Not only was she distracted by the news about the Bertrands being arrested, but she was dead tired after the past couple days, and a headache was beginning to form at her temples. With the way her eyes were beginning to cross, she wouldn’t make it another hour, much less until midnight.
She’d give anything for a nap. Or to plain old go to bed right now. Instead, she pushed up from the table and rounded the counter to make a pot of coffee. She pulled up short as Levi stepped out of the bathroom with his tool box in one hand and a bucket in the other.
“All done?” She eyed the pipe pieces sticking out of the top of the bucket.
“Mostly. I have to pick up one part tomorrow, but you can use it.”
“Great. Thanks.”
When he started for the door, she took a breath to tell him she had leftovers for him to take. But what if he didn’t even want them? She’d feel like an idiot. Keeping her mouth shut, she continued to the coffee maker. After she had one scoop in the filter, she realized he’d set his things down and stood by the island counter.
“Are you working on the fundraiser tonight?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Anything I can help with?”
She glanced back over her shoulder in surprise as she ran water in the carafe. “It’s mostly paperwork and organization stuff right now, so not really.”
“Mark said I’m at your disposal, so don’t be afraid to use me.”
She about choked as she turned back to the sink. Biting back a grin, she said, “Don’t worry, I’ll have plenty for you to do in about a week. Plus, Eric’s coming tomorrow to start building the booths, right?”
“Yes, but if there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”
“Thanks, I will.” She flipped the switch to start the brew cycle. A yawn had her reaching up to cover her mouth as she faced him.
“You should take a break tonight,” he suggested. “You look like you need sleep, not coffee.”
“Sleep won’t get the vendor applications completed, or the volunteer letters written, or—” She had to pause for another yawn. Darn it. There was a whole list of things to be done.
“They’ll all be there in the morning,” he reasoned. “And I’ll bet you’d finish them twice as fast after a decent night of rest.”
He made good points, and the throbbing in her head underscored his sensible advice. Then her gaze snagged on the clock and she reached to drag her purse across the counter to dig out a bottle of ibuprofen.
“It’s only eight o’clock. I can’t waste the whole evening.”
He watched as she swallowed a couple of the pain capsules, then studied her for a long enough moment that she became aware of an increased level of energy in her body. Hmm. If he stayed long enough, maybe she wouldn’t need the caffeine at all.
“We could watch TV,” he suggested.
“What?” She stared at him, sure she’d imagined his offer to stay and spend time with her.
“TV,” he repeated. “What’s good on Tuesday nights?”
“I-I have no clue.”
“Me neither.” He jerked his head toward her couch. “How about we find out?”
Her pulse skipped, then maintained a pace that had her wide awake. Once again, the lure of him was no match for any little smidgeon of rational thinking she had left in her.
“Um…okay.” She started around the island, then paused and went back to open the cupboard where she kept her mugs and glasses. “You want something to drink? I don’t have any beer or liquor, but I’ve got wine. Or coffee?”
“I’m good.”
She pulled down her favorite mug. “I could make some popcorn, or I have some chips.”
“I’m still full from dinner.”
“You’re sure?”
“Mallory, just come sit and relax.”
Yeah, relax.
She took a calming breath as she filled her mug, then added some cream and sugar. He’d sounded like he was ready to smile, but his expression was as serious as ever when she joined him on the couch.
He had the remote in hand and flipped through the channels. “Let me know when to stop.”
Cradling her mug in her hands, she watched the shows switch from one to the next. Comedy, drama, reality show, reality show, comedy again, crime drama. She didn’t recognize any of them, and it was hard to concentrate with him just a few feet away, his large body taking up all kinds of space on her little couch. Nervous flutters of anticipation tickled the inside of her tummy.
Without cable, it didn’t take too long to get through the list and he was back at the first channel again. As he started a second, slower round, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Took a moment to just breathe. Her senses registered the warmth in the room, the sound of the TV, the faint, oh-so-tantalizing scent of him next to her.
She heard him shift on the couch and couldn’t help but imagine him leaning over to press his mouth to hers.
Chapter 9
Levi waited for Mallory to tell him which show to leave it on, but she didn’t say a word as he reached the end of the second round.
At first glance, he saw her eyes closed and figured she’d fallen asleep already. When he let his gaze linger, tracing her eyebrows, nose, cheekbones and mouth, he noticed her breathing wasn’t the even cadence of someone at peaceful rest.
Sympathy tugged deep in his chest as he eyed the faint smudges of exhaustion beneath her lashes.
“Headache still bothering you?”
Her breasts rose and fell with a deep breath before she gave a soft, affirmative murmur. After a moment of inner debate, he realized there was no use fighting it. He wouldn’t have stayed if he was capable of keeping his distance.
Shifting closer, he reached to lift the mug from her hands. Her eyes opened and that brown gaze met his, slamming his heart against his ribs. Sheer willpower kept his focus from dropping to her lips. He twisted to set the mug on her coffee table, then grabbed a throw pillow and set it on his leg.
He made a spinning gesture with his hand. “Turn around and lie down.”
