by Joan Kilby
Sarah, meanwhile, had chosen a selection of blossom photos and had gone to the printers to have them mounted on poster board.
After Sarah left, Brianna set about tidying up loose ends, updating the timeline on her whiteboard, and crossing items off her to-do list.
Hearing a sound, she turned away from the whiteboard to see Angus enter the information center. He walked through the racks of pamphlets, past the community hall model and display of cherry products, and kept coming into her office. Her gaze went to his mouth, her thoughts to their kiss. Now he was a foot away and she could smell clean male sweat and faint tones of woodsy aftershave.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” she said, flustered, heart racing.
“I came to take you to lunch at the Cherry Pit.” He leaned down and nuzzled her neck.
“Angus…” Her eyes closed briefly before she pulled herself together. “We can’t… do this just… anywhere.”
“Do what?”
“Kiss.” She put her hands on his chest, absently noting a small hard object beneath his T-shirt, and pushed him away gently. “We have volunteer staff and these walls are made of glass. I don’t want them to see us cuddling.”
“I hope you’re not regretting that kiss last night,” he said. “Because I’m not.”
“No…” She swayed toward him. Then abruptly brought herself upright. “But we need to separate work from, from…”
“Pleasure?” He reached out to tuck a long corkscrew curl behind her ear and let his fingertips slide down the sensitive skin on her neck.
“Stop it,” she said, as much to herself as to him. “Lunch sounds great. I’m really hungry.”
“Me, too.” But this time when he growled against her neck and pretended to bite, he meant it as a joke.
“Easy, tiger.” Brianna laughed and reached for her purse and jacket. “Tell me how you convinced my father to hire Coates’s men.”
So Angus told her about Jordan’s accident and his ultimatum to her father.
“You’re brave. Good for you.” She paused in the outer office to tell Diane, the volunteer, that she was going to lunch.
“The new guys will be on site tomorrow,” Angus went on as they emerged from the lobby of the building onto the sidewalk.
“Fantastic. That’s such a relief.” Brianna averted her gaze from Kylie’s boutique. The wedding dress had grown to mythic proportions in her mind and to look at it while she was with Angus, would definitely jinx their newly blossoming romance.
Just her luck then, that Kylie should choose this moment to bring a rack of sale items out to the sidewalk. “Hey, Brianna.”
“Hey, Kylie.” Brianna smiled brightly at the shopkeeper, willing the other woman not to mention the dress.
“Where are you two off to?” Kylie glanced from Brianna to Angus, and her eyebrows rose.
“Lunch.” Brianna could see the dress out of the corner of her eye and shifted her stance to block it from her vision. “Sorry, we can’t stop to chat. We only have thirty minutes.”
“Are you still interested in that dress you tried on the other day?” Kylie said with an innocent grin.
Brianna sent her a meaningful glare. “It’s not on my radar at the moment.”
“There’s something about spring and cherry blossoms that really brings out the wedding bells,” Kylie said, not taking the hint. “My partner’s a photographer. He’s got two weddings lined up this weekend.”
“How nice. If you’ll excuse us, we’re in a bit of a hurry.” Brianna tucked her arm through Angus’s and pulled him along the sidewalk.
Suddenly she was conscious of curious glances from passersby and let his arm go. Being with Angus felt wonderful and right, but there was no sense starting tongues wagging when nothing lasting might come of their renewed connection.
“What was all that about a dress?” Angus seemed to have no such concerns. He reached for her hand to hold as they strode along.
“I have no idea,” Brianna said. “Kylie rambles on sometimes.”
“She sounded as if she thought we might be next in line to use her partner’s services.” He fixed Brianna with a thoughtful, amused gaze.
“That would be silly,” Brianna said. “I certainly haven’t said anything to make her think that.” Had he noticed the wedding dress in the window and drawn his own conclusion? “You’re back in town. We’re out and about. People talk.”
“Maybe we should give them something to talk about.”
Before Brianna knew what was happening, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her close before dipping her backward. “May I have this dance?”
“Angus!” Breathless with laughter, she struggled back to an upright position. “What are you doing?”
“Practising for the dance on Saturday.” He clasped her hands with one arm around her waist and two-stepped her down the street, spinning her around at the corner. People stopped to watch, grinning. Poppy, an elderly hippy and the town character, pushed back her bright magenta hair, put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
“You’ve still got the moves,” he said, twirling her in the other direction.
“People are looking at us,” she protested even as her hips twitched back and forth in a saucy rhythm. Her curls were all over the place.
“Let them.” Angus spun her in a final flourish and they bowed. Everyone on both sides of the street clapped. A guy in a passing truck honked his horn, belting out the first bars of a popular song.
“He’s got spring fever!” Brianna called to the onlookers and twirled a finger around near her temple. “Completely bonkers.”
“I’m feeling good. The sun is shining, the fish are biting, the cherries are blossoming, and the hall crisis has been nipped in the bud.” He gave her a wide smile. “See what I did there? Bud?”
