“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever been to anything like it,” Marc said, summoning some excitement for Scarlet’s sake.
“Good, then tomorrow will be a new experience for you,” she said, locking the door.
The next morning, Marc walked over to the park after an uncomfortable breakfast with the owner of the hotel; evidently, Brenda didn’t know what the word privacy meant. It had been fine when her attention had been on a new couple who had just checked in the night before, but when she turned her attention to him, he quickly finished his coffee and left without finishing his breakfast.
He was feeling very grumpy, but then he smelled cinnamon rolls and his mood changed immediately. Following the scent, he realized that he was going to have to make a decision about staying or going soon. He couldn’t continue living at the hotel; he missed having more than one room and a kitchen would be nice. Deep down, he felt that he could make a life for himself here in this town, but he needed to know that there would be something he could do to fill his time.
It just wasn’t in his nature to sit around doing nothing, although the Terrell Trust fund check he would be receiving in a few months would be more than enough to live here in Miner’s Ridge in style. He wanted to earn a living doing something that made him happy; construction had always done that for him, the process of building something from nothing satisfying something deep inside him.
Scarlet’s plan for a handyman service appealed to him, he’d thought about it all night, seeing real potential. He could pick up enough work to keep himself occupied while still having time to explore the mountains around town. He’d always loved being outdoors, but neither his father nor brother thought that camping and fishing were a good way to spend a vacation, so he’d never had much of an opportunity to get outside.
He found the display for the diner, expecting to see Scarlet behind the table, but instead there was a young girl who looked like she was in college. “I was hoping to run into Scarlet,” he said, taking a sample of the cinnamon rolls.
“Oh, she’s around somewhere, said she had to meet someone. I bet that was you,” the girl said, giving him a look up and down, then flashing him a big smile. “I’m Carry. I work for Scarlet every summer.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Carry. If you see her, will you let her know that Marc is looking for her?”
“You bet. I’ll be right here if you need anything else,” she said, batting her eyes at him.
Marc barley even noticed, he was too busy looking for Scarlet. Then he spotted her across the park. She was standing with a young man who must have been her son Sean; the resemblance left little to debate. Crossing the park, he approached them carefully, not wanting to be too pushy. Scarlet saw him approaching and waved him over.
“I’m glad to see that you made it. This is my son Sean.”
“Hi, Sean. I’m Marc,” he said, extending his hand.
He could see Sean hesitating for a second, then he finally shook Marc’s hand, but not until Scarlet made a little sound in her throat.
“This certainly does look like fun, and I’m starving, I didn’t finish my breakfast,” he said, looking around to see where all the wonderful smells were coming from.
“Let me guess, Brenda joined you for breakfast.” Scarlet laughed.
“Yeah, she’s very curious,” he said.
“That’s a nice way of putting it. How much of your life story did she manage to get?” she asked, curious to know if he’d succumbed to Brenda’s poking and prodding.
“Well, not much, which is why I didn’t get any breakfast,” he said, a pouty look on his face.
“Oh, you poor baby,” she said, patting him on the back.
Scarlet’s teasing tone made Sean cough and look at his mother with big eyes. He’d obviously never seen her flirt before. He looked like he was about to say something rude, his eyes narrowing at Marc in a threatening way, but just then his friends came running up.
“Sean, let’s go. What are you waiting for? We were supposed to meet at the dunk tank. Mary Joe Anderson is up there right now,” one of the boys said, then noticed Marc and Scarlet and blushed. “Uh, hi, Ms. Carter.”
Sean looked from his mother to Marc, then said, “Can I go? Will you be okay alone?”
“I’ll be fine and I won’t be alone,” she said, looking at Marc.
“I meant alone with him,” Sean said, scowling.
“I’ll be fine, now go,” she said, scowling back at him to let him know he’d pushed it too far.
Sean turned his back and walked away with his friends but glanced back several times as if putting Marc on notice that he’d be watching. Marc only laughed and shook his head. “I can’t blame him. I’d be worried too. He’s just trying to protect you from me, and he might just need to,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
“All right then. Now that my son has exerted his manhood on both of us, let’s go introduce you to the town.” When Marc scowled, she added, “But first, let’s go get you something to eat. You get grumpy when you’re hungry, I’ll have to remember that.”
Chapter 4
After they’d gotten Marc something to eat, he felt much better, ready to face a slew of new faces and names. The park wasn’t that large, but it still took several hours to make their way around to all the booths. Marc met a lot of new people and learned a lot about what the community had to offer. In reality, he couldn’t have found a better way to lean about his potential new home. He also found that Scarlet had been right, there was a market for a handyman in town.
By the end of the morning, he’d already lined up two jobs; admittedly one of them was chopping wood, but it was still a job. He was feeling positive about his choice, thinking that once word got around he’d have enough work to keep him occupied. He’d been given a warm welcome from everyone he met. He knew that they were curious about his past, but he’d been careful to avoid the recent past, instead telling them about the time he’d worked doing construction for charity.
