She stumbled back into her living room, looking for the bag he’d brought. She wanted to get her hands on Hunter, but since that wasn’t possible, she’d settle for a pastry instead.
* * *
The noonday sun beat down on Hunter, and he stopped for a second to survey his work.
Most of the rails and several of the posts they attached to had been replaced with new rough-hewn logs. Though they stuck out like a sore thumb, they at least wouldn’t break when leaned on like they nearly had that morning when Kelly had almost gone over the edge.
He was glad he’d been there to catch her, or she might have been hurt.
Once he’d sanded down the remaining old logs and boards and put several coats of lacquer over the whole thing, the deck would certainly look a lot less worse for wear. Thankfully, the lumberyard he’d gotten his materials from was close by if he ended up needing more to finish things off.
Not bad for a morning’s work.
The entire time he’d been on the job, though, he couldn’t take his mind off of last night when he’d danced with Kelly in the bar. They’d been so close. The memory of her soft body pressed to him, hands clutching him as if she almost didn’t want to let go, burned into his brain. Even her scent, that vanilla floral, had felt like a dream, one he didn’t want to wake up from.
If he was honest with himself, Hunter knew he was trying to seduce Kelly. Or rather, he knew that he wanted more with her. But it was so much more than anything he’d ever wanted with any other woman before.
Granted, he didn’t have near as much experience as probably everyone around him believed him to have. Even as cats went, Hunter knew he was a loner with a bad case of wanderlust, always moving from place to place before he met Garrett and joined with his crew. Consequently, he’d never really wooed any woman because he wasn’t the type to love ‘em and leave ‘em, as the saying went. He couldn’t hurt another human being in that way, so he pretty much just kept to himself wherever he went.
But Kelly was different. Hunter knew the effect he had on women. But for once, a woman was the one affecting him.
For the first time, he was getting ideas about putting down roots. Being domestic, for crying out loud.
He didn’t want to just refinish this cabin. He wanted to move in with Kelly. Wanted to curl up by the fire with her, enjoy warm afternoons and cool evenings doing whatever they pleased together.
The thought made the cougar inside him purr, low and loud.
Take it easy, kitty.
“Hey, are you hungry?” Kelly’s voice interrupted Hunter’s thoughts, which were frankly beginning to run wild as he’d worked on prioritizing the next project. Probably the roof.
“Yeah, that sounds great.” He slapped his Stetson back on and joined her in the shady part of the deck At least now nobody would risk going over the edge due to safety hazards.
Kelly brought with her a plate with several bologna sandwiches with cheese and a couple glasses of iced tea. Hunter took a seat next to her and grabbed a sandwich, just happy to be in her company and not caring about the flavor.
He’d eat dirt if she served it to him on a plate.
“So how are things going?” she asked. “You’ve gotten a lot done in such little time. I was inside working, so I didn’t see how you managed it, but it’s impressive.”
“Thanks. At least your back deck isn’t a death trap.” He looked over at Kelly, and her eyes darted away from him as the recollection of her soft form held against him unexpectedly that morning made his skin buzz. Was she thinking about it, too?
He finished his sandwich and took a nice, ice-cold swig of the sweet drink. Refreshing.
There were several moments of silence as a few blue jays argued about something high above them in the trees.
“So what brought you out here?” Hunter asked, interrupting the silence.
Kelly’s gaze seemed to reach far off into some place beyond the woods of Silver Lake. He just waited patiently as she clutched the drink in her hand.
“I was looking for something remote, some place quiet to come out to.”
“For work? Artistic inspiration?” he asked. Though from the way she spoke about it whenever the subject came up, Hunter was very sure this had nothing to do with her work and everything to do with running from something.
She shook her head. “Just… trying something new, I guess.”
“Well, why not?” Hunter said.
Of course, he wasn’t going to remind her that she’d already said she wasn’t planning on staying here permanently. Most people didn’t pick up their lives, move to the middle of nowhere to a place like Silver Lake into a house that had more things wrong with it than right, just to leave again in a few months.
But whatever that reason was, she was keeping it close to the chest. Too close for his cat’s comfort. Because this something she was hiding from was going to show up sooner or later.
How close was it?
And why wouldn’t she tell him more?
“Why not indeed.” A smile that didn’t reach her eyes flashed on Kelly’s face.
“I mean, great place for an artist to live, if you ask me. Got forest for miles. A lake not far from here. Half a dozen creeks and ponds scattered around. Of course, there’s wolves and black bears and who knows what else out there, too.”
“Oh, uh… good to know.” She looked away nervously at that.
He felt instantly bad for scaring her. “Well, you know, most wildlife is more scared of you than you are of them. And if anything comes around, you can use them as a subject for the painting you’re doing for me.”
They both laughed at that as Kelly seemed to relax a bit, finally looking out into the forest with enjoyment instead of the habitual trepidation he saw on her face.
“So how did you end up in a place like Silver Lake? Something tells me you’re definitely not from around here.”
“And what gave you that impression?” He waggled his eyebrows at her, loving the way his antics made her smile when she wasn’t stressed.