“You are crazy.” Brianna giggled, still flushed from the exertion. How long had it been since she’d been this happy?
Chapter Eleven
“The crunch is on,” Angus told his expanded crew the next day. Along with their tool belts and hard hats, the five men standing before him wore determined expressions. “Breaks will be confined to bathroom, hydration, and a quick lunch. You’ll be more tired, dirty, hungry, and fed up than you’ve been on any other job. But we don’t stop until we’re done.”
“Yes, sir, Sergeant, sir!” Tony jokingly saluted him.
Angus smothered a laugh. The men did look a little like soldiers ready to go into battle.
“You’ll be paid ample overtime,” he went on in a more relaxed fashion. “The town will think you’re heroes, and drinks will be on me at the tavern.”
His men had already put in a couple of long, hard weeks to get the walls stacked and the roof on, but with just days left there was still plenty of work to be done—chinking the seams between the logs, laying flooring, finishing the interior carpentry. The painters were coming tomorrow, as were the electrician and plumber to put the final touches to the lighting and plumbing. Last but not least, would be the site cleanup.
For the next few minutes, Angus assigned tasks and gave specific instructions even though the guys all knew their jobs. He wanted nothing left to chance.
For the next few days he would float, coordinating the trades, helping out wherever an extra hand was needed, and making sure materials and supplies were available where, and when, they were required.
His phone pinged and he opened his messages to find a photo of a snow-white cherry blossom with yellow stamens in full bloom.
“We’re at peak blossom!” Brianna had texted.
In return, Angus took a photo of the hall with his crew at work. “Nearly peak community hall.”
“Awesome! Lunch today?” she replied.
“Working through.” He added a sad face emoji.
“Poor you.”
“Worth it.” Hall is looking good.
“I’ll come by later.”
Smiling, Angus signed off. With the long hours they were both putt
ing in, messaging had become their main form of communication. The prospect of seeing her even briefly was enough to lift his spirits and put extra strength in his hammer arm.
As he worked, his mind turned again to the exchange with Kylie outside her boutique. Something about that encounter niggled at his brain. Brianna was an unabashed lover of vintage clothing so why would she be embarrassed by Kylie teasing her over a dress she was interested in? Unless… was this about the wedding dress prominently displayed in the window?
Bill, who was working alongside, asked, “Something on your mind, boss?”
“You’re married, aren’t you, Bill?”
“Five years this June.”
“Before you and your wife were officially engaged, before your friends and family knew you were serious, would she have minded people teasing her about getting married in your presence?” Angus asked.
“That actually happened to us,” Bob replied. “I was at her house for dinner. It was only our third date, and her grandmother, who was admittedly a bit dotty, told Lisa to try on her old wedding dress to see what I thought.”
“Did she try it on?”
“No way! She was mortified.”
Are you still interested in the dress you tried on the other day? Kylie had asked. Brianna might have tried it on, just for the heck of it. Would she, though?
“Would Lisa have tried on her grandmother’s wedding dress if you weren’t there, if say, she had a girlfriend over?” Angus asked. “Is that something women do for fun, do you think?”
“Lisa would have since she was at home and it was her grandmother’s dress.” Bill paused to wipe his damp brow with the back of his gloved hand. “Hard to say, otherwise. Depends on the woman, I guess. Are you talking about anyone in particular?”
“Uh, no, just a hypothetical situation.”
“If you say so,” Bill said, with a sceptical smirk.
If Brianna had tried on the dress was it because she loved vintage fashion, or was she picturing herself as a bride? And did she have him in mind as the groom? In that case, it would be understandable if she was embarrassed that Kylie mentioned the dress in front of him. They hadn’t talked about matrimony. He was thinking about it, but Brianna didn’t know that.
He touched the ring beneath his shirt and imagined proposing to her. When he’d first come back to town nearly three weeks ago, she’d pushed him away, but gradually he’d been breaking down her barriers. The argument at the barbecue had led to a truce, and after talking through another old misunderstanding on their fishing trip, they’d kissed. A real kiss, full of promise. Was she now fantasizing about them walking down the aisle together?
Or… A horrible thought occurred to him. What if she had another guy somewhere that she was in love with? Gordon had said she wasn’t dating anyone but did she tell her father everything? What if she was dreaming about marrying that hypothetical other man?
Angus put down the chinking gun and paced away from the log wall. No, she’d kissed him. Brianna wouldn’t do that if she was in love with someone else.
But she’d pushed him away and made excuses when he’d tried to kiss her in her office. Could he have misinterpreted the kiss at her house because he so badly wanted her to love him? What if, for her it had been a kiss between old friends, sweet and sentimental, but one that didn’t mean anything.
Angus rubbed his temples. He was so damn tired he couldn’t think straight. What if, all this time he’d been thinking they were falling in love again, she’d merely been renewing their friendship? She’d even asked if they were friends. Had said they made a good team. What if that was all this new togetherness was, friends working on a project for mutual benefit?
