He’d skipped his morning dose of painkillers because they made him too sluggish to work around power tools safely. Right now he regretted that decision. Damn, his leg hurt, but he was determined to ignore the throbbing pain that dogged his every step. There was no way he’d let it rule his life. Not now, not ever.
The sound of the back door opening snapped him back to the moment at hand. Bridey walked out ahead of Callie and Nick; she headed right for him with a can of pop. When she handed him the drink, she also slipped him a couple of pills. “Nick thought you might need these about now.”
Was it that obvious? Leif glanced at the pills and was relieved to see they were just aspirin. They wouldn’t knock out the pain completely, but maybe they’d at least blunt its sharp edges.
“Thanks, Bridey.”
She patted him on the shoulder as they waited for Nick to get the show on the road. The sergeant looked a bit twitchy up there on the porch, but he finally cleared his throat and started speaking. “I want to thank everyone for coming today. I promise not to work you all too hard, and it means a lot that you all volunteered.”
One of Clarence’s boys called out, “Or in our case, got volunteered!”
Clarence shot his son a dirty look but then grinned. “His mother begged me to bring them with me. Something about wanting an afternoon off from having to worry about what the pair of them were up to.”
Someone from the back shouted, “Can’t say as I blame her.”
Everyone laughed, including Jacob and Joshua. It had been a long time since Leif had been around the kind of humor that arose from everyone knowing everyone else’s business in a close-knit community like Snowberry Creek. As a teenager he’d hated it and was only too glad to leave his hometown behind when he’d enlisted. Odd to realize now that he’d actually been missing this kind of camaraderie after all these years. Meanwhile, Nick picked up where he’d left off.
“Well, however you came to be here, Callie and I both appreciate it.” He paused to take her hand, his smile fading a bit. “As you all know, Callie inherited this place from our good friend Corporal Spencer Lang.”
At the mention of Wheelman’s name, everyone in the crowd grew silent. They’d all lost one of their own. Thank God Nick kept the pause too short for Leif to lose himself in the past for long. “In Spence’s memory, we’re not just going to restore the house and the grounds to their former glory. As of today, we’re making it official that we’ll be converting the place into a bed-and-breakfast and naming it Rose Blossom Place, after his mother’s favorite kind of flower.”
Everyone clapped as Nick and Callie hugged each other, looking so damned pleased to be sharing their future plans with so many friends. Leif might have been jealous under different circumstances, but Sarge deserved to be happy. Besides, maybe now the couple would stop feeling guilty about having inherited the place and just be glad for the gift Spence had given them.
As the applause died away, Callie left Nick’s side long enough to pick up the surprise she’d had Leif stow in the back corner of the porch earlier in the day. She held up the brightly wrapped package. “There’s one more thing. As most of you know, Nick’s going to have to leave soon to finish out his tour in the army. Once he’s back, he’ll open his own remodeling business here in Snowberry Creek.”
After another round of applause, she handed Nick the package. “Go ahead and open it.”
He shot Leif a WTF look before tearing into the paper. When he had it unwrapped, he studied the certificate that Callie had had framed for him. His eyes were blinking like crazy as he turned it around and held it up to show everyone else.
“It’s my business license. As of right now, I guess Jenkins Renovations is officially up and running.” Nick swallowed hard and once again pegged Leif with a long look. “And just so you know, Leif, I left room for your name if you ever decide you want to throw in with me. We’ll hold that spot open until you’re ready, regardless of how long it takes.”
When Nick jumped down off the porch, Leif pushed himself up to his feet. What could he say? They both knew his current goal was to resume his army career. But as he looked around at the people scattered across the backyard, it hit him that there were worse places to end up than here in Snowberry Creek.
He and Nick exchanged one of those awkward man hugs that never felt comfortable but still meant so much. “Thanks, Sarge. That means a lot. No promises, though.”
His friend nodded. “I understand. I just wanted you to know that you’ve got options.”
Leif’s throat clogged up with the volatile mix of emotions that seemed to be his constant companion these days. The look in Nick’s eyes made it clear he was having the same problem, but he once again spoke to the crowd. “It’s time to kick off the work on Rose Blossom Place. The goal today is to move all the furniture from the third-floor bedrooms down to one of the spare rooms on the second floor. Once everything is out of the way, we’ll start knocking down walls and ripping up carpet! First of all, though, Leif and I will take a couple of ceremonial swings with the sledgehammer to get things started off right!”
While everyone else gathered up their tools and got their assignments, Leif headed inside to start the trek upstairs. It was a long haul to the top, but damned if he’d miss seeing Nick take out that first chunk of plaster. Right now, the plan was to turn the third floor into a private apartment for Nick and Callie.
Nick had confided that he’d also drawn up plans to convert the large attic on the fourth level into a master bedroom-and-bath combination so that there would be more room if they expanded their family. It was hard for Leif to get his head around the idea of Nick already thinking about kids, but good for him.
