by Jillian Hart
“Like I could remember? Boy, that was a lot of stories ago.” Her laugh touched him. Unaware, she talked on. “Let me think. I’ve made up a lot of tales about stars over the years. Was it about a Martian?”
“No.”
“The moon?”
“No.” Wildwood towered above them ablaze with light and filled with people. The kids trotted ahead on the shoveled sidewalk, with Georgia and Robert close behind.
“The rings of Saturn?” She shook her head, stepping into the light. “Well, then I don’t have the foggiest idea. It’ll come to me, though. In the middle of the night, or six months from now when who knows where we’ll be, but it’ll come to me. I never forget a thing.”
“Is that so?” He laughed, relaxing, no longer feeling separate from the world surrounding him. He nodded to folks he recognized, neighbors and townspeople, as he protected Shelby from the crowd near the building’s entrance. A doorman opened the door for them. “You might remember just fine, but your recall is faulty.”
“Wish I could argue, but I can’t. They say memory is the first to go. Thanks for pointing that out. I sure appreciate it.”
“Anytime. That’s what friends are for.” His chest hitched painfully, but he hid it well.
“Friends. You have no idea how great that sounds to me.” Her hand fluttered to rest on his chest. Surely she could feel the crazy pounding of his heart, but if she did she didn’t react to it.
She tilted her head up and nailed him with her infectious grin. The world silenced, and he shut out Georgia digging cans of food out of her gigantic handbag, the opulent surroundings and the fire roaring in the massive floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. Shelby gazed at him as if he were the only man on planet Earth.
“I’ve been battling life on my own for too long,” she said. “First, it was Paul’s loss and getting the kids through their grief. Then it was providing for them, and all the bumps life puts in the road took up all my time and attention. I hadn’t realized how much I needed a real friend.”
“Well, I’m always here. Got that?” He resisted the urge to touch her, to press the heel of his hand against the curve of her cheek and cradle her dear, dear face. He had to resist, because she wasn’t his to hold.
“I’m glad our paths crossed again, Ronan. You do my heart good, and I thank you for it. See, that’s got to be a sign, too. Things are already looking up.” She patted his chest, a friendly caring tap. Before he could figure out what to say, Caleb rushed up to her, talking away, taking her attention.
Ronan gladly stepped back to catch his breath. Even if he did not have a chance with her, his affection remained, growing stronger with each passing minute.
Likely it always would.
* * *
“I DON’T KNOW ABOUT Y’ALL, but I’m ready to call it quits.” Shelby knelt at the top of the bunny hill, where the groomed inner-tube run tracked downward like a glazed runway. “I’m frozen clear through. And did I just hear a stomach growl?”
“It was mine!” Riley tried to hug the gigantic inner tube Robert carried for her, the gentleman that he was. “It’s growlin’ like a big brown bear.”
“Mine’s like a polar bear.” Caleb looked lost beneath the enormous black rubber tube he insisted on hauling. “No, like a grizzly. It’s ginormous.”
“Not bigger than mine!” Riley chimed in with glee as Robert set the inner tube on the ground and held it firm. She hopped aboard, her blond hair peeping from beneath her protective helmet. “I’m faster, too.”
“Nuh-uh.” Caleb plopped his tube down; it shot across the snow and watchful Ronan caught it before it could sail down the track on its own.
Ronan. He looked fine in the snowy night—real fine. He was all man, strong, iron hard on the outside, but on the inside tender as could be. She remembered the ten-year-old boy who’d knocked on Granny’s front door the first day she’d been in town, when she’d been worrying about her sick mother, and offered her a Dixie Cup.
“Hold tight now.” Ronan’s words carried on the wind like silk, gliding over her, making her shiver. “I don’t mean to brag, but this time I’m beating you, kid. You’re fast, but I’m the master.”
“So, then why did you lose the last eight times?” Caleb wanted to know.
