“A business relationship? What do you mean by that?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Uh…” What did he mean by that? He couldn’t just come out and tell her that he wanted her job, could he? Not now. Not when she was so conflicted about whether or not she wanted it herself. “Mari, I know you’re afraid of being hurt, but I swear, that’s not my intention. I’m not like all those other guys.”
He looked out into the darkness. Maybe he was just like them. Maybe he was worse. After all, they only wanted a promotion, but he wanted her job.
But as far as their relationship was concerned, his intentions were real. But how could he prove that to her?
Mari sighed. “Give me time, Brian. I need to figure some things out.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
Time was his old enemy. Time had taken Mari away from him every summer, had kept them apart for years.
But not now. Not this time.
Chapter Seven
Mari sat on the big leather side chair in the corner of the great room, with her journal on her lap and a pen in her hand.
She couldn’t be any more confused if this day had been her first day of high school.
Doodling on a clean page, she couldn’t stop thinking about Brian and the kiss they’d shared under the stars. She could still feel the warmth of his lips on hers, the gentle sway of the rowboat, the press of his body against her own….
She closed her eyes. There were too many pent-up feelings between them. A kiss would surely lead to more. Could she handle a relationship with Brian?
It didn’t take a crystal ball to figure out that she could easily fall for him.
Her big crush on him when she was sixteen had been so painful that she’d never thought she’d recover. It seemed that one moment they were kissing, and the next he’d just walked away, out of her life.
And now he was back. She hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind since she saw him at the real-estate office the day she arrived. She tried to keep him just as an old friend—but she was beginning to feel more and want more.
They had a history together, but did they have a future together?
After he’d kissed her in the rowboat, it took all the willpower she could muster to push him away. But they were two mature adults. Maybe if they just had a fling, she could get him out of her system. Maybe it would be the best thing that ever happened to her.
Or maybe it would make things worse.
Suddenly, the kitchen phone rang, slicing through the silence. She closed her journal and tried to keep her heart from jumping out of her chest as she hurried to the phone.
“Hello?”
“Mari, it’s Brian. I’m on my way back to Sherwood Lodge. If you don’t mind, I need to borrow your van. There’s been an accident.”
She wanted to ask him more questions, but her mouth suddenly went dry.
“I didn’t want to scare you,” he continued quickly. “That’s why I called.”
“Are you okay? Can I help?” she asked, finding her voice and reaching for her purse and coat.
“I’m fine. I’m pulling in now.”
She ran out the door, down the steps and to the van. Brian was running toward it. She hit the buttons on her key chain to open the locks and tossed the keys to him. “You know where you’re going. You drive.”
Inside the van, she shrugged into her coat. “What’s going on?” Soon they were bouncing down the road.
“I got beeped by Sam.”
Mari gasped. “Is Mel okay? Are the kids okay?”
“They’re all fine,” he assured her. “It’s nothing like that. And no one’s really hurt, as far as I know. Sam’s the director of emergency services for the area. He said that a tour bus of senior citizens ran off the road on Route 28. They’d stopped for dinner and were headed back to Utica. The driver overcorrected when a couple of deer ran into the road. He veered into a ditch, and the bus is now wedged against a rock wall. We need to unload the passengers from the emergency exit in the back of the bus. Medics are on the scene. So are other volunteers. The state police are on the way.”
“I’ll do whatever I can,” Mari said. “Are you a fireman? An EMT?”
“Volunteer fireman. We don’t have a full-time fire department.”
It didn’t surprise her in the least. From his early Boy Scout days, when he rose to the rank of Eagle Scout, Brian had always chosen projects that involved helping others. And his loyalty and responsibility to his family were staggering.
“We only have one ambulance,” he explained. “I thought of your van, with its lift, because some of the seniors are in wheelchairs or have impaired mobility.”
In her rush to help, she never thought of why Brian was asking to use her van. “Excellent idea.”
It was dark and misty, and she was glad that Brian was a skillful driver and knew each curve of the road. Mari could see deer on both sides in the glow of the headlights, and she held her breath that the graceful creatures wouldn’t run across their path.
As they turned the next bend, red emergency lights and bright flares came into view. Two firemen were directing traffic. Brian slowed down and rolled down the window. A man with a fluffy black mustache and beard leaned over and peered into the car.
“Hi, Brian.”
“Hey, Alex. Everything going okay?”
“Yup. We’re unloading the seniors now from the back of the bus. They’re being relocated to the summer trolley shuttle for triage. Doc Weatherby and the medics are checking them. Another bus is on the way.”
“Where’s Sam?” Brian asked.
“He’s at the bus with his bullhorn, directing the operation as usual.” Rick signaled another car to move on.
“Did Sam tell Melanie to bring the big tow to hook the bus?”
“She’s on her way.”
Brian nodded. “Where can I park? Give me a spot nearby, in case we need to use this van for transport.”
“Park in front of the Pine Cone Restaurant.” The fireman blew his whistle and motioned for Brian to go through.