He reached the third floor just as the rest of the crew came pounding up the steps. Earlier, he and Nick had shoved all of the furniture in the first bedroom to one side. Everyone crowded into the small room, lining the walls as they waited for Nick to take that first ceremonial swing. Using the camera on his cell phone, Leif prepared to preserve the moment. He loved that Sarge made a production of it, pretending to spit on his hands and taking two practice swings with the sledgehammer. Then he threw all his strength behind the first blow to connect with the old plaster-and-lathe construction. Dust and wood splinters flew.
“Damn, Sarge! Nice job.”
Nick grinned and traded Leif the tool for the camera. “Your turn.”
He hefted the sledgehammer, liking the heavy feel of it in his hands. Like Nick, he took a couple of trial runs before finally really cutting loose. The impact sent a jolt screaming up his arms, but it felt good. Kind of like hitting a home run back when he played baseball in high school.
All the other men hooted and hollered while Nick stood next to him and grinned. “I’ve always known you had a real talent for wrecking things, Corporal!”
Leif handed back the sledgehammer and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I learned from the best, Sarge.”
Nick looked around the room at the other men. “We probably shouldn’t bash up any more walls until we get the rest of the furniture out of the way and the carpet ripped up.”
He handed Leif a clipboard and a mechanical pencil along with a pair of screwdrivers. “Here’s the list of jobs that I’m hoping we can get through today. I’ve already told everyone where they should start and to check in with you when they’re finished.”
Next, Nick pointed at a separate list on the second piece of paper. “I put you down for taking a bunch of stuff off the walls, including light switch covers and the like. There are boxes and packing tape in the closet over there to put it all in. That should keep your lazy ass busy when you’re not playing supervisor. Any questions?”
“Yeah, one. As supervisor, does that mean I get to tell you what to do?”
His friend smiled and shook his head. “You can try, but you might want to remember which one of us has the sledgehammer.”
“You do that, Corporal.”
• • •
Zoe parked at Callie’s parents’ house and cut through the woods to deliver the pan of lasagna she’d promised to bring to the potluck dinner. From what she understood, the gathering was in honor of Callie and her fiancé kicking off two new business ventures. Interesting that Callie had decided to stop flitting about the country to stay in Snowberry Creek and turn the old Lang place into a bed-and-breakfast. That should make her parents happy. Nick was going to oversee the necessary renovations to bring the old house up to code and then open his own remodeling business.
Although Zoe was several years older than Callie, they’d known each other back in high school and had become reacquainted since they’d both moved back to Snowberry Creek. When they’d run into each other at Something’s Brewing earlier in the week, and Callie had mentioned the work party they had planned for today, Zoe had offered to donate a casserole to the cause.
She could hear the deep rumble of male voices before she had even cleared the woods. Pausing at the edge of the lawn, she studied the scene in front of her. Men were sprawled all over the porch and even on the grass. Evidently, the work party portion of the day’s activities had come to a close. Before she could decide whether to wade through the scattering of bodies to reach the front door or head around to the back of the house, a dog spotted her and sounded the alarm.
Several of the men sat up long enough to see what had set the dog off, but they immediately resumed their relaxed positions. Only one stood up and made his way toward her, using a cane to support himself as he cut straight across the yard in her direction. She started forward to save him having to come the whole distance.
When they met in the middle of the yard, she smiled. “I’m sorry if I’m late. Callie told me dinner wouldn’t be until after six.”
“No problem. You’re not late.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “We got through Nick’s checklist faster than expected and knocked off early. Callie and company are busy out back putting the finishing touches on dinner.”
That was a relief. Zoe would’ve hated spending a good part of her afternoon putting together her mother’s best recipe for lasagna to find out everyone had already eaten.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Corporal Leif Brevik.”
“Zoe Phillips.” She held up her foil-covered casserole dish. “I’d shake hands, but mine are a bit full at the moment. However, it is nice to put a face to the name. Callie has mentioned you.”
The man’s grin kicked up a couple of notches. “Should I claim everything Callie said is a pack of outrageous lies or take credit for all the marvelous things she said about me?”
Zoe laughed. “Well, Corporal, I’d hedge your bets and do a little bit of both. She did say you were a good-looking charmer. She got that part right.”
She suspected Leif normally had a fair dose of the swagger that was second nature to soldiers, but her compliment had him blushing. Cute. She hadn’t been kidding, either. Leif would turn women’s heads in any crowd. A shade under six feet tall, he had nice broad shoulders, although he could stand to put on a few more pounds. He wore his dark hair longer than regulation, so she had to guess he was on leave, maybe something to do with that Velcro-and-plastic boot on his left leg. His brown eyes were framed with ridiculously long lashes and laugh lines. Like she’d first thought, a good-looking charmer.
Leif was talking again. “I’ll walk you around back. I was heading that way to grab a couple of beers for me and Nick when I spotted you.”
She suspected he was making up that last part, but if he wanted to provide escort, she wasn’t going to argue. “Lead on—and I wouldn’t mind a cold drink myself.”
“You got it.”
