“Ha, ha.” He heard her take a deep breath. “So. When do you think you’ll be able to wrap up negotiations for the land?”
“Soon.” He didn’t like lying to Lydia, but he didn’t want to talk about the possibility of investing in Harper’s lodge over the phone, especially when he knew she’d be opposed.
“Okay. Give me a call when you get back to the city, will you? I’d like to know you’re not frozen in some snowbank.”
“I promise I’ll call. Goodnight, Lyddie.”
“Goodnight, E.”
He ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket. Lydia would not be happy when she found out what he was doing. Not only would an investment in Harper’s lodge increase the scope of the project, it would put a lot of money at risk. But his sister would object most to the emotional connection he was building with Harper. Lydia would say he was letting his feelings cloud his judgement, and he wasn’t sure he could argue with that. His heart told him to help Harper, no matter what. But he couldn’t, wouldn’t, let his heart overrule his good judgement.
There was no doubt Harper was a remarkable woman. She’d raised her younger sister and looked after her ailing grandfather, while at the same time running the lodge and earning a living. She was hardworking, straightforward and honest, not to mention beautiful. God, she was beautiful.
He’d known other beautiful women but he’d never experienced this overwhelming protectiveness towards them. Nor the sense of closeness after knowing them only a couple of days.
There was something about Harper Lindquist, something that touched his heart. One look from her and he wanted to give her everything she asked for. Why did he feel such a pull toward her?
He sat in silence, thinking of Harper, until the flames in the fireplace turned to smoldering embers.
CHAPTER FIVE
The snowplows had arrived during the night, clearing a path to the lodge. When Harper got up to make breakfast at seven-thirty, Ethan was outside shoveling snow from around his truck. Apparently, he couldn’t wait to leave. Her shoulders slumped as she made for the kitchen.
She filled her coffee maker with water and measured the grounds. Of course he was anxious to leave. A meeting that shouldn’t have taken more than a few hours had lasted for nearly three days. He wanted to return to the city. He had a job and a life to get back to.
And perhaps a woman he’d neglected to mention.
He’d said there wasn’t a special woman in his life. She wanted to believe he was the kind of man who wouldn’t lie. And the kind of man who would honor any commitments he made to a woman. Not that he’d done anything with her to disaffirm those commitments.
No, she had no reason to believe he’d lied to her. She’d sensed a connection with him, an emotional bond that felt ridiculously real, considering they’d just met. He’d listened to her, laughed with her, understood her problems.
Who am I kidding?
With a disgusted shake of her head, she turned her attention to making breakfast, beating butter and sugar together with more force than was probably necessary. She added the rest of the ingredients for her blueberry muffins, then spooned the batter into a muffin tray and slid it into the preheated oven. Even if there had been some sort of connection between them, neither of them could act on it. They could be embarking on a potentially huge business deal, and they both needed to remain neutral.
Assuming Ethan had found merit in her proposal. He’d promised to tell her his decision this morning. Her stomach clenched in nervous anticipation. She busied herself washing up the dishes she used to make the muffins. The small task and the warm water eased some of her tension.
A short time later the front door opened and she heard Ethan stamp his feet on the rug to shake off the snow. A minute later, he entered the kitchen, rubbing his hands together.
“Man, it’s cold out there.”
“You need something warm to drink.”
Harper poured him a cup of coffee. Their fingers brushed as she handed him the cup, and sparks of electricity shot up her arm. Her gaze collided with his. In that split second she thought he, too, sensed the simmering energy between them. But she was afraid to give voice to whatever it was that had passed between them. Afraid that she had misread the look and would embarrass herself. She pulled her hand away and lowered her gaze.
“You’ve been busy.” She hated the husky note in her voice.
“Yeah. I’ll take off after breakfast.”
She made herself smile as she took a couple of plates out of the cupboard. “It’s been fun having company. Most of the time I’m rattling around alone in this big old place.”
Ethan propped one hip against the cupboard. “You’re pretty isolated here. Is it safe for you to be alone all the time?”
“I’m fine. The Millers are only a few miles down the road, and I’ve got lots of friends in town I can count on. Besides, nothing ever happens around here.”
He sipped his coffee, saying nothing, but the concerned look in his dark eyes told her he didn’t buy that statement. It warmed her heart to know he worried about her, even if there was no cause.
The timer dinged and she tore her gaze away from his to take the muffins out of the oven. “I’m out of bacon and eggs. I hope you don’t mind blueberry muffins for breakfast.”
“Of course not. They smell delicious.”
“Good. Everything will be ready in a couple of minutes.”
While the muffins cooled, she sliced a cantaloupe, the last piece of fresh fruit in the lodge. If Ethan had stayed any longer, they would have had to dig into her reserves of canned goods.
She wouldn’t have minded eating canned peaches if it meant Ethan was with her.
She pushed aside the thought. He was leaving, and there was nothing she could do about it.
To her horror, tears prickled the back of her eyes. She couldn’t cry in front of Ethan. It was stupid to cry. Harper kept her back to him, grateful when she was able to get herself under control once more. She hoped Ethan hadn’t noticed her distress.