Brian drove very slowly past the accident scene on their left. Mari could see the bus leaning on its side against a wall of rock, just as Brian had said.
Glass sparkled on the road like chips of ice, and she hoped that none of the occupants had been hurt by flying shards.
As they passed the big silver bus, she noticed the passengers being unloaded from the emergency door in the rear. There were many volunteers, and more were pulling into the parking lot of the Pine Cone Restaurant and running to assist.
Brian parked the van on the side of the road at the edge of the lot opposite the bus, near the trolley. “Let’s go.”
He took her elbow and headed for Sam, who was fielding questions, pointing and directing people.
Sam nodded to both of them as they approached. “There are no real serious injuries from what we can tell, but a lot of bumps and bruises. Some cuts.”
“Good. Where do you need us?” Brian asked.
“Brian, you help unload the bus.”
“You got it.” He turned to Mari. “See you later.”
“Okay.” Mari watched Brian jog off with an easy gait. His long legs made short work of getting to the bus, and she couldn’t help noticing the way his jeans hugged his rear.
“Mari?”
Sam’s voice broke through her fogged senses, and she was glad that it was dark so that Sam couldn’t see the heat on her cheeks.
“There are blankets in the white utility truck over there.” She looked in the direction where he pointed. “Please pass them out to the people on the trolley. It’s getting colder and foggier out here. A replacement bus is on the way, but see what else you can do to make everyone comfortable. The Pine Cone Restaurant is making coffee. Maybe you can help pass that out, too.”
“Will do,” Marie said, jogging to the white truck. She opened the back end of the vehicle and found several stacks of what looked like green wool army blankets heaped on the shelves. Cl
imbing into the truck, she pulled down two stacks and carried them toward the trolley.
The trolley had open sides, and consisted of about thirty rows of wooden benches. It had a roof and was hooked to a big pickup truck.
She got right to work, passing out blankets and making several trips for more. As volunteers arrived, she sent them for blankets and gave them instructions. Most of the seniors were taking the accident in stride, making it seem like a big adventure. Some were complaining of the cold. She tucked more blankets around them.
She caught glimpses of Brian as he helped the men and women off the bus. Those who seemed to be the most fragile, or the most upset, he escorted himself to the trolley and handed them over to her. Mari noticed that Brian had the unique ability to joke, tease, calm or comfort depending on the personality of whoever he was with.
The bus was finally empty, and Melanie was backing up the huge Hawkins’s Garage tow truck. Jack and Brian sprang into action. They made hand signals to Melanie and did something with chains and hooks. Mari could tell that they’d grown up around a garage—they didn’t waste a motion, and knew exactly what they were doing.
Somehow, with all the volunteers and professionals, chains and cables, the bus was righted.
The bus driver drove it to the Pine Cone and parked it while the trolley full of former passengers cheered and clapped.
At one point, Brian sought her out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. “Great job, Mari,” he whispered into her ear. “Thanks for coming out to help.”
She felt flush with pleasure at his words, but then she centered herself. She was only passing out blankets and coffee, not saving lives on a battlefield. But she liked the compliment anyway. Then someone called her name, and she had to leave Brian to go back to work.
When she turned back, he was grinning at her, and right now she couldn’t think of anyplace she’d rather be, or any person she’d rather be with, than in Hawk’s Lake with Brian.
Maybe that meant a fling with Brian wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all….
The replacement bus pulled up and the travelers filed on. They’d been lucky—no one needed to go to the hospital. Brian watched as Mari got many hugs and gracious thanks from the passengers.
They went into the Pine Cone where the owners had set out several pizzas, coffee and pitchers of soda and beer. It was a cozy place, with wood benches for chairs and rectangular tables with forest-green tablecloths. The walls were covered in yellowed knotty pine planks and decorated with pictures of the various peaks of the Adirondacks.
Brian took the opportunity to introduce Mari to everyone present. Several remembered her family, and she was welcomed back many times.
Brian finally guided her to a table where Jack, Melanie and Sam were already sitting.
“Whew! What a night,” Mari said, taking a chair. “You know what I love the most about Hawk’s Lake?”
“The pizza?” Jack handed her a piece on a paper plate.
“That, too.” She laughed. “But I just love the way everyone here pulls together.”
“And everyone knows your business,” Brian added.
They all laughed, but Brian noticed that Mari didn’t join in. He realized his constant criticism of Hawk’s Lake was upsetting her, which he supposed made sense, given that she felt more alive and at home here than anywhere else.
Gus Belden stopped by the table, clamped a meaty hand on Brian’s shoulder and squeezed. “Great job, everyone.” He nodded to Mari. “Thanks for pitching in.”
Brian introduced Mari to Gus. “We went to high school together. Gus owns a bait and tackle shop in Big Moose.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Mari said, holding out her hand.
Gus shook it and turned his attention back to Brian. “Bri, Matt Logan was just telling us that his son Josh has to have an operation for his tumor—it’s in his lung. They boy’s doctor wants to send him to St. Jude’s.”
“But I just saw Matt here tonight. He was helping me evacuate the bus,” Brian said.
