Zac said quietly, "You can look as long as you'd like. I can either start one from scratch on the day you have in mind, or I can bring one along that's almost finished. Each one takes about two weeks. It depends on how much time I give it a day."
"And you do this with a chain saw?" Grey asked.
"I start with a chain saw for the basic outline and work. I use other tools to finish. That's what takes the time."
Grey moved toward a four foot replica of a brown bear standing upright. The fur looked real enough to be soft to the touch. But it was wood.
Before Grey could ask any of the questions he had about the type of wood, if the artist had to import it from the northwest, Zac Whittaker left them with, "You don't have to let me know when you leave. Just give me a call and tell me where and when you want me."
And he was gone, as quietly as a true woodsman.
Kit shook her head. "What if he has another commitment the day I want him?"
"Something tells me he doesn't socialize much."
Kit crossed to a totem-like three foot sculpture with an eagle and symbols she didn't recognize carved at intervals. As she ran her fingers over the eagle's head, she said, "We want Mr. Whittaker, don't we?"
Grey placed his hand over hers. "We sure do. He'll attract a crowd large enough to fill the parking lot. People might not always want to pay for fine workmanship, but they recognize talent when they see it and are fascinated by it."
She was fascinated, not only by the sculpture, but by Grey's large hand covering hers. His index finger slid into the hollow of her thumb, stroking the sensitive area gently. As he moved in closer, his jeans grazed the back of her bare legs. She'd figured shorts would be practical for this trip. She hadn't counted on standing this close to Grey, hadn't counted on him making her wish he would hold her in his arms.
His voice brushed her cheek. "I wanted to kiss you yesterday."
"You did." She could hardly make out her own words.
"That wasn't a kiss."
His lips against her forehead had made her knees wobble. "Why didn't you?"
He knew what she meant. "Because we were alone. In your apartment."
Trying to keep it light, she murmured, "I've heard privacy is good for kissing. A crowd can be inhibiting."
He smiled and turned her to face him. "A crowd can be good protection. Keep things from getting out of hand. Let's face it, when I touch you..." He stroked her cheek and she trembled. "The earth rocks. And when I kiss you..."
He bent his head and his lips were hot on hers. She felt his hands settle on her waist and draw her into him. As she parted her lips, his tongue stroked hers and explored. They fit together so perfectly. Grey rocked his hips against hers and she lost all sense of time and place.
Abruptly, he pulled away, his breathing ragged. "See what I mean?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, she let the world stop spinning. "So you're saying we shouldn't be alone."
"Not if we don't want to end up in bed."
His bluntness made her step back and prop against the totem pole for support. "No, we don't want that to happen," she said evenly, though her heart raced at the thought. She knew she didn't want a relationship with sex as its basis. Apparently Grey didn't, either. Did he even want a relationship?
"I have an idea," he said, digging his hands into his pockets.
"What? We only meet in crowds?"
"That's sort of what I have in mind. Do you think Eric and Maggie will come to dinner if I invite them?"
"Sure, they will."
"I'll give Eric a call and maybe we can set it up for Saturday night."
"Should I bring a karaoke set-up?" she teased.
He grinned. "No, thank you. But you can come early and help me with dinner."
At last she'd get to see where he lived and maybe learn more about him. "What are we having?"
"What do you suggest?"
"I'm partial to chicken. Do you have a grill?"
"I not only have a grill, I have an enclosed patio and a picnic table."
She wondered if he invited people over often—if he invited women over often. "Then we're all set."
He removed his hand from his pocket. She watched as he reached toward her and her breathing became shallow. But all he did was nudge her hair behind her ear. "We're set as long as we keep our minds on making dinner, and Eric and Maggie arrive on time."
She took a deep breath and swallowed. "Maggie doesn't need to be reminded to be on time. She's always five minutes early."
The sound of someone chopping wood echoed as far as the clearing, distracting Kit for a moment. She grabbed onto it to avoid dealing with the glimmer of desire in Grey's eyes. "We'd better get back. I'd really like to see inside Whittaker's house, but I don't think he's that hospitable."
Grey glanced once again at the sculptures. "But he does have talent."
***
On the drive home after dropping Kit off at Sunrise, Grey remembered how he'd taken her hand as they'd walked back to the car. It had felt so right, so natural.
He was pulling into his driveway, thinking about Saturday night, when his cell phone rang.
Deedee sounded out of breath. "Where were you? I called your cell phone. You didn't answer. I called the store and Gus didn't know where to find you."
Obviously, he'd been so distracted by Kit he hadn't noticed the missed message on his phone. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to scare you. I went for a drive with...with a friend. I left the phone in the car when we...took a walk."
"What friend?"
"A new friend."
"Like Susan?"
Lord, he hoped not. "Just a friend, Dee. She's helping me with something at the store."
"What's her name?"
"Kit."
Deedee repeated it. "I never heard a name like that."
"It's short for Katerina. Just like Deedee is short for Diane."
"Oh."
"So why did you call?"
"Can you come over?"
"Now?"
"Uh huh. I got a kitten. She's black and white and purrs like crazy."
