“Again, I say, good for you.”
“Come with me, Kate. A fresh start.”
“No.”
“Can’t you see I’m trying here?”
“Can’t you see I don’t care?”
Luther was glaring at her, anger turning his skin an unattractive shade of red. She was simmering, too, enough that her eyes started to tear up. They faced off for a solid minute.
He was the first to look away. She breathed a sigh of relief when he stalked out the door. She hated when he did stuff like that first thing in the morning. It put a damper on her whole day.
“Kind of rough on him there, weren’t you, Katy-belle?” Her father’s disembodied voice carried through the store from somewhere off to her left.
“Not enough, apparently,” she answered irritably.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”
Yes, she could. For all his efforts, she was quite sure Luther wasn’t in love with her. She wasn’t even sure he liked her most of the time, which made her wonder yet again what he was up to. Despite what his mouth said, his body language told another story. She was more aware of that now that she had something to compare it against. Luther’s smiles were more calculated than genuine. His eyes held none of the absolute carnal hunger she had glimpsed in Chris’s. The spark, the passion, just wasn’t there. She’d burned hotter when Chris held her hand in a public restaurant than she had in bed with Luther.
Thinking about her decided lapse in judgment sent regret coursing through her. Everyone does something stupid once in a while, right?
There was no second-guessing the way Chris made her feel though. Just thinking of it sharpened the ache in her core—yet another reminder that she hadn’t seen Chris in a week and was suffering withdrawals.
She knew Chris was giving her time and space to think about what he’d said, but she missed him. The early morning and evening texts they’d been exchanging were great, but they weren’t enough. Equally frustrating, he’d stopped sending drool worthy selfies of his magnificent upper body. It was a good thing she’d saved the ones he had sent.
Whether or not she wanted more with Chris wasn’t the question because that was a no-brainer. She absolutely, one hundred percent did. He made her feel wanted and desired in a way no man ever had.
But it wasn’t just that. It was also the way he listened and seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. His ability to make her smile and laugh. His willingness to spend an entire night in an old mine and care for strays and a litter of puppies.
The real issue isn’t with Chris, she’d realized as she lay sleepless on the couch one night, staring up at the ceiling. It was with everyone else.
They didn’t live in a vacuum, which meant that other factors were at play and had to be considered. One of the biggest was this ongoing and growing polarization between some of the Sumneyville townsfolk and Sanctuary. Associating with, befriending, or, God forbid, cavorting with Matt Winston’s crew had consequences.
It shouldn’t be that way, but it was what it was. She’d seen it happen with Sam and then again with Sandy. Some people turned against them, simply for choosing their own happiness over vague theories that had no basis in fact. Luther was a perfect example, going around and making ridiculous claims like the Sanctuary guys were luring local women away.
Lenny Petraski was another. She liked Lenny, she really did, but once he made up his mind about something, he wasn’t likely to change it. He and Sandy had been good friends until she started seeing someone from Sanctuary, and then he acted as if she’d betrayed him somehow.
Kate thought Chris knew that, too. How could he not? Both Sam and Sandy were up at Sanctuary now.
The more Kate thought about it, the more she believed that Chris hadn’t chosen Franco’s simply for its delicious Italian food. He had known that if he took her there, word would spread, and it would give her a taste of what she could expect if she chose to move forward with him.
The important thing—and the thing she chose to concentrate on—was that he cared enough about her to give her a choice. To put the reins in her hands. For that alone, she wanted to kiss him until his eyes crossed.
Did she care what the townsfolk thought? Not even a little. She’d decided a long time ago that it was more important to be herself than to be someone else’s idea of what she should be. But taking the time to seriously think about what he’d said was important to him, so she buried the urge to give him an enthusiastic and already-decided two thumbs-up until sufficient time passed.
She was ringing up the last person in line when she felt it—a tingling awareness she felt only in the presence of her current obsession.
She looked up, and sure enough, Chris was standing just inside the door. He hesitated, as if waiting for a sign. She gave him one in terms of a smile that just about split her face.
“Hey!”
Her crappy day took an instant, sharp upturn. He walked forward, keeping his eyes peeled on her and only her. Being the focus of his undivided attention was a heady feeling. Everyone and everything faded into the background.
He approached the counter and practically devoured her with his eyes. Yes, devoured. As if he was every bit as hungry as she was. That was the kind of intense connection she was talking about.
“I am so glad to see you,” she said.
Relief softened his hard, chiseled features. Had he really been that worried?
“Do you have a minute?”
“For you, I have two. What’s up?”
He smiled, and her bones melted.
“Have you thought about what I said?”
“Incessantly.”
“And?”
“You did hear me when I said I was really glad to see you, right?”
“Right. You’re sure?”
She did something she almost never did. She rolled her eyes and traced an X over her goose down vest. “I’m sure.”
“In that case, are you free this Sunday?”
“Maybe,” she teased. She definitely was. “What do you have in mind?”
His eyes deepened. She swore he’d growled softly, but it was just as likely that sound had come from her. From the way his lips quirked, it had definitely come from her.
