“Um, morning. Yes, good to see you. I, um, usually sit right there on that shorter pew.” By now two people already sat in the space, which meant for a somewhat cozy experience. Why hadn’t she looked before she spoke?
“Great, lead the way.”
While opening organ music played, Keira led and he followed to the pew just as the pastor stood to begin the service. Once settled, their legs touched due to the limited space. Tayton leaned into Keira as if to notice something and quietly spoke in her ear. “You look lovely.”
He faced forward again and said nothing more. Keira allowed herself to feel the tingle that his voice and compliment had started. But outwardly, she only tipped her head in appreciation and stared forward too, unable to focus on a word the pastor spoke. When it came to singing “The First Noel” she opened the hymnal and he followed along, his rich baritone voice mellow and comforting. Almost sitting into his arm, Keira went between humiliation and exhilaration. Hopefully no one surmised anything out of place— he was a visitor, and she was showing him the ropes. All part of good old friendly Echo Ridge business.
Right.
After the services and thanking the pastor, Tayton walked Keira to her car as was his custom. Wrapping her coat close to prevent the chilly pre-snow cold, Keira tried to find a safe topic. Half of her wanted to invite him to lunch; the other half reminded her that he was a work colleague and that was that. Besides, she had Sunday plans and no matter what, she would stick to them. For sure.
He paused by her car door, unusually awkward. “If you’re free for lunch…”
Keira’s heart fluttered. “Oh, that sounds great.” Plans, Keira, remember? “Actually, though, I’m headed up to see my dad right now, so…”
“Sure, I see. No problem.”
Keira smiled and attempted to open her door, but it was stuck, which necessitated his help in yanking it open. So much for graceful.
“Thanks again, okay,” she said. “See you tomorrow.”
Awk-ward.
She smiled and put the key in the ignition. Except it wouldn’t turn over. The only sound was a single click. Beyond embarrassing.
With a deep breath while Tayton watched with careful interest, Keira exited the car. “I just need to find some jumper cables and I’m good.”
He shrugged and said, “I could give you a lift to your dad’s so you don’t miss that. I’ve got jumper cables at my place— I took the emergency bag out for Erik’s equipment the other day. We can swing back down here on the way back and you’ll be set. It’ll take two seconds.”
Tall, mind-numbingly handsome, and ready to help. Keira opened her mouth to protest but honestly couldn’t think of a single reason to refuse. “You know, that sounds great.”
The drive up to Whispering Pines was dangerously picturesque, mostly because a solid snowfall began with thick white flakes. Keira hoped the snow would ease up for their drive back. Not that she wanted talking with Tayton to end. Once again, they had chatted easily between topics— favorite music, hidden talents, odd family relative stories. The comfort level only increased. A pro but also a con on the two sides of the Tayton coin as far as Keira was concerned. The sooner they headed back to town and took a breather from their time together the better. He was only here a few weeks and then back to his downtown life.
At the care center, Keira entered the room to find her dad starting his dinner. He was “in” today. She introduced Tayton, hoping he didn’t feel too awkward. But he seemed right at home as he conversed with Hal, talking about the store, the years of hard work it must have taken to build it— all the right things.
Hal turned to Keira. “Did you check the pipes today?”
She blushed. “Not yet, Dad. But I will.”
“Nurse says it’s bad weather. It needs to be done today.”
“Yes, Dad, I’ll do it today. Really, don’t worry about it for now.”
Tayton cleared his throat. “If it would help, I can take her there myself, sir. I’ll make sure she’s safe.” Then with a nod to both of them, he respectfully excused himself.
Hmm. Very mannerly. Keira tried to focus on her father while considering Tayton’s gentlemanly ways. They were unusual in today’s world to be sure.
Together, Keira spent a sweet fifteen minutes with her father fairly lucid and staying on topic, asking many of the usual questions. This time she could answer boldly and in detail at the progress of the store. The good news infused a soft energy, a forgotten happiness in him, before his eyes glazed over. Tucking in the soft afghan her mother had made him, she kissed her dad on the forehead and let him be.
