Down they both went. The snow cushioned their fall, but it also stuffed ice down the back of Josh’s collar and up his sleeves. “You came all this way to tackle me? I’m honored.” He ignored the throb in his ribs, as he twisted to grab a handful of the fluff and rub it into Sam’s face.
Sam rolled over, packing the snow with his body as he went. He shook his head to send small chunks of ice flying. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
“It’s okay,” Paisley called down. “Josh is used to getting knocked down around here.”
Josh glared playfully up at her and reached for a mound of snow to form into a ball.
She giggled and backed away.
Sam sat up, watching the exchange. “Don’t tell me you let Paisley take you down, too. I know you’re used to working at a desk, but come on, bro.”
“Paisley didn’t take me down.” Though that would have been fun. Maybe he should tackle her. He’d start with the snowball and see how she handled that. Josh rolled over to his knees then pushed to his feet for better aim.
“So who took you down?” Sam wanted to know.
Paisley had ducked behind the snowmobile, but she popped back up to answer for him. “Butch,” she called.
Sam blinked. “Wow. Who’s Butch? Do I need to get him back for you?”
Josh chuckled. Sam’s arrival made his whole situation seem lighter somehow. Even the kid’s take on his injury the day before made it feel a little less serious. “Butch is a horse. And I’m sure he could take you down, too.”
Sam dropped back into the snow with a chuckle. Josh knew from the sound of the snow crunching flat, not because he was watching. He still had eyes on Paisley.
She peeked up. “Why are you looking at me? Sam’s the one who tackled you. Throw the snowball at him.”
Josh pretended to consider her point. He frowned at the snowball in contemplation. “True. But you laughed. And while he’s already covered in snow, you’re not.”
She pointed. “He’s the one laughing now.”
Sam laughed again on cue.
Josh glanced over his shoulder. Was the kid really that tickled, or was he trying to protect Paisley?
Sam’s eyes sparkled. From adrenaline? The freedom of ranch life? Seeing family again? Or did he have the same reaction to Paisley’s natural beauty that Josh had?
Josh would stake his claim. “Good try.” He turned back to face Paisley. “But you’re mine.”
He climbed to his feet and stepped forward like a pitcher, cocked his good arm back, and hurled the snowball. It exploded on the top of the snowmobile the way he’d planned. The remnants rained down.
Paisley squealed. She wasn’t the type to normally squeal over a little snow, but she was playing along. Sam’s fun-loving nature had brought that out of her, and Josh would take advantage of it.
He reached down to scoop another handful. One more snowball, then he’d charge.
A snowplow rammed into his back. Or was it Sam again? Josh should have known not to turn his back on his brother. They tumbled through the snow like they were caught up in an avalanche.
“Run, Paisley,” Sam shouted as if they were a team against him. “I’ll protect you.”
Not the snowball fight Josh had in mind. Sure he was happy to see his brother, but having the kid on the ranch was going to change everything. The last thing he wanted was a chaperone.
Chapter Nine
“Warm enough?” asked Josh.
Paisley rubbed her mittens together and watched the snowflakes drift to the ground around them. Such peace was in direct opposition to how she felt inside. If only the sun were shining, it wouldn’t be so cold sitting in the cab of the truck, waiting for Sam to get there with the Mercedes to jump Big Red’s battery. And if only Josh had been the one to ride the snowmobile to The Coffee Cottage to drive his Mercedes back, then she wouldn’t be alone with him. She wouldn’t have to act like she didn’t want him to put his arms around her to help keep her warm.
But Sam’s rental insurance only covered him driving the snowmobile, and thus, she was cold and uncomfortable. “I’m a little chilly.”
At least when the brothers rode Butch and Sundance out to check the truck’s engine the night before, they’d determined it had a bad alternator. An easy fix. After jumping the battery, Sam would follow Big Red into town where they’d wait while Charlie restored him to health at Canyon Auto Repair.