“What would you think about coming up to Sanctuary for the day? I could show you around, give you the snowmobile tour.”
She loved snowmobiling! And snowmobiling around the mountains with Chris? Even better. “Sounds wonderful, but the dogs ...”
“Bring them.”
She was certain she’d heard wrong. “What?”
“Bring them along. Sam and Sandy have already offered their sitting services.”
“That’s very kind of them.”
“Yes, but I should warn you, they have ulterior motives.”
“Oh?” She was intrigued. “What kind of ulterior motives?”
“Sam plans to hit you up for more recipes, and Sandy wants to talk to you about the Handelmann’s website.”
Kate laughed. “I think I can handle that.”
“Is that a yes then?”
“It is.”
“Mr. Sheppard,” her father greeted, emerging from the shadows where he had most certainly been eavesdropping.
“Mr. Handelmann, sir,” Chris replied, accepting and shaking her father’s hand.
“What brings you in today?”
“Your daughter, mostly.” Chris grinned.
Her father chuckled and looked at her. “Well, at least he’s honest.”
Chris continued, “I’m also looking for materials to build a greenhouse.”
“Ah, now, the truth comes out,” she said.
Chris looked at her and winked. “I said, mostly.”
“Greenhouse, huh?” Mr. Handelmann interrupted. “Know what you need?”
Chris nodded and pulled out a list, which her father took and looked over.
“You can buy this stuff online, you know, probably for a lot less than I can sell it to you.”
“Yes, I know. But we’d rather buy local when possible. I was hoping for a quote.”
Her father’s eyes held with reluctant approval when he nodded and said, “Come with me, and we’ll see what we can do.”
With one last toe-curling smile her way, Chris followed her father out. He was an impressive sight, as much from the back as the front. The form-fitting thermal displayed his broad shoulders and well-defined biceps to perfection. The worn and faded blue jeans clung to a really nice backside and powerful legs.
“He looks like John Cena from the back, doesn’t he?” an older, familiar voice mused.
Kate tore her gaze away to find the Schaeffer sisters in front of the counter. Lydia kept her eyes peeled on Chris’s retreating form, specifically on his arse. Edith was grinning at her.
Kate used Lydia’s question as an excuse to look at him again. “You know, you’re right. He does.”
Only when Chris and her father disappeared from view did she turn back to them. Lydia was waving her gloved hand in front of her flushed face, fanning herself. Kate knew just how she felt.
“What can I do for you, ladies? Do you need help finding something?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Edith answered. “We heard the rumors and wanted to know if they were true. We had to seek you out since you’d missed cooking with us the last two weeks.” Though she was much shorter than Kate, the older woman managed to look down her nose in chastisement.
“What rumors?” she asked, feigning innocence.
“Well, several are being bandied about, dear. Agnes said you had dinner with that boy last week, and things got pretty hot and heavy right there in the dining room.”
Lydia nodded. “And then Mona said he was the real reason you weren’t coming to the firehouse anymore. She said his truck was parked in front of your house all night.”
They both looked at her expectantly, waiting for the scoop.
“Well, yes, his truck was parked in front of my house one night, but we weren’t there,” Kate clarified. “He was helping me collect and transport a litter of stray puppies.”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and showed them pictures. They sighed audibly, especially when Kate showed them some of the candid shots she’d taken of Chris handling the pups. It was enough to make a woman’s ovaries shiver at any age.
“That’s also why I haven’t been in to help with the cooking or doing the deliveries. I’ve been taking care of the dogs at home until they’re old enough to leave alone for several hours at a time. At least when I’m here, I can run across the street as often as I need to.”
She might have also installed a nanny cam she’d found sitting unopened in the back so that she could monitor them from her phone.
“But you went out on a date. Marietta saw you.”
Kate sighed. She should have known Marietta was involved somehow. “Some friends came over to watch the dogs, so I could run errands. Chris offered to help, and we ended up going to dinner. As for the hot and heavy ...”
They leaned in closer.
Kate did, too, and lowered her voice as if about to impart a confidence. “Marietta spilled beer on my hand, and Chris used his napkin to soak it up.”
They stared at her, waiting for her to say more.
When she didn’t, Edith blinked and asked, “That’s it?”
She shrugged. “That’s it.”
They looked so disappointed.
“Yes, well, don’t give up, dear. There’s still hope,” Edith said, sympathetically patting her hand. “Next time, try ordering the oysters. They’re supposed to be an aphrodisiac, you know.”
“What do you know about aphrodisiacs?” Lydia huffed. “Have you been reading my bodice rippers again?”
Kate bit back her grin. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
“No.” Edith sniffed. “We’re heading over to the hair salon and giving Mona a piece of our mind. Spreading untoward rumors about our Kate like that, why, it’s just not decent.”
Kate chuckled as they left, twittering about fake news.
Her father returned with Chris shortly after and handed her a handwritten list of building materials. “Katy-belle, can you check our suppliers and find the best prices?”