She hesitated, and he patiently waited her out in silence. Finally, she did as instructed and laid her head on the pillow, hands folded across her stomach. When she gazed up at him without blinking, the unspoken trust in her position nearly took his breath away.
He had to clear his throat to speak. “Close your eyes.”
Her lashes fluttered down to rest against her cheeks. Now, he let his gaze zero in on her mouth. She had perfect lips. Beautiful shape, with the bottom one full enough to cushion a man’s kiss. The thought of tasting her, of sucking her lower lip into his mouth nearly made him groan.
When he became aware of her shallow breathing, he wondered if she’d welcome his kiss. God how he wanted to find out.
He took a deep breath to combat the heady rush of desire that rose up faster than he’d anticipated. Reminding himself of the reason for her position, he lifted his hands and placed two fingers on each side of her head by her temples. She stiffened with his initial touch, and he cringed at the thought of how his rough fingertips must feel on her soft skin.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. What the hell was he thinking?
He was about to pull away when he noticed a slight smile lifting the corners of her lips. It widened when he slowly began to rub her temples in small, firm circles.
“Mmm. Feels good.”
The throaty murmur conjured up all sorts of other things he could do to get her to repeat those words. Damn—he was getting hard just thinking about it.
Time to think of other things. Less arousing things. Which brought to mind the question that had been bugging the hell out of him since dinner.
“Where you gonna go?”
“When?” she murmured.
“When you leave.”
Her shoulders moved against his thigh. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about where much.”
The reply wasn’t what he’d expected. Seemed to him she’d have thou
ght about it a lot. And if she hadn’t, then she should.
And then maybe reconsider and stay right here.
“You grew up in Milwaukee,” she said, eyes still closed.
“Yes.”
“Why’d you come here?”
He fought the immediate tension that threatened to seize his muscles. Her voice had grown soft and lethargic, so all he had to do was distract her long enough for her to fall asleep. “Mark and I served together. He offered me a job after I got out.”
“Sounds simple enough.”
“Yep.”
“But it isn’t.”
Her sleepy perceptiveness lodged his heart in his throat. He kept up the massage, praying she wouldn’t ask more questions, yet strangely, wishing she would.
She shifted and rolled onto her side. He lifted his hands and waited for her to push back to a sitting position, but all she did was snuggle in with her cheek on the pillow. Her hand slid between the couch cushion and his leg. Just that simple contact sent a rush of heat through his body.
Lowering his right hand to his thigh, he used the left to comb the hair back from her face. He pulled his fingers through the dark strands and marveled at the cool, silky feel against his skin while studying her delicate profile.
She murmured another soft, “Mmm,” and as he continued with the soothing motion, he noticed her breathing level out until she was definitely asleep.
Now that he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do, he should probably go. He’d guess she was exhausted enough to sleep until morning, and hopefully she’d be thankful for the rest.
Instead of leaving, he lifted the remote to lower the volume on the TV, then set it aside and watched her sleep. The hole he was digging gaped wide open beneath his feet, but at the moment, he didn’t care.
Sitting there with her was the most peaceful he’d felt since he’d come home from overseas. The background anxiety that jangled his nerves whenever he was inside an enclosed area lay amazingly silent, and that was even with the baseline of awareness humming through his body.
Hope burgeoned in his chest.
Maybe he could have more in his life than what he had now. A job. Distance from everything and everyone. Hell, she was the first person to make him even think he might want more. Her genuine warmth and clear joy for living made him feel alive, made him want to live, not merely exist.
Chapter 10
Mallory woke up to the sound of her alarm. She fumbled to turn it off, then wondered why her head was at the wrong end of the couch. She really needed to paint soon so she could sleep in her bed again.
Dragging herself to the other side of the couch, she jabbed the button to silence the alarm. Then she pushed the hair from her face and realized she’d slept in her clothes from yesterday. Her cheeks flushed as her last memory surfaced—she’d used Levi’s thigh as a pillow while he massaged her headache away.
Finger-combing her hair into some semblance of order, she cast a quick glance around the dark, quiet cabin. He wasn’t in the kitchen, and no sounds came from the bathroom. Peering over the back of the couch, she saw his tool box and bucket by the island counter, but was he still here?
“Levi?”
The question was met with nothing but silence, confirming he must’ve gone home at some point. Way to go, Mal. Literally fall asleep on the guy.
She kicked off the blanket tangled around her legs and stood for a quick stretch. Catching sight of her coffee on the table, she grabbed the mug and carried it to the kitchen.
A piece of paper on the island counter drew her attention, and she set the mug down to pick up the note.
Hope you slept well. Didn’t want to wake you, so I’ll grab my tools later.
Sweet. Like the blanket he’d thrown over her before he left. And though she’d rather have had a kiss, the massage had been darn nice, too.
She sighed, then caught a glimpse of the clock and hurried through a shower to get ready for the day. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too busy in the coffee shop so she’d have a chance to work on the paperwork she’d put off last night.
Dressed in a cream, cable knit sweater, jeans, and a pair of brown leather boots edged mid-calf with cream shearling, she wound a red scarf around her neck before donning her jacket on the way out the door. She’d learned her lesson after the walk home in the cold last night.
