Nevertheless, I soon discovered that being in another room wasn’t enough for me to forget last night. My chores were dull, and my mind was free to roam back to the very moment when our lips locked. I was lost in Ivan’s strong embrace, loving the affection. Even his beard didn’t bother me. In fact, I’d been meaning to cup his face, so that I could feel it in my palm. And I would have done so, if his honor hadn’t gotten in the way.
I pulled open the cabinet to my left, wondering what I should do to take my mind off of Ivan. I put the plates back in, noticing a yellowish envelope on the top shelf. Curiosity sparked within me. Without much thought, I reached up and took it in my palm. A faded picture fell onto the counter, depicting two, elderly men in suits, exchanging a cordial handshake. On the back, it wrote:
“Grandpa Howard and Mayor Jonathan Barnes,
February 1964
Fishing into the envelope, I found two, separate letters.
“Dear Jonathan,
The devastation of our orphanage was perhaps the hardest blow in our community’s history. Although no lives were lost, our children are practically homeless, and are currently living under the roofs of our people. But, as I’m sure you will agree, this is just a temporary solution. Their finances are stretched. Most of them cannot carry the burden of raising more children.
Therefore, I took the liberty to discuss our situation with a few, distinguished gentlemen in Boston. I asked them to contribute in building another orphanage. In exchange, we would invite members of the press from the city to cover the event. God knows how much they all crave publicity. Alas, those discussions were fruitless. They all rejected my idea, maintaining that the cost was much too great.
After careful consideration, I decided to fund the rebuilding of our orphanage myself. Our children deserve a home, a place where they can grow up together. I’m asking you to announce this as soon as you can, but I have a request. Do NOT mention my name. Do NOT name the orphanage after me. Just say that the money is from an anonymous donor. And we are not inviting the press, either. Unlike those cheap, so-called gentlemen from Boston, I have no need for publicity. This must stay between us.
Please, enclose this letter with your reply. It is a necessary measure to ensure that this stays secret. I may trust you, but one of your maids may discover it.
Yours sincerely,
Howard Peterson”
“Dear Howard,
I was delighted to receive your letter. Indeed, the matter of our children’s accommodation poses a major concern, but with your help, they will soon have what the blizzard took from them. You can count on my discretion. No one will ever know about this.
We should meet to arrange further details. The people of Adams will be indebted to you, Howard. As will I.
Thankfully yours,
Jonathan Barnes”
“Oh, my God…” I sighed, pressing my lips together as I ran my fingers through my hair. Ivan’s grandfather was such a noble, caring man. His modesty shocked me to my core. His incredible gesture was going to cost him a fortune, and he didn’t want his fellow countrymen to learn he was responsible for rebuilding that orphanage. Almost immediately, a question rose within me:
“What would most people do in his stead?”
The answer was simple. They would announce it to everyone and anyone, regardless of their agenda. People like to take credit for their good deeds. Why should they be an exception to that rule? Moreover, now I could see where Ivan had taken his big heart from. Hiring me attested to that. It was easy for him to kick me out or turn me into his concubine. All he had to do was promise to pay off my debt, and I would be his to play with. The idea of selling myself off to someone appalled me, no matter their looks or their status, but if it got me out of my predicament, I was certain I would have said “yes.” Despite Howard Peterson’s desire to keep this a secret though, the truth had to have leaked somehow, or that’s what I thought. There was no other way for me to explain the locals’ behavior towards his grandson. Ivan was a young man. I had no doubt he had been nice to his people, but how much could he have done for them in the few years he had been running the family business? He was just enjoying the reputation his forefathers had built, and he was continuing their legacy.
The day went on with more chores, like vacuuming and ironing. Much to my frustration, taking care of his wardrobe was painful, not to mention tantalizing. Shirts, sweaters, jeans, boxer shorts paraded in front of me, reminding me that a relationship between us was not going to happen. Every time I imagined him getting undressed, his words popped back into my mind, bringing tears to my eyes. Worst of all, they made it clear that I couldn’t have his big heart. Kind men like him lured me like a moth to a flame. Spending my life with one of them had been my dream for since I was a little girl. Now, that dream was shattered, and I was left to pick up the pieces.
Everything got worse when night fell. Left with nothing else to do, I gazed out the living room window. By then, the lawn was all-white. Piles of snow were on either side of the driveway, whereas the lowest branches of the cedar tree were brushing on another pile of snow. It was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Beautiful because of the tranquility of the setting, but painful because I had no one to share it with. It didn’t matter to me if we kissed, although it would be amazing. I just needed to be close to him, rest my head on his shoulder, feel his strong arms around me. I was asking too much, but it seemed too much to him.
The high beams of Ivan’s truck compelled me to move away from the window. The end of my daydreaming came just when I was about to burst into tears. I flipped around and strode back to my room. He was smart. It wouldn’t take him more than five seconds to understand how upset I was. Before I could shut my door though, Ivan barged in, shaking the water off his coat. I stood under the doorframe, just in case he had something to say to me. I still worked for him; I didn’t want him to think I was avoiding my duties.