“Oh, I was just learning the course, finding your weaknesses.”
“Sounds like loser talk to me.” Caleb adjusted his helmet.
“That may be, but you’ll see I’m right. I’m the master.” Ronan’s inner tube shot out beneath him the moment he tried to sit on it, intentionally, Shelby realized as he landed on the ground with easy laughter and the kids roared. “Well, I’m still the master.”
“Right. That’s what you say.” Caleb, pink with delight, fine-tuned his position on his inner tube. “But I’ve still got my tube.”
“A minor setback, but nothing I can’t handle.” Ronan scoped the group of them standing at the top of the hill, his gaze settling on her. Amazing the power his eyes had to hold her riveted in place. “Adapt, improvise, overcome.”
“You’re not getting my tube.” She tightened her hold on it, refusing to set it down. “Don’t even think it—”
“Oh, I’m thinking it.” He stalked toward her, a powerful predator hunting his prey. “And I am getting your tube.”
“Do you really think you can fight me and win?” Hilarious because he was clearly twice as big as her, maybe almost three, counting all those muscles of his, which were bulging quite nicely beneath his winter coat. She strengthened her stance. “I’m a toughie.”
“A toughie, huh? Well, they make the best opponents.” He wrapped one steely arm around her waist. His body heat drove the chill away as he hefted her from the ground like a sack of potatoes.
“Hey, there, wait one minute.” She could have protested better if she hadn’t been laughing so hard. “Put me down. We’re clogging up the bunny hill.”
“Not for long.” With one quick twist of his free hand he stole her inner tube, dropped it to the ground, steadied it with his boot and, the next thing she knew, they were going down.
The rubber tube bounced beneath their combined weights. Vaguely she heard someone shout, “Go!” Caleb, she realized way too late, probably because she wasn’t breathing. Her brain had shut down, as if it had given up all hope of cognitive function due to the overwhelming male holding her tight. Bits of icy spray brushed her face as down they went, bouncing over bumps, whizzing along the sloping white, dizzying and breathless. He held her safe against his chest, against his body, as they zoomed along.
“I can’t believe you...did this.” Laughing this hard made it tough to speak. “I thought...you were going to steal the tube, not take me with you.”
“A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.” His deep tones resonated in her ear.
“Where can I lodge a complaint?” she asked, gazing up at the sky, at the endless snow and deep night, and felt Ronan’s chuckle move through her.
“No idea, but inner-tube hijacking isn’t against any law I know of.”
“Just the answer I’d expect from a guy I’m suspecting is a crooked cop.”
“Only when it comes to inner tubes,” he quipped as they reached the bottom of the run.
“Yes! I did it!” Caleb danced in victory at the bottom of the run. “See? First, again.”
“You’re the master.” Ronan lifted his fist as the inner tube slowed and managed a fist bump with the boy. “You have skills, my friend.”
“We can be the master together,” Caleb decided. “We can share it because you lost your inner tube.”
“Thanks.” He planted his boots, stopping their slow glide. He had no idea where his had gone, but he’d hunt it down. “Do you know what this means?”
“What?”
“A rematch.” He felt Shelby stir from
where she was still tucked against him. He helped her onto her feet, hating to end the moment. She shot upward, small and slender, the snowflakes clinging to her hair like a tiara.
It was frustrating knowing she couldn’t love him, that nothing would change between them. But he stayed the course, gathering up Caleb’s tube along with Shelby’s, waiting for Riley to slide to a stop with Georgia and Robert right behind her.
“One more time, Mom, please. Pleeease?” Caleb begged.
“Hmm, let’s see. Didn’t I agree to that last time, and look where it got us.” She poked him gently in his growling stomach. “I hear that grizzly-bear hunger. That simply cannot be a good thing. Let’s head home—”
“No way.” Time to put his foot down. Ronan scooped up Riley’s inner tube. “We’re here at Wildwood. We’ll eat at the lodge. My treat. Robert, you and Georgia, too.”
