“I know the town like the back of my hand. Remember? I drive these streets all the time. The snowmobiles have lights. It’s all good.” He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet and then into a hug. They stayed there for a long minute while she soaked in his warmth.
Moments later he led her into the living room, where he showed her how to operate the radio so he could check in with her.
“I’ll be home for lunch.”
“I’ll cook you something.” Keeping her mind focused on pleasing him would take it off losing him.
“I’d like that, sweetheart. And Maya…” He turned her so she faced him. The soft touch of his thumb lifted her chin so she was forced to look into his eyes.
“Yes?” she asked, sounding sad that he had to go.
“I love you.” He brushed his lips ever so slightly against hers. It was a kiss that promised more later.
She fell back to sleep curled on the couch with the fire roaring in front of her. There was no way she’d climb back in bed when her only way to get in touch with Kevin was the radio sitting beside her.
She woke to the smell of fresh coffee. Each night he set the coffee pot to brew automatically.
With the blanket still wrapped around her, she padded into the kitchen and poured herself a mug. Because he made it, it might have been the best coffee she’d ever tasted. She rolled it around on her tongue and savored the flavor. The radio hissed. Maya scrambled to answer it.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Hi,” he said. “I’m checking in.”
“Are you going to come home and let me make you breakfast?”
“I can do that, and then I have to leave again. One of our folks is an older lady who slipped on some melted snow. What she needs right now until I can get her squared away is a babysitter. She needs someone to sit with her.” While the statement wasn’t an invitation, she wanted to be helpful.
Without a second’s hesitation, she blurted out, “I’ll do it.”
“You will?” he asked. “I wasn’t asking, but that would be great.”
“Of course, I will. I want to help.” Deep inside, a feeling of purpose stitched her broken pieces together. Everything Kevin brought to her life seemed to make her whole.
“That’s awesome. She’s such a sweet lady, and she has no one.”
“She has us now, doesn’t she?” She topped off her coffee and leaned against the counter. The blanket fell to the floor but she didn’t feel the chill of the morning air at all. All she felt was the warmth of Kevin’s love. “I’ll get dressed. Are you coming home for breakfast?”
“I’ll swing by for something quick.”
There was a moment of silence in which both of their minds went south for a second.
“You want a quickie?” she teased.
“You’re killing me.” The radio hissed and crackled. “I meant quick breakfast. I have oatmeal in the cabinet. After we eat, I’ll take you over.”
“I’ll get it ready.” She was already scouring his cabinets. She found the oatmeal easily and set it on the counter.
“Thank you, baby, for doing this.”
“Anything for you.”
She showered quickly and made breakfast the way she liked it. He had yogurt and frozen berries in addition to the oatmeal. She mixed the oats and yogurt and fruit together and let them sit until Kevin arrived. She topped everything off with brown sugar. When he walked through the garage door, she poured him a hot cup of coffee.
He stripped down to this underwear, leaving the damp clothes by the door, and entered the house. She never tired of looking at him. Leaning against the counter, she took him in from head to toe. In the stark kitchen lighting, he was breathtaking.
“God, you’re handsome.”
He smiled, which only made her heart flutter and her core clench. She turned away to catch her breath and gain control over her hormones. All she wanted to do was strip down and take him to bed. When she turned around, she shook her head.
“You’re with me all the time. When do you work out?”
“I work out while you're sleeping.” He moved forward and took the cup of coffee from her hands. His chilled fingers brushed her warm ones. “Damon and I work out together. He comes over here or I go to his place.”
“We need to work out together.” She adjusted her sweater, tugging it down so it stretched over her curves. “I’d love to see those muscles in action.”
He pressed against her, pinning her hips to the counter with his. He leaned in and whispered near her ear. “If you keep that up, poor Mrs. Jensen is going to get lonely.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Then we should move it along.” She moved aside, opened the refrigerator, and pulled out two bowls. “I made oatmeal my way.”
