by Cindy Gerard
He was a big man, well over six feet tall. Wearing a black T-shirt, worn denim jeans, moccasins and a leather headband that held back jet black hair reaching midway down his back, he quieted the wolfs threatening snarl with a slight motion of his hand.
Colin’s immediate reaction to the sight of them, materializing out of thin air as if by magic, was that this place must actually be haunted. His second thought was much more rational, but no less daunting. If they were as hostile as they looked, he was in big trouble.
Though he stood his ground, it didn’t take a lengthy assessment to weigh his chances against the pair of them. Pitted against a wolf and this sullen man with the look of a warrior and an angry scar that ran from his temple to his jaw, there would be no contest. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t put up a good fight if it came down to it. He’d grown up on the streets of New York City. He may not have learned how to find his way out of a forest, but he’d learned a thing or two about self-defense.
“You would be Colin Slater?”
Still struggling with the man’s intentions, and unsure if he and the wolf posed a physical threat, Colin was slow to answer.
“I would,” he said warily.
The man moved gracefully toward him...at the last moment, extending his hand. “Whoa,” he said, raising his palms in supplication. “I come in peace.”
It was then that Colin realized he’d made fists of his hands and adopted a battle stance. Simultaneously it dawned on him that the slight tilting of the man’s mouth, which would pass for a sneer on most men, was actually an amused grin.
“Abel Greene,” he said in a tone that could arguably be considered friendly. “I’m a friend of Scarlett’s. She sent me to look for you.”
Slowly Colin relaxed his fists. Slower still, he extended his hand to return the gesture. Greene’s handshake was firm but not overpowering. It was the last sign Colin needed.
“Sorry,” he said, feeling sheepish. “I’m afraid the wolf spooked me.”
Again came that almost smile. “Nashata has that effect on people, the first time they see her. She looks more wolf than dog when actually she’s half of each.”
“Nashata,” Colin repeated, searching his memory, then coming up with scraps of a conversation with either Scarlett or Casey. “Then she would be the mother of Casey’s puppies.”
“So you’ve met the little hellions. J.D.’s chocolate Lab is the other responsible party.”
He smiled, allowing the wolf-dog to sniff his hand. “It figures that Hazzard’s dog would be as much of a rogue as his master.” He met the big man’s eyes, searching his memory once again. “Greene. Now I recognize the name. J.D.’s mentioned you. You and your wife live near his and Maggie’s cabin, right? And sometimes help get Casey to school.”
Greene nodded, and Colin got the distinct impression he was sizing him up. When the next words out of his mouth were “Scarlett’s a good friend,” which was a statement totally unrelated to their current situation, he knew he was right.
“She seems like a fine person,” Colin said, feeling it judicious to avoid using the word woman, but not fully understanding why.
Greene considered him for a quite moment. “J.D. set you up, you know.”
After his initial surprise at the accuracy of Greene’s conclusion, Colin smiled, appreciating once again the candor of the people who populated Legend Lake. “We’d already figured that out.”
“It’s a nasty habit he has,” Greene added. “In my case, though, you’ll hear no complaints.”
Colin wasn’t sure how to react to that statement. So he approached it carefully. “You met your wife because of J.D.?”
“Indirectly.” That semblance of a smile whispered across his lips again. Just as quickly it was gone. “Are you ready to head back? Scarlett’s a little worried that you’d gotten lost.”
Colin saw no alternative but to bite the proverbial bullet. “It’s hard to admit, but she’s right. I was lost.”
“No you weren’t,” Greene said amiably as he turned with the expectation that Colin would follow.
“I wasn’t?” Colin fell in step behind them.
“Nope. You were just soaking up the scenery and were about to head back when Nashata found you. Anyway, that’s the way I see it. But it’ll be your story, so you can tell it any way you want to.”
“I think I like your version,” he conceded with a smile, and decided then and there that he liked this man. “Thanks,” he added, buoyed by the prospect that he didn’t have to lose face in front of Scarlett for the second time in as many days.