The older folks brushed off snow, cheeks pink and smiling from their trip down the hillside.
“That’s too generous of you.” Shelby’s touch felt supercharged. “Plus, you haven’t seen that kid eat.”
“Like a grizzly,” Caleb agreed.
“Me, too.” Riley clung to her mother’s hand. “I’m a grizzly, too.”
“A very pretty grizzly,” Shelby agreed, kneeling to straighten the little girl’s scarf.
“I happen to like grizzlies.” Ronan thought he saw something different in her gaze when she turned toward him. For one nanosecond. “The lodge has great food. I don’t know about the grizzlies here, but I’ve heard bears love cheeseburgers.”
“With pickles,” Caleb added.
“And ketchup,” Riley chimed in.
“And lots of fries.” Shelby smiled quietly. The look she gave him was very serious. It gave a man hope.
CHAPTER SIX
MUTED MORNING SUN GLARED on Shelby’s laptop screen as she pulled a shirt over her head. With toothbrush in hand, she squinted at her inbox hoping, wishing, pleading for an email from one of the tons of applications she’d applied for in person and online. All she needed was one of them to grant her an interview. Just one. Once she got her foot in the door, she had a chance of charming them into hiring her. And if charm didn’t work, her tenacity and work ethic might do it.
But no, she thought as she scanned the spam mail, spotting a message from her former landlord. Looked as if he’d refunded the damage-and-cleaning deposit on her apartment. The check was in the mail. Good, that ought to tide her over a little further.
She plunged her toothbrush into her mouth, used both hands to log off and shut down, and returned to brushing. Time was ticking by, she’d best get a move on if she wanted to be extra early. She caught sight of Ronan’s house as she rushed past the window.
Ronan. Wasn’t he a surprise? She did not know what to think about last night. Being tucked against his chest, feeling his arms around her, his laughter moving through her as they raced down the slope...well, maybe she’d be smart not to think about it. Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do. Not another thought of Ronan Winters. That was that.
She spit and rinsed, catching her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes glimmered like sapphires. Rosy cheeks, a smile nearly ear to ear. She hardly recognized herself. How long had it been since she’d looked this happy?
It’s because we’re here with Granny, she told herself, dashing down the stairs. She heard voices in the kitchen as she sped by to grab her coat from the rack.
“Shelby, aren’t you eating breakfast?” Granny stood in the kitchen archway wearing her checked red apron that read, Kiss the Cook. “You can’t expect to get through the long day you’ve got when you’re running on empty.”
“I’ll get something at the bakery. Croissants, muffins, scones, pastries.” She stabbed one arm into her coat sleeve. “No worries. I’ll be fueled by carbs.”
“And sugar.” Granny waggled her spatula. “I’ve made a nice omelet. You have time to sit down to a decent meal.”
“I had time, but Jules liked how hard I worked and tacked on a few hours before my shift. Can’t turn that down.” No way. She was grateful for the paycheck. “I’ve got work for today and tomorrow, and that’s all I have for sure. So I’ve got to make hay while the sun shines.”
“It’s looking a little cloudy out there. They’re forecasting more snow.”
“Then I have no time to waste.” She kissed Granny on her appled cheek. “You’re especially glowing this morning. Could it have to do with a certain gentleman who was in your company last night?”
“Certainly not!” A blush accompanied Granny’s swift denial. “I’m just glad to have you here with me, is all.”
“Sure. Like I buy that.” She’d seen how attentive Robert had been last night, getting Granny’s chair, listening carefully to everything she said.
“Hey, you two.” Her kids must have heard her and came running. She brushed back the flyaway hair from Caleb’s eyes and cradled Riley’s cheek.
“Can we go tubing again today?” Caleb wanted to know.
“Yeah, can we go?” Riley tossed her ponytail over her shoulder.
