She looked at him as she set the towel on the counter. He was just finishing up the glasses they’d used. “You’re frowning.”
It wasn’t actually a frown but more what Alison had once referred to as his “thoughtful face.” He let the protest ride.
“Just trying to figure out what time it is.” He’d forgotten his watch this morning. Kevin shook his head as he glanced toward the wide window over the sink. “I haven’t a clue.”
He shrugged philosophically. Time really didn’t matter right now, he supposed. For the first time in his life, he didn’t need to be anywhere at any particular given time. It felt rather odd not to have a constricting schedule, as if he was suddenly leading someone else’s life. Someone who wasn’t productive.
He was still trying to figure out if he liked living that kind of life or not.
Kevin looked out the kitchen window again. The sky was as blue as it had been this morning. The sun seemed to have been superglued into place, offering him no clues as to the hour.
He retired the glass he was drying to the counter. “You get the impression that time is standing still up here.”
“Sometimes it does.”
June put the glass into the cupboard beside its mate. She owned exactly four glasses, enough for herself, her siblings and her grandmother. The family was growing. Maybe it was time to get more.
She closed the cupboard and turned to face Kevin. “They like to say that we march to a different drummer in Alaska. That time spent here is richer.”
That had a nice ring to it. He studied her for a moment and couldn’t decide if she was putting him on or not. “How do you feel about that?”
She didn’t even have to think before she spoke. “Well, I know that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.” She was standing too close to him, she realized. And something vibrated inside her. “But you should probably be getting back.”
That had come out of left field. “Have I overstayed my welcome?”
She pressed her lips together. That had sounded a little abrupt, as if she was trying to get rid of him. She probably needed a little help in her people skills, she supposed. “No, but if you don’t turn up soon, April might send Max looking for you. It’s about six o’clock.” She took the wet dish towel from his hand and carefully spread it out on the rack to dry. Try as she might, she couldn’t talk him out of doing the dishes with her. The whole thing had seemed oddly intimate and she felt strangely out of focus tonight. “You’ve been here for a good part of the day.”
Emphasis on “good,” Kevin thought. Besides, April wouldn’t be the one looking for him. He’d promised to spend the night at Alison’s.
“Have I? It feels as if I just got here.” Which was almost the truth. Even though he hadn’t been aware of the passing of the hours, they still had somehow managed to whiz by. He smiled at her. “Like I said, time seems to stand still up here.”
She looked up at him and for a second, she thought he was going to kiss her. Or maybe that was just her own wishful thinking. June looked away, glancing at his wrist. “Maybe you need to wear your watch.”
“Maybe.”
What he knew was that he needed to leave before it became awkward. Before he found another excuse to stay. Because he wanted one. Wanted an excuse to remain just where he was, talking to her, looking at her.
He knew what this was. Loneliness, plain and simple, fueled by the sight of what had always been missing from his life. A fresh-faced, beautiful young woman. This was nothing more than his last attempt at snaring a bit of youth and drawing it into his life.
He knew he should know better.
He did know better, and yet, here he stood, wishing for a reason to remain. Wanting to take her into his arms and hold her.
And kiss her.
“I’d better go,” he agreed, and began to walk to the front door.
She fell into step beside him.
The soft music from her radio followed them to the front door, wrapping itself tightly around them with each note. Creating an intimacy that was hard to shake.
Where were the fast dance numbers when you needed them? June wondered.
When he stopped at the door and looked down at her, she felt her breath catch in her throat. Was he going to kiss her?
Oh God, she hoped so.
Stop it, you can’t think like that. What’s wrong with you?
Suddenly tongue-tied, she looked for something besides a love ballad to fill the air. “Well, thanks for your help.”
He glanced around. The entranceway was dark, like the rest of the house. It seemed that the sunlight couldn’t manage to push its way inside despite the windows. “I’ve hardly made a dent.”
She didn’t understand. He’d done everything she’d asked. More. “What do you mean? The tractor’s running fine and, because of you, I don’t have to struggle with the fence posts anymore.”
He gestured around the room. Trim needed replacing, walls needed painting, and she could definitely stand to have new windows and doors put in. “Seems to me that this old house could use a bit of work.”
June opened her mouth instantly. Her first inclination was to deny his assumption, but she was afraid that her nose would grow. If ever a place needed work, it was this one.
So instead, she merely shrugged and rocked on the balls of her feet. “I’ll get to it by and by.”
Kevin stuck his hands into his back pockets, wanting to look anywhere but at her face. He couldn’t look anywhere but her face.
His thoughts took off, multiplying. “Listen, I’m going to be here until the wedding. I told Lily I wanted to help her with the arrangements. She didn’t say anything, but I’ve got the definite feeling that my butting in would be about as welcome as blotches on a supermodel. I hate just hanging around, doing nothing—”
She knew where this was going and wasn’t all that sure it was a good idea. “You could play tourist.”
