by Cari Quinn
He quirked a brow. “Coffee cake?”
“You’ve got her wrapped, Oscar.”
He took the pastry. “I had to put up a heavy bag out back.” He patted his belly. “Your mother’s going to give me a spare tire.”
She doubted it. The man was nothing but sinew and muscle under the layers he always wore. She walked around the table and slid her finger over the glass-smooth finish of the table. “I saw the Adirondack chair you left out there.”
He shrugged. “You kept stroking the one I made for a client. I figured you wanted one.”
“Did it hurt your heart to stain it blue?”
“A little.” He leaned against the table and crossed his arms over his powerful chest. His arms seemed larger, if that was at all possible. From all the labor he’d been doing on the Heron? Or maybe that heavy bag?
She curled her fingers under the fuzzy mittens she wore. “Well, I love it. You didn’t have to do that, though. I know what a good price you can get for them.”
“It makes the dock look good.”
“I’ll be sure to think that when I sit with a cup of coffee later.”
He stood up straight and walked to her. He swiped the pad of his thumb along her lower lip. “Merry Christmas, Kendall.”
“I…I didn’t get you anything.”
“I don’t need anything.”
“Will you be coming over for dinner tonight?”
“I’m not big for crowds. Looks like you’ve got your hands full at the house.”
Disappointed but not surprised, she looked up at him. “Mom’s doing the whole turkey deal. I’ll put a plate aside for you.”
He lifted the end of her braid and stroked the tail around his finger. “Appreciate it.”
She swallowed. He smelled like snow and sawdust, and she wanted to curl right into his chest. But she had a ton of things to do, and now wasn’t the time to look for a cuddle. “I better get back.”
He set her braid against her jacket. “See ya, Sunshine.”
Kendall turned and forced one foot in front of the other. Under two layers and a jacket, her nipples were so tight they were painful. The man was driving her nuts.
She threw herself into the Christmas Eve preparation but never did get back to her chair that day or that night. The Simmons family were laid-back and fun. The house was filled with conversation and the wreckage of a huge meal.
Micah and Abby kept wandering outside. Considering how many times they checked out the barn, she figured they’d caught sight of Shane. No matter how heavy his beard got, you couldn’t take away the slicing arch of his cheekbones and the flash of amazing eyes.
The man was walking sin, and if she were fifteen, she’d be swooning just like the girls. Hell, she was a moment away from a good sigh herself. Especially when she’d brought the plate over to him only to hear him pounding the holy hell out of his homemade bag.
She’d peeked around the back and glimpsed a sweat-soaked back and fist-sized dents in the old canvas army bag. Already too keyed up, she’d left before he’d seen her.
As tired as everyone was from their drive, they stayed up well past two a.m. talking and laughing by the fire. She didn’t have anything else in her but to check out for a few hours.
Christmas Day was filled with a quieter group. The girls went exploring on the trails, the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. She caught a rather randy Jennifer and Mark in the hallway, both of them sneaking back into their room while everyone else was outside.
At least someone was getting laid.
She and her mother managed a quiet hour when the family went out to drive around the neighborhood. They exchanged small gifts and ate leftovers before putting in a quick cleanup.
By the time the family got back, they were filled with laughter and excitement. Lake George was close and always put on a good Christmas display. They’d also bought lift tickets for skiing close by.
Both her mother and Kendall were so busy with the family and another unscheduled visit that every room save one at the B and B was filled through the end of the month.
She didn’t know what magic Shane had put into the Web site, but every time she remembered to look at it, she was too tired to open her laptop.
New Year’s Eve came before she was ready for it, and the entire group had decided to throw an impromptu party. Her mother scrambled to cook, and Kendall enlisted Bells to help decorate.
Thirty minutes later Kendall opened the door to find Bells on the porch with two dress bags. “An excuse to wear a party dress in Winchester Falls? I’m there, sister.”
Kendall frowned. “I was just going to wear jeans.”
Bells pushed past her. “I’m definitely going to take away your right to call yourself a girl if you don’t make at least an effort to glam up tonight. You’ve been working like a dog for weeks now.”
Kendall flipped her braid over her shoulder and closed the door. “I’m just happy we have customers.”
“Me too, babe. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a little time and gussy up. Especially when you have that hot piece of action in the barn that needs to grow a clue.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have called you.”
“No, you definitely should have called me. I’m your best defense. Besides, I wield a makeup brush better than anyone at the Macy’s counter. And you have some serious circles that I need to correct.”
That was true. Only Bells could get away with saying it, but it didn’t make it any less true. On both counts. “Okay, fairy godmother. I will leave myself in your capable hands.”
Bells spun about, her deep auburn corkscrew curls dancing around her shoulders. Her makeup was already done, and her huge blue eyes were even more pronounced thanks to her deft touch with smoky shadow. “Wait, I didn’t have to talk you into it? Okay, it’s worse than I thought.”
Kendall turned her toward the stairs. “I’m just tired, and if you have tricks in that huge trunk of makeup you call a to-go bag, then I’m all for slapping on an artificial happy face.”
