by Elena Aitken
Eva took another swallow of water before putting her bottle to the side and pulling a glass bowl towards her. She took two big sprigs of pine and wedged them as best she could into the bowl. Next, she grabbed a birch branch and tried to artfully place it between the pine boughs.
"Not bad," she said, taking a step back to examine her work. "I can do this."
She reached into her basket for a sprig of holly.
"Ouch. Dammit." A prickly leaf bit into her finger and she stuck the sore finger in her mouth.
"Well, it looks like someone isn't having a very lucky day."
Eva spun at the voice and couldn’t help but smile when she saw Troy lounging against the doorjamb. "I've had better days," she said.
Troy pushed away and sauntered into the room. His blond hair was perfectly brushed, and his crisp buttoned-down shirt was tucked neatly into his dark denim jeans, making him look every bit the city boy in the woods.
"What happened, darling?" Troy grimaced when he saw Eva's bandaged arm. "Looks like more than holly got you there."
"Would you believe it was holly related?"
He laughed and took the sprig from her hands. "Well, if it was the holly, I think it's my duty as your fake date to help you sort it out. Let me help."
"What do you know about wedding centerpieces?" she asked. "I mean, no offense."
"None taken, darling. But as it happens, I do know a thing or two." He leaned in and whispered in Eva's ear. "Don't tell my business associates, but I have a secret passion for decorating and parties, and when you put them together…well, it's kind of a hobby of mine."
"You don't say?"
"I didn't." He winked at her and tucked the holly into the pines, in just the way Eva would have done it herself. She nodded her head approvingly.
"I told you I had skills," he said.
"I never would have guessed. But since you're here…" Eva waved her arm over the stack of empty glass vases waiting to be filled.
"There's nothing I'd enjoy more," Troy said, and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "After all, that's what I'm here for."
She smiled and reached up with her good hand to pat his cheek. "If only you were straight," she said. "Then you'd be perfect."
~ ~
After dropping Eva off at the Lodge and seeing Clover back to the stable, Jeff had been anxious to get back and see how Eva was doing. It didn't look like her wrist was broken, but it was definitely sprained and the last thing he wanted was to see that look of pain on her face again.
Besides, maybe there was something more he could do to help. After trudging through the snow to gather her holly, she'd been much happier, despite the sore arm, and he'd even made her smile a few more times. He didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, but Eva was a force and the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that she was a force he'd like to reckon with.
Jeff slipped through the main doors of the Lodge and ran straight into Carmen. He usually welcomed the opportunity to stop and catch up with the friendly, overworked woman who was single-handedly in charge of guest relations at the Lodge. But it wasn't a usual day.
"Oh, Jeff. I'm glad I caught you."
He stopped and gave her his biggest smile. "It's always nice to see you, too," he said. "But I really can't chat right now."
"Don't I know that feeling?" She gestured to her clipboard, which no doubt held a to-do list a mile long. "But there was a message for you earlier. I was going to leave it in your mailbox, and then I realized you never check your mailbox." She shot him a look. "So anyway, here you go." She thrust a folded-up piece of paper at him.
He stuck it in his pocket without reading it. "Thanks," he mumbled.
"Aren't you going to even look at it? The lady on the phone said it was important."
Oh, he was sure it was important. His stomach twisted in a knot and glanced over Carmen's shoulder. "Nah," he said. "I know what it says."
There was no doubt that it was Marianne Marshall. She still wanted an answer and he knew he'd have to give it. The thing was, if she'd called yesterday, he'd been almost sure of his answer. But after spending the afternoon in the woods with his favorite horse…and a beautiful woman…the last part popped into his head. He shook it away. At any rate, he still couldn’t be certain that leaving the Lodge was what he wanted. But he knew he better figure it out quick.
"Jeff?" Carmen was waving her hand in front of his face. "Earth to Jeff."
He blinked hard, his friend coming back into focus in front of him. "Sorry," he said. "I was just thinking about something."
