The Bachelor's Baby

by Mia Ross

  “It needs to be round,” he explained in between ringing whacks, “so I keep turning and hitting, heating it up when it starts to cool too much to shape.”

  Then, like the showman he was, he dunked the evolving rod in a bucket of water, unleashing a cloud of hissing steam that served as the ideal punctuation mark to his running commentary. While he worked, Lindsay couldn’t help feeling as if she was witnessing history right before her eyes. If you ignored the faded jeans and rock concert T-shirt, Brian could have easily been at home in a blacksmith shop from a hundred years ago. She knew what he made, of course, but she’d been so occupied with running the business that she hadn’t gotten the chance to watch him actually make the products she was trying to market.

  It was impressive, to say the least.

  Judging by his awed expression, Rick Marshall thought so, too.

  “This is amazing,” he said, stepping in for a closer look at the sturdy tools of the Calhoun family trade. Glancing around, he went on, “Is this all original equipment?”

  “Mostly. The air scrubber’s modern, and my brother Sam helped me get the electrical and plumbing up to code. Other than that, it’s pretty much the way it was the day Jeremiah Calhoun and his brothers opened the place in 1820.”

  “Your website mentions that you’ll be offering live demonstrations in the spring. Doing this for one person is a lot different from hosting groups of tourists. Do you really think that timetable is realistic?”

  Brian grinned away the skepticism. “Probably not, but we’ll make it work. We always do,” he added, including Lindsay in the conversation with a smile that filled her with pride. It was so sweet of him to do that, she felt obligated to back him up.

  “The school used to send students here for a living history lesson with Brian’s grandfather,” she explained. “We’ve already got a visit booked for early May, and other classes are just waiting for a good time to come in.”

  “They’re in for a real treat, that’s for sure.” After another look around, Rick said, “Okay, you’ve convinced me. You’ve been making your payments right along, which works in your favor because it’s tough for a new business to get up and running. Taking advantage of the tourist season is a great wrinkle, and now that I’ve met you and Lindsay, I’m confident you’ll make good use of the money. I can’t promise anything on my own, but my recommendation should give you a boost with the board when they do their review.”

  “And that will reassure them that Fred’s approval was based on the numbers rather than a personal bias,” Lindsay suggested.

  “Let’s hope so. I’m going to recommend foregoing the balloon payment and allowing the loan to continue on a standard payment schedule. That will give you to the end of the summer to pay everything off. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an official ruling from the loan committee.”

  He offered his hand, and Brian held up his filthy palms in warning. Chuckling, Rick kept his own hand in place and they shook to seal their new arrangement. Rick stopped in the office to pick up the reports Lindsay had printed for him. After giving Riley a pat on the head, he said goodbye and left.

  Brian’s chiseled features were set in a pensive look, and she wondered what was going on in that agile mind of his. She waited for him to share, but grew impatient when he didn’t say anything. “What?”

  “I’m thinking somebody asked him to come by and check out the forge in person.”

  “That makes sense, but who?” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she laughed. “Ellie. That would be just like her, wouldn’t it?”

  “He said he and his daughters have been to the bakery. You know how Gran loves to mingle with her customers, find out all about them. In a couple minutes, she would’ve known more about Rick than other folks would learn in a month.”

  “And he wouldn’t even realize what was happening,” Lindsay added with a grin. “She does have a way with people.”

  “Yeah, she does.”

  His tone wasn’t amused anymore, and Lindsay frowned at the somber direction his mood had taken. “Don’t let that upset you, Brian. She might have sent Rick here, but it was your plan for the ironworks and the way you showed it off that convinced him to make his recommendation. If you hadn’t impressed him, he never would have proposed canceling that big payment, no matter what Fred thought of you.”

  Those expressive blue eyes met hers, and for the first time she could recall, they were dark with uncertainty. “You really believe that?”

  “Without question.” Nodding to emphasize her point, she searched for a way to convince him. “Remember, I’ve worked with lots of lawyers and banking types. They make their decisions based on logic, not sentiment. Rick considers the forge a good risk, and that’s why he’s going to bat for you. Period, end of story.”

  Apparently satisfied, Brian rubbed the shoulder that had just gotten such a workout, closing his eyes as he sighed at the ceiling. She recognized the gesture as a silent prayer, and she waited for him to look at her again.

  “You realize what it means if I get until the end of the summer to pay off this loan?” he asked.

  She knew where he was headed, and she fielded the question with a smile. “Your monthly payment will go down.”

  “Yeah. What’re we gonna do with all that money?”

  “Tuck it away for a rainy day,” she replied without thinking. It was crazy, since not long ago, her first thought would have been using the windfall to increase her paltry salary. In that moment, she realized that sometime in the past couple of weeks, she’d decided that she wanted to be part of Liberty Creek Forge beyond the next few months.

  Smart or foolish, she was in this for the long haul. And it felt wonderful.

  * * *

  It had been a long time since Brian had bothered to do anything on Valentine’s Day.