“The hat. And, well, everything else. You look like the cover of a novel or a guy from a male revue.”
“Thank you?” He was inwardly pleased that she could find him at least objectively attractive enough to fill one of those two roles.
“You’re welcome.” She sent a playful grin his way, and his heart thumped in his chest.
Ignoring the fact that the cat inside him was even more awake and focused on Kelly, he tried to stick to the conversation at hand.
“I grew up back west. Had some relatives in Montana I spent time with, then moved on, trying to make my own way. Years later, I crossed paths with Garrett, who offered me and Grayson jobs with his construction company. We came out here for a small job on the other side of town, and we haven’t really picked up the next thing yet.”
“Garrett seems like good people. At least that was my impression of him when he took a look at my place. Grayson was a funny, but a little…”
“Yeah, Grayson is… well, Grayson. You love him or you hate him. There’s no middle ground with that guy.” He shrugged.
“He’s definitely a character.”
“Yeah, he is. But he’s a good guy, too. He cares, deep down.” He finished his drink off, wanting to be talking about Kelly again, not the surly wolf who made it his business to make people uncomfortable around him.
“He did at least say you were the best person for the job. And with how brutally honest his critique of my cabin was, I’m inclined to believe him.”
Well, what do you know? Hunter would have to give Grayson a cookie later for doing something nice for once.
Of course, he’d probably throw said cookie in the dirt solely on the basis that Grayson felt cookies were an inferior dessert, but it was the thought that counted.
“That and your work speaks for itself thus far,” she said, motioning to the reworked railing.
“Glad to hear that.” He was unable to suppress a smile whenever Kelly co
mplimented him.
But just as he was about to offer to get up and pour them both another drink, he caught a whiff of something strange on the breeze, an unknown scent that was both alarming and unfamiliar.
Perhaps it was a bear. If it was, it definitely wasn’t Garrett. That guy had an aroma that even squirrels could detect from miles away.
No, it was something else.
“I, uh, need to go check on something real quick.” He stood awkwardly, senses on alert at even the thought of an intruder in the area.
“What?” Kelly asked, sounding a little tense and clearly reading into the sudden change in tone.
He leaned over the railing and took another whiff. The smell was faint but palpable.
“Is something wrong?” The growing worry in her voice made him want to stop and comfort her. But he couldn’t, not until he got a better idea of what they were dealing with.
Following the trace amount he could still scent, Hunter went down the steps that led off the deck and headed down the sloped hill, pushing aside ferns and trying to get a better idea of exactly what he was smelling. Back on the deck, Kelly peered over at him, watching with a strained expression, eyes darting at the woods around him and only further solidifying his initial suspicions.
“Hunter? Tell me what’s going on.” Her voice called out to him from the cabin. She was still in sight, but the farther he went, the more intense her fear seemed to get.
And try as he could, whenever he thought he was getting closer to the scent, the more it seemed to dissipate around him. He looked for tracks, any sign of movement from large forest creatures in the area, but he saw nothing.
If there had been something out here, it was gone now.
Realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere, Hunter turned back to the cabin. “Nothing. It was nothing. Just, uh, checking out the drainage and the soil integrity. Wanted to do that before I forgot.” Even he surprised himself by the level of bullshit he was pulling out of nowhere.
But he would definitely be back here later tonight to keep an eye on Kelly, as well as keep a lookout for whatever she might be worried about.
Kelly breathed an audible sigh of relief, relaxing against the railing. Thank God it was more stable than the front, or there would be a second accident in one day.
Hunter, wanting to be near her as soon as possible, jogged back up the hill and made his way onto the deck once more.
Kelly, who still looked a little frazzled, raised an eyebrow at him.
“Drainage? Soil? You never mentioned that when you first took a look at my place.”
“You know, just the air’s so nice, and I figured there was no time like the moment. All that.” He grabbed a sandwich, taking a big mouthful and silencing himself before he could dig himself into a bigger hole than he already was in.
She eyed him warily but didn’t press him further, thankfully. Instead, she picked up the plate and took the glasses, heading back inside.
“Okay. Just let me know before you take any more impromptu walks around without telling me first.”
“I’ll just be right here, working.” There were still at least three or four more things he wanted to get done before the day was over to make the place as safe as possible. Like fixing the bannister on the stairwell inside or reinforcing the front door. The roofing wasn’t as high of a priority, so long as the weather stayed nice.
“Let me know if you need anything.” Kelly’s voice carried from inside as the door shut behind her.
Just you, his cat growled.
Chapter 5
“Are you sure you don’t want me to fix one more thing before I leave?” Hunter insisted, lingering in the doorway of her already much nicer cabin at the end of an incredibly long day for the mysteriously tireless man.
“No, no, you’ve done enough already. I appreciate it, but you deserve rest, too.” She stood propped against the frame, looking up at him as he raised an eyebrow down on her, testing her one last chance.
Already, he’d replaced multiple beams along the deck on both the front and back of her house, sanded them, and applied a coat of lacquer. Inside, he’d reworked the bannister leading upstairs, as well as replaced or rewired half a dozen electrical outlets throughout the home. Not to mention the sheer amount of roofing materials that lay waiting in her driveway that he’d singlehandedly unloaded while she hadn’t been looking.