"Or someone?"
"What?" Jeff shook his head in protest. "No. Why would you think that it had anything to do with a woman?"
Carmen gave him a sly smile. "I didn't say it was a woman you were thinking about. But you did."
She laughed but Jeff didn't join in. Instead, thoughts he didn't want to consider tumbled through his brain. He should be focusing on his career, his future. But instead he couldn’t get Eva out of his head. Maybe that was a reason right there to consider leaving the Lodge? He mulled over the thought. After all, Eva lived in the city. He would be living in the city. It was next to impossible to find and have a long-term relationship with anyone at the Lodge. But if he moved…
No, he would not, could not, let a woman or even the thought of a woman influence his decision. Never in his life had he made any decision based on a woman, let alone one who liked to push his buttons, and test him at every move. Except for when they were kissing. The thought slammed into him and sent his mind reeling in a whole new direction. Kissing Eva had been intense, that was for sure. He never would have thought that someone who was as uptight as she was would be capable of expressing that much heat in a simple kiss. But it didn’t matter how hot the kiss was; it had nothing to do with his future. Nothing.
"It was a slip of the tongue," he said to Carmen after a moment. He patted his pocket where he'd tucked the message. "I’ll call her back soon."
Carmen squeezed his arm, before slipping past him. "Whatever you think, Jeff." She moved to leave, but something stopped her. "Oh, Jeff. I heard Andi wanted a horse for the wedding."
He nodded. "She does, but you know how I feel about that."
"I do," Carmen said. "But it’s Andi and Colin."
Jeff smiled. He’d already come to the same conclusion; of course he was going to let them have a horse. But it wouldn’t hurt to keep Eva guessing a little longer. "Don’t worry, Carmen. I’ll make it happen."
"Oh, I’m not worried. You always do the right thing, Jeff."
Jeff watched her walk away and let her words sink in.
He definitely didn't always do the right thing. But it was time to see what he should do.
With a final look behind him, and a deep breath, Jeff headed down the hall to the banquet room in search of Eva. At the very least, he could start by doing the right thing when it came to helping her out, especially with a sore arm. Lord knows she was in over her head with this wedding and Jeff was pretty sure he could find something he could help with. Besides, maybe he'd be rewarded with that sweet smile of hers.
Jeff grabbed the handles of the heavy wood banquet room doors and started to pull them open when the sound of female laughter floated across the air. Was it Eva's laughter? He couldn't be sure since he'd never had the pleasure of making her laugh, but something deep inside him instinctually knew it was her.
The sound made his breath catch in his throat as if he were a teenager in love and instead of shaking away the feeling the way he might have in the past, Jeff embraced it. So what if he liked being with her? She challenged him and sparked something in him in a way no other woman had. At least, none that he could remember. And that was something worth exploring. Especially if it meant kissing her again.
With a wide smile on his face, Jeff again started to push open the doors but this time he stopped short when he heard a man's voice. It sounded friendly. Teasing, flirting. Eva laughed again.
Bracing hims
elf for something he knew he wouldn't want to see, Jeff pushed the door open only enough to peer into the room. He was right. He didn't want to see it. A tall blond and very neatly dressed man was standing so close to Eva, he had to be violating her personal space. Jeff expected her to lash out, tell him to back up the way she might do if it was him standing so close. But she didn't. Instead, when the man tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and whispered something in her ear, Eva laughed again. That beautiful, carefree sound that hit him straight in the gut. Only now, knowing it was another man eliciting the sound he’d been craving to hear, it didn't sound quite so amazing.
Jeff glanced down at his own clothes. Worn jeans, a t-shirt that had been washed more times than was probably reasonable, his favorite denim work jacket and a dirty pair of cowboy boots. He couldn't compete with the slick man standing next to Eva. A man who was probably much more her type.