“Damn!” He grunted, peeling off his white sweater. “I’m soaked to the skin!”
My jaw dropped to the floor. I had been suspecting his amazing physique, but his torso was beyond my wildest imagination. The defined ridges of his abs blew my mind. I swallowed hard at the sight of his sculpted chest and that sexy V of muscle. Cut biceps and triceps flexed as he tossed his sweater on the couch in front of him. Ivan wore jeans low on his hips, turning my temptation into a nightmare. I didn’t just desire him. I actually craved him. I longed to go over to him, yank his pants down and give him a night he would never, ever forget.
“It’s been a long day.” His baritone forced me to take my eyes off of him. “Get some rest.”
I let out a gasp, and then slammed the door shut. My hands were shaking. My breath was short, much like when we kissed the night before. I turned around and slid back down the door, desperate to cry out in frustration. A heart of gold in the body of a Greek god was in the other room, and it was off limits to me. I dropped my head into my hands, tears spilling from my eyes. I wished I’d never made that phone call. I wished I’d never driven up to Ivan Peterson’s estate…
Ivan
I was relieved after the end of those twenty-four hours. The tension between us was so thick I could cut it with a knife. I believed it wouldn’t disappear the very next day, but I thought it would fade enough for us to exchange a few more words without referring to our kiss. Maybe that was just wishful thinking. Still, I had to be optimistic. Regardless of what had happened between us, Scarlet was great at her job. Losing her would have a catastrophic effect on my business. In fact, I was confident that if she left me, I wouldn’t be able to call it “my” business ever for much longer. I would sell it to someone else, get the hell out of Adams and never look back.
The following morning, the two of us headed for the tree farm in absolute silence. The only sounds I picked up on our way over were our boots being buried in the snow. There were a million things I meant to say to her. My first thought was an honest apology. I had initiated the whole thing. I had e
mbarrassed us both. However, we were out in the open. A bunch of workers were already at the farm. Should Scarlet and I have an argument, we would be humiliated. So, I preferred to keep my mouth shut, at least for the time being.
Rows and rows of snowy, Christmas trees filled my view as our destination drew near. The annoying buzzing of chainsaws and loud, male voices were in the air. Moments after we had entered the farm, Scarlet began to glance around her with a stiff look on her face, taking notes as she did. No surprises there. It was only natural for her to preoccupy herself with work. Putting a safe distance between us and my staff, I halted between two rows of trees.
“I think it’s going to be a good season.” I announced, reaching out to touch a thin branch. “Twenty-eight trucks are leaving by the end of the day. They’re going as far west as Connecticut.”
Scarlet didn’t comment on my statement. Instead, she flipped her notebook around so that I could see.
“Are you really going to pretend nothing happened between us? Because I can’t.”
“Oh, man…” I heaved a deep sigh, banging the palm of my hand against my forehead.
“Well?” She uttered, her eyes widening as she thrust her arms out to either side.
“That was the idea.” I admitted, lowering my gaze to meet hers. “I thought if I ignored it, you and I wouldn’t have a problem working together.”
“Well, you can’t ignore it.” Scarlet attempted an emphatic tone, throwing a fierce glare up at me. “Jesus Christ, Ivan! Why did you do that?”
“If you must know…?” I drew in a sharp breath. “I was just inches away from a…” I paused. “Gorgeous, firey redhead. I was caressing her face, and she didn’t pull away from me. I was looking at her lips, wondering what she’d do if I kissed her. And she tasted sweeter than honey.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that?” She scoffed, leaning over towards me. “Really?”
“Yes!” I groaned, not taking my eyes off of her.
“Then why in the world did you stop?” Scarlet wondered, her voice losing volume and nerve.
“Look, I don’t like to repeat myself.” I spoke, my tone calm and steady. “I’m sorry. I got carried away. I shouldn’t have done that. It won’t happen again, alright?”
“I hope so.” She said on an exhale. “By the way, a cabinet is not an ideal place for old photos. Don’t you have a family photo album?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, curiosity written all over my face.
“Your grandfather and Mayor Barnes.” Scarlet explained. “I found it this morning, along with the letters they had exchanged. “What your grandpa did was very noble.”
“Yeah, it was.” I agreed with a nod. “It didn’t stay secret for long, though. My father said one of the workers at the construction site got drunk at a bar one night, and told everyone. The whole town knew the next day.”
“Let’s get back to work.” She suggested, attempting a firm tone. “You mentioned something about twenty-eight trucks leaving today. Do you happen to have the cargo documents?”
“They’re right here.” I stated, unzipping my coat. “It’s still pretty early. You don’t have to go enter that data yet.” I went on, handing a think pack of papers over to her.
“Are you sure it’s safe for your drivers to get out there in this weather?” Scarlet inquired.
“They’ve got everything they need.” I assured, the vapors from my breath clouding my vision. “Snow chains, supplies, water… The works. In case the weather gets too rough, they use the satellite navigation to find nearby hotels. I don’t think I need to tell you who’s paying for that, do I?”