“I have no idea, as I have to work.” She buttoned her coat as fast as she could. “You’ll have to take that up with Granny.”
“I’m the master.” Caleb punched his fist in the air. “Do you think Ronan can come?”
“I think Ronan has to work. Just like me.” She grabbed her purse, wishing she didn’t have to run. “I’ll see you guys later.” She touched noses with them. “Be good for Granny.”
Riley wrapped her arms around Granny’s hips.
“Thank you, sir,” she said as she swept out the door Caleb opened for her. The wind’s bite promised the weatherman’s predictions would ring true as she clomped down the steps.
“Bye, now,” Granny called from the doorway with Riley at one hip, Caleb at the other. “We’ll swing by the bakery later to check on you.”
“Try the bakery’s booth. That’s where I’ll be most likely.” She walked backward to keep them in sight as long as she could until her grandmother closed the door against the building cold. The sky tried to swallow the last of the sun as she tromped down the walk. She breathed in the scent of coming snow as she hiked past her car parked in the driveway.
“Shelby.” Ronan ambled into sight. Look at him—sculpted face, that thick dark hair with a hint of a cowlick in back and that tough-guy aura she knew hid a gentle heart.
Last night, the way he’d treated her kids, made them laugh—bought them enormous cheeseburgers with fries—had charmed her thoroughly. So thoroughly not one single word popped into her mind as she skidded to a stop in front of him. She was a talker, always had been, always would be, and he rendered her wordless. Breathless, too.
“Figured you’d be walking to work again today.” He circled her car, rolling a tire.
A tire? No. Her chin hiked up, indignation fueling her. “Exactly what do you think you’re doing with that thing?”
“I happened to find it—”
“You mean, bought it,” she interrupted.
“Bought it,” he corrected amiably, “at the local garage. Thought I might bring it over here and change out that sorry excuse you have for a spare.”
“Oh, you did? You just got this idea all by yourself and didn’t even think about running it by me?”
“No, didn’t occur to me.” He leaned the tire against the bumper. “I’ve got nothing else to do this morning before my shift, so this will help keep me busy and out of trouble.”
“I think you’ve just landed in more trouble than you realize.” And so had she, apparently, because she wanted to run up and hug him. She hiked her chin up another notch and planted her feet. She’d gone this long without leaning on someone and she didn’t need to start now. “I’m perfectly capable of getting my own tire.”
“I thought it was what you gave us.” She faltered. “The kids had a great time.”
“What about you?” His shadow fell across her, blocking the sun and sky until he was all she could see. “Did you have a good time?”
“I sure did.” Was that really her voice? It sounded strained, as if she was choking.
“Good. You work hard, Shelby. Something tells me you haven’t had a whole lot of fun in a long while.”
“I can’t remember the last time I played like that.” The wind whipped her, pinkening her cheeks. “There’s something else I owe you for.”
“That’s the whole idea.”
“You’re building up favors on purpose?”
“Sure. I’m partial to ice cream.” He leaned against her car’s fender, crossed his arms over his chest.
“I need to reimburse you for the tire, of course, with real money.” She rolled her eyes, gazing up at him so sincerely. Her hair, in a ponytail, hung over her shoulder. He could count the freckles on her nose. No one, anywhere, had ever looked as beautiful.
He could not look away. “Sorry, but I’m not taking your money, gorgeous. You’ll just have to live with it.”
“I’m used to doing things on my own. It’s the way I like it.”
“I know.” It was the little things he saw, the small changes that hadn’t been there the day before. How she turned toward him when they talked, how she seemed more open, as if her walls were coming down, too.
“I was racing to work when I spotted you. It’s your fault if I’m late.”
“I’ll text Jules. She’ll understand.”
“Sure she will, as she knows you and the trouble you cause.” Her soft mouth curved upward. She winked at him, at the edge of the driveway now, walking backward fast. Her boots crunched in the compact ice and snow on the street. “You’re not so much, Ronan Winters.”