“All right, don’t get pushy. Throw yourself in the shower and use the loofah until you’re pink. I brought a sexy lotion to go with your sexy dress.”
“I like my lotion.”
“The girl-next-door thing works three hundred sixty-four days out of the year. Tonight? I’m going with vamp and the scent to match. The boy will be groveling by the time I’m done with him.”
Kendall nibbled on her lower lip. Any help in getting Shane out of the let’s-play-it-safe mode was welcome. She wanted the hot, hard length of him between her thighs tonight. Or that relentlessly patient tongue—she wasn’t picky which one she got at the moment.
“Don’t blow up my bedroom.”
“Oh, honey. There’s no doubt that your room will be trashed. It’s a freaking closet.”
She sighed and grabbed one of the fluffy towels from the linen closet and allowed herself a ten-minute shower. And because it was a good idea to use the loofah, she listened to her friend and exfoliated until her skin buzzed.
Kendall wrapped her hair up in a towel and brought her hair dryer with her. Bells was on a rampage. Might as well just let her take care of everything. When she was in steamroller mode, there was no stopping her.
Bells had pulled her bed out into the middle of the tiny room and left leg space to walk around. Two garment bags hung from the door, and her best friend’s makeup bag had exploded across Kendall’s bed.
“Here.” Bells handed her a thin tube of lotion.
“That’s it?”
“It’s very special, very expensive lotion.”
“Then you should wear it.”
“Oh, I am. A different scent, of course, but I am.” She held her wrist up to Kendall’s nose.
The rush of dark and exotic flowers and a hint of jasmine wafted over her. “Oh, wow, how come you get the delicious one?”
“Smell yours.”
Kendall popped the cap and rubbed a little on her pulse point. Orange blos
soms and spice clung to her, leaving a light pearly sheen to her skin. “No wonder it’s pricey.”
“Worth it for a special occasion. Now sit down and let me make you a girl.”
“I am a girl. Just a busy one who doesn’t care about this stuff.”
“New Year’s Eve is the night to get in the mood. Besides, I have to keep my talents fresh.”
Kendall knew her friend was just trying to make her feel better, so she sat down and let Bells fuss.
“Now tell me what’s been going on.”
“Lots of hostess stuff.”
“I don’t care about the Heron crap, Ken. I want to know about the hunky carpenter dude. Why didn’t you tell me this guy was beautiful? I had to find out when I walked up the drive.”
“He actually came out of his workshop?”
“Yeah, he was shoveling or something. I saw two girls giggling from the window.”
Kendall laughed. “We’ve got a couple of teenagers who are totally crushing on Shane. He’s so uncomfortable.”
“Not used to being objectified? Close your eyes.”
Kendall did as directed. “He’s not a fan of big crowds. Especially when there’s a surplus of females. He’s gone out on the trails with a couple of the husbands, but other than that, he likes to stay in the background.”
“Is he shy?”
“No, more like antisocial. His nickname is Oscar for a reason.”
“And you’re in love with him?”
“Afraid so.”
“I know I said he’s your match, and it’s obvious he is—somehow. But he doesn’t sound like your type.”
“I know. He really isn’t. But I love that he’s so gruff. It’s even better when I manage to get him to laugh or smile.”
“If you say so.”
The conversation dropped as Bells hit her hair with the dryer and followed up with the curling iron. She swept the mass of curls over her shoulder, leaving one side sleek.
A fat brush distributing powder over her cheeks was the last step.
“Okay, now I don’t want you to say anything. Just put the dress on.”
“Oh, God. What did you bring?”
Bells looked down at her more than ample chest. “Well, not one of mine, obviously.”
Kendall snorted.
“Now don’t get all uppity. I got a ridiculous deal on it. Not many people in Winchester Falls are a size puny like you are.”
Bells was a bit on the lush side, but she embraced her body. She liked being a bombshell and used every inch of her God-given curves to make men beg. And they usually did.
Kendall opened the first bag and found a slinky teal number.
“That one’s mine.”
Thank God. She was sure that would just fall around her like a tent. Kendall went to the next bag and unzipped. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Chapter Nineteen
Shane smoothed his hand down the buttons of his white dress shirt. The house was teeming with people, some guests and some friends from town. He recognized people from his trips into the lumber store, market, and diner.
Lily had nagged him and threatened to drag his butt over to the house if he didn’t make an appearance. Because it was good business, for both Avery Furniture and the Heron, he agreed to at least show up for a few minutes.
He forced himself not to roll his eyes when the two girls started giggling and watching his every move from the porch. For Christ’s sake, he was way too old for them. He slipped in the open back door and grazed at the assorted appetizers table.
He snagged a beer from one of the tubs under the table and snicked the top off for a long sip only to choke.
Kendall came around the corner, a wineglass in her hand and miles of pale flesh on display. One shoulder was completely bare. Some sort of shimmery dress draped across her chest and arms. It was like liquid silver over smoke. The dangerous part was the skirt that molded her hips and stopped a good five inches above her goddamn knees.
Her legs were bare, and strappy black mile-high heels tightened her calves. She’d done something to her face. Her dark eyes looked like aged bourbon, and her lips were slick with gloss.