After all, hadn't she told him earlier that she'd promised Andi she wouldn’t argue with him? Is that what the kiss was about? Simply being nice to him? No. He shook his head. It was more than that. He looked again at Eva and the man who was far too friendly to simply be a friend. But maybe it wasn’t? He thought. Maybe he’d read way more into the situation than there was.
"Dumb ass," Jeff muttered. He turned to leave, but in doing so, managed to bump into the doorjamb making enough racket that Eva and her boyfriend both turned in his direction.
"Dammit," he said, and then he turned and managed the biggest smile he could that he hope didn't look too forced.
~ ~
The second she saw Jeff standing in the door, a flash of guilt that didn't make sense flooded through her, and she knew her face probably showed it clearly. But guilt for what? She took two steps away from Troy and instinctively moved towards the door. And Jeff.
"Jeff," she said. "Were you looking for me?" What a dumb question, she silently reprimanded herself. Why should she assume he'd be looking for her? It's not like one kiss meant they were together, or even friends really.
"I was just…" His eyes darted around the room, refusing to meet her gaze. "I was…well, I was wondering how your arm was." Jeff finally gestured to her bandaged wrist. "How is it? Are you okay?"
Eva pulled her arm close and smiled at his concern. It was sweet that he cared, and she couldn't help but be touched. "It's fine," she said. "Just a sprain, which is good. Except it does make it a little hard to get things done."
"Which is where I come in." Troy stepped up, closing the distance between them. He put his arm around Eva and careful of her sore wrist, pulled her close. "I'm Troy," he said. He held out his right hand to Jeff and after a moment, Jeff came farther into the room and took it.
"I didn't know you had a…a—"
"Troy is a friend," Eva said, quickly. She could feel Troy looking at her strangely, no doubt remembering their earlier discussion and agreement for him to be her fake date. Looking at Jeff, it suddenly didn't seem like such a good idea anymore.
"A really, really good friend," Troy said. He gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the cheek. "Isn't that right, darling?"
Instead of answering right away, Eva watched Jeff. She knew she hadn't imagined their connection earlier. Especially when he’d kissed her. There was a spark between them she’d never felt before. But even without it, things had shifted when they were out in the woods. She'd felt it. Eva focused on Jeff, willing him to give her some sort of sign that he'd felt it too.
Jeff planted his feet and crossed his arms over his muscular chest, his jaw set. He raised an eyebrow and the cool, detached man she'd met at the stables that first day was back. Maybe she'd been wrong.
Troy squeezed her again and she looked up into his eyes full of questions. She knew she was being flaky. She'd asked him to help her out and now she was set to change her mind and make him look like an idiot. That wasn't fair. Besides that, no matter how much she was attracted to Jeff, it wouldn’t work. He was a rough around the edges mountain man. He worked with horses, for goodness’ sake. And hadn’t she had her fair share of failed relationships already? No, it would be easier if she ignored whatever had happened in the woods, and made it through the wedding, and her time at the Lodge, with Troy.
Eva slowly exhaled and purposely looking away from Jeff, she said to Troy, "That's right, sweetie."
She knew if she looked at him, Jeff would be able to see the uncertainty in her eyes. But worse than that, she couldn’t bear to see if she’d hurt him. The kiss they’d shared had been real enough to her if her body’s reaction was any indication, and she’d been around long enough to know he’d felt something, too. But maybe he was just that kind of guy, she thought, her eyes still averted. Maybe taking women out to the woods and kissing them was just a regular day for him? Maybe Jeff didn’t care at all.
She had to know.
Before she chickened out, Eva swung her head around, letting her hair whip across her face, and stared directly at Jeff. His handsome face was impossible to read. At first glance, it looked like a mask of indifference locked onto his features. But there was something else too. Hurt? Or did she just want it to be something more?
"Jeff, I want to—"
He held up his hand to quiet her. "I’ll leave you alone. I was just wondering how your arm was," he said. "That’s all."
Indifference, Eva thought. It was definitely indifference Jeff was feeling. The casual way he was brushing her off was all the evidence she needed.