Until she saw Abel and Nashata walk out of the clearing with Colin in tow, Scarlett hadn’t admitted to herself how worried she’d been. She stepped back from the dining room window and let go of a sigh of relief.
“So that’s the way it is,” her friend said.
She turned around and gave Abel’s wife, Mackenzie, a blank look. “So that’s the way what is?”
Mackenzie just grinned and, easing carefully up from the dining room table, walked to the window and peeked outside. “You were really concerned about him, weren’t you?”
“Of course I was concerned,” Scarlett said, working hard at not sounding defensive and giving herself away. “He’s a guest And whether I like it or not, a business partner. Naturally I was worried. I don’t want anyone getting lost out there. It could be dangerous.”
Mackenzie watched her husband and the guest in question walk toward the hotel. She turned back to Scarlett, a knowing look on her face. “He doesn’t appear to me to be the kind of man who would have trouble taking care of himself. As a matter of fact, he looks capable of taking care of just about anything he sets his mind to. Tell me, Scarlett, has he set his mind on you?”
Scarlett was about to sputter out a laughing protest, when she recognized the look in her friend’s sparkling green eyes. She tilted her head, considering. When comprehension dawned, she wagged an accusing finger Mackenzie’s way. “You’re in on this with J.D., aren’t you?”
Mackenzie, petite and elflike, with her short, reddish hair and pixie nose, affected an expression of pure, perfected innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Scarlett snorted. “And the lake isn’t deep. J.D. sent you, didn’t he? He’s got it figured out that we’re on to him by now, and instead of tossing his hat through the door to check out his welcome, he sent you to test the waters.
“Well, you can tell that hopelessly romantic meddler that his little ploy isn’t working. I am not in the market for a man. Colin is not in the market for a woman. And furthermore, make sure he knows he ought to be ashamed of himself for sending a woman in your condition to do his dirty work.”
Glowing, in the second trimester of her pregnancy, Mackenzie studied Scarlett for a moment, then shrugged. “Oh well. I tried.” She walked back to the table and sat down. “But you’ve got to admit,” she added, picking up where she’d left off on one of Scarlett’s caramel rolls, “it wasn’t such a bad idea. Colin Slater looks like hunk material to me.”
Scarlett made a tsking sound. “This from a happily married and very pregnant woman.”
“I’m married, not dead,” Mackenzie said in her typical straightforward style. “And if I didn’t have an eye for quality, I wouldn’t be married to top-of-the-line material now.”
In spite of her irritation, Scarlett smiled, remembering the unique circumstances under which Mackenzie and Abel had gotten together. In this day and age, the idea of a mail-order bride went against every feminist gene in her body, but she couldn’t argue that it had turned into the perfect arrangement. She’d worried about the reclusive and brooding Abel for as long as she’d known him. The interruption of Mackenzie, and her fifteen-year-old brother, Mark, in Abel’s isolated and solitary life had been the best kind of turmoil. And after a rough start, the match appeared to be perfect.
“I’ll forgive you,” she said, joining Mackenzie at the table. “Your hormones are haywire so you have an excuse. Bu
t J.D. had better walk softly and stay out of my path for a while, or I’ll slice him up and use him for fish bait. Why does he think he knows what’s best for me, anyway? And how dare he presume to arrange my relationships.”
Mackenzie chewed thoughtfully on a bite of roll. “Maybe he figures that since he was responsible for talking Abel into advertising for a wife and it worked out for us that he has a knack for matchmaking.”
“He has a knack for interfering, nothing more,” Scarlett amended, as she rose to get more hot water for Mackenzie’s herbal tea.
“So what you’re saying is that you don’t find Colin Slater attractive,” Mackenzie said, noting how fidgety Scarlett was.
“I didn’t say that,” Scarlett corrected. “I’m not dead, either.” They shared a grin. “But I’m not shopping for a man. And if I was, Colin Slater wouldn’t be on the list For heaven’s sake, we have nothing in common. He’s a New Yorker. He eats, breaths and sleeps business. He’s about as comfortable in the north woods as I am in the city. And I’m as far from being his type of woman as...”