But he shook his head. “I don’t play very well.” It wasn’t that he didn’t think the terrain was beautiful, but he wasn’t the type to take in scenery from dawn to dusk, especially since right now, the time in between lasted forever. “What I’m best at is work. I felt good today for the first time since I sold the business. Since before I sold the business,” he corrected himself.” He took his hands out of his pockets and held them up for her benefit. “Two hands, no waiting. What do you say I put them to work for you? For the house,” Kevin amended in case she thought he meant something a little more handy than he’d actually intended.
“I can’t pay you—” she began. And she wasn’t into charity, she was going to add, but she never got the opportunity.
“Did I ask for money?” he wanted to know.
She wished he’d stop interrupting her. “No, but—”
He didn’t want to be shot down and the only viable way, apparently, to keep flying was to outtalk her. “Actually, I should be paying you—for allowing me to keep my sanity.”
The wind left her sails. Maybe she was being too hasty, turning him down. After all, Kevin was family. “When you put it like that, you make it hard to turn you down.”
A pleased expression took root on his face, growing. “Then don’t.”
“Okay.” There were times, she decided, when it was best for all just to go along with what was happening. She put her hand out. “You’ve got a deal.”
His hand closed over hers. The contact was light, but potent nonetheless. Maybe because he was so acutely aware of her. Slowly he dropped his hand, but his eyes never left her face.
“Last night, when I kissed you,” he began slowly, “I was presuming things. Things I shouldn’t have without asking—”
They’d already been through this, hadn’t they? “Look, I—”
He cut her off. “But I’m asking now. June, I’d like to kiss you. Like to very much.” He searched her face, looking for some kind of indication that he wasn’t going too far out on a limb here, that he hadn’t misread the signs. “Bu
t if this makes you uncomfortable in any way—”
She drew her shoulders back. “Talking about it makes me uncomfortable.”
“Well, then—” He started to turn to go.
He never made it. June stood up on her toes, her hands going to either side of his face, framing it. “Just shut up and do it,” she told him.
And then, before he could, she did. Her lips met his first.
She was also the first to melt.
Melt against him. Melt, period.
It had to do with the heat. But not the kind that was coming from outside. This was a heat that came from within. A heat generated by the very touch of his mouth to hers. By the thoughts that contact created.
And by the longing that appeared instantly.
His arms closed around her, pulling her to him. His body came alive everywhere it touched hers. Kevin could feel flames licking at him, could feel desires coming out of nowhere, assaulting him.
Demanding to be recognized.
To be appeased.
He wanted what he rarely even thought about anymore. He wanted to make love with her.
The thought exploded in his head like a grenade that was on a delayed firing pattern. Stunned, Kevin pulled his head back as if some sudden electrical force had jolted through him.
It took her a second to realize that the kiss was over, that there was air between them instead of the intimate press of flesh. She looked at him in surprise. “What is it?”
“I should be getting back. Now.”
He said the last word so urgently, so forcefully, she knew that he had to be feeling the same shock waves through his body that she felt through hers. It was as if her body had been drenched with dew, only to have it sizzle off her skin.
It took her more than a moment to gather herself together.
“Right.” She drew a breath, her mind fuzzy. What was it that he did to her? “They’ll be looking for you,” she murmured.
He stepped outside. After the darkness within, late hour or not, there was entirely too much daylight to deal with. He shaded his eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What time?” she called after him.
One corner of his mouth rose as he crossed back to her. “I thought time didn’t matter here.”
He had her there. She scrambled for an excuse. “It doesn’t, I just—”
Kevin laughed. “I’m only kidding.” He wondered if April would mind letting him use her car again. “Nine all right?”
“Half the day’s used up by then. If you want to get anything done, you’ll have to come earlier.” She was only half kidding.
“Earlier then,” he promised as he got into April’s car.
“Earlier,” she murmured, watching him drive away. She stood watching for a long time.
That had been a very vulnerable moment, she thought.
Very slowly, June ran her fingertips along her lips. She could still feel the pressure, still taste him. She knew she should be grateful to Kevin. That had he been someone like Haggerty, or one of the others, he would have used the opportunity to talk her out of her clothes and into a prone position.
Yes, she should be grateful, she thought, her hand dropping to her side.
But all she was, was frustrated.
With a sigh, June went back inside. The screen door slammed against its jamb, announcing her less-than-pleased demeanor.
“Where have you been?” Like a jack-in-the-box, Alison popped up from the chair and flew to her brother’s side the moment he walked in through the door. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was supposed to stay at their place tonight and he was very late. “Do you realize I was ready to have Max start combing the area for your body?”
Though he appreciated his sister’s concern, from his standpoint, there was no reason to get so upset. “I’m thirty-seven years old, Alison. I’ve got an uncanny sense of direction and I can take care of myself.”
“This isn’t downtown Seattle, Kevin. There aren’t signs on every corner to help you along your way. People get seriously lost out here. And,” she finished dramatically, “turn up seriously dead.” When he made no comment, she turned expectantly toward her husband. “Help me out here, Luc. Tell him.”