Josh rested his arm along the back of the bench seat. If he was offering to put his arm around her shoulders, she’d ignore it. “While we wait for repairs in town, we could head over to The Coffee Cottage, and I’ll buy you a cup of . . .” He turned to face forward again, his hands dropping onto his lap, a grim look on his face. “Never mind. I keep forgetting I don’t have any money.”
All he’d been offering was coffee? What a relief. “Coffee sounds good. And don’t worry about it. I’ll buy both you guys a cup for rescuing me and Big Red.”
“Thanks,” he said, though he didn’t sound thankful. And he didn’t look thankful, either. He kept staring straight ahead.
Was money that important to him? She’d read once that people had a spending style. They used money in one of four different ways: stability, enjoyment, control, and status. Josh would have to be a status spender. So without his ability to spend a lot of money, he wouldn’t feel important. He wouldn’t have the confidence to keep hitting on her. Which was good.
“Any word from your boss?” she asked.
He looked down at his hands. “Nope. I should call him again.”
Now she felt a little bad. She didn’t want him hitting on her, but she also didn’t want him to be so depressed. “If he doesn’t have good news for you yet,” —she stressed the yet because she needed him to go back to Chicago as much as he needed to— “then you get to spend more time hanging out with Dot and Annabel. And that’s priceless.”
His gaze flicked her way, a wry smile on his lips. “You still think I should let Dot give me a tattoo?”
She smiled back and shrugged. “I’m sure she would if you really want her to, but when we see her today, I promise she’ll have a whole new hobby to pursue.”
His eyes bugged. “You could have told me this before.”
Too cute. She laughed. “Where’s the fun in that?”
He shook his head and turned toward her as if to enact retribution. “You want fun?”
Uh-oh. Maybe he wasn’t a status guy so much as an enjoyment guy. And maybe he was going to remember they didn’t need money to enjoy each other’s company.
She leaned into the door and held up a hand to block his progress. But as much as she tried not to smile, her nervous laughter probably made her look happy. “What are you doing?”
“I think it’s time we finish that snowball fight from yesterday. Now that you don’t have my brother here to play bodyguard.”
He reached past her for her door handle. Maybe she should get out. Then they wouldn’t be in such a confined space. And she wouldn’t have to feel the warmth of his breath or smell the mossy scent of him. It was probably his expensive hair gel. But still.
Hurry, Sam, hurry. “You don’t think I can hold my own?”
He looked up then, the twinkle in his eyes challenging her in more ways than one. “I know you can.”
Her pulse shimmied in her neck. She wasn’t cold anymore. What were all those reasons she shouldn’t kiss him again?
A horn blared.
She jerked in her seat. Her emotions scattered like birds at the sound of a hunting rifle. “My bodyguard is back.”
Josh dropped into his seat, looking past her to where the Mercedes rocked violently over the mounds of snow covering the uneven dirt road toward a spot where Sam would be able to pop the hood next to Big Red. “He’s really got the worst timing.”
She wanted to disagree. But while most of her emotions had flown away, they’d left a little disappointment behind. So she wouldn’t feel. She’d act. “Jumper cables are under your seat. I’ll pop th
e hood if you go connect the batteries.”
Josh went to work without a word, disappearing behind her hood. Sam lifted the hood of Josh’s Mercedes and gave her the thumbs up. She turned the key. Big Red’s engine sputtered to life. She patted his dashboard.
Josh slammed her hood shut and then marched back around to the passenger side. The door squeaked open.
Her heart thumped in protest at his return. “You’re not driving your car?”
Josh stepped up into the cab. “Sam was having too much fun.”
She looked him in the eye. Had Sam really wanted to drive the Mercedes, or had Josh picked spending time with her over his luxury vehicle?
His steady gaze told her nothing. She didn’t want to think there was a chance he’d pick her over the life he’d created for himself because that would just lead to trouble. Though the way her toes curled told her she was already asking for it. She reached for the knob to turn down the heat, since it was shooting cold air at them, but then realized a blast of cold air might do her good, so she left the heater alone and shifted into reverse instead.