He walked back to the wall and picked up the chinking gun again. Started laying a bead of colored material in the crease between the logs.
“You could just ask her,” Bill said.
Angus started. He’d been so deep in thought he’d forgotten the other man was there. But his comment was so apt it was as though Bill had read his mind.
“Say what?” Angus said.
“Whatever it is you’re wondering this woman is thinking, you could just ask her,” Bill explained.
“I could.” But the thought of her telling him there was someone else sent ice water down his spine. He’d been playing his cards close to his chest, giving her time to get to know him again. What if that strategy had been a mistake?
“Don’t overthink it,” Bill advised.
“Right.” But that was exactly what he was doing. He didn’t hesitate in any other aspect of his life. It was just that Brianna was so important. Which was why he had to act instead of dithering.
He got out his phone and punched in her number. After three rings it went to voice mail. No doubt she was busy with the festival events. He should speak to her about this face-to-face anyway, when they had time for a real conversation.
He went back to work, but for the rest of the morning he couldn’t get the wedding dress and Brianna out of his mind. He told himself he was being silly. Maybe Kylie hadn’t even been talking about the wedding dress. But what if she had? With less than a week before he had to leave for Sacramento, he was running out of time.
“I hear this is a popular time of year for weddings,” he said to Bill, remembering Kylie’s comment. It had almost sounded like she was warning Brianna.
“It is. My cousin is getting married in a couple of weeks, and so is a woman Lisa works with.” Bill put his hands on his lower back and stretched as he regarded the hall. “This place will be a nice spot for a wedding reception. Dancing and food inside, and people can spill out onto the lawn.”
Angus looked, too, and saw bare dirt and a rubble-strewn building site. “That reminds me, I need to call the instant turf company and confirm they’ll be here tomorrow.”
He took a moment to make the call and then went back to work, but the new information Bill had imparted only intensified his worry. Kylie had implied the dress might be sold soon. What if there was no other guy, what if Brianna wanted to wear it to marry him? He knew how she got her heart set on favorite dresses. What if she lost it because he was too slow in asking? But he had to do it in the right setting, at a suitable time. Time. That was the problem.
“I got something I need to do,” he said to Bill. “I’ll be back in ten.”
Angus strode to his truck and roared out of the lot, covering the six blocks to Kylie’s boutique in minutes. A gust of relief escaped his lungs when he saw that the wedding dress was still in the window. A car was parked out front, and his pulse raced again. Maybe some other woman was even now asking to try on Brianna’s wedding dress.
He burst through the doorway. Kylie was in the process of ringing up a customer’s purchase. Both women turned to stare at him.
“Can I help you?” Kylie asked.
“I can wait.” Hard enough to broach this with Kylie, no way was he spilling in front of a complete stranger.
Too agitated to stand still, he paced, feeling like the proverbial bull in a china shop when he nearly knocked over a rack of blouses. Finally Kylie completed the transaction and her customer left with a curious backward glance over her shoulder at Angus.
He went up to the desk, more embarrassed than he’d ever felt in his life. “The other day when Brianna and I were walking past, you mentioned a dress to her.”
“Yes.” Kylie looked expectantly at him.
“Were you by any chance talking about the dress in the window?”
“The wedding dress?” Kylie was wary now. “Why do you want to know?”
Angus started to sweat. “You two are friends, right?”
“I’d say so. She comes in here a lot. We go out for a drink now and then.”
“Does she confide in you?”
“What is it you’re asking, Angus?” Kylie said. “Keeping in mind that I might not tell you even if I know the answer to your question.”
“Is she engaged, or serious enough about a guy to think about buyi
ng a wedding dress?” Angus said.
“She’s not engaged,” Kylie said, carefully. “There is someone she’s interested in. I think she’s hoping he’ll propose but she hasn’t actually said that, not to me, at least.”
“Who is he?” Anger and panic flared. He’d left it too late to speak up, been too cautious about expressing his feelings for fear of scaring her away. What an idiot he’d been. Twice now, he’d done that. What was wrong with him? “Is it someone from out of town?”
It was the only explanation he could think of for why he hadn’t seen her with anyone else.
“I can’t tell you,” Kylie said. “I’ve said too much already.”
The bell over the door tinkled as a couple of teenage girls entered, chattering and giggling.
“Don’t tell her I was asking,” Angus said to Kylie. He strode past the girls and out the door, into the blinding sunshine.
Brianna was right, he was crazy. He had to stop obsessing over what was going to happen. He needed to focus on finishing the hall. But once that was over, he would find out once and for all where he stood with Brianna.
The dance. They were at their best together on the dance floor. Saturday night couldn’t come soon enough.
*
Brianna put her phone away and headed to the deli to buy sandwiches for Angus and his crew. She knew the guys usually brought their lunch from home but from what Angus had said, they’d most likely work right through dinner. Extra food for a hungry construction crew never went astray.