He smiled. "Do you want me to come over and take you out for a hamburger?"
"No. Jenny's cooking and I have to help. And I don't want to leave Star."
"Is that what you named the kitten?"
"Yep. She's got a star on her head. Wait till you see!"
"You go help with supper. I'll be over around seven."
"Grey?" Her voice was hesitant.
"What, honey?"
"Are you going to go to the movies with Kit?"
He and Susan often went to the movies. Although he'd tried to spend as much time with Deedee as he always had, he knew she resented the fact that they didn't take her along or that Grey could have been spending that time with her. "I don't know. I haven't known Kit very long."
"I hope you don't."
What she was really saying was that she hoped nothing changed the way things were now. Deedee didn't like change, either. It upset the structure of her life. Before he brought Kit and Deedee together, he had to make damn sure he knew what he was doing.
***
Grey carried the platter of chicken to the redwood picnic table where Eric and Maggie were already seated. "I'm glad you could come."
"We are, too. Except for Kit, we don't socialize much," Maggie responded.
"Newlyweds don't socialize much," Eric said with a loving smile for his wife.
Kit spooned a portion of baked beans onto her plate. "And just how long can you qualify as newlyweds? Your year is almost up."
"A year?" Eric asked in mock horror. "I thought newlywed status lasted five years, ten if we're lucky."
Kit reached for the carrot sticks. "With you two it probably will."
Maggie addressed Grey who was sitting across from her. "So how are things at the store?"
"We sent out the first batch of fliers and ran the new ads
last weekend. Business definitely picked up. When I saw customers loading their baskets, I wondered if they were buying more. The sales receipts proved it. I'm not out of the woods yet, but unless this week was a flash in the pan, we're on our way."
"It'll keep up," Kit insisted. "Once we have our promotional day, everyone in the surrounding area will know about Corey's Hardware."
Grey laid his hand on top of hers on the table. "Because you're good."
Kit heard the respect in Grey's voice. That enfolded her as much as the sparks of desire in his eyes excited her. It had been fun preparing supper with him. With all her heart she wanted to believe he wasn't too good to be true—sexy, attractive, caring. t r Yet doubts still plagued her.
His two-story home was modest and situated in a pleasant section of Maple Grove. The brick and white siding exterior was well cared for, as were the shrubs that outlined the yard. No flowers grew and Kit would definitely do something about that to give the landscape splashes of color.
The interior of the house had no particular decor and the style was masculine-comfortable—a long, cushy sofa, two recliners, small tables that held everything from magazines to knickknacks. She'd been most interested in the knickknacks which included an autographed baseball to a ceramic dish resembling something a child would make at camp. Several colored pencil and pastel drawings hung on the walls. They all carried a large "D" in the corner but no other signature.
The conversation flowed easily among the four of them until Eric asked Kit, "Is your living room finished yet?"
"Yep. The wallpaper is up. I'm just waiting for the furniture."
"If Higgins hadn't set you so far back financially, you could have had it finished long ago," Eric muttered, then glanced quickly at Kit. "Sorry, I know you'd rather forget about it."
Eric knew she'd confided in Grey about Higgins. Her brother-in-law never would have brought it up if she hadn't told him the subject was in the open. "That's all right. I don't cringe when I hear his name anymore."
The silence at the table was broken by the beep of a cell phone coming from the kitchen. Grey untangled his long legs from under the bench and said, "I'll be right back."
Maggie asked in a low voice, "You like Grey a lot, don't you?"
"Yes, and it worries me. I was wrong about Trent. I could be wrong about Grey."
"Grey Corey is nothing like Trent Higgins," Eric assured her.
"How do you know?"
"Because I've spent time with him. I met his dad. I saw the suffering Grey went through while his father was sick. He's the genuine article, Kit. Believe it."
Oh, how she wanted to. But she wasn't sure her heart was healed from her last attempt at loving. "This has nothing to do with logic, Eric. And even if I want to believe it..."
Grey's expression was grim as he hurried out the door. "I have an emergency I need to attend to. Please feel free to stay and finish dinner. I hope I'll be back shortly, but I don't know." Grey's cheeks were pale and his mouth was a tight line. "Is there anything we can do?" Kit asked.
"No. I really have to go. Kit, if this takes a while, I'll call you."
"I'll wait for you."
"You don't have to do that." With a lift of his hand, he apologized again to Eric and Maggie and went into the house.
Kit stared at the back door for a few moments. "All right, Eric. You know Grey so well. What's going on?"
Her brother-in-law looked uncomfortable. "I don't know. But I'm sure he'll explain it to you when he comes back."
"Oh, you think so. Well, let me tell you, if he doesn't, I won't be seeing him again. Not on a personal level. He's been keeping something from me. I know it. And I won't be involved with a man who does that again."
***
Dusk made seeing difficult as Grey drove slowly around the parking lot. Deedee's shift had ended at six. She'd gone outside to wait for her ride. One of the aides from the home was supposed to go and get her. But somehow signals had gotten crossed, lists had gotten mixed up, and no one had picked her up. Yet she wasn't still at the pet shop nor had she arrived home. She was lost and Grey felt sick in his soul.