She arranged a couple of muffins and some slices of cantaloupe on the two plates, forcing herself to smile as she turned to him. “How about one last look at the lake from the dining room?”
“I’d like that.”
The sun was beginning to rise over the trees. For the first time in three days, the beauty of the lake was clearly visible. The look of wonder on Ethan’s face excited her. He truly got this place.
“I knew the lake was beautiful, but I didn’t realize how truly spectacular it was until now.”
“See how the fresh snow sparkles in the sun? My sisters and I used to pretend there were diamonds buried in the snow after a storm like this. I think the beauty is Mother Nature’s way for making up for the anger of the blizzard.”
He chuckled. “She has a lot to make up for today.”
“Yes, she does.” But if it hadn’t been for the storm, she wouldn’t have gotten to know him.
They ate in silence. Ethan devoured his muffins and fruit while Harper picked at her breakfast, her stomach in knots. Would he recommend putting money into the lodge? If he did, they might work closely together. A relationship could develop. Her heart wondered if the feelings she thought were growing between them were real or simply blown out of proportion due to the circumstances and his kindness.
Ethan drained his coffee cup and set it on the table. “Thanks for another wonderful breakfast, Harper. It was delicious. Your grandmother taught you well.”
“You’re welcome.” It gratified her to know he remembered the things she’d told him.
“I want to let you know I’ve reached a decision. You’ve convinced me to take another look at the lodge. I’m going to recommend that Hainstock investigate its feasibility as an eco-resort.”
Harper clamped a hand over her mouth. This time she couldn’t stop the tears from filling her eyes. “Oh! Oh, my goodness! Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He waved off her thanks. “No thanks necessary. I was only tryi
ng to keep my butt out of the snow.”
Her laughter mixed with her tears. “Maybe so, but you kept your word. You listened.”
“You understand this is just a start.” His expression grew serious as he reached across the table to grasp her hand. “I can’t promise anything right now, only that we’ll give serious consideration to your proposal. Don’t let your hopes get too high.”
“I understand.” His words and touch brought her back down to Earth. “But I want you to know I appreciate your fairness and honesty in all this. It means everything to me.”
For a second, their gazes met and held. Then, he glanced away and dropped her hand. He pushed away from the table. Harper blinked at his abruptness.
“I should head back to the city. Excuse me. I’m going to change and get ready to leave.”
She nodded, unable to speak around the lump in her throat. When Ethan left the room, she sagged against her chair. This was what she’d so desperately wanted, a chance to save the lodge. And now she had it.
This was good news. She should be celebrating, jumping for joy. Or at least smiling.
Instead, she felt mildly depressed, bereft, as if she’d lost something. Ethan was in a hurry to leave. Any connection she’d imagined with him was an illusion, a product of her loneliness.
Suck it up, Harper. His interest in you is strictly business.
For one wild moment, she wished she were the kind of woman that men couldn’t resist. She looked down at the frayed cuff of her shirt and the faded denim of her jeans. They were clean, but that was about all her clothes had going for them. She was plain, old Harper Lee Lindquist. Nice enough looking, but no femme fatale.
And even if Ethan decided he wanted something more from their relationship, she was afraid she’d disappoint him.
No one wants the oldest living virgin in Minnesota, Harper.
Sometimes she wished she’d let one of her male classmates take her virginity back in high school just so it was over and done with. But she’d wanted someone special to be her first, and none of those boys had fit the bill. Then she’d gone away to college for four years. She’d been tempted a couple of times, but had pulled back. Something had always felt wrong, or at least not quite right, and she hadn’t been ready to take such a momentous step.
After her grandmother died and she was running the lodge and looking after Maggie and her grandfather, there’d been no time to date. There’d been a few unattached men her age left in the community, but they hadn’t interested her. For a long time, she’d been too busy to care. Between cleaning, cooking for guests, doing the books, and helping to maintain the boats and snowmobiles, her days were full. Even maintaining relationships with her female friends who’d remained in Minnewasta had been difficult. All of them were married and having babies, their lives so different from hers.
When her grandfather became ill, she’d devoted all her time to caring for him. Scarlet and Maggie had helped when they could, but most of his care fell to her. He’d wanted to die in his home rather than in some cold, impersonal hospital, and she did everything she could to fulfill his wishes. It was only after he died and she was alone that she began to think of dating again. She’d even joined an online dating site for a while. But the results were less than spectacular.
She was beginning to think she was going to die a virgin. Pathetic.
With a disgusted huff, she pushed away from the table, gathered the dishes, and took them back to the kitchen to wash.
She’d just placed the last dish on the drain board when Ethan entered the kitchen, his hair still damp from his shower. He’d shaved with the razor she’d found for him and was wearing his own clothes again. Once more the elegant, well-dressed businessman. The chasm grew between them even as he stood in her kitchen. She was stupid to believe there could ever be anything aside from business between them.
She lifted her chin, determined not to let her façade slip. “I’ve gathered all my estimates and drawings and put them in a bag so you can take them with you.”
“I appreciate that.”