The lodge grounds were fairly deserted in the pre-dawn hour, but that didn’t keep her from searching for any sign of Levi. She’d noticed since she started that he was usually up and about early, but unfortunately, he was nowhere in sight this morning.
Shea was getting out of her car with the bakery boxes when Mallory reached the shop. “Hello,” she called to the younger girl.
“Hey. Why are you walking to work?”
“Car trouble again.” She unlocked the door and held it open as Shea carried everything inside. She followed, quickly flipping the light switch before helping with the boxes. “Stupid thing wouldn’t start last night.”
“You know, Keller fixes cars on the side, and he’s always looking for extra work.”
“Shane mentioned that last night. And any other time I’d say yes, but I’m thinking the garage needs to back up their job,” Mallory said. “I just had it fixed a week ago.”
“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.” The girl’s long ponytail swung as she took Mallory’s coat and hung it with hers on the back door hooks. As they started the morning set-up list, she added, “He could still take a look when he stops by later. Then at least you’ll know what you’re talking about when you talk to the garage.”
“I’d buy him a cup of coffee for that. You sure he wouldn’t mind?”
Shea rolled her eyes with a small laugh. “Please. The guy practically lives under the hood of his car.”
Something in her tone made Mallory pause. “You sure you don’t mind?”
She shrugged. “I’m used to it by now.”
A quick glance caught Shea’s slight frown before she started filling the trays for the bakery case. Mallory finished with the first machine and moved to the second. She debated saying anything, then asked, “How long have you two been together?”
“Two years.”
“Well, speaking from experience, don’t get too used to it. You don’t want him to start taking you for granted.”
Shea didn’t reply, and Mallory caught the pensive expression on her face as she finished with the pastries. Hopefully, the girl wasn’t in the same boat she’d found herself in six months ago.
All the coffee machines were brewing, and the place was filling with the mouth-watering aromas of fresh vanilla hazelnut, pumpkin spice, and plain Colombian roast. She wiped stray coffee grounds from the service counter by the machines before moving on to the next item on the list so they could open the doors by six-thirty.
Janelle came in shortly after, and Mallory let Shea finish up a customer order to see what their boss needed as they headed back to the kitchen.
“Mark and Eric rounded up a crew of volunteers to work on the booths to hopefully get them all done in one day. Grandma made a couple huge pans of egg-bake for breakfast, and I figured we—well, you—could make some coffee to bring over. They’re setting up behind the barns.”
“Do you want one of the urns from the conference rooms, or individual cups?”
“I’m thinking the urn would be best.”
“For how many?”
“I think they’ve got six guys coming, so counting them, Levi and Grandpa, that’s at least ten.”
Just the mention of Levi’s name made her pulse kick. “I’ll use the 42 cup then. Anything else?”
“Plates, napkins, forks. Let’s just consider it a conference outside, and set up as usual. They’re starting at seven-thirty, so if you can have it ready by seven-fifteen?”
“No problem.” She moved across to where the urns were stored and bent to pull the one she wanted off the shelf. “I couldn’t get my car started again last night, but I can have Shea bring everythin
g over.”
“Actually, Levi’s going to come get it.”
One handle of the urn slipped from her hand and the large metal pot landed on the stainless steel counter with a loud bang. She cringed. “Sorry.”
Janelle grinned. “Grandpa volunteered him. I should warn you, Santa Butch might be up to his old match-making schemes.”
She gave a self-conscious smile, not sure if she minded or not. “Your grandpa is something else.”
Her boss’s grin widened. “He sure is, but he’s got a good track record.”
“Did Levi mind?” Mallory couldn’t help but ask.
“Hard to tell with Levi. You know, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy smile.”
Me neither.
Janelle reached for the swinging door leading back out to the gift shop. “I’m going to go help Grandma. She made a ton of food, so if you and Shea want breakfast, make sure to come get some. And we’re ordering Figaro’s Pizza for lunch, too.”
“Thanks.”
While Shea kept up with customers in the shop, Mallory kept an eye on the clock as she loaded a box with all the items to haul over to the barn. Considering what else they might need, she pulled an eight-foot table out of the back storage area and carried it outside to rest against the side of the building. Since it was supposed to reach the low sixties by afternoon, she also filled a couple thermal coolers with water and lemonade.
She wrestled the first heavy jug toward the back exit, then spun to use her butt and foot to shove the door open. It halted mid-swing, jolting her to a stop as a muffled grunt sounded from the other side. Water sloshed inside the heavy cooler, and when the support at her back suddenly disappeared, she had no hope of keeping her already precarious balance.
A pair of strong arms and a solid chest halted her backwards stumble.
“Sorry,” Levi’s gruff voice sounded in her ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She had a hard time catching her breath with her heart lodged in her throat. “Thanks. And sorry, I didn’t know you were there. I hit you with the door, didn’t I?”
“I’m fine.” He steadied her on her feet, then stepped away and reached to relieve her of the weight in her arms. “This going with us?”
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