It wasn’t a lie, his father had made him donate his time when he’d been in high school, and when he’d chosen not to go to college, his father had made him work full time until he’d gained enough skills to support himself should he ever need to. It had been the one time Marc had done what his father had asked instead of listening to Scott, and he was thankful that he had.
As they walked away from the last display, the taste of the honey they’d tried still fresh in his mouth, Marc realized that he’d had fun that morning and didn’t want it to end. They reached the area of the park where the high school was busy raising money, selling food, and running the carnival games. There was also a small stage set up where musicians were busy getting ready to play.
“I could use something to drink. How about you?” Marc asked as they passed the lemonade stand.
“That sounds good. I’m definitely not eating lunch, but something to drink would be nice,” Scarlet said, realizing that it was getting warm out.
Marc got them both a glass of lemonade and they found a bench under a tree. Sighing with relief to be out of the sun, they both took a long drink. “Thank you for inviting me today. It was a great way to get to know people,” Marc said, making himself comfortable.
They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, but acutely aware of the other one sitting next to them. Sean walked by with his friends, not more than ten feet from Scarlet and Marc, but the boys were following a pack of girls and didn’t even notice them.
“So much for my big protector,” Scarlet said, laughing once the boys had passed.
“I’d say he’s just a typical teenaged boy, but I’m afraid some men act like that too,” Marc said, scooting closer to Scarlet.
Scarlet could feel the heat of Marc’s leg where it rested against hers and a little thrill went through her. “Well, I hate to tell you this, but I’m sure that’s not the end of his protective behavior, it’s been just the two of us for so long,” she said, her eyes following him fondly.
/> “So, his dad...I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry,” Marc said, embarrassed.
“It’s okay. We broke up when Sean was seven. It was for the best, but sometimes it’s hard for him not to have a father,” she said, not wanting to share the rest of the story; very few people in town knew the full details of her past.
“You never wanted to have more children?” he asked, then felt bad about asking when he saw that the question had upset her.
“It just wasn’t in the cards,” she said, clearly wanting to end the conversation there.
Marc couldn’t know that he’d hit a sensitive spot. Many women her age would still be able to have children, but Sean’s birth had caused so much scaring that the doctors had said that she’d never be able to conceive again. That announcement had been the first nail in the coffin of her marriage. Louis had sat next to her and given her a dirty look like she’d done it on purpose. He’d made it very clear to her that he wanted a large family and expected her to want one as well.
Things between them had never been the same after that, his numerous affairs beginning almost immediately as he looked for a replacement for her. Until the day they’d divorced, he’d never been able to find another woman stupid enough to fall for his tricks; some lasted longer than others, but in the end they all ended up leaving. She still wished she’d been as smart as those women and walked away, although then she wouldn’t have Sean, so she buried her regrets and promised herself she’d be smarter next time.
“What about you? I know you’re not married now, but...” Scarlet prodded carefully.
Marc was silent for a few minutes, wondering how to explain to Scarlet how he’d lived his life without sounding pathetic. But he also wanted to be truthful, “I just never made enough room in my life for anyone. It was a choice, one of many bad ones, but a choice none the less. But I’m not going to make that mistake again,” he said, taking her hand in his and twining his fingers with hers.
It was a simple thing to do, holding her hand, but it sent a wave of pleasure shooting right through Scarlet. She looked down at their hands, then back up at Marc and smiled, then said, “I’m glad.”
They sat in silence for a long time, watching people pass, and enjoying the day. When the music started, they moved closer to the stage, even joined everyone on the dance floor. Scarlet hadn’t danced in a long time, and it felt wonderful to be in Marc’s arms, spinning around the dance floor. But all too soon, she realized that it was time for her to relieve Kevin at the diner.
“I really have to get back to the diner. Kevin is going to perform tonight and he can’t do that from the kitchen,” she said as the band finished their last song.
“Okay, I probably should spend the afternoon trying to find someplace else to live. I can’t stay at the hotel forever,” he said. “I’ve got to get out of there before Brenda catches me again.”
Scarlet laughed, then sighed when Marc took her hand again as they crossed the park to the diner. Instead of leaving her at the front door, he walked her all the way inside, not ready for the afternoon to end yet. The diner was deserted except for a group of people sitting at one of the booths, so they went on through to the kitchen where Kevin was waiting for Scarlet.
“Sorry, I’m a little late, Kevin,” she said, putting on an apron.
“No problem, I still have plenty of time for a nap before show time,” Kevin said, taking off his apron. “It’s been dead in here all day. Hope you have more business tonight.” Then he was out the back door with a wave for Marc.
Taking advantage of the moment they had alone, Marc pulled Scarlet into his arms and kissed her; not the slow kiss of the night before, but an explosive kiss full of promise and passion. When he released her, they were both panting, desire shining in their eyes. Scarlet wasn’t sure which affected her more: the kiss or the look in Marc’s eyes. She stepped toward him, but just then the front door opened and Carry came in, shouting for Scarlet.
Marc stepped back and said, “Well, I guess I better let you get to work.”
