The weekend cook had started as an introduction to my neighbors. I’d brought them baked goods on my first day, and the food had gone over so well that requests and demands for more had poured in. I’d tried to avoid them for a while, but when I’d realized that the residents were not just lonely but surviving on bad TV dinners and pot pies, I knew I had to do something.
Weekend cooks became the norm and each week, the residents donated as much as they could to a shared money pool. Between that, some donations from Ida, and my skills at couponing, I made at least three well-balanced meals for all seven participants. It was a lot of work, but it felt like the right thing to do.
Correction. It feels great until I have to carry all the groceries into my trailer while I’m half dead from a long shift. It was likely the exhaustion that prevented me from noticing my front door was opening—without me using my key.
“Wha—”
I fell forward and hit a solid male chest.
It was a nice chest. Firm with well-developed muscles, wrapped in a soft blue t-shirt. I wanted to snuggle up to that chest like a cat in a blanket, but I knew that wasn’t in the cards because the chest belonged to Mr. Out of My League.
“Gray, what are you doing here?”
His grin did those funny things to my body again, even though I had resolved to ignore the attraction. How was I ever to build up a resistance to him when he smiled like that?
“Miss Ida called me.” He pulled the bags from my grasp, all of them, and hauled them into the kitchen like they weighed nothing.
I locked the door behind me and followed him into the kitchen. He was busy unloading the food and organizing my fridge. Since I hated putting away things, I let him.
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here.” I swiped a Diet Coke off the pack of six before he stuffed them in the fridge.
“Are you sure you don’t want water?”
“Are you seriously going to give me shit for what I do in my own home?” I gave him a good “don’t fuck with me” glare and took a long drink from the soda. “Explain.”
He grinned again. My stomach dipped, so I poured more soda down my throat. “What’s with all the food? You planning a party?”
“It’s the haul for the freezer meals I cook for my neighbors,” I said, annoyed that I had to explain myself again to him. “Now explain how you got in my house.”
“Ida called my cell. She made it sound like an emergency, so I got here as fast as I could.”
I rubbed my hand over my tired eyes and groaned. “She always makes it sound like an emergency. Ida’s got a flair for the dramatic. You can’t let her get away with it.”
“When I got here, the place was torn apart ,and there was flooding in the bathroom. So I guess she wasn’t over dramatic this time,” Gray said.
“Once out of a hundred times isn’t a good average,” I said and grimaced. “How bad was the damage?”
“It wasn’t awful. They’d filled the tub so full it overflowed and shoved a bunch of shit in the toilet and the drains and left the taps running. Ida thought they’d broken something, but once I got the bits of paper, crayons, and doll hair out of the drains, everything seemed to be flowing just fine.”
“Fuuuuuck,” I groaned and collapsed into an ancient kitchen chair. The last thing I wanted to do was clean up the mess in the bathroom. I’d been looking forward to a soak and the latest book I’d picked up at Goodwill once the girls went down for the night. Now I’d be lucky if I could manage a shower before the two terrors were brought back to my trailer.
“By the time I got there, some princess show had calmed your sisters. So I sent Ida and the girls off to town with some cash for the ice cream store, then I fixed the drains and cleaned up the mess.” Gray put the last of the groceries in the fridge, then leaned a hip against the counter and smiled at me. “I meant to be gone before you got home. I know it’s probably weird I’m here.”
I snorted. “Dude, you fixed my bathroom and cleaned up. Whatever weirdness I might have felt has been totally forgotten. Seriously, thank you. I don’t have any cash on me now, but I’ll get it to you in a few days.”
Gray laughed, and I could see his body relax. “You’re welcome. And don’t worry about the cash. It was my idea to send off Ida and the kids. I got the feeling Ida was overwhelmed with the mess, so I told her I’d take care of it all. I’ve got two nephews about the same age as your sisters, so I was sympathetic.”
I grimaced. “They’re usually not a problem for Ida. But the weather’s been bad the last couple of days, and they were sick of being inside. I shouldn’t have taken the extra shift.”
“Hey, it’s no big deal. Ida got a hold of me, and we got it all sorted.”
It was a big deal for me. I didn’t like causing inconvenience for anyone. I was always capable of handling my own problems. And yet, in one afternoon, I’d inconvenienced both Ida and Gray. I was grateful for their help and embarrassed I’d needed it. “Ray and Brit didn’t break anything else, did they? What about the maintenance guy, did she call him?”
“The maintenance guy was on some other job. And there was no other damage, except for some juice-stained clothes in your laundry room.” He gestured toward the “room” that was only an enlarged closet in the hallway near my bedroom.
“I can handle stains.” I took a long drink and leaned back in my chair. The aches in my lower back and balls of my feet were always the worst right after a shift. I needed to get rid of Gray before Ida got back with the girls, so I could take an interrupted soak. “I’ll bake an apology pie for Ida, and all should be forgiven. Thank you for stepping in to help. You didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugged, and I swore I saw a tinge of pink to his tanned skin. “Like I said, I have nephews. Two little girls are a cakewalk compared to those monsters. I also had a word with your maintenance guy when he finally showed up after the mess was taken care of. I let him know what I thought about him letting a utility issue go unchecked while he mowed the grass. I think he understands priorities now.”
