“Yes.” She liked him saying us in relation to the two of them. She’d liked being in his arms, too. He was warm, and that heady male scent of him filled her lungs.
Realizing he was almost to the back of his truck, she snapped out of it and hurried to lower the tailgate so he could set it inside.
“What time did you leave last night?” she asked.
“About ten.” His expression turned a bit sheepish as he pushed the cooler back a couple feet. “I fell asleep for a little while, too.”
“You should’ve woke me up,” she admonished lightly. “I didn’t get up until my alarm.”
“You needed the rest.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Did I look that bad?”
“No—I…”
Color flushed his cheeks and she took pity. “I’m kidding. And you’re right, I did need the sleep. My headache is completely gone.”
“Good.”
His gaze met hers, mostly brown this morning, with just the slightest tint of moss-green. She wished he’d kissed her last night. Wished he’d kiss her now.
The thought made it difficult to get oxygen into her lungs again. When she realized she’d dropped her gaze to his mouth, she quickly spun back to the coffee shop.
Chapter 11
Levi blinked and sucked in a deep breath.
“I’ve got one more cooler and the coffee pot,” Mallory said as she practically ran for the door. “Plus a box and a table.”
He unclenched his hands at his side before following her without a word.
She avoided his gaze as he lifted the second cooler and carried it out to his truck. Once everything was loaded, she called inside to let Shea know she was leaving and promised to bring her back some breakfast. Then she hopped up to sit on the tailgate and hold the full coffee urn. It would’ve fit in the cab, but she chose the back.
He flexed his hands on the steering wheel as he drove around the lodge and across the parking lot to the back of the barns. He’d come so close to reaching out for her a few minutes ago. One more second and she’d have been in his arms.
He shifted his gaze to the rearview mirror again. She held her windblown hair from her face with one hand, while the other arm hugged the coffee urn to keep it upright as he drove.
He was pretty sure the attraction was mutual. She’d practically licked her lips while staring at his mouth.
So why the hell had he hesitated? And why’d she turn away?
Were they a pair of idiots, or was it best to resist this thing with her planning to leave sometime in the future?
Could he spend time with her knowing she might be gone in a month? Two? Six?
No.
Well, yes, but not without getting attached. He had no doubts if he opened himself up to her, she’d be in his heart forever. She affected him like no one ever had before.
Which would leave him where, exactly?
Somewhere he didn’t want to be. He wasn’t sure he could handle where losing her would leave him.
Which gave him his answer, didn’t it?
His jaw clenched in protest as he made the turn onto the dirt track that led behind the barns. He parked the truck and got out to help her unload. She set up the table off to the side, away from the work area, and he transferred the urn and two coolers after she’d spread out a plastic table cover.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Not at the moment.” She gave him a quick smile as she unpacked the box, setting out paper plates, cups, napkins, and utensils. “Thanks.”
He nodded and returned to his truck to go park it out of the way. He lifted his hand in greeting to Eric, Mark, and another man walking toward the work area. Levi returned to join them a few minutes later and was introduced to one of their cousins, Nash. Dark hair and six feet tall seemed to run in the family genes.
As they shook hands, the guy’s gaze shifted toward the food table and a wide smile broke out on his face. He released Levi’s hand and spread his arms wide.
“Mallory Parker!”
She stepped up to the group with a grin. “Nash Riley.”
The guy scooped her up in a big bear hug—and she hugged him back. Her gaze met Levi’s for a second before she smacked Nash’s shoulder. “Put me down.”
Levi had to consciously keep his hands from clenching into fists at his sides. He shoved them into his front pockets. He had no claim, no right to be jealous. Hadn’t he just decided he couldn’t risk falling for her?
From the corner of his eye, he spotted Butch leaning against the doorjamb of the rear barn door, watching them all.
“Back for a visit and they put you to work,” Mallory joked once she was back on her feet.
“Actually, he’s moving back,” Eric said.
“Seriously? When? Shea didn’t say anything.”
Besides surprise, her voice also held a note of something Levi couldn’t quite define. He was ridiculously relieved to see she didn’t look all that happy about the news, either. Until he wondered if the guy was an ex, and his gut twisted.
“As soon as I close on my new place,” Nash told her. “I just told my family last night.”
The group shifted as other volunteers began to arrive and Janelle pulled up in Mark’s truck. She and Judy each carried a pan of food to set on the table.
While the line to eat started to form, Mallory asked, “You, ah, see Josie yet?”
Nash’s expression closed off as Levi stood aside to let them go first. “Not yet.”
“She know you’re coming home?”
“No idea.”
By the tone of his voice, he might as well have stated outright back-off. Clearly there was some history between Nash and Josie the baker. Ironically, as the other guy’s tension grew, Levi’s drained away.
“Sorry—I’ll leave it be,” Mallory said, respecting the message. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Sounds like it,” he shot back with a wry twist of his lips.
“Really, I am. It’s good to see you again.”
They exchanged a smile as the line moved along, and the tension eased. When she reached for a plate, Nash caught her hand. “What’s this? Doug still hasn’t manned up and put a ring on your finger?”