“I guess so. If you’re not doing anything tomorrow morning, you could join us for church,” she said, stepping up to the stove to investigate what Kevin had cooking there.
Marc thought about that for a moment. He hadn’t stepped foot in a church for a long time, it wasn’t that he was against religion he’d just never been a follower. “Well, I don’t know. I really should try to find someplace else to live. Can I take a rain check?” he finally said.
“That’s fine. I know not everyone likes to go to church. I started going when we moved to town as a way to meet people and just never stopped,” she said, stirring the pot.
“Next week,” Marc said, scooting up behind her and kissing her on the cheek.
Carry chose that moment to come into the kitchen. “Oh, sorry,” she said, blushing but not leaving.
“I’ll see you later.” Marc said, “Nice to see you again Carry.” He said, as he passed her.
Marc wasn’t even out of the door before Carry pounced on Scarlet. “Who is that? What was he doing back here? Did he kiss you?” she rattled off, not letting Scarlet speak.
Scarlet squared her shoulders, knowing she’d have to tell Carry something, but not looking forward to trying to explain. She loved Carry and was always happy to see her when summer started, but sometimes the girl wore her out with all her questions. Last year, she’d been determined to find out all she could about Scarlet’s marriage, not realizing that it was still a difficult subject for Scarlet.
Marc holed up in his room for the rest of the day, only emerging to run out for some food from one of the fast food restaurants out by the highway. It was time for him to make a decision about Miner’s Ridge, but he couldn’t seem to think of anything but Scarlet and how wonderful she’d felt in his arms. He’d finally given up and gone to bed, trying to weigh the pros and cons of his decision having exhausted him; he just wasn’t used to making decisions.
The next morning, he decided that he needed to get some perspective, so he got in the car and headed out of town thinking that if he got away, it might help him see things more clearly. He didn’t want his attraction to Scarlet to be his only reason for staying in Miner’s Ridge, making smarter choices was part of the new person he wanted to be. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Scarlet either intentionally or accidently if he discovered that Miner’s Ridge wasn’t for him. She wasn’t the kind of woman to have casual relationships and it was part of why he was attracted to her.
His plan was to head to the closest city and see how it felt to be back in the hustle and bustle. If he missed it, then he’d know that he wasn’t meant to be in Miner’s Ridge. He was trying to put Scarlet from his mind as he drove down Main Street, but as he drove, he saw her and Sean walking down the street. He almost ran off the road watching her. She was all dressed up and if he’d thought that she looked good in her jeans and western shirt, the picture she made in a summer dress nearly stopped his heart.
That certainly wasn’t going to help him decide, he thought as he felt a distinct tightening in his pants. He managed to make it out of town and onto the highway, then rolled the windows down and turned up the music, enjoying the freedom of the open road. By the time he’d reached the outskirts of the city, his mind was already made up, he was going to stay in Miner’s Ridge, but that would require a few changes starting with his car.
He checked into a room at one of the nondescript chain motels along the highway and began making lists of things he needed to do before he returned to Miner’s Ridge. If he was going to run a handyman business, he’d need his own tools and something to carry them around in. He’d always wanted a truck and now he actually needed one, so first thing tomorrow morning he’d be at the dealership. It hadn’t been in his plans to stay in the city for the night, but he didn’t see any way around it, but he wished he’d told Scarlet that he might not be around.
As silly as it seemed, he already missed her, but he didn’t even know her phone number so he couldn’
t call her. That night as he was lying in bed thinking about Miner’s Ridge and the old buildings, his brother popped into his mind. He’d been consciously avoiding thinking about Scott which meant other than that night in the apartment over the diner, he’d been avoiding thinking about Michael as well.
Growing up they’d never been close, Scott would have never allowed it, but now there was nothing to stop him from getting to know his brother better. Heart hammering in his chest, he picked up his phone and punched in Michael’s number hoping he had it right, not knowing if he’d be able to attempt the call a second time.
When Michael picked up on the second ring, Marc identified himself, then waited. “Hi, Marc. What do you want?” he said hostilely.
“I just wanted to call and apologize for everything that happened. I promise you I didn’t know that Scott had a gun.” Trying not to sound like he was pleading. “I never should have...oh, I just don’t know what to say to make it better.”
Michael was silent for a long time. He could hear someone talking in the background and finally he said, “Look, Marc, I want to believe you, but it’s really hard.”
“I know, but I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. I’ve moved to Miner’s Ridge, Montana. If you ever get this direction, call me, I’d love to see you. Dad will know how to get in touch with me if you don’t,” Marc said, trying to sound positive.
“You’re where?” Michael said, sounding interested finally.
“Miner’s Ridge, Montana,” Marc said. “It’s a little town in the mountains.”
“What are you doing there?”
“Well, Dad suggested that I get away from home, so I got in the car and drove. I ended up here and I guess I’m going to stay for a while. It’s a nice little town and I think I’ll be happy here,” Marc said, his voice taking on more conviction as he talked, knowing that he had made his decision, and although Scarlet was a nice bonus, the town was what attracted him.
Hold Me Close: BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 6) Page 4