But Luc was content to sit back and let the drama unfold without him. He knew better than to get into the line of fire. He waved her on. “You’re doing just fine without me.”
“Men,” she sighed in disgust. And then her eyes narrowed as she looked at her brother. “You still haven’t answered me. Where were you?”
He was extremely easygoing, but that wasn’t to be mistaken for being a doormat. He’d never been one of those. “Haven’t you got the roles reversed a little here? I’m the big brother, you’re the little sister.” He looked at her pointedly. “The very little sister.” Even in heels, which she wasn’t wearing, Alison barely came up to his chest.
An accusing glint entered her eyes. “You’re evading the question.”
Kevin looked over Alison’s head toward his brother-in-law. “She’s gotten a lot more demanding since she’s left home.”
Luc chuckled quietly. “This air’ll do that to you,” he agreed.
Close to the end of her patience, Alison fisted her hands on her hips. “Kev-in.”
Luc pretended to take refuge behind his book. “Uh-oh, when she draws your name out like that, you’re in trouble. I’d answer her if I were you.”
It was never his intention not to answer her, just not to have it come across as if he were enduring the third degree. “I stopped by the farmhouse.”
At first, she didn’t know what he was talking about. “What farmhouse? The abandoned one?”
He thought that an apt description for the place where June was living. “No, June’s, although it might as well have been abandoned.” He began to walk out of the room. “Never saw anything before so desperately in need of work that hadn’t been condemned by the board of health first—”
Moving quickly, she put herself in front of her brother. He was not going to escape this easily. “Back up here, you stopped at June’s?”
“I just said that.” Glancing toward Luc, Kevin struggled to suppress his grin. He could almost see the questions multiplying in his sister’s head. “Keep up, Aly.”
She bit back her temper. “I will if you stop jumping around to unimportant things.” This definitely had promise. “What were you doing at June’s place?”
“Well, for the first few hours I was fixing her tractor.”
Alison’s brows drew together. She looked toward Luc, but he was proving to be no help whatsoever. She was on her own here. “Is that some kind of euphemism for—”
Kevin almost laughed out loud. “A machine, Alison, I was fixing an antiquated machine so that June could use it on the farm.” He looked over her head at Luc again and deadpanned. “Just exactly what is it that you’ve done to her?”
The expression on Luc’s face was the last word in innocence as he continued thumbing through his book.
“The nights here are six months long.”
Kevin nodded to himself as he started to cross to the threshold again. “That would explain it.”
This time, Alison grabbed his arm. “Hold it, mister. I’m not through with you yet. What did you do for the rest of the time you were gone? Dinnertime came and went,” she reminded him. “By the way, it’s in the refrigerator if you’re hungry.”
But he shook his head. “June put me to work fixing fence posts. Actual posts,” he added, just in case she thought that was a euphemism, too.
“I know that,” Alison muttered defensively.
“And then I made her dinner,” he concluded. “Except I thought it was lunch. Hard to tell time without a watch up here. I’ve misplaced mine somewhere.”
“I can lend you one until you find it,” Luc volunteered. “I’ve got an old one I don’t use anymore.”
Were they deliberately trying to make her crazy? “Stop talking about trivial things and let me get t
his straight,” Alison demanded. “You cooked for her?” Before Kevin could answer, she turned her head toward Luc. “He cooked for her.” Did Luc have any idea what that meant, to have her brother actually prepare something for someone? Alone, he was given to making sandwiches. This required effort.
Luc nodded soberly. “In some third-world countries, that would mean you’re practically engaged.” He sustained a swat from his wife for his trouble.
She turned her attention back to Kevin. “So that’s why you’re late? You were cooking for her?” For the first time since he’d walked in, she smiled at him. “And then what?”
“And then we ate what I cooked.”
“And then?”
Kevin pretended to think. “And then we washed dishes.”
She curled her fingers into her hand to keep from strangling her brother. “And?”
He spread his hands out innocently. “And then we dried them.”
“Kev-in!”
“She’s shouting now,” Kevin said to Luc. “Does that still mean the same thing it did when she was living in Seattle?”
“She’s mad.”
“It means the same thing.”
She knew what they were doing, but she was in no mood to kid around. “Will you two stop talking about me as if you’re dealing with a mentally deficient person?” She enunciated her question very slowly. “Kevin, did you kiss her?”
For his part, he had no secrets, but this involved another person and he wasn’t about to broadcast her doings, not even to his sister.
“That is my business, Aly.” But he hated to see the look of frustrated disappointment that overtook her features. “And even if I did, it doesn’t mean anything. June’s a member of the family, remember? A kid.”
“She’s twenty-two,” Alison reminded him.
He wasn’t about to get into an argument. “Practically a kid,” he allowed.
Luc came in, a ready referee. “So, are you seeing the kid again?” The tone in his voice told Kevin he already knew the answer to that.
He nodded, too tired to stretch this out any longer. His muscles were beginning to ache from the day he’d put in. Nothing like honest toil to exhaust you. “Tomorrow. I promised to help fix up her house.”
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