Sam followed her down the highway, and she focused on getting Big Red to the mechanic’s safely. Thankfully, Josh didn’t try to make conversation. He was either lost in thought or enjoying the scenery. The gray cloud cover hadn’t diminished the splendor of their surroundings. It only gave the frosted trees a soft, timeless look as if they’d stepped into an Ansel Adams black and white photograph.
Paisley sighed as she turned into the repair shop. She may live in a beautiful place, but that didn’t make life any easier. She still had a truck that liked to break down. And she didn’t want to get rid of it any more than she’d wanted to put down Ranger when he broke his leg. But maybe it was time. Or it would be when her loan came through.
Charlie greeted Paisley with a smile underneath her grease-smeared cheeks. “So the old boy needs a new alternator?”
Paisley grabbed her purse and slid to the ground. “Hopefully that’s all he needs.”
The passenger door creaked shut, and Josh joined them. He looked a little skeptical about handing over Paisley’s vehicle to the tiny, Asian woman.
“Who’s this?” Charlie asked, dark eyes radiating curiosity.
Had the mechanic really not heard the gossip from Dot and Annabel? Surely Charlie would have gone for coffee and noticed Josh’s car. “Mercedes owner.” Paisley pointed toward Sam pulling into the parking lot.
“Oh yes.” Charlie nodded. “Your old friend from high school. Joshua, right?” She wiped her hand on a rag to extend it in greeting.
Paisley didn’t correct Charlie’s assumption. She didn’t want to make a big deal about how she and Josh hadn’t been friends. People might think she was protesting too much.
Josh shook hands, concern etched even deeper into his brow than before. He probably wasn’t put off by the label of “friend” like she was, though. He’d probably forgotten what it was like to live in a small town. He didn’t realize he’d be news simply for parking at The Coffee Cottage. “And you are?”
“I’m Charlie Kwan. Paisley and Big Red pretty much keep my business afloat all by themselves.”
Paisley shrugged. That was a relationship status she couldn’t argue with.
Josh nodded, confusion melting away.
Sam slowed next to them. The passenger side window buzzed down. “Do we know how long this is going to take?”
Charlie stooped to peer in. “Who are you?”
“I’m Sam.”
Charlie looked back to Paisley for explanation.
“Josh’s brother.”
“Nice.” Charlie stood. “I might have to come out to your ranch after all. Still wanna trade car repair for a sleigh ride?”
Paisley blinked. She wasn’t sure how to take that. A trade would be wonderful, but Charlie’s offer obviously wasn’t so much about the sleigh ride as it was about the Lake brothers.
Sam’s chuckle drifted out the window. Josh pretended to cough.
“Yeah. Great. What time can I pick up my truck?”
Charlie glanced at her watch. “It shouldn’t take me long. A couple hours. So be back around eleven.”
Josh climbed into the Mercedes.
Charlie leaned forward and lowered her voice for a little girl-talk. “Which one is with you?”
Which brother? With her? Paisley checked her peripheral vision to make sure the men hadn’t heard the mechanic’s question. Neither was looking her way. “Uh—”
“Paisley, you don’t mind sitting on Josh’s lap, do you?” Sam called out.
What the what? Sit on Josh’s lap? Josh’s car was a two-seater. Josh’s car. So he should be the one driving.
Charlie squeezed her arm. “I gotcha.”
No. She didn’t get anything. But what could Paisley do? Wait in the cold, cement, grease-filled mechanic shop and read old copies of People Magazine for two hours? She’d promised to buy the guys coffee. They’d helped her get her truck to the garage. And because of them, she wouldn’t even have to pay to have it fixed.
She stiffened but squished into the front seat anyway.
“I’ll be your seatbelt.” Josh pulled the door closed and wrapped his arms around her waist.
She wasn’t going to lean back into him. She couldn’t let him feel the speed of her heartbeat or hear the depth of her breath. And she couldn’t allow herself to feel the solidity of his chest or her hair getting caught in his stubble, because then her heart might beat even faster and her breathing grow even shallower.