  Sure, he scoffed at the holiday invented by florists, jewelers and candy companies in a thinly veiled attempt to separate men from a chunk of their hard-earned money. But this one was different, and while he finished getting dressed, an odd thought entered his mind.

  How did you go about taking a friend to a dance?

  Brian had never even considered doing such a thing, so he wasn’t sure of the etiquette. But his male common sense told him that, friend or not, Lindsay was a woman and probably wouldn’t object to a little pampering. After all she’d been through, he firmly believed she deserved it.

  So on his way to pick her up, he stopped in at the little boutique that sold flowers along with books, newspapers and an array of quirky New England souvenirs. Strolling past the knickknacks that were meant to appeal to tourists, he found the owner at the back counter, finishing up a phone call.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m all out of red roses.” There was a pause, and Christy gave Brian an apologetic smile while she listened. He couldn’t hear anything the caller was saying, but by the tone that filtered out to him from the receiver, the poor guy was desperate. “You could try the shop in Waterford, but at this late hour on Valentine’s Day, they may give you the same answer. I hope things work out for you. Goodbye.”

  “Desperate?” Brian asked.

  “And how.” Leaning on the counter, she laughed. “Can you believe he forgot it was Valentine’s Day?”

  “Does he live in a cave?”

  “I know—right? Anyway, what can I do for you?”

  Brian figured that by now, the local gossips had paired him off with his new office manager, so he didn’t bother shuffling around the issue. “Lindsay and I are going to the Sweetheart Dance tonight. I need something she’ll like. Any ideas?”

  The florist pursed her lips in obvious disapproval, and he cocked his head at her. “Come on, Christy. Not you, too. High school was a long time ago.”

  “That may be, but judging by her current state, she hasn’t changed a bit. You can do so much better than her.”

 
; A wave of bitterness threatened to break free, and Brian managed to contain it, but it was a near thing. Turning on his heel, he stalked back the way he’d come.

  “Don’t you want some flowers?”

  “Not from you,” he snarled without turning around.

  When he got to the door, he just about ripped it off his hinges on his way out. The sound of jangling bells slamming against the glass was satisfying but not nearly enough to cool him off.

  He had a little extra time now, and he used it to walk off some of the temper that had spiked so unexpectedly. He’d spent a lot of time in high school defending the pretty outsider from anyone who dared to run her down. It wasn’t her fault that she was the daughter of the town flirt, and he’d never been able to understand why so many of their classmates assumed that Lindsay would follow in her mom’s questionable footsteps.

  Brian was pretty even-keeled by nature, but for some reason, whenever someone went after Lindsay, he just about lost his mind. For all the maturing he’d done, it seemed that the instinct to protect her ran so deep inside him, he hadn’t outgrown it yet. He had the feeling that meant something—something important—but he was too agitated to work it through at the moment. Right now, he needed to focus on regaining his usual cool so his very perceptive office manager wouldn’t suspect that something was wrong.

  After a few minutes, he felt like he had ahold of his temper again, and he circled back to his truck to drive the short distance to Gran’s house. Taking a deep breath, he rang the bell and stepped back, hands folded in front of him in a casual pose he hoped was convincing.

  The second that Lindsay saw him, he knew he hadn’t walked for long enough.

  “What’s wrong?” she demanded, brow furrowing in concern.

  “Nothing. Why?”

  Reaching out, she rested one of her slender hands on his, which had curled into fists without him noticing. When those incredible eyes met his, the worry in them made him want to take her in his arms the way he had the night of the dance committee meeting, when she’d turned to him for comfort. In that moment, lit by the antique coach lights on his grandmother’s front porch, she looked more beautiful than ever, and he finally understood what had been going on with him.

  Despite his best efforts to keep her at a distance, he’d gone and fallen in love with Lindsay Holland all over again.

  It was the worst possible thing that could’ve happened, and somehow, he had to get through this evening without letting her see it. Swallowing a groan of frustration, he plastered a careless grin on his face. “No biggie. It’s kinda cold and my snowmobiling gloves don’t exactly go with this coat.”

  “Which looks very nice on you, by the way,” she complimented him as she opened the inner door for him.

  In the foyer, she gave him a long, assessing look and opened her mouth to say something before quickly closing it. Turning away, she took her coat from the rack and got into one sleeve fairly easily. She groped for the other one, and it occurred to him that she honestly couldn’t stretch around far enough to reach it.

  “Here, let me,” he said, holding it where she could maneuver into it.

  “Thank you. It seems like I get less flexible every day.”

  “No problem.”

  Putting her hands around her hair, she let it cascade over her shoulders in a waterfall of dark curls that snared his attention as if he’d never seen anything like that before. At work, she wore her hair pulled back out of the way, and he’d gotten accustomed to seeing her that way. With it framing her face, she had a softer, more delicate appearance that was doing funky things to his suddenly active heart.

  It was the holiday, he reasoned as he escorted her out to his truck. It was tough to stay neutral when you’d been bombarded with romantic messages for the past month. Fortunately for him, this wasn’t a date, and he didn’t have to worry about impressing Lindsay. Because quite honestly, he was so out of sorts, he didn’t trust himself to handle much more than small talk.