She was so fucking beautiful she made his brain slow to a stop. She held out her hands to someone and leaned up to give him a kiss.
That Brandon guy.
Brandon’s hand landed on her lower back, and Shane snapped the beer down on the table, wading into the half dozen people between them. Brandon left his hand on her, and Shane bit back a growl.
Before he could make it to her, a commotion at the front of the house brought him up short. Kendall’s friend was holding open the door, her head tipped back and her hands on her hips.
“Well, son of a bitch,” Shane said.
A handful of people turned to Shane as he changed course and went to the door. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Kain ducked inside the door, his mile-wide shoulders clad in a custom-made pearl gray suit. Kain didn’t have a choice; whether he was wealthy or not, his body was far too large for off-the-rack suits.
Kendall gave a happy laugh and zipped by Shane to throw her hands up and around Kain’s shoulders.
“Hey there, `ânela.”
Bells stared at them both. “You know this guy?”
Kendall hopped down and dragged Bells over. “Belinda Grayson, meet Kainoa N’ai.”
“Kain,” his friend said, his deep baritone cutting through the chatter of the room. People started whispering among themselves.
Bells held out her hand and shook his best friend’s hand quickly before tucking it behind her back. Kain frowned and dipped his hand into his pocket.
Shane slapped Kain on the shoulder. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“It was a last-minute decision.”
Bells looked from Kain to Shane and back. “Do they grow them all this good-looking in California?”
Kain grinned down at Bells. “They do in Hawaii anyway.”
“I have got to get out of Winchester Falls more.”
Kain’s gaze slid over her bare shoulders. “Say the word, and I’ll fuel up the jet.”
Bells sidled over to Kendall, her smile a little wicked and a little uncertain at the same time. “I’ll remember that.”
“All right, Kain. Enough showing off for my best friend.”
“Who’s showing off?”
“Let’s get you a beer.” Shane steered Kain over to the table full of food. He looked over his shoulder at Kendall again, but she was deep in conversation with Bells.
“Nice digs,” Kain said mildly.
“We’re getting there.” Done with small talk, he handed his friend a beer. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Good to see you too, brother. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Kain chuckled, taking a drink. “Kendall told me to come out for the holiday, so here I am.”
“Why didn’t you call me? I would have met you at the airport or something.”
“I wasn’t sure I could get away. I had to make a few appearances at some parties in the city. Then I took the chopper up here.”
“Oh yeah, just took the chopper. You’re such show-off.”
Kain belted back his beer and reached for another. “I needed some time away from the home office.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you.”
“So how’s everything going with Kendall and the business?”
Shane shrugged. “There’s a lot of repairs that need to be done. I’m still trying to decide if the place is worth working on or if we should sell. A developer would love all this acreage.”
Kain nodded. “I know of at least three companies looking to acquire land near the Adirondacks.”
“Yeah?”
“Companies are buying up land cheap and putting together resorts and spas in nice remote spots like this.”
“I’m not looking to sell it on the cheap. I’d like to know what the land is worth at th
e very least.”
“I’ll set it up.”
Kain stood beside him and looked over the crowd of people. Kendall’s laugh drew their attention. Shane’s shoulders instantly tensed as two men drew Kendall and her friend into the small group of people dancing.
“Are you sure you want to sell at all, Shane? It looks like you have a good life out here.”
He’d been so focused on getting the repairs done to make the Heron profitable, but the last week with Kendall had been more about living in the present than chasing a future. And anything he’d envisioned included the Heron lately.
“I was actually hoping to come here and see that you were miserable so I could convince you to sell and come back to California.” Kain nudged him. “You look surly, but I think that’s more for the hot dress she’s wearing and the dude who’s trying to dance with her.”
Kendall was swaying her hips in time to the music, and Brandon was consistently offbeat. She raised her arms, and her skirt lifted another fraction of an inch.
“Don’t kill him. I don’t want to spend New Year’s in jail.”
“A well-placed rock tied around his waist, and I could lose him in the middle of the lake. It’s supposed to be cold tomorrow night. I’m sure that last bit will freeze over.”
Kain laughed and slapped him on the back. “As I said, you look happy.”
He had a steady bit of cash coming in from his furniture, but instead of putting it back into the business, he kept buying lumber for repairs on the Heron. He always had enough for the next project under Avery, but he wasn’t getting ahead.
Did he really want to keep hoping they’d become solvent?
Kendall clapped and laughed, her head tipping back in pure enjoyment.
For her, he was pretty sure he’d be willing to take that chance.
“Well, go get her.”
Without a backward glance, Shane plowed through the crowd. The entire room parted, but he had a feeling it had more to do with Kain bringing up the rear than his determined face.
He stood before Kendall, his chest heaving and the dozen people shifting to make room for him.
Kendall reached up and played with the open button of his shirt. “I thought you didn’t dance.”
The next song was slower. Dashboard Confessional’s haunting acoustic harmonies and the whispery voice of the lead singer salted the room. He hooked his arm around her waist, dragging her into him. “I don’t.”