I laughed. “Oh man, I’m sorry you had to take on the mess, the kids, and Abe all in one day. Just for that, I’ll bake you an apology pie, too.”
His eyes lit up; his expression was like an eager child and not the intimidating man I obsessed over. I committed that look to memory, so I could remember and obsess over it when alone. It would be all I could allow myself. Because even though he’d helped out today, I couldn’t let this odd acquaintance between us continue. More time with Gray would only bring heartache for me.
“Well ...” I put my hands on my knees and forced myself to stand. “Thanks again.”
The man remained rooted to the floor of my kitchen. Was he stuck to the shitty 70s era linoleum? Was my hint that I wanted him gone too subtle? It must have been because Gray just smiled at me like he had all the time in the world. As much as he improved the overall looks of the place, I needed him gone.
So I tried again. “I’ll get that pie to you sometime next week.”
“Can it be cherry?”
I grinned at the hope in his voice. “You’re in luck. I happen to make the best cherry pie in all of Eagle Creek.”
Chapter 11
Gray
When I got back to my rental cabin later that evening, Hunter’s SUV was already parked outside. The week he’d promised had turned into ten days, and I’d worried that the absence would mean he’d stay gone for good. Hunter’s childhood in the foster system hadn’t given him confidence in things like roots and home, yet he’d been the one to suggest this new venture.
I found him on the back deck, a case of beer at his side and the tabletop fireplace blazing brightly. The view and the fireplace were Hunt’s favorite things about the house, and I often found him outside no matter the weather.
“Welcome back,” I said and dropped into the chair next to him. “When’d you
get in?”
“Hour ago,” he muttered, and took a drink from his bottle. “Where were you?”
“Ruby’s house. She had a plumbing issue. I helped her out.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but I didn’t feel like getting into the details of my day with Hunter when he was obviously in a funk.
“Good for you. Making some headway there. I thought you’d drag your feet forever.”
I wasn’t sure what kind of headway I’d made with Ruby, but she hadn’t kicked me out of her house on sight. That had to count for something. Whatever was going on between Ruby and me could wait. My friend needed my attention, now.
“You want to talk about it, Hunt?”
“Nothing to say,” he replied. “Needed a break, so I took it.”
“A break from what? Or should I say from whom?”
Hunter looked over at me, and his face looked carved from stone. “I thought we’d agreed months ago that you’d said your piece.”
“We did,” I agreed. “But you’re the one that can’t seem to get past whatever happened between you and Lucy.”
Hunter grimaced then turned away to stare at the sunset as he took another drink. “You’re right. I seem to be the only one that can’t get over it.”
“So is that why you hid out for ten days?” He shook his head but didn’t elaborate. “All right, we don’t have to talk about it more. Just tell me, do you want out from the partnership agreement?”
“No,” he said with a speed that made me feel ten times better. “No, I promise I’ve got my head on straight again. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Hunt, you’re like a brother to me. Have been even before we lost Jonah. You can tell me whatever’s on your mind.”
Hunter didn’t say anything more, so I sat with him and watched the sunset over the lake. I knew both of us had demons, not just from the accident that took our friend, but from the years we’d spent in the service. It was hard not to be affected by the things you saw while at war. Most days, I handled it pretty well, but when the memories got too bad to handle on my own, I had Hunt to talk to. So it bothered me that he was keeping silent now.
How could I help if he wouldn’t talk?
U
True to his word Hunter returned to his old sarcastic self over the next few days. He even managed to have several conversations with Lucy that didn’t end in shouting. With the end of summer near, business on the chain of lakes was slow so we shifted our efforts to winterizing the boats and finishing up the construction on the new restaurant.
“The contractor says we’re on schedule to be complete by the end of December,” Lucy said and handed me a printout with tasks and dates on it.
We’d assembled in the new restaurant building to discuss the project in detail. The space was still just bare concrete and studs, and it was hard for me to envision what it would look like when it was done. With all the dust, construction materials, and bare wires, it looked a little scary to me, but I trusted Lucy and Hunt’s vision.
“The siding and roofing is the last piece to be done, and we’ve got that scheduled for next week. Weather permitting, the stonework should only take a day or two, and the rest of the time is allotted for siding and roofing.”
I looked over the paper as Lucy went on about the next stages in the build. This part of our plan, the new restaurant and bar, was the brainchild of Lucy and Hunter. While I saw the benefit of adding more revenue streams, my focus remained on maintaining the business we had. When the numbers and dates started blurring together on the page, I put the paper down and turned my attention back to the conversation.
“Sounds good, Luce,” I said. “You’re doing an amazing job with this.”
Lucy blushed, an uncommon thing for the brash and outgoing girl I’d known since she was fourteen. “Thanks, I enjoy it. I love seeing all of these pieces come together.”