Gus puffed out his cheeks and shook his head. “You know Matt. He’ll always help. But the guy doesn’t have any insurance since he lost his job when the lumberyard in Big Moose closed.”
“And we’ll help him.” Brian pulled a pen from his pocket and started making notes on a paper napkin. “I’m thinking the fire hall. We’ll get some donations for a silent auction.” He made some notes. “And what about a barbecue out back, maybe some small rides for the kids?”
“Brilliant. I knew you’d have some great ideas,” Gus said.
“Sherwood Enterprises will donate silverware, glassware and other household items.” Mari leaned forward. “I’d love to help.”
Brian took her hand. “Thanks, Mari.”
Gus took off his baseball cap and crumpled it in his hand. “Thank you, ma’am. That’s really nice of you.”
“Round up a committee, Gus. We’ll meet in my office. Let’s aim for this Friday at eight.”
“You got it.” Gus slapped his hat back on his head and headed for another table.
“What were you just saying, Brian?” Mari asked, scratching her head with her index finger. “Something about how people in Hawk’s Lake will help you, whether or not you want it?” She opened her eyes wide and blinked them rapidly several times.
“You know what I mean.”
“Do you know what you mean?” She blew out air in obvious exasperation. “You try to disown the town, but then you cheerfully walk right back in.”
Point well taken, he thought. But he wasn’t about to admit that she might be right. That would mean that he’d become complacent—that he’d given up his dreams.
And he wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
They stayed for a while longer.
Brian checked his watch. “Two in the morning. I think it’s time to go home.”
They said their goodbyes to everyone on their way out, and were soon driving back to Sherwood Lodge.
“What a night,” Brian said.
“It was a great night.” She leaned back on the seat. “Makes me feel like I did something to help the community.”
“Why do you say that? I know Sherwood contributes a lot to various organizations, and now you’re donating to the fund-raiser.”
“But that’s different. Tonight, I did something…personally.”
“But aren’t you on several charitable boards?”
“How do you know that?”
“I get your annual report. I’m a stockholder.”
“You are?” she asked, definitely surprised.
“It was my high school graduation present. I told my dad that I wanted stock in Sherwood Enterprises.”
“That’s so cool.” She covered her mouth with both hands to hide another yawn.
“You’re nodding off. Move closer. I don’t want you to bang your head against the window.”
“I’m fine.”
But to his surprise, she did move closer, and he put his arm around her.
It felt so right being with Mari. And when she rested her head on his shoulder, he could smell the fresh scents of the evening on her hair.
They’d just worked together like two halves of a whole, and he’d really felt a connection to her. It seemed as if there wasn’t anything Mari couldn’t do.
Except make a decision about their relationship.
He could hear her steady, gentle breathing and felt very protective of her. If there were a way to wrap Mari in a bubble so no harm would ever come to her, or no one would ever hurt her again, he’d do it.
But who would protect Mari from him?
Chapter Eight
For the next few days, Mari couldn’t get her mind off of Brian Hawkins.
When she was forming clay on her wheel, she thought of him. Whenever she went on her walks along the shoreline, she rehashed their conversations. And when she tried to read a book, she couldn’t concentrate because she wondered what he was doing.
For a cha
nge of scenery, she decided to return to Clancy’s and get a few odds and ends.
It was a great day—hot and sunny. The scent of pine and cedar hung in the air, and she took a deep breath as she maneuvered the twists and turns of Route 28.
She pulled into a parking spot, stopped to pet a beagle puppy that struggled to reach her from a leash, and exchanged greetings with people she passed.
Inside Clancy’s, she checked her list and headed for the paint area to buy some solvent for her paintbrushes—and almost knocked Brian over as she turned the aisle with her cart.
Judging by the surprise on his face, he hadn’t expected to see her, either. She remembered how he looked by the light of the moon, how he felt and tasted.
Shaking off the memory, she met his gaze. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was studying her, too.
As usual, he was dressed in a suit, but for a change there was no tie. “What is this, casual Friday at the office?” she joked, hoping a little humor would alleviate the tension that hung between them.
“Today’s Thursday.” He grinned, holding six boxes of business envelopes. “What are you doing here? You were going stir-crazy all alone on the lake, right?”
She wasn’t going to admit that he’d guessed correctly, so she just smiled. “I needed some solvent. And coffee.”
“We can’t go on meeting like this—at Clancy’s, of all places.” He smiled. “I was just going to grab some lunch. Would you like to join me?”
She wondered if she should, then decided that she couldn’t resist his friendly invitation. “I’d love to.”
They both cashed out, and she put her purchases on the floor of her van. By the time she walked to his car, he had the top down on his slick black Mustang. She was glad about that. It was the perfect day for riding in a convertible.
They didn’t have far to go. He soon pulled into Aunt Betty’s Pancake House.
Inside, the restaurant was a huge, barn-shaped place full of birch canoes, old pictures and rusted farm implements hanging from the weathered wood walls. A sign that pictured a moose eating a big salad at a picnic table read, Please sit anywhere.
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