What if someone had enticed her to their car? A stranger? She couldn't protect herself. She wasn't that strong. She got confused when she was upset. Everyone at the home was out looking for her. Grey had wanted to call the police, but Tanya had convinced him to give them another hour. To give Deedee an hour to be responsible for herself. The hour was killing him.
Driving out of the parking lot while keeping his eyes glued to the side of the street, he turned left toward a residential section of Meadeville. He should have kept her with him. He should have kept her safe under his roof in Maple Grove.
Deedee could have taken one of at least three routes home. It was about a mile—the longest mile Grey had ever driven–until he saw the shadow under a crimson maple. He recognized the set of his sister's shoulders as she stood under the tree with something in her hand. When he pulled up at the curb he realized it was an...ice cream cone!
Taking in a draft of air to calm himself, he got out of the car. "Deedee?"
"Grey, what are you doing here?" She hid the ice cream behind her.
"Honey, we were all worried about you. The schedules got mixed up and Roy forgot to pick you up. Are you okay?"
She licked her lips. "I'm fine. I'm walking home."
"I see. Why didn't you call Tanya from the pet shop when Roy didn't show?"
"Cause I felt like walking."
"You weren't afraid you'd lose your way?"
"Nah. I watch when Roy takes me. It's easy."
"Your ice cream's going to melt if you don't eat it."
Looking guilty, she took it from behind her back. "Don't tell Tanya, okay? She doesn't like me to eat too many sweets."
Grey dropped his arm around her shoulders. "It'll be our secret. C'mon, let's get you home before they send out the marines."
"Am I in trouble?"
Her dark brown eyes were so innocent and naive. He didn't have the heart to tell her what might have happened. "Not exactly. We'll have to talk to Tanya about walking home, though. It's not something you should do alone."
"Why? I saw other people walking."
"It's just better if you do it with a friend." He and Tanya would have to talk to Deedee about the dangers of walking alone, especially at night. Maybe between the two of them, they could explain it in terms Deedee would understand. They had to because he couldn't handle going through another hour like the last one.
***
Kit paced across Grey's living room for the umpteenth time. She heard his car pull into the garage. She heard him open the door from the garage to the kitchen. As his footfalls came toward her, her heart beat faster.
"I didn't expect you to still be here," he said as he entered the living room.
"I wanted to talk to you."
He frowned. "I hated leaving like that. I'll call Eric and Maggie tomorrow and apologize again."
"An apology might not be necessary if we knew why you left."
He studied her for a long moment. "It was personal."
"How personal?"
Coming closer, he stood in front of her. "We haven't known each other very long, but I'm going to ask you to trust me on this. There are some things in my life I'm not ready to share yet."
"Like what, Grey? An ex-wife? Maybe a not-so-ex-wife?"
"No. Absolutely not."
"Then tell me."
"I have no right to pry into your personal life and you have no right to pry into mine."
"I don't have any secrets."
He ran his hand wearily across his forehead. "I've had a tough couple of hours, Kit. Do you think we could postpone this discussion?"
She picked up her purse from the table next to his sofa. "Sure, we can postpone it. We can postpone it indefinitely. It's just that I had this mistaken impression that the kisses we shared were very personal. So was some of our convers
ation. But I've been wrong before. Very wrong."
"Kit..."
She went to the door. "It's okay, Grey. Maggie has always told me I'm too impulsive. Maybe now I'll believe her."
Not waiting for his response, she pushed open the door and went outside. Her pride and self-respect urged her to hurry to her car. As she pulled away, she didn't look back.
CHAPTER SIX
The shade of the tree didn't cool Kit off on Sunday afternoon as she sat in Maggie's car and waited for Grey to come out of his house.
Why am I doing this? Kit asked herself.
Because you care. Maybe too much. And you have to know the truth, one way or another.
The answer made sense. Her history with Trent Higgins urged her to follow through. But this didn't feel right. It just didn't.
Finally, Grey's garage door opened. As he pulled out of his driveway, Kit switched on her ignition and followed him from her spot under a tree a half block down the street. She was spying, pure and simple. And she didn't like it. But whatever he was hiding had to do with his Sunday afternoon commitments. She was sure of it.
Curiosity might have killed the cat, but being naive and trusting had depleted her bank account, put her in debt, and cracked her heart. Once and for all she'd find out whether she should have anything to do with Grey or not.
She'd borrowed Maggie's car so Grey wouldn't recognize it. With large aviator sunglasses and her hair tucked into a baseball cap, even if he glanced at her in his rear view mirror, he wouldn't recognize her.
And if he did?
She'd cross that bridge when she got to it.
Following him wasn't difficult. Traffic was light from Maple Grove to Meadeville. A station wagon pulled out in front of her, but she could still keep Grey in sight and when he turned onto a side street, she was right behind him. She'd driven in this section of Meadeville once or twice. It was a residential section and what she feared most was probably true—Grey was involved with another woman.
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