She balanced gingerly on Josh’s knees and held a hand to the roof of the car to keep herself upright as Sam swerved around to exit the repair shop.
Charlie was wrong. Josh wasn’t with her. He was getting over being dumped by his fiancée. And he wasn’t even her friend. Sam was her friend. She’d hang with Sam once they got out of the car.
But then Sam would drive his snowmobile back to the ranch, and Josh would be left to return her to the garage. At least she wouldn’t have to sit on his lap then.
Maybe Josh could get Sam to drive them back to the auto repair shop before he took off on his snowmobile, because Paisley certainly wasn’t going to relax on his lap this trip. He’d thought there had been some attraction back in her truck, so why was she so distant now?
Could she still be hung up on her ex? Just because he wasn’t hung up on his ex, didn’t mean that she hadn’t felt more for the Nick guy than he’d felt for Bree. Or was she scared of getting hurt again? He sighed, remembering that he was planning to return to Chicago as soon as possible, so she was probably right to stay away from him. But that fact didn’t at all diminish his desire to kiss her. To rub a hand up her rigid spine. To swipe her hair over one shoulder so he could see her profile.
Sam flipped through radio stations as he drove, singing to a couple random Christmas carols then barking along with Jingle Dogs. He grinned over at them at a stop sign. “Comfy?”
Josh shot him a look that said, Really? Because the kid didn’t have to act like Paisley’s guardian.
“I’ll be glad when we get there,” Paisley said stiffly.
All right. Josh wouldn’t blame his brother. Just because Josh was drawn to Paisley’s baby powder scent and passion for nature and hard work and concern for others and goals for the future and independent air didn’t mean…
Hey, could it be her independent air that he found the most appealing? Could it be that he knew he wasn’t ready for a relationship, either, so he picked a woman to woo, knowing subconsciously she would never fall for him? That had to be it.
Sam flipped on his blinker then rolled over the compact snow in front of The Coffee Cottage. He returned the Mercedes to its spot. The passenger side door flew open before Sam cut the engine.
Paisley practically leaped off Josh’s lap. “Sam, did you meet Dot and Annabel when you were here earlier?”
Sam tossed Josh the keys before climbing out his door. “The lovely ladies who run this establishment?”
/> Josh rolled his eyes. It had to be nice to be the baby in the family. Not being tied down by life. Sam could show up to visit any one of his brothers and be treated like a celebrity, not a care in the world.
Josh wasn’t jealous was he? Maybe over the lifestyle. Not over losing Dot and Annabel’s attention. He pocketed his keys and followed his brother and Paisley toward the entrance.
Paisley clung to Sam’s arm. She smiled openly up at him. “Did they love you?”
Josh tilted his head as he studied the pair. Paisley had all of a sudden begun to gush as if she were turning into one of the coffee shop owners. She was gushing over Sam. What had Josh been thinking about her being an independent woman? She didn’t look like one anymore.
Was that friendship? Familiarity? The two had grown up together. They knew each other. But she’d mentioned love. Was she in love with Sam?
Josh slowed and crossed his arms to smother the feeling ballooning inside as he watched the two enter the coffee shop. It was a feeling he didn’t want to name. And it was a feeling that might not even be warranted. He’d stand back and find out for sure.
He climbed the steps and reached for the door handle. It swung open again before he touched it.
Paisley stopped inches from running into him. “Oh.” She looked up, and her smile startled away. “Annabel is making our drinks while Sam gives Dot a ride on the snowmobile.”
Dot appeared behind Paisley and clapped her hands. “Step aside, Joshua. I have to try out this doohickey now before I get scared.”
Josh turned sideways to allow everyone else to descend the stairs. But if Sam was giving Dot a ride, Paisley would be left standing there with him. He’d ask a couple of probing questions to find out if her walls with him were really about wanting to be with someone else. And if the attraction he thought he read in her eyes earlier was simply because he looked a little like Sam. He ground his teeth together at the idea. Because that would really stink.
Finding Love In Big Sky, Montana (Resort to Love--Finding Love line Book 2) Page 9