He nodded. And honestly, he had no idea why he was prolonging this. He’d already mentally acknowledged his attraction to her, and how it couldn’t lead to anything. The smart thing to do would be to not spend any extra time with her and just focus on other things.
Like how he was going to keep warm in a house with no roof while it was snowing.
“I have a better idea,” she said after a minute, and he couldn’t help but be intrigued. “How about we both walk across the yard, and you can make sure I get there safely and you can look at the loft. This way, no one has to scrape the windshield and there’s less of a chance of the truck skidding into a tree. Right now, I think walking is the safest way to travel the hundred yards or so that we have to go.”
It did sound like a better idea, and then he could just turn around and come back.
But just in case…
“Let me just run inside for a heavier coat and I’ll be right back.”
* * *
The ground was crazy slick and they were laughing one minute and almost falling on their butts the next. By the time they reached her front porch, she was afraid she had broken his arm from holding it so hard.
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “That was quite the adventure. I’m glad you walked with me because that was not as easy as I thought it would be.”
“I’m sure it wouldn’t have been any easier in the truck,” he said.
Turning, she opened the front door and motioned for Ford to follow her in. She was thankful the place was a lot cleaner and organized than it was when he’d been there earlier. “I really do appreciate the help.” And she was about to comment on how she hoped he’d be safe going back, and then remembered how he’d spent a dozen years in the military. No doubt he could walk across the slick ground a lot easier without a craft-crazy kindergarten teacher holding him down.
“It smells great in here,” Ford commented as he stepped farther into the room.
“Thanks,” she replied, trying not to let the small compliment go to her head. The whole house smelled of the creamy chicken tortilla soup she had simmering in her Crock-Pot, and she’d been looking forward to it all day. Walking into the kitchen, she turned the Crock-Pot off and pulled off her gloves. Turning to him, she wasn’t sure of what else to say. “So…”
He looked so out of place in the middle of this small house. Everything about Ford Garrison was larger than life. He was tall and lean and muscled, and everything around him seemed almost ridiculously small in comparison. Like he was a grown man standing in a dollhouse.
Clearing his throat, Ford said, “Mind if I go up and take a look?”
She shrugged and motioned for him to go ahead and when he got to the top, Ford had to step into the middle of the room because it was the only spot tall enough for him to stand up straight. He hadn’t mentioned any leaks or drafts when he’d slept up here last week, but he also had been so exhausted it was possible he wouldn’t have noticed anyway.
But clearly he was noticing them now.
He muttered a curse as he looked closer at the ceiling.
That’s when she knew he saw the duct tape in the corner of the ceiling.
Callie moved a little closer to him. “That was something that started about a month ago,” she said. “I hated to bother Margaret with it, and I certainly know nothing about home repairs. I had planned to talk to her but then she fell and…” She shrugged again. “I had to do something to block the air from coming in and I didn’t know what else to do. I guess duct tape isn’t good at keeping the rain out.”
It was awkward because he had to bend and crouch and twist to get down to the lowest point where the roof pitch met the wall, and he carefully peeled back the tape.
And was met with water dripping onto his face.
With a muttered curse, he peeled back more tape and groaned. “Have you noticed any other problems like this?”
“It’s not a big deal,” she said evasively, but when Ford turned his head and leveled a hard look at her, she caved. “It’s just as breezy around all of the windows. I went to the hardware store and bought some of those kits to seal your windows for the winter, but I don’t think I did a very good job. There’s not as big of a breeze coming through, but there’s definitely still one.”
“A fresh seal of caulk could work temporarily,” he said, even as he walked over to feel around the window above the bed. “I have a case of it over at the house. Let me run over and get it and—”
“You really don’t have to!” she said quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. He turned and looked at her oddly. “I mean…it’s getting late, the weather’s bad, and you know how treacherous it was walking over here. It’s only going to be worse now, and it would require several trips back and forth so really, it can wait.”
“No, it can’t,” he said firmly.
There was no point in arguing with him. She’d been the one to reach out about needing help and he was simply doing what she asked. Still, she felt guilty about it now and was hating herself a little bit for it.
“Do you have any tape over in the workshop?”
They moved to the middle of the room by the foot of the bed so he could straighten. “Tape isn’t going to fix that or even hold out the moisture. I’m going to need to look at the roof and see about re-insulating it as well.” He raked a hand through his hair. “And I’m sure all of the windows will need to be replaced too. They’re original to the place so it’s way past time that happened as well.”
She felt more than a little discouraged. “Oh.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I know the place needs to be updated, and all of the things you’re talking about will make it warm and cozy here…”
“But?” he prompted.
“But…it also sounds like a lot of work that will make the place unlivable. And I kind of need to live here.” She looked up at him. “I work and the holidays are right around the corner and it would be hard for me to move anyplace right now. Any chance this stuff could all be done in a day?”