“I’m glad she likes it,” Hunter added. “I couldn’t give one fuck about the finish on the lighting fixtures.”
I laughed. “Got that right.”
“The point is you won’t care if it all comes together nicely. It’ll just look amazing, and you’ll both bow down to my genius,” Lucy said with a smug smile.
“Luce.” I sat forward and covered her hand with mine. “You’re doing a great job.”
She smiled, and I could see my words affected her. “I have one more thing to discuss. Morgan has declined our offer.”
“Wait,” I said and leaned forward. “Who’s Morgan?”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “The chef we hired—tried to hire.”
“Did he sign a contract?” I asked.
“No, we were just getting to that point when he told me he was taking another job,” Lucy said. “He was full of apologies, but nothing I said could convince him to stick with us.”
“What about the other one we had on the line? The woman with the catering business?” I asked.
“She’s decided she wants to stay independent,” said Hunter. “Claims she can make more money doing weddings than running a restaurant.”
“And the kid from Madison?” I asked.
“Henry,” Lucy said with a sad smile. “He decided that Madison was more conducive to his lifestyle.”
I sent a confused look to Hunter. “What?”
“He’s a city boy. Didn’t like the cell reception, lack of fiber internet, or how the pine needles stuck to his shoes,” Hunter said with a grin.
I couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “What did he think he’d find in the north woods?”
“Who knows,” said Hunter. “We’ve got a generous offer for the chef that wants it. I just can’t believe there’s not one person that wants to take us up on it.”
“I can,” said Lucy with a bitter edge to her voice. “No one wants to move to the woods without some guarantee this place will be successful.”
“I thought we had a commitment from that guy over in Pine Isle,” I said.
“We did,” Hunter agreed. “Until the Whitetail Resort in Garrett offered him more money.”
“Shit.” I pushed away from the table to pace. I liked to move when I was thinking, and this problem required a lot of thought. “Do we have any more leads on established chefs in the area?”
“No, but I can tell Mom to put out some feelers again. She’s tapped into the gossip around here better than I am,” Lucy said.
“We can’t limit ourselves to that,” said Hunter. “I’ll go to the community college in Merrill. Maybe if I talk to someone there, we can get some interest from students or faculty.”
“Not a bad idea,” I said as I turned to look out the large picture windows that looked out over the marina.
“And if we come up empty-handed?” asked Lucy.
“Don’t borrow trouble,” I said. “We’ll deal with things as they come.”
“Don’t borrow—”
“Hey, isn’t that your girl?” Hunter cut off Lucy’s sentence and came to stand with me at the window.”
“Not my girl,” I murmured as I watched Ruby park the ancient Bronco in the lot. “But I’m working on it.”
“Who are you two talking about?” Lucy asked and joined us at the window. “Oh.”
The tone in her voice was suspiciously similar to the one I’d heard in the coffee shop weeks ago. I didn’t confront it then, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it slide from a woman I considered a friend. “Something wrong?”
“Ah, nothing.”
Ruby pulled a pie plate out of the passenger seat of the Bronco, and I felt my heart race in excitement. I hadn’t expected her to make good on the promise of pie, but now that it was here, I was beyond excited. I wanted to dig more with Lucy, but I wanted my pie more. “We’re gonna talk about this later,” I said.
Lucy raised her hands in submission. “Honestly, it’s nothing.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “It’s not, and we both know it. But let me be clear, I’m interested in spending time with her. I won’t tolerate anyone treating her with anything less than respect.”
Before she could argue with me, I spun on my heel and jogged out to the parking lot to meet Ruby. The odd conversation in the cafe and Lucy’s tone just now was painting a picture of how the town treated Ruby. And I fucking hated it. I couldn’t change the narrow minds of the town right now.
Right now, I had pie to eat.
Chapter 12
Ruby
The pie plate in my hand felt heavier than a boulder as I balanced it in my hand while I struggled not to trip over my own feet. I’d fought with myself all morning about coming to the marina to deliver the cherry pie to Gray. On the one hand, I feared how much of a lovesick fool I’d look to him and anyone else that saw me. On the other, I worried how disappointed he’d be if I went back on my promise to thank him with pie.
In the end, my soul-deep need to keep my word won out.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t feel silly coming to his place of business with a treat. But in my defense, I didn’t have his number to call and make arrangements. I knew I could have gotten it from Ida, but then I would have had to admit to her I needed it. And I was not interested in listening to her cackle with glee.
“Ruby!”
I turned at the sound of my name and saw Gray jogging over from a new building near the water. He looked good in a pair of worn jeans that clung to his thighs and a tee with the marina logo printed in black on his chest. Lust pooled in my belly, and I felt pulled to him by that invisible string I couldn’t seem to cut.
“This is a nice surprise,” Gray said once he was just steps from me.
The late afternoon sun made the blue of his eyes sparkle like the water in the lake behind him. For a few seconds, I forgot why I’d come to the marina; such was his effect on me. Luckily, I was born with some sort of sense because I was finally able to pull myself out of my daze and lift the pie plate toward him.
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