They walked together to the front door, and Harper lifted his beautiful overcoat from the coat tree. It still held the scent of his aftershave, and she had to resist the urge to raise it to her nose and breathe it in. Instead, she held it out to him with a forced smile. “Have a safe trip back to Minneapolis, Ethan.”
“Thanks.” He took the coat from her and slipped it on. “I want to thank you for your hospitality.”
“It was my pleasure.”
So formal. But it was the only way she could get through the next few minutes.
He picked up the cloth bag with all her information on the renovation project. “Goodbye, Harper. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Goodbye.” She shook his outstretched hand briefly.
He opened the front door and headed toward his truck. Harper grabbed a sweater from the coat tree and stood in the open doorway watching him leave, not quite able to shut the door on him despite the biting cold.
Halfway to the truck, Ethan stopped. For a second, he stood completely still, his head bowed. Then he dropped the bag, turned on his heel, and walked back to her, his steps full of purpose.
“Did you forget something?”
“Yeah.”
He pulled her into his arms, his mouth descending on hers with an urgency that set her blood on fire. She moaned as she molded herself against him, her arms winding around his neck, her fingers tangling in his damp hair. He swept her mouth with his tongue, demanding a response. She gave herself over to his kiss, loving the sweet taste of his mouth, the clean smell of his skin, the solid feel of his body.
All too soon he broke the kiss. He grasped her shoulders and pushed away from her, breathing hard. She searched his face for answers.
“I have to go,” he said. “I’ll call you soon.”
She nodded, unable to speak. He released her and walked back to his truck. No longer sheltered in his arms, the bitter cold swept through her. She pulled her sweater more securely around her shoulders.
Harper watched Ethan pull out of the driveway, her heart racing. When she could no longer see his truck, she closed the front door and leaned against it. The taste of him remained on her tongue and she could still smell his clean scent. Excitement and fear danced up and down her spine, fighting a duel inside her to decide which one ruled supreme.
Fear won. In one way or another, everyone she’d ever cared about had left her. She couldn’t bear for Ethan to be one more person on that list.
CHAPTER SIX
Instead of immediately driving back to Minneapolis, Ethan pulled into his brother Cameron’s freshly plowed driveway a mile and a half outside of Minnewasta. He’d only been to Cam’s new place once before, when he helped him move. Cam had rented the property and moved there a few months previously to be closer to his daughter. The lodge’s close proximity to the town had first attracted Ethan’s attention to Harper’s newspaper ad. Minnewasta was Cam’s ex’s hometown, and, after they’d broken up, she’d moved there with Tessa to live with her parents.
Probably for the free rent and babysitting service, if he knew Laura.
The whine of a power tool drew Ethan to the workshop at the back of the property. When he opened the door he saw Cam feeding a piece of reclaimed lumber through the planer, his attention riveted on his task. Sawdust flew and the air filled with the sweet scent of freshly cut wood, cedar if he was any judge. His brother looked up at him in surprise and turned off the machine.
“Where the hell did you come from?”
Ethan couldn’t help grinning. That was Cam. Straight to the point.
“I was in the neighborhood. How about taking a break? I could use a cup of coffee.”
“Let’s go to the house. I wouldn’t want you to get your pretty clothes all dirty.”
Once in Cam’s spotless kitchen, Ethan took off his overcoat and hung it over a chair. He ran his hand over the smooth wooden top of Cam’s kitchen table. “Is this new?”
Cam glanced at him over his shoulder as he filled the coffeepot with water. “Yeah, I just finished it. I made it out of wood from that old barn near Bemidji you helped me tear down last summer.”
“Oh, yeah? This is pine, right?” Ethan checked the underside of the table. Cameron had attached an ornate set of wrought iron legs that looked to be as old as the barn had been.
“Yeah, it’s pine. I got the legs at an auction sale for a song. Nobody wanted them.”
Nobody but Cam could see the beauty in a pair of old metal table legs. Everyone else would look at the chipped paint and think they were nothing but junk. Only Cam would see life and usefulness and splendor.
“Can you make one like this for me?”
“Of course not. It’s a one of kind piece. Where am I going to find another set of legs like that?”
“Too bad. It’s a beautiful piece.” He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. “So how do you like living out here? How’s Tessa adjusting?”
“I like it fine, especially since Tessa is thriving. Her grandparents are providing the stability she didn’t get when she lived with Laura in the city.”
Ethan knew Cam provided much of the stability that Tessa needed. His brother had not only picked up stakes and moved for his daughter’s sake, he’d changed his life for her. “Have you found any AA meetings around here?”
“Yeah, I’ve been to a few meetings.”
“Good to hear.”
“I’m not going to backslide, E. Tessa’s future is too important to me.”
“I know.”
Cameron’s struggle with alcohol had been heartbreaking for the whole family. Ethan and his sister feared his life would spin out of control much as their father’s had. But with sheer force of will, and some help from his family, Cam had quit drinking. He was determined to be a better father to Tessa than their father had been to them.
When the coffee was ready, Cam filled two cups and set one in front of Ethan. “So, are you going to tell me how you ended up on my doorstep before ten in the morning when you’re supposed to be in Minneapolis, or are we going to play twenty questions?”
Lies and Solace Page 6
