by Vivian Arend
Thank goodness fate had been on his side because this was about the most perfect opening he could’ve asked for.
“Remember Levi?”
“Your youngest brother and Lisa’s cohort for raising hell that summer you all invaded? It would’ve taken therapy to forget,” Karen offered dryly.
Finn stifled his amusement. “He had such a crush on you. Hero worship, really.”
“And that was the other part I’ve been working hard on forgetting.” But she said it with a smile. “Don’t tell me that boy’s got babies in his life.”
“Three of them.” His announcement received a satisfyingly enthusiastic gasp. “The first one was a bit of a surprise—we got home at the end of that summer, and the girl he’d been seeing before we left had a profound announcement to share.”
Karen whistled softly. “Is it terrible to say I’m glad he and Lisa never hooked up?”
“Levi was completely gone on Chelsea. Still is. We got home, they got married. Baby number one, Andrew, arrived before Christmas. My nieces showed up over the next two years.” They were amazing kids. His brother and sister-in-law were absolutely content with their family and their home situation. Even though it had taken shaking the Marlette family apart at the roots to make sure the right parts would survive.
“Good for them.” Karen examined him closer. “Why do you tell me this as if there’s something wrong with the news?”
“Because I figured you’d think it a little strange.” He shrugged. “They’re running the ranch instead of me. They’re doing the job I left you to go home to.”
“Ahhh.” She dipped her head slowly, still watching him carefully. “There’s more to the story, isn’t there?”
Should’ve known he couldn’t pull a fast one on her. “There is, but it’s not something to share in the middle of a party. And it’s settled. I’m happy for Levi and Chelsea, and they’re in the right place. It’s exactly what I want for them, and really, the ranch can only support one family. I’m glad it’s them.”
She looked as if she would ask something else, but then the damn dinner bell went off again, and Josiah was calling them all down the stairway to where a series of kiddie pools were connected by what looked like miniature creeks.
It was enough. Finn had broken the ice on one secret in his world. It would have to do for now.
He held out a hand. “Come on. It looks as if the reason you needed pretty pink toenails has arrived.”
She went with him willingly enough, and they made their way down the stairs hand in hand.
Zach stood amongst those gathered below, his gaze making note of the connection between them. His friend tilted his head slightly and gave Finn an approving wink.
“I hope you’re all ready for this.” Josiah glanced around the gathering. “And don’t worry, there was only one death by duck in the game today. You’re safe while you’re playing.”
“Who is even still alive?” Tansy asked.
A whole group pointed at Julia. Another group pointed at Lisa. Both of them had made some fairly spectacular and sneaky moves. There were only four people still playing, the other two being the big local Fire Chief, Brad Ford, and his fiancée, Hanna.
Petite Hanna blushed at the cheers she got.
Finn leaned in against Karen. “Don’t buy that innocent look from her. The little minx took me out of the game by pretending to be terrified by a spider. She was pinned to the wall in the hallway, gasping as if she would faint right away. Turns out she carried the spider with her and held on to it until I came around the corner.”
Karen burst out laughing and gave Hanna a high five. “You go, girl.”
Lisa and Josiah exchanged glances, a soft smile on her lips. He shuddered violently.
Then they buckled down to explain the rules, which were one step short of ultimate chaos.
What followed involved a great deal of splashing as everyone was assigned numbers and a trio of rubber ducks. Soon there were grown adults frolicking in the water, creating waves to guide their miniature flocks from the start to the finish line without touching them.
The straightaways were fine, but the kiddie pools were like vast black holes. Finn couldn’t get his plastic targets to head in the same direction for the life of him.
He was racing Lisa, and she was a good five feet ahead of him when a circular Frisbee sailed through the air and hooked around the neck of one of Lisa’s ducks.
She caught hold of the ring to remove it, jerked to a stop far too late, and tripped over her own feet. She crashed into the pool and a wave of water arched skyward.
A loud hoot and holler rose from the crowd as she crawled out of the water, soaked but grinning happily.
She glanced around to discover Hanna coming forward. “Tricky woman. I should’ve known better—I’m the one who wrote Frisbee on the murder weapon list.”
Hanna held out a towel. “It will be hard to finish this considering there’s only three of us left and we all know who to watch for.”
Lisa stepped from the pool and rubbed the towel over her hair and clothes. “That’s fine. We’ll make it work.”
She dug in her pocket and handed over three soggy strips of paper.
Hanna read them and laughed, eyeing her fiancé as if making evil plans.
Brad raised his hands in protest. “You are dangerous.”
The petite woman pressed a hand to her chest. “Me? I’m innocent. You can totally trust me.”
Julia snickered.
It was only a minute later, after the next set of ducks were being dealt with in the kiddie pools, that Julia sent up a loud cry. “Nooooooo. I’ve been fatally done in by a piece of strawberry pie.”
Finn was mostly dry by this time, once again standing at Karen’s side as she pressed closer in an attempt to see what was going on at the edge of the deck.
He slid his hand around her waist and tugged her in front of him so she had a better view. Having her in his arms, leaning back on him as if that was exactly where she was supposed to be? Perfection.