He looked over her shoulder. “Is there another way to make it?”
“There’s always another way. You know, variety is the spice of life.”
“I’m a creature of habit, but it looks good.” He was polite but without his normal confidence.
“You don’t like it, do you?” She grabbed two spoons from the nearby drawer.
“I haven’t eaten it. Did you cook the oatmeal?”
“No, the yogurt and the berries soften the oats. Let me zap it for you.”
“That sounds delicious,” he teased.
She laughed hard and butted up against him.
“Listen, if you don’t like it, don’t eat it.” She heated the oatmeal for him and stirred it up, leaving the spoon in the bowl. “Taste it.”
He took a spoonful into his mouth and smiled as if he was genuinely surprised he liked it.
“That’s good.” He loaded up the spoon and offered her some. “Eat up. It will take a lot of strength to help this old lady.”
They hurried through their oats and bundled up to climb inside his truck. By now, the snow plows had cleared a path on the roads of the tiny town so Maya and Kevin could travel another way besides snowmobile. They drove over to Mrs. Jenson’s house, which, like every other place in Blackwood, was close by.
Kevin knocked on the door and then turned the knob. He opened it a crack and stuck his head inside.
“Mrs. Jensen?” He looked at Maya. “She could be taking a nap.”
“I’m right here,” said the woman, who looked like a frail Mrs. Claus.
Kevin stepped inside, pulling Maya behind him.
“Mrs. Jensen, this is Maya Blackwood.”
The older woman gasped. “My word.” She smiled at Maya like she knew her.
Maya turned to Kevin and made a face.
“She will keep you company while I work. Is that okay with you?”
“That’s fine.” Mrs. Jensen smiled. “That’s just perfect.” She waved Kevin off. “You go on.”
The old woman patted the cushion next to her.
Maya looked around. The house was as neat as the geriatric homeowner could keep it, but it needed work. She decided there on the spot she would have Kevin do a walk around to see what needed to be done. She would also have a house cleaning service come in and help out. A coat of paint would be nice too if Mrs. Jensen would let her.
The older woman stared at Maya.
“Mrs. Jensen,” she began. “Have we met?”
What started as a slow nod worked its way to an enthusiastic bobbing of her head. “I worked for your parents.” The words were said with warmth and affection “Wait …” She touched her finger to her lips in thought as if her earlier comment was inaccurate. “How about I fix you a cup of coffee and it will come to me?”
When Mrs. Jensen attempted to stand, Maya placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll get it.” Maya stood and looked toward the doorway that led to the kitchen. “Is the coffee already made?”
“Yes, I always have a pot on. It helps me stay awake for my shows.”
She went to the kitchen in search of coffee. The space was as clean as could be, but the sight of the yellow kitchen with olive dra
b appliances confirmed what she already knew: Mrs. Jensen needed help in the remodeling department. She was living in the twenty-first century, cooking in a 1970s-era kitchen.
A moment later, Mrs. Jensen shuffled into the room and stood next to Maya.
“How do you take your coffee?”
“Black like my chocolate, dear.”
“Me too.”
She removed two cups hanging from beneath the cupboard and thoroughly rinsed them off. They were probably clean at one time, but now somewhat dusty.
“Now, let’s sit and visit.” Mrs. Jensen led them back to the couch. She got up one more time and returned with a photo album that was too heavy for her to carry.
“Mrs. Jensen, you should be resting. Didn’t you slip and fall?” Maya asked gently.
“I’ll be fine,” she promised.
“We should have Kevin take you to the hospital in Idaho Springs to get looked at.”
“I’ll be okay.” She pointed to the album. “Let’s look at these.”
Singularly focused, she cracked the ancient photo album open. On the first page were pictures of Maya’s parents, her aunt and uncle, John, Caleb, and Patrick’s parents.
“I used to babysit you all.” Her smile stretched so wide the wrinkles above her lip disappeared.