Keira joined Tayton and headed to his Land Rover, the snow now falling hard. She got in the passenger seat and turned to him. “Listen, we don’t need to go today. I’m sure everything is fine, just like every week. It’s his thing, it makes him feel that he’s in charge again.”
Tayton pulled out of the parking lot. “I promised your father and I don’t take that lightly. The snow does look consistent but if the cabin is close by I think we’ll be okay. The Land Rover usually does me solid. But we likely need to hurry.”
Keira had seen this snowfall before, and wasn’t shaken. So, if it would make her father feel at peace and Tayton was willing, fantastic. Spending a few more minutes together wouldn’t hurt either. This week would be deeply invested in the soda fountain restoration, which meant she likely wouldn’t see much of him. He’d done double duty the week before and would surely do it again, full throttle.
“What was the sigh for?”
Had she sighed aloud? “Oh, uh, wishing that dad could see the store transformation. That he could really understand what’s happening. It was his pride and joy.”
“One of them. It’s pretty obvious his greatest pride and joy is you.”
Puzzled, Keira turned to look out at the rapidly whitening landscape. She hadn’t heard it quite that way but felt warmed by his perception.
His phone buzzed and the smiling blonde showed. “Excuse me, let me take this for a minute.”
Keira nodded, trying not to show interest.
“Hey there, how’s my girl? No, but a storm is supposed to be coming, we’re hoping to avoid it. They say that’s always the forecast. How are you doing, holding up? You’re a rock, you know that. Listen, Annie, I’m in the middle of something right now, can I call you later? You bet.” He glanced her way. “You too. Okay, bye.”
Cute Blonde Annie. Huh.
Keira pasted a delighted look-at-this-scenery expression on her face, hoping to hide the deflated feeling in her stomach.
After the call, Tayton stayed quiet the rest of the way except for her basic directions to the cabin. She had renewed gratitude for his Land Rover as they entered the driveway that couldn’t clearly be seen anymore. Daylight rapidly began to fade. After they got out of the car, Keira grabbed the flashlight from the side metal storage box and the key from the deer stand, third antler on the right.
They spent the first few minutes scoping out the roof. Keira had seen some ice damming and worried about possible damage. Tayton grabbed a ladder from under the eaves and climbed up to double check them. She stood by the ladder and he came down immediately next to her as she held the flashlight.
“You called it, looks like some ice damming. Next time I can bring some materials up here and get it taken care of for you.” He paused, looking down at her— breathing the fresh air, surrounded by pine trees, with the outside spotlight framing his flushed face and broad shoulders.
What had he said?
“Okay, we can check into that…next time.” She didn’t want to take advantage of his generosity. “Let’s check the pipes quickly and we can head back out.”
Starting with the bathroom, they ensured that the copper pipes there and under the kitchen sink worked.
Tayton paused in the large living area with an open balustered nook up above and took it in. Keira saw the place through new eyes. The blue and white checked curtains on the windows, the same patterned-
cushions on the worn leather couches. Family pictures in hand-crafted frames, knick-knacks, a cuckoo clock that didn’t work, warm blankets draped over worn armchairs, and a chunky wooden coffee table. The black wood stove in the corner stood tall and set, like a mother hen watching over the room. “Sweet cabin. Did your dad build this too?”
“When he was young, with his dad. It’s a family heirloom of sorts. Now a family headache, of sorts.”
They stood in the center of the room, almost elbow to elbow. He nodded thoughtfully and turned to her. The air carried some kind of charge. He paused as if wanting to share something. “You know, Keira, this makes me—”
Keira’s phone buzzed. “Just a second.” A bit of relief washed over her. Being in the same proximity was getting too strong. The sooner they were back on neutral ground and not a romantic snow-falling cozy cabin setting, the better. At least she could think clearly then.
Checking the text, Keira moaned. “Unreal.” She glanced at Tayton, unsure what to say. “This is the town alert system. They just closed Preacher Pass.”