Julia was shaking her finger at Hanna, but she handed over her clues with a wink. “Good luck. We all know who you’re gunning for.”
Brad stepped forward and swept Hanna into his arms. “She’s already knocked me off my feet and stole my heart,” he informed the gathering. “She’s welcome to win the game by knocking me off, period.”
A chorus of awwwww rose from the crowd.
Sweet Hanna caught him around the neck and kissed him, right then and there, triggering more laughter.
A slow clap started. Julia turned to all of them and beamed as she made an announcement. “We have a winner. I declare Hanna the last one standing now that she’s caught Brad with a kiss, outside the house.”
Hanna blushed. People cheered. Brad threw back his head and laughed the loudest.
In the circle of Finn’s arms, Karen sighed happily.
It was comfortable, and contentment at being in Heart Falls, in this community, grew in a way that Finn hadn’t expected. Not here.
Really, not anywhere.
For most of his life, home had meant one location… Now the word conjured up not a place but people.
More specifically, a person. Karen had come to represent home, so this other sensation was interesting.
But it wasn’t something he needed to spend a lot of time dwelling on. His priorities were clear. Do what it took to be with Karen, and make sure Brandon never got to have a piece of this pie.
8
How are you getting your tasks done for my father and still finding time to pick me flowers? It’s not working, by the way. Not making me soften up and forgive you for tricking me into that kiss behind the barn the other day.
* * *
That’s a total lie. There’s nothing to forgive because I was a full participant in that kiss, and we both know it.
* * *
Painkillers talking right now, but I’m having dirty dreams about kissing you. Maybe more. Trying to figure out w
here and when is taking up way too much brain time, damn you, Finn Marlette.
* * *
Don’t you dare follow me into the chicken coop later today. I swear I won’t have any inclination to kiss you again.
~Note from Karen to Finn, summer at Whiskey Creek ranch~
The next week passed in a blur. It was pretty much sunup when Karen got out of bed, and then the day would explode into activity.
She went for regular rides on Starlight. Some with Zach, some with her sisters. All the while looking for routes that would satisfy everyone from the rawest beginner to the most experienced riders.
She made phone call after phone call, not only to her contacts at Willmore Wilderness camp, but also to people she’d talked to over the years while working at Whiskey Creek.
Mealtimes when she stopped for a break, there’d be a knock on her door, and someone would show up with blueprints that needed her opinion or her ideas. Her phone buzzed with messages from her sisters and regular pictures at crazy intervals as Tamara gushed over her baby boy.
It was the busiest Karen remembered being in a long time, and it was good.
The only part missing was Finn.
After his talk about wanting to get back together and wanting to be with her, it seemed he had absolutely meant the bit about leaving the timing up to her. He was scarce. Or more correctly, he was always around, but never close enough to chat with. It became impossible to get her fix in a casual way like she had at Lisa’s party.
She’d admit it. She liked spending time with Finn, and the urge to say yes continued to grow.
He left wildflowers on her back porch every morning.
While her body was very willing, she still didn’t know if it was the best idea. She wished she could stop being wishy-washy, yet taking this time felt right. Felt necessary.
It’s not as if she had a ton of time to get lonely. Not with popping over to Tamara’s, or over to Lisa’s, or even to Julia’s teeny studio apartment. Spending time with her sisters was a great distraction.
They’d finished another dinner at Julia’s when Lisa spoke up from her place at the sink. “Hey, Karen. Okay if I come spend the day with you at the soon-to-be dude ranch?” She placed a clean plate in the drying rack and reached for another dirty dish. She gestured with her head toward Julia, who was putting away the rest of the leftovers into her tiny refrigerator. “Jules is on day shift, Josiah’s got a full workday, and I’m at loose ends.”
“I don’t mind, but I’m putting you to work,” Karen warned. “There’s a heck of a lot of buildings to go through and see if there’s anything we can salvage.”
“I thought you were in charge of the horse side of things, not construction.” Julia started putting away the dry items Karen had stacked to the side.
“My job description got expanded. I don’t mind,” Karen said. “I have a lot of people I’m waiting to hear back from, so I may as well give Zach a hand.”
Lisa and Julia exchanged glances. “Giving Zach a hand. Sure you’re not giving Finn a hand?” Lisa asked.
“Haven’t seen him for days.” The words came out sharp and annoyed.
Silence shouted back at her.
Yeah, she had kind of stepped into that one. “Okay, yes, I’m a little grumbly I haven’t seen him for a while. I thought he was interested in me.”
“Did you tell him you want to see him again? Because I think he might need a written invitation.” Lisa wrinkled her nose. “Which is not what I expected when you first mentioned this, so you’re right. I get why you’re snappy. When a dude makes a play, he should keep on it.”
“Disagree with you on that one,” Julia said bluntly. “He’s waiting for her answer. Keeping in her face would be an asshole move. This is not being an asshole.”
Lisa paused then dipped her head. “I hear what you’re saying.”