From the corner of his eye, Levi caught her swift glance in his direction. He kept his attention focused on the table.
“Doug and I broke up almost six months ago.”
“You’re kidding.” Nash reached for his own plate and fork. “What was it, like four, five years?”
“Four.”
Four years? Levi thought. A breakup six months ago? And she couldn’t wait to get the hell out of town? Maybe she wasn’t looking for more out in the world so much as to get away from what was here. The thought unleashed a wave of unexpected hope. What if he gave her a reason to stay?
His heart kicked against his ribs. Dangerous thinking there. Yet, once thought, it wouldn’t go away.
“From what I heard you two were going to be together forever,” Nash said.
“Not when only one person is putting effort into the relationship.”
“True. He always did have too much idiot in him.”
Her shrug registered in Levi’s peripheral vision again. He had to agree with Nash. Any man that took her for granted was a certified dumbass.
They were pretty much through the line, and after the guy filled a cup with coffee, they moved off to the side. Mark sidled up on Levi’s left just as he heard Nash say to Mallory, “We should go out sometime.”
The suggestion made Levi’s hand tighten on the handle of the serving spatula as he dumped a healthy square of hash brown-egg bake onto his plate. He couldn’t help a quick glance toward the two of them, but the guy’s broad shoulders blocked her expression from his view.
“How are things going with Mallory?”
Mark’s question jerked Levi’s head back around. “What?”
“With her moving in next door,” the major added. “Everything okay?”
Still tuned
in to the other conversation, he heard Mallory answer Nash. “That’d be great. We’ll get the old gang back together and catch up.”
Levi released his breath and answered Mark. “Yeah, it’s fine. You want coffee?”
“Please.”
While he poured two cups, Mallory backed up along the track that led around the barn. “I have to get back to the gift shop, but call if you guys need anything else. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything turns out.”
Amidst the chorus of goodbyes from others around him, Levi remained silent, his gaze tracking her departure.
Hers swung to his in time to give him a grin, then she flipped around and called back over her shoulder, “Thanks again for the help, Levi.”
She was too far away by that time for him to reply without sounding like an idiot. He watched the sway of her hips, realized he was staring, and turned to hand Mark his coffee so fast some sloshed over the side.
“Sorry.”
“How about a lid?” his boss requested dryly.
Hating the heat crawling up his neck, he grabbed two lids and passed one to Mark. When he reached to put one on his own cup, he spotted Butch still at the door of the barn. The old man met his gaze, grinned, and winked.
He narrowed his gaze and snapped the lid on. The sneaky bastard had a twinkle in his eye—he was definitely up to something.
Levi moved over and took a seat on the end of a pile of lumber to eat his breakfast. Eric, Mark, and Nash joined him. The three had grown up together and it only took a few minutes of listening to the three to recognize the family resemblance, not only in looks, but also in their easy-going manner.
By mid-morning, much as he didn’t want to, he admitted Nash Riley was an okay guy. Apparently, he was moving back to help his dad with the family business. No one else mentioned the girl named Josie.
When the pizza arrived for lunch at about twelve-thirty, he found himself searching for Mallory. This time, the younger girl from the gift shop showed up to take a couple slices back for each of them, and he forced the disappointment to the back of his mind.
The last booth was completed by three. As he’d worked, he thought of adding some wooden leaf and pumpkin embellishments to represent the Fall Harvest theme and mentioned it to Eric.
“If you can cut them out for me,” he told him, “I’ll paint them and add ’em on.”
Eric nodded. “That’s a great idea. I’ll get them to you by the end of the week.”
“The girls will love that,” Mark agreed. His gaze shifted past his brother’s shoulder, and when a slight frown creased his brow, Levi turned to see what had caught his attention.
A red mustang convertible rolled down the driveway toward the lodge parking lot, top down in the warm weather to reveal an older gentleman at the wheel.
“What’s Ed Holden doing here?” Nash asked.
“He’s one of our corporate sponsors,” Mark replied. “Their grocery chain usually supplies all the burgers and brats when we hold an event like this.” He unbuckled his tool belt and handed it over to Levi. “I wasn’t aware of any meeting today, so I better go see what he wants.”
Chapter 12
A knock on the conference room door brought Mallory’s head up to see Janelle in the doorway.
“You got a minute to talk?”
“Of course.” She gestured to one of the chairs and the redhead took a seat. The grim expression on her face made Mallory’s stomach do an uneasy flip. “What’s going on?”
“Ed Holden just paid us a surprise visit.”
“He’s the CEO of Holden Prices, right?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, he, um, came out to let us know they’re withdrawing their support.”
“What?” She sat up straighter. The grocery store chain was a large contributor. “Why?”
“I don’t even want to tell you this,” Janelle said with a sigh, “But with the way gossip travels in this town, I figure it’s best you hear it from me.”
The sympathetic regret in her eyes made Mallory’s stomach somersault again, and keep flipping.