Maya looked to the ceiling, climbing back in time. Her parents and John’s parents went away often and left them behind. She turned to the old woman, who was sitting next to her, smiling.
“Oh, my goodness. You’re her!”
Maya’s phone dinged. It was Clem. This was perfect timing.
“Pardon me, Mrs. Jensen.” She knew the older woman wouldn’t appreciate a phone call in the middle of their conversation. Seniors didn’t get the texting, social media, and five-second phone call habits of the younger generation. She would have bet her trust fund that Mrs. Jensen still wrote letters.
“Hey, Clem. How are you holding up? Do you need me to come home?”
“No. That’s what I was calling about. Kaitlin is here. We’re snowbound.”
“Yes, I know.” Maya immediately got his meaning. “Oh, you want to keep it that way?”
“Yes.” His conversation was clipped, as if he wanted to get on with whatever he was doing. Maya’s mind ran through all the options and she smiled. If Clem was happy to stay snowed in, it meant what was going on inside was more interesting than what was outside. This could be a positive turn of events.
“I don’t want to keep you but guess who I’m here with.” Her excitement couldn’t be contained.
“I can’t right now, Maya.”
“Are you okay?” she asked, worried.
“I’m more than okay,” he laughed. “Okay, make it quick. Who?”
“Mrs. Jensen. Our babysitter.”
“Not ringing any bells.”
“Okay, maybe later when you don’t have someone else ringing your bell, you’ll be able to focus. Have fun and don’t get your heart broken again.”
Maya hung up to find Mrs. Jensen taking her midday nap. She covered her with a nearby crocheted blanket and took a seat next to her. Maya closed her eyes for a few moments as well.
They both woke to the sound of a crew outside. Kevin and several rescue team members had been roaming the town clearing houses, checking on residents, and looking for structurally dangerous situations—things like hanging limbs and weighted-down wires. Spring snows were heavy and did a number on older structures. Clearing off the roofs, if need be, would not be a waste of time.
When they got to Mrs. Jensen’s house, Maya and the old lady peeked through the curtains like they were two kids.
When the crews were finished and Kevin knocked on the door to take Maya home, she wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to leave.
“Kevin, is she safe here?” Maya asked so Mrs. Jensen couldn’t hear.
“Yes,” he said with confidence. “We made sure. She’s good. No gas leaks, water is good, sidewalks are cleared and salted. We did a total check.”
“I want to say goodbye.”
She walked over to her. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“I’m fine. You must come back so we can look at more pictures.”
“I’d like that.” Maya pointed to the table in the corner. “I wrote my number by your telephone.”
“Thank you.”
“Please call me. I’ll bring you to lunch sometime or if you need to run any errands, I’ll take you.”
She hugged the woman while Kevin looked on.
As soon as they shut the door behind them, Kevin said, “I’m going to ask you to drive.” They walked to his truck.
“Oh, you poor man.” She gave him a good look and focused on the dark circles under his eyes. “You have to be wiped out.”
“Dead on my feet.”
Chapter Nineteen
Kevin
By the end of the week, the snow had melted off the streets, but the mountains piled next to the roads would be there for a while.
Kevin stopped by the saloon to check in with Damon.
“Hey man. Why don’t you come over to the house? We’ll work out and have dinner. Maya will be there.”
“That sounds domestic.” Damon made a face as if to ask if what he heard was true. “You moving forward with her?”
Kevin smiled. “Yeah, I’m all in.”
There were a few people at the saloon, but there was a guy at the counter that caught his eye. It was more intuition than anything else. Kevin checked him out in the mirror behind the bar. The guy returned his gaze and grinned a wicked grin.
“Maya,” said the man.
It was the guy Kevin had tackled outside the meeting. Tim Johnson.
“Can I help you, buddy?” Kevin’s jaw tightened enough to crush his molars.
“Not yet,” smirked Tim. “But you will.”
