or would that look too pathetic? The doorbell rang, and he jumped to answer it. There on his doorstep stood Danny, bouncing with excitement.
“Can you come with us? Aunt Natalie said it was okay to invite you.”
Aidan glanced out the door and found Natalie in her driveway, her cream floral sundress cool and breezy, her ankle boots slightly edgy and all charm, same as her. She waved, and he hurried over, glaring at her all the while.
“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t say anything about the cat until the veterinarian was sure she was going to be alright.” He kept his voice low enough for her ears only.
Her chest rose and fell before she rolled her eyes. “We’re not going to the vet’s office. We’re going out for ice cream, and Danny wanted his uncle to join us.”
So, the invitation came from Danny and, from the tone of her voice, Danny alone. He shuffled his feet and kept his gaze at the ground. “If I jumped to conclusions, I’m sorry.”
Her head jerked back as though his apology was the last thing she expected. “Apology accepted.” Her face brightened as Danny neared. “We’re walking downtown if you’d like to come with us.”
Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set Page 58