“It’s possible the windows could all be done in a day,” he explained. “And being that the structure is small, the roof could possibly be done in another day, but I can’t make any promises. Honestly, the guesthouse wasn’t on my agenda, so now I’m going to have to find a way to include all of this as well.”
Callie immediately held up her hands to stop him. “It’s not necessary. Really. The main house is the only thing you need to worry about. Margaret needs to come home to a house that’s safe and habitable. I’m fine like this. If you could just do something temporary for the leak, that would be great.”
“Callie, this place needs more than a temporary fix. With the snow and the ice coming, there’s a good chance the roof won’t hold out.”
With a heavy sigh, she turned and walked down the stairs and into the kitchen and grabbed herself a bottle of water, and handed one to Ford as well. “Can we just deal with a patch for tonight?” she asked wearily. “There’s nothing else that can be done thanks to the weather, so…”
“You can’t stay like this, with the ice storm being what it is,” Ford said sternly. “It’s going to get even colder in here. You shouldn’t have to live like that.”
“You’re living with half a roof and nothing but some plastic and duct tape keeping the elements away from you,” she argued lightly. “I think you should focus on keeping yourself warm. I’ll be fine here like this. I’m almost used to it.”
That last statement was her mistake.
Ford gave her a pointed look as he went and put his coat on. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said as he walked out the door.
An hour later, all of the windows had been sealed with caulk and so had the trim around the front door. Without a word, Ford had gone up to the loft, along with the large toolbox he’d brought with him, and no doubt was sealing the small window above the bed and seeing what else he could do as a temporary patch to the large crack in the ceiling. She hated that he w
as doing this when he had his own issues to deal with to keep the ranch warm enough to sleep in.
Next thing she knew, he was coming back down the stairs. “It’s not a permanent fix, but I think it will be okay for the next couple of days. Once this storm is done and I have a full crew back here again, would you mind if I sent someone over to take a look at the roof?”
“Not at all,” she said with a hint of relief. It would be nice to not have to sleep in layers, but she still kind of hated how she was adding to his already overburdened workload.
“I guess I should head back before it gets worse out there.” Then he laughed softly. “Not that I can’t handle walking in the snow or anything, but…”
Callie laughed with him. “But why take the risk, right?”
Nodding, he said, “Right.”
“Unless you want to stay and have dinner with me?” she said quickly before she lost her nerve. “You know…since you fed me last time, maybe you wouldn’t mind staying a little bit longer and having something to eat. I’ve got enough soup here to feed about ten people.”
He didn’t even hesitate. “Thanks. I’d like that.”
And when he smiled at her, Callie couldn’t help the silly little flip her heart seemed to do.
This isn’t a date. This isn’t a date.
But somehow, with the snow falling outside and things feeling warm and cozy inside, it kind of felt like it could be.
Five
Everything in her relaxed and she immediately went to get the rest of the meal together. “Just make yourself comfortable. I’m going to make a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup. I was going to make cheese quesadillas, but I forgot to buy the flour tortillas.”
“Are you kidding? I’m just happy to not have to be making anything myself. Since getting here, I’ve eaten at the ranch every day to stay close to the work and that’s not something I’m used to. Back home, I go out and grab takeout or hang out with friends a couple of times a week. This has been a lot more isolating than I thought it would be.”
“What about your parents? I’m sure you could go and have dinner with them,” she suggested as she began organizing her ingredients.
“They’ve been at some sort of real estate seminar down in Portland all week. I’m planning on getting together with them after they get back.”
“I’m sure that will be nice.”
He shrugged. “Either way, I’m thankful for my menial cooking skills and the fact that No Man’s Land still makes some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, but eventually I’m going to have to do a little more for myself.”
“Well, I’m sure with all of the construction going on, cooking is the last thing on your mind.” She stopped and gasped. “Oh, no!”
Ford was instantly on his feet and walking toward her. “What? What’s the matter?”
“The oven! You left the oven on over at the ranch! That’s not safe, Ford! You need to go and turn it off!”
With a quiet chuckle, he looked away. “Um…no. It’s okay. It won’t be a problem.”
“But it’s not a good idea to leave an oven on when no one’s home. I’m telling you, you need to shut it off.”
Raking a hand through his hair, he faced her again, and the look on his face almost took her breath away—the boyish grin, the big brown eyes…totally swoon-worthy.
“I turned the oven off when I went back into the house to grab my coat,” he said softly. “So you see…it’s not a big deal.”
“Oh.”
And then she wondered if he had turned it off because he knew the dangers of leaving the oven on while no one was home, or…
“I was kind of hoping you’d ask me to stay,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.
Unfortunately, that statement had her mind going in all kinds of directions, and none of them had to do with sharing a dinner of soup and sandwiches.
“Oh.”
Riveting conversation, Callie. Why not move on to using two-syllable words…
He stepped in closer, and she swallowed hard and willed her heart rate to not go into overdrive.
“Maybe it was a little presumptuous, but…like I said, I’m not used to being so isolated and…”
Great. It wasn’t that he wanted to spend time with her, he was just looking to spend time with someone.