"It’s going to be fine," Eva said. "Thank you for all your help." She looked down because it was so much easier than looking at his handsome face. "I really mean it. I don’t know what I would have done if you—"
"It looks like you’re in good hands now," Jeff interrupted with a gruffness she couldn’t ignore.
Eva looked up. His mouth was pressed into a firm line and he spoke through gritted teeth. He did care. The thought crashed through Eva’s consciousness. He wouldn’t be angry if he didn’t feel something. But what?
"I’ll leave you to it," Jeff said.
He turned to leave and it took everything Eva had in her to hold herself back from stopping him. Jeff pulled the door open and moments before he strode through it, Eva called out, "Jeff."
He froze but didn’t turn around. Eva could see his muscles in his strong back tensing under his t-shirt, waiting for whatever she was going to say next. The thing was, she didn’t know. She just knew she needed to stop him. Heat and confusion flowed through her, muffled by the throbbing of her arm. Her arm. That was it.
"Will you let me buy you dinner tonight as a thank-you?"
Troy squeezed her shoulder and she looked up to the question in his eyes. Damn.
"I mean, will you let us buy you dinner?” she corrected. Troy smiled and shook his head. She didn’t even want to know what he thought of the scene playing out in front of him, but she could only imagine.
With his hand still on the door, Jeff turned around and for a minute, Eva was certain he was going to refuse. Instead, a slow smile played on his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. "Okay," he said.
Aware of Troy with his arm still protectively wrapped around her, Eva swallowed her smile and said, "Good. Six o’clock then at the Grill? It’s just down past the lobby, by the—"
"I know where it is."
"Of course you do," she said. "So, I’ll see you…I mean, we’ll see you then."
Jeff’s eyes focused like beams into her soul, stirring emotions she wasn’t sure she still possessed. But despite the intensity, she couldn’t look away.
"I’m already looking forward to it," he said. And just when Eva didn’t think she’d be able to stand the tension in the air for one second longer, he turned and left.
She slumped forward as if he’d taken all the air out of the room with him. Fortunately, Troy, who still had a grip on her, caught her and guided her to a chair before she could fall over. He chuckled and brushed a stray hair away from her eyes. "Something funny?" She looked up into his face, full of
humor.
"I’ve just never seen two people work so hard to pretend they’re not interested in each other, is all." Troy left her sitting in the chair and moved back to the table full of centerpieces.
"I’m not interested in him," Eva protested, but even as she did, she could taste the bitterness of the lie. "It’s not worth it, anyway. Besides, I accepted you as my fake date. It wouldn’t be fair to renege on that arrangement."
"Oh, darling. I promise you I wouldn’t hold it against you if you tossed me aside for Mr. Cowboy. I would absolutely understand."
Eva narrowed her eyes at him. "Don’t tell me—"
"He’s not my type," Troy said with a grin. "But he’s yours."
She crossed her arms and a moment too late realized her mistake. "Ouch. Stupid wrist." Eva cradled her wrist in her lap. "He’s not my type either," she said as defiantly as she could manage. "I don’t go for the rough, outdoorsy guys. I like a smooth, clean-cut business man all the way."
"Like myself?" Troy pointed at himself with a sprig of pine and she couldn’t help but laugh.
"Yes, just like you," she said. "But I prefer that the men I date like women."
He tossed the pine to the table. "Details, details. So," Troy said, changing the subject. "What exactly was your plan for dinner tonight? Should we stage a dramatic breakup in the restaurant? That would get people talking."
That would also get Andi stressed out, Eva thought. The last thing Andi needed was more drama of any kind. Even if it was totally fake. She pushed up from the chair and made her way to the table where she fingered the pinecones. What exactly was her plan?
"Or," Troy continued, “you could tell Mr. Cowboy that we have an open relationship and I’m totally okay with you dating him."
"Troy!" Eva tossed a pinecone at him, which he dodged artfully. "Are you out of your mind?"