Tayton stared. “What does that mean, exactly?”
Keira swallowed. “We’re stuck here for the night.”
After a moment of awkward silence, Tayton went into man-mode. “Is there any other heat source than the wood stove?”
“No, but the wood is stacked in the alcove off the wood shed.” Keira looked around, ticking off where the extra blankets and candles were stored, just in case. “The good news is we have a somewhat stocked pantry.”
“There’s that.”
“And the wildlife stays pretty calm. Bears now and then, and only if you leave things out.” Yes, nervous rambling, but that was understandable considering the reality. Not the cabin needs— the reality of spending the night in the same cabin with Dreamboat on a Stick.
Together they scouted the rest of the cabin, stopping at the opening of the bedroom with the old white frame bed and patchwork quilt.
A flush warmed Keira’s face. “I’ll bring the quilts from here.”
After assessing all was well, they set up camp. Tayton insisted she take the bed, but she wouldn’t. Logistics, she insisted. “No heat in the bedroom.” And, it used to be her parents’ room. Something didn’t feel right about it with Tayton here. Keira rounded up her staple stash of sweatshirt and baggy jeans but looked harder to find some old men’s clothes stuffed in the dressers from her aunt’s family visits.
After taking turns dressing, she tried not to think about how it was possible he could still look good in a blue plaid flannel shirt and gray sweats.
As dark came on, Keira lit the low lamps and a few candles in case the power went out. They dined on Dinty Moore stew and canned peaches, played a worn game of Scrabble and shared a few childhood stories. He told about his homemade snow jump at the age of ten, and the brotherly competition that landed him not only in a ditch, but the ER on Christmas Eve. She shared about making caramel apples with her mom and dad, stirring the honey brown mixture until it hit a soft boil in the candy cast iron pot. She remembered swirling the apples just right, cooling them (and sneaking caramel tendrils from the parchment paper), then taking the treats to Kenworth employees.
A secure feeling draped over her as surely as one of her mother’s knitted afghans. Being with Tayton was like… family. She could tell him anything. Except that she liked him, too much. And that needed to stay as cooled as one of the caramel apples. Too hot and it would burn them both. This was work and needed to stay that way. Everything was riding on it.
As she watched him stock the wood stove, a filled-up feeling washed over her. Every day he had divided time between the soda fountain remodel, social media campaign for the barn boutique, meeting with Ice Money to convince them to participate, and more, still making time for late dinners at Chips. He had been more than an employee. He had become town family.
Tayton finished and sat easily beside her on the couch. Her legs were tucked under her as she leaned against the cushions. His muscular legs were stretched out before him, completely comfortable in his own skin.
His phone buzzed and he read the text message. “Sorry, this will only take a second, it’s important.”
After a minute or more of texting, he put his phone away, but he was still thinking.
Keira had been patient for several times about the identity of this mysterious caller. And now, they were in a cabin, together, for the entire night. She had to know. “Is everything okay?”
Tayton was slow to answer and sat up. “Yes, and a little bit of no. But it’s all good.”
“Ah.” She needed a new information-gathering tactic. “Something at the store?”
A pause. Was it that bad? She pushed it just over the edge. “I don’t want to pry…” —but I’m going to interrogate until your eyeballs fall out— “but I just want to be sure you’re okay.”
He clasped his hands together with his elbows on his knees. “My sister, Annie. She’s adopting a baby and it’s… stressful. She calls a lot. If you hadn’t noticed.” Blowing out a breath he shook his head. “I guess I need to be there more for her. With work, it’s… and she’s married now. It’s hard to know what to do.”
Keira wanted to jump on the coffee table and do the hula. The cute blonde was his sister!
Wait, what had he said? An adoption? She forced her expression to remain courteously concerned. “Yes, yes it would be hard to know what to do.”
Pause. He obviously didn’t want to talk more about it.