When she trailed off, unable to come up with an adequate comparison, Mackenzie supplied one for her. “As different as I am from Abel?” she asked brightly.
Scarlett frowned. “That’s different.”
“How is it different?”
“It just is,” she said irritably. “Look, I don’t even know why we’re talking about this.”
After gracing her with an irritatingly smug grin, Mackenzie took another sip of her tea.
“It’s not going to happen,” Scarlett insisted. “So you can just get that ‘we’ll see’ look out of your eyes.”
“Hmm” was all Mackenzie said.
With a shake of her head, Scarlett muttered her frustration, then jerked her head around when she heard the sound of the men approaching the dining room.
“It looks fine,” Mackenzie whispered, and only then did Scarlett realize she’d touched a hand to her hair to smooth it.
“I wasn’t doing it for him,” she snapped, then jumped at the sound of Abel’s voice.
“You weren’t doing what for who?” he asked as he and Colin joined them at the table.
“Geezer,” she improvised quickly. “I...I wasn’t cleaning the bar this morning for him. It’s...it’s not a job I expect him to do.” She shot a quick, fidgety look Colin’s way, then felt herself flush all over at his open and thorough study of her face.
Abel pulled out a chair beside Mackenzie and, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents of awareness humming around the table, sat down. “Feeling okay?” he asked in that intimate, protective voice Scarlett had learned to recognize as the one he reserved only for his wife.
“I’m great. Scarlett has fed me, pampered me and coddled me like a mother hen.”
“My wife, Mackenzie,” Abel said, turning from her to Colin. “Mackenzie, this is Colin Slater. He was just on his way back when Nashata and I ran into him.”
“Nice to meet you, Mackenzie.” Colin extended his hand across the table.
“My pleasure.” Mackenzie returned his smile. “I hope you’re finding your stay at Crimson Falls and Legend Lake to your liking.”
Colin’s mouth twisted into a semblance of a grin. “It’s...certainly different from what I’m used to.”
“Different good, I hope,” she persisted.
He thought a moment then conceded with a slight nod. “Yeah, I guess you could say that The country’s beautiful. The falls are spectacular. It’s the quiet that’s giving me trouble.”
“It’ll grow on you,” Mackenzie assured him. “Trust me. I was born and raised in L.A., so I know what you’re talking about. It was a little unsettling for me at first, too, but now nothing could compel me to go back.”
“Mr. Slater will have to take your word on that,” Scarlett interjected, rising from the table. “He’s only here for a couple of weeks and then it’s back to New York.”
Mackenzie’s eyes danced between Scarlett and Colin. “Well, that’s unfortunate. But isn’t it nice to know Crimson Falls and Scarlett’s good cooking are only a few hours away by plane?”
Scarlett felt her color rise again. She sent a warning look Mackenzie’s way before turning to Colin. “Are you ready for that caramel roll now?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” He gave her a probing look. “I should shower first but I’ve been thinking about that roll for the past hour.”
“Coming right up,” she said in her best, breezy, innkeeper’s voice and made a beeline for the kitchen.
They were all still sitting around the table, looking relaxed and comfortable with each other when she returned. Not fair, she thought. Not fair at all, considering her heart was still skipping and slipping at the thought of Colin’s eyes and the way he’d looked at her when he’d first come into the room. Like she was dessert and he had a sweet tooth.
“Where’s Mark?” Abel asked as he scooted his chair closer to Mackenzie to make more room for Scarlett.
“He and Casey are out back playing with the puppies.”
“How’s Mark doing?” Scarlett asked, still achingly aware of Colin’s gaze on her as he pulled out a chair for her so she could sit down beside him.
“Mark is amazing.” Mackenzie’s smile was full of pride and love. “Since I got him out of the city and, with Abel’s help, got him settled in here, he’s a different boy.”