“I mean, if he vanished completely, that would be one thing. But you said he’s still around. Sort of.” Julia eyeballed the flowers Karen had brought because her still-expanding bouquets had filled the teeny cottage to the brim.
Karen pressed her palms against her temples and let out a tired breath. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I need to make a decision and not keep dragging this out. You’re right, Julia. He’s not being a jerk. I am.”
“Maybe you need to make this not so enormous in your head. I mean, start dating and see what happens. It’s not as if beginning something means you’re making a lifetime commitment.” Julia shrugged.
The topic got dropped until the next morning when Lisa showed up on Karen’s doorstep bright and early. The cream-coloured terrier, Ollie, danced around her sister’s feet, but more importantly, Lisa had cups of coffee from Buns and Roses and two enormous boxes to boot.
Karen accepted the coffee, ignored the fact a dog was in her house, and took an appreciative sniff of Lisa’s burden. “Don’t tell me those are cinnamon buns.”
The box was opened a moment later, and Lisa dug in, gooey white icing dripping down the side of the baseball-sized treat. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”
Mouthwatering goodness was inhaled in a flash. Karen licked her fingers and gazed at her sister happily. “I brought you up right. Even though you forgot the rule about dogs belonging outside.”
Lisa snorted. She gestured to the glass on the counter that held a single crocus flower. “Finn?”
He was being persistent in a very sweet way. “Do you think I’m terrible for not giving him a straight answer yet?”
Lisa shrugged, eyeing the remaining cinnamon buns as if the weight of the world hung in the balance. “I think you have good reason to not leap. But I also think Julia was right last night. Maybe it’s time to stop worrying about how much it might hurt if it doesn’t work out and put a little more hope toward things going right.”
A flutter of something wild and untamable went off in Karen’s gut. “You have a point.”
Lisa grabbed another cinnamon bun and arched a brow. “Share?”
“Forget it. I want another whole one to myself.”
Cinnamon buns devoured and sticky hands washed, they headed out the door and into the workday.
Another reason why being in Heart Falls was right—
Lisa had only been gone from Whiskey Creek since December, helping Tamara while she had trouble with her pregnancy. But that meant it had been over six months since she and Karen worked together on a regular basis. Yet they fell back into it with a smooth rhythm, and it was good.
Finn had hired a group of guys to help with demolition and salvage. Brawny fellows with loud laughs and a few with gazes that lingered a little too long. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing either of them hadn’t faced before.
Lisa just rolled her eyes, smiling sweetly as she dropped things on the toes of anyone who got too close. After she’d accidentally canned a second guy while rapidly swinging floorboards, the group of them backed off slightly.
“You ladies want to come see what you think of the boards we found? Finn had some idea of using them to do feature walls in the cabins.” Zach gestured them toward one of the taller buildings near the barn.
“Kind of a rustic feel. Is that what you’re going for?” Lisa asked.
“Pretty much.” This from Finn, to Karen’s utter amazement. He finished signing something then handed the clipboard back to the construction foreman who was dealing with final barn renovations. “You got room for another on that tour?”
Ollie stepped in front of him, braced her legs, and barked enthusiastically.
Karen was just about to excuse the dog when Finn dropped to a crouch and slipped a hand over the pup’s head. “Yeah, you’re invited too.”
Lisa’s eyes widened, and she made one of those faces. The ones where she was trying to get a whole message across without words, but Karen wasn’t sure if what she was saying was “dude likes dogs, so he’s got to be okay,” or if she was acknowledging the man knew exactly how to score points.
What was unfolding made
Karen happy, though, and that was a convincing factor. She had enjoyed her time with Finn immensely. It had been the hurt later that had soured the experience, and that hadn’t been either of their faults but a matter of time and circumstance.
Like Julia had said, dating Finn was not a commitment to forever. It was something for here and now.
Outside a narrow, two-storey building, Zach paused. The door opened in front of them with a tormented creaking sound. “We’re not sure what this building will be used for. Anything you think that’s worth salvaging, make a note or stick a pin in it.”
“What was this place?” Karen asked as they paced through the rooms. “Definitely not a house. Not a barn.”
A soft cough of amusement rose from Lisa as she riffled through some papers in the corner. “It looks as if somebody might have lived here.”
Karen slipped over to join her and glanced down at a bunch of flyers and ancient newspapers. One announced baths for an astonishingly low price.
It was the one that showed a dance hall poster that made her hesitate. And the one under that.
“Dance hall? Ladies for hire?” She turned to the others, amusement rising. “Finn Marlette, you bought yourself a house of ill repute.”
Finn had been trying his best to give her space, but with Karen’s eyes laughing at him, he gave in to temptation.
He stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “You’ve no idea how bad Zach has been teasing me about saving wood from this place.”
Something close to a donkey bray escaped his best friend, but it really was too funny. In the midst of a shit ton of work they had to get done, it was good to have some things to lighten the mood.
Zach clapped his hands to get their attention and force them back to work. “Let’s keep moving. Those papers are in the pile of things we’re saving, because yes, I think it’s hysterical we managed to grab the one place in the area that has a very—ahem—rich history.”