“Someone on his board brought it to his attention that you used to manage Sunny Days Daycare. After the arrest of Ron and Claire Bertrand yesterday, he felt the need to voice his concern with you being in any way associated with soliciting funds for the lodge.”
She stiffened, and in one heartbeat, her entire body went cold. “I knew nothing about what was going on at Sunny Days. The police cleared me.”
“I told him that. He pointed out that your brother is a cop.”
Her jaw went slack. “He accused Shane of…of…” The idea was so ludicrous, she couldn’t even think of the right word. “He’d never do something like that. I didn’t do anything.”
“I know that,” Janelle assured her. “And he didn’t outright accuse, more like inferred.”
She took a deep breath, then forced her gaze to her boss’s. “Am I fired?”
Green eyes widened. “No. Hell no.”
It was hard to swallow past the lump in her throat. “You and Mark are losing a big sponsor because of me.”
“We’re losing a judgmental asshole because…well, because he’s a conclusion jumping, judgmental asshole.”
Normally, that would’ve made her smile, but screw optimism. Right now she was too mad to smile. The real kicker was, Shane had texted her an hour ago—the Bertrands had pled guilty at their arraignment, so there would be no trial. She was supposed to be able to move past this now, not have it affect Mark and Janelle and all the veterans they helped.
“What if I leave?” she asked. “Will he recommit?”
Janelle leaned forward and glared at her. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“But surely Mark—”
“Mark agrees with me one hundred percent. This is not your fault. Just as it’s Ed’s right to donate his money where he wants to, it’s our right whether or not we want to accept it.”
She forced a smile for her boss.
“Seriously, Mallory, we do not blame you. We knew the situation when we offered you the job. You know, we didn’t walk into this with blinders on. Mark has friends who know your brother and the other officers at the station involved in the investigation. Every single one of them vouched for the both of you, and we had no qualms about hiring you.”
“Thanks.”
“Again, I only said something because I didn’t want you to hear about it second hand. We’ll find another sponsor. I’m not worried about that.”
After the bias she’d faced when the daycare first closed, she wasn’t so sure. She tapped her pen on the list of businesses she’d been working her way down for the afternoon. Was Holden’s response the reason some of the people she’d spoken with were so noncommittal?
She explained some of the calls to Janelle, ending with, “Maybe it’s better if I focus solely on the organization of the festival and someone else handles the donation calls.”
She knew it was for the best, but it still hurt when Janelle reluctantly agreed. “I can take that on. I feel like I’ve been slacking anyway.”
Unable to meet her gaze anymore, Mallory swiveled her chair toward her laptop. “I’ll type up my notes from the calls today and then email you the spreadsheet.”
“Good. Oh, and can you edit Holden Prices off the brochure, too? I’ll get some new ones printed out to replace the ones we have around town. If you can send me that, and the list of where you dropped them off, I’ll handle the redistribution.”
She didn’t have the energy to argue. “Sure.”
Janelle stood, then paused by her chair. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” To prove it, she met her boss’s concerned expression with a forced a smile. “Really.”
Janelle surprised her by leaning down to give her a hug. “We want you here, Mallory. I know it’s only been a month, but we love the job you’re doing.”
Emotion clogged her throat. “Thank you.”
“I mean it,” she said as she straighten
ed. “And, for some good news, Mark said the booths are all done. You should go check them out.”
“I will.”
Once she left, Mallory forced emotion out of the way. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she updated the spreadsheet and brochure, and sent everything attached to an email as promised. Then she packed up her things and left the lodge.
Her gaze swung toward the barns. The thought of going over to see the work the guys had done made her cringe. They all—including her—were putting so much effort into this festival for a good cause, and one asshole had to come and ruin it with his judgmental, clueless suspicions.
Facing anyone at the moment, especially Mark, made her stomach turn. Janelle could claim it wasn’t her fault and that they didn’t blame her, but shame dogged her heels.
Being that she was still without a vehicle, she headed to her cabin on foot. The garage had come out to pick up her car after Shea’s boyfriend Keller had confirmed the alternator had drained her battery. He could’ve jumped it, but since the alternator needed to be working to charge the battery, she still wouldn’t have gotten very far.
Walking turned out to be a good thing. With each step she took, humiliation faded, and anger took its place.
Stupid small town. The reminder she needed as to why she wanted out had been delivered tenfold.
She strode across the porch and slammed the cabin door hard as she tossed her purse toward the island. Too late, she saw her mug full of cold coffee from the night before still sitting on the counter. When her purse hit it, the cup flew off the other side and shattered. She stalked over to see dark liquid dripping from the cupboards and pooling on the hardwood floor.
Splintered pieces of her favorite mug lay drowning in the mess. Might as well be her life. The weight of the past couple months pressed down. Years wasted with Doug. Losing her job. People looking at her as if she’d done something wrong. Her car. Her pathetic savings account.
So far, she’d managed to hold it all together with a smile. But now that smile was becoming too brittle to contain her swelling fury.
She spun around as the walls of the little cabin closed in on her. The emotions were too immense to be contained and if she didn’t get out, she would explode.
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