Scarlett was glad. She was well aware of Mark’s troubled past as a gang member in the streets of L.A. It was Mackenzie’s desperation to get him out of the web of danger and crime that had ultimately led her to answer Abel’s ad. Their story was one of those fantastic, unbelievable tales that gave her faith in the goodness of the human condition and the healing power of love.
At least it worked for some people, she conceded, watching Mackenzie and Abel together. It had also worked for J.D. and Maggie. Maggie had been severely wounded by a damaging relationship when she’d escaped to Legend Lake and Blue Heron Bay a year ago. J.D. had found her there and cured her with his love.
And now he was determined to wrap up Scarlett’s love life in a neat and tidy package with pretty ribbons and bows. She had a news flash for him. Colin Slater was not about to be wrapped up by anyone. And even if he was, she would “return to sender” unopened.
She made a concentrated effort to avoid looking at him as he sat beside her. It was difficult. She’d been supercharged with awareness since this morning. First, when he’d been running beside her, she’d been far too cognizant of the strength of his muscular thighs, the breadth of his chest as he regulated his breathing to match his long strides, the sheen of perspiration, slick on his skin as he’d worked up a sweat. When the path had narrowed and he’d fallen into step behind her, her heartbeat had accelerated—not so much from the exertion of the run, but from the knowledge that his gaze was tracking every move she made. Five miles had never seemed so long.
And the past hour had seemed like ten as she’d worried and wondered if he was lost out there. The thought of anything happening to him had made something inside twist and ache...too much. Just like the thought of him leaving in twelve days hurt too much. Way too much, since she’d only just met him. Way too much, considering there could never be a future for them under any circumstances.
Six
“So everything’s going okay for you over here?” Scarlett heard Abel ask through the tangled maze of her thoughts.
“Great.” She forced a smile and made herself concentrate on something other than her futile feelings for Colin Slater. “And thanks to the raffle, I’ve got enough of a nest egg to start on some more of those repairs.”
“I don’t have to remind you that I want to help you, right?”
“You’ve already helped. Abel built my new dock,” she explained to Colin. “He’s a master contractor. Besides building his own log cabin, he custom designs and constructs them as a business.
“And no, you don’t have to remind me,” she said for Abel’s benefit, then, to keep
the conversation flowing she mentioned that Colin was also in construction.
“More or less,” he clarified. “Unlike Abel, we don’t start from the ground up. We’re more into renovation and restoration.”
“That’s perfect,” Mackenzie said brightly. “Scarlett needs all the help she can get restoring the hotel.”
It took everything in her to keep from glaring at Mackenzie. The woman could give meddling lessons to J.D.
“Colin isn’t helping with the renovation,” she informed them quickly. “He’s here for a vacation.”
“And the fact is, I haven’t been asked to help,” Colin added with a look that Scarlett had difficulty translating.
Colin was having a little trouble sorting out what he meant, too. When he’d arrived yesterday, he’d had no intention of getting embroiled in Scarlett’s problems with the hotel’s renovations. Now here he was, only a day later, and the more he saw of her day-today struggle, the more he realized he wanted to help out. And then there was the fact that if he didn’t find something to do with his hands soon, he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t keep them off the hotel’s owner. Volunteering his services suddenly seemed like the wisest thing to do.
“I think you’ve just had another offer,” Mackenzie said, correctly interpreting his statement. “It wouldn’t be polite to turn it down.”
“It wouldn’t be polite to impose on a guest,” Scarlett said, looking, in Colin’s opinion, just a little bit harried.
“She’s not imposing, is she, Colin?” Mackenzie persisted, ignoring the warning look Scarlett shot her way. “I’ll bet you’re just itching to dig into any number of projects around here.”
Colin grinned. Mackenzie Greene, it seemed, was as determined as her cohort, J. D. Hazzard to start something between him and Scarlett.
Since he was just as determined to keep his distance, and despite the increasing difficulty in doing so, he decided to humor her and do something for Scarlett at the same time. Hopefully the side benefit would be that it would save him from idle time and idle thoughts...like how good this roll would taste if he was licking the caramel from Scarlett’s skin instead of from a stainless steel fork.