Come on, Keira, get back in the game and give him something positive. “This is random, I know, but I have to tell you how much I…appreciate all you’ve done for Kenworth’s. It’s been a difficult time. But you’ve breathed in some new life. Some hope. You’re amazingly capable.”
“That was random.” He shrugged. “I don’t know that it’s capability as much as focus, which anyone can do. I happen to know what I want. Usually.” The latter was softer and almost philosophical.
“What do you mean, usually?”
Slightly embarrassed, he waved it off. “You know, work stuff. I’ve been doing this for almost seven years now and it’s not that hard to get in, evaluate a project, move on the options, and make it work. But sometimes…” he turned and took in her face, “once in a great while, you start to think about what you’re doing.” His voice trailed off and he stared at the wood stove fire.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“You wouldn’t think so. But it makes things…” He glanced at her. “Complicated.”
“And is that a bad thing?”
He paused, obviously careful in his wording. “Not necessarily. Just unexpected. And possibly difficult. So not bad. Just—”
“—complicated.”
He looked in her direction, a small grin on his full lips. “Exactly.”
Keira felt her face warm. Oh. My. That look, that voice, that implication. Was it work that was complicated? Or something else?
Snap out of it. Keira softly shook her head to clear it. It had been what, two weeks, give me a break. Yes, he was eye candy and that was all. Period. He was leaving. Of course, she had been thinking while stacking the booth crates about their interactions over the past few days. His covering her hand with his. Sending bantering texts. Helping with the barn boutique. Still, what was up with her? Ms. Professional doing the Desperate Single Woman During The Holidays thing?
No. Maybe. Pathetic just the same.
“Speaking of capable…” He stared at the fire. “You’ve been in the same town for a long time, doing the same thing. What is it you want?”
Keira could answer in several ways, each of them too vulnerable. “I guess it’s shifted for me too, oddly enough. I used to want nothing more than to see Kenworth’s return to its jewel-like state. Mostly for my dad.”
“And now?”
Although she stared ahead, his gaze now warmed her. Their faces were too close. The room was too hot and this— this was far too cozy. “I’m not sure.”
Totally sure. “I guess I’ve realized…I mean…it’s suddenly become empty, without a…without a connection…a…”
“Without someone you care about to share it with.”
Silence.
“Yes.” Keira didn’t dare look at him. Much, much too hot in here. “I’m sure it’s due to the time of year… missing my mom and family, and all that.” And then it happened. That one word, family, and the tears started to come.
He turned to face her and she responded in kind. With a soft touch he wiped a tear. And then another. Then he cupped her face in his hand, stroking her cheek just once. “I’m sorry your mother is gone. And your father, at times, too. You’re an amazing person, Keira. And you deserve to be incredibly happy.”
A warm sensation spread through her ribs, a feeling of being fully accepted and appreciated by someone. By someone like Tayton. The tenderness in his deep brown eyes conveyed layered thoughts. How was it possible, in such a short time, that they could convey feelings with no words? Keira wanted to speak, to say something meaningful, but nothing would come. He was so close…
An expression passed over him, a cross between yearning and hesitancy. The latter gave out and he suddenly stood. “I need to get some more wood… outside.”
Keira simply nodded. Both of them knew dry wood was stored by the kitchen but they needed the break. While he was gone, Keira checked her watch. The sooner it was morning the better.
The proximity inside was more dangerous than any wildlife outside.
FOR KEIRA, MONDAY MORNING DAWNED early but not soon enough. She’d passed a fairly sleepless night on the couch, alternating between rest and watching him sleep on the floor by the wood stove. By the looks of Tayton’s dark eye circles, he’d had a similar experience. They had eaten a hasty oatmeal breakfast then headed down the now-open pass. First stop, however, was at his condo to grab the jumper cables.
Initially, conversation had been minimal but eventually they returned to their easy connection, albeit something indefinable had shifted. What exactly, she couldn’t say. Tayton helped her car start and again, followed her home to be sure all was well. The gentlemanly gesture was not lost on her.
Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 1) Page 38