  When they pulled in at the school, the place was lit up like a resort, and the front parking lot was already filled to near bursting.

  “This is awesome,” she approved, eyes sparkling in delight. “The early ticket sales were encouraging, but Holly warned me that some folks might donate and not actually attend the event. It’s great to see so many people here.”

  “Adding the kids’ party was a stroke of genius,” he told her as he pulled into the nearest spot he could find. “That made it easy for parents to get some grown-up time together without having to hire a babysitter.”

  “I’m just glad it worked out. I really wanted to do something to help raise the money we need.” She angled a shy look at him. “You probably think it’s silly, but I love that bridge.”

  In a heartbeat, Brian was back in high school, one arm around Lindsay and the other dangling over the railing while they stood on the walkway and tossed pebbles into the rushing creek below. Smiling at the memory, he shook his head. “I don’t think it’s silly at all. We had some nice times there, didn’t we?”

  “Some of my best ever.” After a few moments, she gave him the kind of sad smile that he’d seen on her face too many times. “Actually, the best. You always made me feel like I was the only girl in the world. I just wish I’d appreciated you more when I had you.”

  You still have me, he nearly blurted before he caught himself. Muting his response into something less desperate-sounding, he said, “What do you say we go have some punch and see if we remember those waltzing lessons they tormented us with in gym class?”

  That got him the laugh he’d been after, and she took his arm as they went up the wide sidewalk to the front door. Emma’s art students had outdone themselves, and their handiwork met the guests who were strolling through the archway adorned with ropes of green twine strung through crepe paper flowers of every shade of pink and red he’d ever seen. Music played over the loudspeakers, and he recognized a fairly recent ballad that had people humming along while they strolled toward the gym.

  He and Lindsay stopped to check on things in the cafeteria, where tables were set up for snacks and kid-friendly prizes that had been donated by local shops. Brian noticed everything from music gift cards, DVDs and the old classic: baskets full of candy.

  “This is awesome,” he commented with a chuckle. “When we do this kinda thing at church, folks usually donate books and board games.”

  “I put Holly and a couple of moms in charge of collecting everything,” Lindsay explained. “I figured they know what their kids like, so they’d know what would appeal to the different age groups.”

  “Smart.”

  “Thank you.” Looking around, she smiled. “Everyone looks like they’re having a good time.”

  “What’s not to like? There’s a big popcorn cart in the cafeteria.”

  “That was Hal Rogers’s idea. It’s his machine, too. He said his grandchildren love movie theater popcorn, so he invested in a commercial cart last year. He brings it to all their family events, and he’s very popular.”

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  Out in the hallway, several people greeted him, and Brian felt Lindsay stiffen reflexively beside him. Not everyone was thrilled to have her back in Liberty Creek, and after Christy had insulted her outright, he could only imagine what she’d been hearing around town.

  “Lindsay, what a pretty dress,” Sharon Rogers complimented her, adding a quick hug. “That shade of blue is perfect for you.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, clearly pleased by the warm reception. “I have to hand it to you and the decorating committee. You did a fabulous job in the kids’ area.”

  Sharon winked. “Wait till you see the gym. I don’t mind saying we knocked it out of the park in there.” Someone was waving to her, and she returned the gesture. “That’s my cousin, and she doesn’t know anyone here. I’ll catch up with you later.”r />
  Music and laughter filtered out into the main hallway, and as Brian escorted Lindsay into the gym, he stopped dead in his tracks. The only word he could think of was wow.

  If it weren’t for the basketball nets that had been levered back against the ceiling, he never would’ve known he was standing in a high school gymnasium. White lattice stood against the walls, and in each section there were places for people to write notes or pin up the photos a photographer was taking and printing out for couples on his printer.

  Long tables full of refreshments lined one wall, holding a range of finger foods, drinks and desserts. He recognized several of Gran’s specialties, and made a beeline for one of the platters that was already half empty.

  “What are you doing?” Lindsay demanded, a little breathless from rushing after him.

  In answer, he plucked two of the heart-shaped red velvet cupcakes from their stand and held one out for her. After her first bite, she hummed in appreciation. “Okay, now I get it. These are amazing.”

  “And really popular at the bakery. Trust me—if you come back in a few minutes, there will be nothing but crumbs on that plate.”

  “That wouldn’t surprise me in the least.” Eyes sparkling with humor, she said, “Speaking of plates, though, we should probably go back to the head of the line and get some.”

  Chuckling at the gentle scolding, he motioned for her to go in front of him. “Yeah, I guess. Lost my head there for a second.”

  “Totally understandable.”

  Once they had their snacks, they found a set of chairs at a table and sat down to take in the event at a more leisurely pace.

  “So,” Lindsay began, “who did you leave your sidekick with tonight?”

  “He’s over at Sam and Holly’s. I don’t think big brother’s too happy, though. Chase has been begging them for a puppy since Christmas, and hanging out with such a fun dog isn’t gonna make it any easier for them to keep telling him no.”