When they reached the backyard, Leif veered off toward a row of coolers lined up along the side of the yard. As soon as Callie spotted Zoe, she set down a giant bowl of salad and headed straight for her. “I’m so glad you could make it! I also really appreciate your bringing something, too. We’ll need it.”
Zoe stared at the huge array of food arranged down the length of two long tables. “Wow, that’s quite a spread.”
“It is, but we’ve ended up with a good-sized crowd tonight.” Callie held out her hands. “Why don’t you let me take that for you? Grab a drink and relax. We’ll be eating as soon as we finish reheating the last few casseroles.”
Zoe surrendered the lasagna. “Careful. I took it out of the oven just before I left, so it’s still hot.”
While Callie found a spot for the pan on the table, Leif appeared at Zoe’s side with her drink. “I hope you like amber ale; this is one of my favorites. Ever since we got here, Nick and I have been working our way through all of the local microbrews.”
“This is fine. Thank you.” She took a sip and looked around the yard. “That gazebo looks new. Was that part of the plan for the B and B?”
“Right on both counts.”
A catch in his voice hinted that there was more to the story, but she didn’t press for details. Still, it did make her curious. “Mind if I take a closer look?”
“No, go ahead.”
He looked hesitant about following her, but then Callie called his name, which settled the matter. Zoe stopped a few feet away from the gazebo to admire the gentle curves of the roof and the lacy look of the latticework that formed the sides of the structure. The design was simple but elegant. She stepped inside and immediately wished it was hers. For sure, Callie’s future guests would love it.
As she turned back to see if Callie could use a helping hand, she noticed some writing on the back wall. Stepping closer, she read the words written there in black paint. As soon as she did, she almost wished she hadn’t. Leif and Nick had built the place as a memorial for their friend and fellow soldier Spence Lang. It was a lovely gesture, one that also explained the odd note she’d heard in Leif’s voice when she’d asked about it. It was tempting to find the man and give him a big hug.
Soldiers were a tough lot, but she knew firsthand how much they suffered when they lost a friend in battle. She immediately took a mental step back from the sign and the painful memories it triggered. Now wasn’t the time for any dark thoughts. It was an evening for celebrations. She stepped out of the gazebo just as Callie picked up a pan and banged it with a wooden spoon to summon the hungry crowd.
They came pouring around from the front yard, pushing and jostling one another like a bunch of kids. The women immediately took refuge on the far side of the table. Zoe thought that showed good sense and joined them. Picking up a serving spoon, she began dishing out the food as the line filed by.
When it was Leif’s turn, he smiled at her. “Can I save you a seat?”
“I’d appreciate it. I’ll be along as soon as the line dies down.”
“Want another ale?”
“That would be great.”
A pair of teenagers right behind Leif grew restless. “Leif, get a move on. We’re hungry. Besides, we want to get in the dessert line early to make sure we get some of Mom’s pie.”
Leif rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to hear about it. You two get to eat her pie all the time. Do the decent thing and let the rest of us have first dibs.”
Bridey joined the conversation. “Leif, I’m disappointed. Here I made a point of bringing my strawberry cheesecake because you like it so much.”
He gave her a guilty look. “Aw, come on, Bridey. We’re talking blueberry pie here! Besides, I planned on having a piece of your cheesecake, too.”
Looking disappointed, Bridey shook her head. “Sorry. Too late.”
Although Zoe was sure Bridey was kidding, she intervened on Leif’s behalf. “Can’t he have both? I’m sure he’s put in a long
day doing all kinds of manly things.”
Leif looked hopeful. “That’s right. I have. I personally took down at least a dozen light switch covers and knocked a big hole in the wall. I also checked things off a list.”
The other woman wasn’t buying it. “Seriously? You think checking things off a list warrants a piece of my cheesecake AND a piece of pie?”
The Reed brothers complained again. “Quit holding up the line, Leif. Flirt on your own time.”
Leif shot his younger companions a dirty look. “Hush, children. To answer your question, Bridey, maybe I don’t deserve both, but I have been known to carry out a strategic raid when the objective is worth the risk. Stealing a piece of your cheesecake definitely falls into that category.”
Then he winked at Zoe. “I’ll save you that spot.”
After he continued on down the line, Zoe realized Bridey was giving her an odd look. “What?”
Bridey whispered, “What do you think of Leif? He’s cute, isn’t he?”
Zoe’s first instinct was to deny that there was any kind of attraction going on. “I just met the man a few minutes ago!”
Then it occurred to her that she might be treading on someone else’s territory. “Sorry, Bridey. I didn’t know you were—”
Realizing that their conversation wasn’t exactly private, she lowered her voice, too. “Interested in him.”
“I’m not, I’m sad to say. He’s a great guy and a real cutie, but that’s as far as it goes. For one thing, I don’t know how long he’ll be here. No use in getting involved with someone who’s not going to stick around.”
Bridey immediately turned her attention back to serving the next guy in line. As Zoe waited for him to reach her station, she followed Leif’s slow progress across to where he’d staked out two lawn chairs. Bridey was right. He was a cutie, but Zoe wasn’t one for short-term flings, either.
A Reason to Love Page 28