“Sure thing, Dad.”
“Katy-belle, huh?” Chris grinned at her as her father went to help another customer.
“Yeah, he’s been calling me that for as long as I can remember.”
“I like it. It suits you. So, Sunday?”
“Sunday.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up around ten?”
“Perfect.”
She couldn’t wait.
Chapter Seventeen
Mad Dog
Kate had her front door open before Mad Dog stepped out of his truck. He loved her enthusiasm. Based on the smile on her face, she was as eager to spend the day together as he was.
As happy as that made him, he was determined to stick to his plan of taking things slow.
That was his intent anyway.
The moment the door closed behind him, she was in his arms, kissing him like he was the air she needed to breathe. He wasn’t about to turn that down even if it did bring every primal instinct he had perilously close to the surface.
The kiss deepened. Her lips parted in invitation, and he gladly took command of the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She responded in kind, and it soon became a passionate dance of give and take. Somehow, her legs wound up around his waist, and his large palms were filled with her glorious ass.
He was a man on the edge, and she was chipping away at the earth beneath his feet.
He turned them around so that she was the one up against the door. It would be so easy to take her, to claim her as his and give her himself in return.
“Kate,” he warned between heated kisses.
“I just wanted to make it clear that I’m all in, in case you still had doubts.”
He groaned. “Keep kissing me like that, and I’m going to be the one who’s all in.”
She nipped his bottom lip, which he liked way too much, and hummed. He had to apply the brakes, or they would be sealing this deal.
With one more kiss, he reluctantly released her. She slid down his body, a torturous glide that made him question the sanity of his game plan.
They managed to get the dogs into his truck without much trouble. Kate was thrilled with the fact that he’d replaced the tarp over his bed with a full-sized cap. Even more so with the portable contraption he’d built for transport, a hybrid carrier of sorts. Not only would it keep Mama Dog and the pups safe in the back during the ride, but they could also move the entire unit into the main building as one piece.
Duke rode up front with them, his massive head between their seats and his back end perched on the bench seat behind them.
It felt right. Like, this is what he wanted every ride from now on to be like right. Kate beside him, dogs in the back, headed somewhere to do something together.
“It looks different in the daylight,” Kate commented when they pulled up to the main building.
“And when we’re not in the middle of a blizzard,” he chastised. “Haven’t you ever been here before? Back when it was a resort, I mean?”
She shook her head “No. I heard it was amazing though. Sumneyville High used to have senior prom here. I was on the yearbook committee, so I got to see the pictures. They were beautiful.”
“You didn’t go to your senior prom? Why not?”
She shrugged. “No one asked.”
Kate got out of the truck and then opened the back door for Duke. He jumped out and immediately began to sniff around.
When Mad Dog made it over to her side of the truck, he stepped up close behind her, leaned down, and said, “Then, they were fucking idiots.”
She turned and smiled up at him, showcasing those gorgeous dimples. “Where were you when I was seventeen?”
“BUD/S probably.”
Smok
e and Cage emerged from the building. Duke immediately ran over to greet Steve and sniff Cage.
“Kate.” Smoke nodded.
“Hey, Steve.”
Mad Dog figured an introduction was in order. “Kate, Nick Fumanti. We call him Cage.”
“We’ve met—kind of,” Kate said with a grin. “You’re the scary sentry guy.”
Cage laughed. “Yeah, sorry about that.”
“No worries. I shouldn’t have just shown up, unannounced, like that.”
Smoke already had the back of his truck open. “Cage, grab the other end, and let’s get them inside.”
Cage peered inside. “Is that them? Wow, they are cute.”
Smoke and Cage picked up the carrier while Mad Dog, Kate, and Duke followed along behind. Unsurprisingly, a welcoming committee was waiting for them in the decompression room.
Sam greeted Kate with a hug, which surprised him. Sam wasn’t much of a hugger. Then again, it was Kate. Something about her just made people want to hug her, and he was at the top of that list. He was okay with Sam or Sandy doing it, but if anyone else felt the inclination, they were going to have a problem.
“Kate! I’m so glad you made it. And you brought these adorable little darlings. Just so you know, we’re going to spoil them rotten.”
“Absolutely,” Sandy agreed. “Hi, Kate. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Hi, Sandy. You, too.”
Mad Dog went around the room and introduced her to the rest of the guys. “Kate, I think you know Matt Winston.”
Church gave her a friendly head nod. “Kate, good to have you here.”
“This is Cole Watson.”
“Call me Doc.”
Kate smiled. “Doc Watson? Are you an actual doctor or a Sherlock Holmes fan?”
“Both.”
“Me, too. Well, not the doctor part, but I love the books.”
Doc beamed at her, and just that quickly, she’d won him over, too.
“And this is Hugh Bradley.”
“Heff, please.”
“Do I want to know?” she asked.
Sandy laughed. “Probably not.”
“Nice to meet you all.”
They returned the sentiment.
“Go on now,” Sam said, making a shooing motion with her hands. “Give Kate the grand tour while we love on these pups.”
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