If she wasn’t wrong, it seemed like he moved quicker than a normal human should be able to whenever she wasn’t looking. But maybe he was just that kind of guy, always giving one hundred and ten percent with every job.
Even if he was doing it for free.
“Fine. I’ll just have to come in earlier tomorrow, then,” he said with a rakish grin. He tipped his hat to her, then strode toward his giant white truck, giving Kelly a perfect view of his impossibly wide shoulders that tapered down to trim hips and an amazing ass.
Keep it professional, Kelly.
Hunter jumped into his truck and gave her one last wave as it rumbled down the gravel road that headed toward town. Even in the rear window, she could make out the shape of his hat until it disappeared with the truck down the bend, the sound dissipating quickly into the silent forest surrounding her.
Suddenly aware of just how alone she was, Kelly shut the front door and did the lock, noting with satisfaction how much heftier it felt since he’d installed a new deadbolt and replaced the hinges. Holes where the old hinges had been clinging to showed, but Hunter said he’d refinish the front door too when he got a chance.
What a guy.
She headed to the back of the house, checking the locks on the doors leading onto the deck, a force of habit. Then, certain she hadn’t left any windows open, she headed upstairs to her bedroom, ready to turn in for the night.
The day had been eventful for her, too. And in spite of the noise from Hunter’s tools here and there, she’d thankfully been able to get a good deal of work done.
Each step creaked beneath her, but Hunter had assured Kelly that, of all the things that needed to be fixed, the stairs at least were still in good shape. Thank heavens.
Kelly reached her room, shutting the door and locking it behind her before changing into something more comfortable for bed and getting in. She checked her phone, noting it was half past ten, amazed that anyone would be able to work more than a twelve-hour day like Hunter had, let alone free of charge.
Perhaps charity work was just one of his things. Yet, whenever she tried to think of his incredibly strenuous labor on her behalf, she got the impression that he didn’t think of her as a charity case.
She certainly didn’t feel like one, based on his intense focus on her and her house.
Kelly opened an app on her phone and resumed the novel she’d last been reading before she’d abruptly moved, relaxing into her bed.
Thankfully, from her position on the bed, she could see through a huge window that looked out into the forest below her house. Outside, towering pines rose above her view, silent sentinels over the landscape beneath them.
She let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps the first real relief she’d had since moving here to Silver Lake, enjoying the absolute quiet of her new home. Even compared to the suburb she’d lived in before coming here, everywhere felt so devoid of noise and hustle and bustle out in the woods.
She could definitely get used to it.
And now that she was starting to feel at peace, Kelly could sense hope growing in her at the possibility of something more out here. Exactly what, she didn’t know. But it felt like big things were coming, regardless.
Such hope could hurt her, definitely. But Hunter was right. Being alone wasn’t safe either. And having Hunter here with her all day, giving her even a slight bit of breathing room for herself to be able to work without constantly looking over her shoulder, spoke volumes to exactly that.
Thus far, she’d done her best to warn Hunter, to let him know she was keeping her eye out for something without making him run away, thinking she
was crazy. And thus far, he’d taken it in stride, listening to her but not forcing information out of her that Kelly wasn’t ready yet to give.
Part of her believed that Hunter deserved the truth on the matter. But another part, the cynical part that had seen exactly how badly the people around her had acted in the wake of her problem, couldn’t risk it just yet.
No one would believe she was being followed by a bear.
Kelly looked up from her book and glanced outside, imagining what it would be like to be able to paint the picture she saw. Pale moonlight reflecting off low-hanging ferns beneath her. The silhouettes of trees outlined by the moon’s glow, casting long shadows across the midnight-blue hue that enveloped the forest.
Then, suddenly, out the of the stillness in the forest, Kelly saw motion out of the corner of her eye. When she looked down at a patch of tall grass and shrubs only fifty or so feet away from the house, she almost thought her eyes were fooling her.
Her heart immediately began to pound in her chest, but she kept her vision steady, trusting her own sense. Then, out of the grass, a huge cougar appeared, walking lazily down the hill perpendicular to her cabin. It was close enough she could see large muscles in its shoulder flex and relax as it padded its way slowly toward some unknown place, looking from side to side but in no hurry to get anywhere. Its sandy-brown fur was highlighted by the moon, making it stand out more as it moved between two great ferns, the branches giving way easily to the powerful creature. And if she wasn’t wrong, it was exceedingly large for a big cat, though at this distance, it was somewhat hard to tell.
Kelly shook her head, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Maybe she needed glasses.
But as she looked on, the cougar came to a lazy stop, perking its head up and seemingly sniffing the air for a moment. Then, to her surprise, it looked up at the house.
No, it looked up at her. As if sensing it was being watched. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she could see the shape of its face as it stood still. Even from this distance, she could make out piercing blue eyes, could see the highlight of its long whiskers, could see its ears, perked up and alert.
Purrfect for Me Page 4