Anyone.
Awesome.
“I really enjoy spending time with you,” he finished.
Oh. Well, that was much better.
She couldn’t help but smile. “I enjoy spending time with you too.”
And just when she was about to move in a little closer, Ford stepped around her. “So what can I help you with? I make a pretty decent grilled cheese sandwich, so I can do those while you finish with the soup if you’d like.”
“Oh…um…sure. That would be great. Thanks.” Pointing to all of the ingredients she’d already laid out, Callie grabbed a pan and placed it on the stove. “If you don’t mind getting those going, I’d like to change real quick. My jeans are still a little damp from the walk over.”
With a smile, she quickly slipped into her bedroom and closed the door. Not that Ford was going to be trying to catch a glimpse of her changing, but it just seemed a little…intimate to be stripping off her pants while someone was in the next room.
Pulling a pair of leggings from her dresser, she quickly peeled off her jeans and sat on the bed. Dinner with Ford? Alone, just the two of them? Unable to help herself, she did a happy little dance in place and willed herself not to squeal with delight. Rather than focusing on the fact that he was just looking for someone to hang out with instead of being up at the ranch alone, she was going to enjoy their time together.
Maybe if he enjoyed tonight’s dinner, he’d want to see more of her while he was here working on the ranch. And then…
Then he was going back to Virginia.
He wasn’t going to stay here in Eagle’s Ridge. Everybody know that. And there was no way she was going to get involved with someone—again—who didn’t want to stay. She’d been there, done that, and had the heartbreak to show for it.
Dating Matt Kelly had been everything to Callie for five long years. She had been so certain they would get married and settle down here. Somewhere along the line, she had missed all the signs that Matt wanted to leave Eagle’s Ridge, and even when he started talking about travel, she’d thought he’d just meant for vacations. The last year of their relationship had been spent with them arguing over geography.
It wasn’t that Callie didn’t want to travel. She did. But…this was always going to be her home. There was so much that she loved about Washington, and particularly this town—the people, the businesses, the history—that she couldn’t imagine living anyplace else.
Why was it so hard to find a man who she was attracted to who wanted the same things she did? Was she really asking for that much?
“How many sandwiches would you like?” Ford called out to her.
“Just one please!”
Shaking her head to clear all images of happily ever afters, she quickly changed into the leggings and one of her favorite sweatshirts. After all, if she was going to try to push aside her musings of getting involved with Ford, she should start by acting as if he’s just a friend.
A friend you want to get naked with…
No! she quickly admonished. He was just a friend. End of story. Heck, she wasn’t even going to check her makeup or try to freshen it up.
Feeling slightly confident, Callie went to join Ford in the kitchen.
And the look of him in her tiny kitchen was almost comical. He was far too big to be comfortable in the space, and she took pity on him and quickly helped him plate their sandwiches before telling him to sit. She put the soup in bowls and sat down to join him.
While they ate, he updated her on the work on the house, and she hated how uncomfortable it was going to be for him. He didn’t seem overly fazed by it—probably because he’d slept in worse conditions while in the servic
e—but she still felt bad for him.
“How’s Margaret?” she asked. “My week got away from me and I only got in to see her twice. I called her yesterday, but she was just getting back from therapy and was tired.”
Ford finished chewing and shook his head slightly. “Grams was never a big woman, but when I went to see her on Monday, she looked tiny and frail and just…I don’t know…older than I was expecting. It wasn’t that long ago that I was here, and yet I feel like she’s aged in the last few months and it was…”
He paused and Callie could tell he was getting choked up.
Reaching over, she placed a reassuring hand over his. “It was upsetting,” she said softly. “I get it. Sometimes it seems like it happens overnight. My grandparents have been gone a long time and my memories are always of them being older, but I’m seeing it with my mom. It started when she had to cut back on her cleaning services because it was getting harder and harder for her to handle.”
“Housework is a pretty physical job,” Ford commented.
“It is, and I guess that’s why it was kind of weird for me when she had to cut back. She’d never complained about doing any kind of physical work. She’s strong and determined and she seemed to love it. So for her to have to cut back told me she was really struggling.”
“How is she doing now?”
Callie smiled. “She’s not quite retired, but almost. She has two houses a week that she does, and then she works at the bed and breakfast in town part time.”
“And your dad?”
Her smile fell, and she realized Ford probably didn’t know anything about her family other than the fact that her mom used to clean for Margaret. “I haven’t seen my dad since I was three,” she said, pulling her hand back slowly and taking a spoonful of her soup.
Ford cursed under his breath and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Callie. That’s just…it’s awful.”
“It’s okay. It’s not really a big deal. At least not anymore.”
It was a depressing subject, and even though she told the world it didn’t bother her, it did. It would have been easy to simply let that ruin their dinner, but she was an optimist—most of the time—and decided to simply change the subject.
Ford: 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers Page 7