“And how would I be doing that?”
“As soon as my attorney gets a clearer idea of your net worth, I can answer that question with better accuracy. Since you’re hanging out with a Blackwood, you should be rolling in the dough.”
“Do you have other business in Blackwood?” Kevin grabbed the man by the collar.
“Kevin,” cautioned Damon.
At Damon’s warning, he released his grip.
“I’m buying drinks here,” Tim replied. “Don’t try to pin a loitering rap on me. Damon here is my witness. I think they call it unnecessary roughness.”
“Wait a minute,” said Kevin triumphantly. “Don’t you have a history of alcohol abuse? Weren’t you court-ordered to attend AA meetings? You aren’t allowed to drink.”
“Are you going to tackle me again?” he asked with a laugh.
“I might start with that but I’ve got more important things to do.” Kevin didn’t want to waste his time with Tim when he could be home with Maya. “Behave yourself.”
“You too, and say hello to Maya for me.”
Kevin grabbed the man again and escorted him out of the bar. Damon followed them.
“You can’t do this!” Tim yelled. “I’m going to sue you.”
“Already told you I’d love going to court. Knock yourself out, asshole.” He guided him to the parked cars. “Better tell me which one yours is.”
“I'll call the cops,” he said. “I’m not kidding.”
“I can walk you over to my office.” Kevin chuckled. “You can speak with one of my colleagues.”
Tim unlocked his car. “You’re forcing me to drive with a few drinks in me.” He gave him an evil grin.
“You’re so right. Why don’t you come on down to the tank and sober up?”
Kevin snatched him, weaving his arms through Tim’s so that the belligerent man had no recourse. Kevin hauled him down Main Street, past the storefronts to the station. He had the attention of everyone on the street. Kevin walked the man into the station and sat him on a bench.
“You’ll be more comfortable here.” Kevin pointed to the pot of mud in the corner. “Want coffee?”
<
br /> “You can’t do this,” Tim complained again.
“I can call the judge that ordered you to stay sober.” He lifted a brow. “Weren’t you looking at a good chunk of jail time?”
“You’re a piece of work.” Tim shook his head.
“Don’t underestimate me,” he said. “Sit there until you pass a breathalyzer. Then go home, and don’t come back here.”
Kevin had plans to drive up to Idaho Springs after his shift and pick out a ring for Maya. Instead, he had to babysit the man who attacked her. He gave it a couple of hours, but just as he was going to release Tim, the man’s lawyer showed up.
“You holding him?” asked the lawyer.
“Not officially, no,” said Kevin. “Not sure if you represented him in the matter, but he has a court order that prohibits him from drinking alcohol, and he was at a bar and professed to be drinking. I can administer a breathalyzer but then his alcohol consumption would be of record. It’s your call.”
The lawyer glared at Tim.
“He’s been here a good while, but I can administer a random breathalyzer if I feel it is warranted.”
A man Kevin didn’t recognize entered the station with an envelope and placed it on the desk.
“Are you Kevin Hoisington?”
“I am.” Kevin eyed the man with suspicion.
“You’ve been served.”
The attorney and Tim smiled.
“Have a nice day, Officer.” The lawyer escorted Tim out.
Kevin opened the package and read the complaint. Tim and his lawyer had indeed researched his net worth. They weren’t going to get what they wanted, but Kevin started to calculate lawyers’ fees and court costs. It would take a big chunk of what he owned, but he would live. Most important was that he didn’t want them to get at Maya’s assets. That meant he couldn’t march her to the altar.
He’d wanted to marry her right away and now he couldn’t, at least until this was settled. To meld their assets would be financial suicide.
He thought of driving over to the Idaho Springs Hospital to see about having a late lunch with his mother, but she was at home because of the snow. Instead, he swung by her house.
One step inside and he was surrounded by home cooked love. Whatever she was making smelled fantastic.
Imagine That: A Small Town Big Love Novel Page 13