“Nope.” Scarlet muttered, a small smile spreading across her face. “But, I’m starting to wonder about your relationship with your drivers. You make it sound perfect. I mean, you pay them well, you take care of them, and you trust them. Why do I get a feeling it’s not all roses?”
“It isn’t.” I retorted, shaking my head in disagreement. “Actually, I think there’s no such thing as a perfect relationship between employer and employees. We do have our problems. Just give it another week, and you’ll see for yourself how bad things can get around here. The drivers make mistakes. Would you like to hear the most common mistake? A driver taking someone else’s truck. Usually, they don’t find out until it’s too late. When they come back, I yell at them, and they start screaming at each other. I just try to make sure they’re all safe and happy wherever they are.”
“Whoa, wait a minute.” All of a sudden, concern sent Scarlet’s voice two octaves down. “That is a serious mistake. Fixing it costs time and resources. How can you be so cool about it?”
“Because this isn’t Cleveland.” I snorted in amusement, understanding that the city girl’s attitude had returned. “By December 10th, over a hundred trucks leave Adams every morning. It gets pretty hectic. People are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Imagine about a couple hundred men, loading up trucks and cutting down trees. The chainsaws make so much noise that they have to yell at one another. Now, tell me, how hard is it for someone to make a mistake in these circumstances? And it doesn’t cost as much as you might think. Once a driver realizes he’s screwed up, he calls me, and I send another truck out with the correct order, ASAP.”
“So, you’ve never laid off anybody for that?” She asked, her brows shooting up.
“No.” My response was sharp. “I can’t do that to people who’ve been working in this business since I was in fifth grade. Not for that mistake, anyway. We value loyalty around here, Scarlet. I’ve got nothing against Cleveland, but it’s a big city, and people lose their jobs over nothing in big cities.”
“Well, not nothing.” She disagreed. “Okay, it may be easier for someone to get laid off, but they have to screw up big time.”
“Yeah, right.” I smirked. “I live in the mountain, Scarlet. Not in a cave.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked, a touch of annoyance in her tone.
“It means I know how expendable people are in the city.” I explained. “I didn’t offend you, did I?”
“No.” Scarlet assured, intensifying her stare. “You just reminded me how nice you really are. You are the best employer I’ve ever had, Ivan.”
“Thank you.” I gave a nod of appreciation. “You’re a great girl, Scarlet. Again, I’m sorry about the other night. I was an idiot.”
“I beg your pardon, but you weren’t.” She countered, her voice coming out mellow. “You treated me like the gentleman that saved me from bankruptcy, and that means a lot to me.”
“Keep looking at me like that and I’m going to stop treating you like a gentleman.” I wished I could let those words roll off my tongue. Once more, gazing upon her was testing my limits. To top it all off, her attitude was proof that she had forgiven me for kissing her. Starting off towards my staff, I passed her by. I loved her compliments, but listening to more of them was just going to deepen my frustration. The porcelain doll had to stay right where she was: Safe, sound, and away from me…
Scarlet
Two days passed since my chat with Ivan in his tree farm. Thankfully, it helped relieve the tension between us. Although part of me didn’t want to accept his apology, I realized it would be a mistake. What would I get out of that? Another fight? Losing my job, maybe? Because those two were the most likely scenarios. There was no way he would attempt to have a relationship with me. So, I decided to stop pursuing that dream. It wasn’t going to come true, in spite of my desire.
I chose to focus on my growing responsibilities. In those two mornings, I discovered the truth in Ivan’s words about the increasing workload. Entering the data of twenty-eight deliveries was a quick task compared to what I had to deal with later on. That number went up to forty-seven, and then to sixty-three. It might have taken me a few days to do some real bookkeeping work, but the moment had finally come. Working on the computer made me feel useful again, a feeling I had almost forgotten since I left Clevel
and. My housekeeping duties were honest, too, but they never gave me that thrill of being part of something bigger and more important.
I expected the nights to be worse, because we were always near one another, and sometimes in the same room. Still, they were not. With Ivan preferring to discuss business matters, I was much too tired to consider anything else other than a good night’s sleep. He wouldn’t stop bringing up this or that about work, and that didn’t leave any room for personal conversations, niceties or compliments. I got to know the businessman much better in those forty-eight hours, and that helped me push the thought of dating him out of my mind.
Nevertheless, his rejection didn’t discourage me from being a good cook and housekeeper. I had yet to cook his favorite meal, and that afternoon, I would prove to him that I hadn’t forgotten his statement. He would have his roast beef. Of course, he’d rather eat in the kitchen, but working all day long in the farm was his choice. I thought of calling him and telling him lunch was ready, but I was afraid how he would take it. Ivan didn’t like to be interrupted.
I shoved a pack of plastic plates and another pack of plastic forks in a nylon bag, covered the tray with tin foil and strutted out of the house. I had no idea how he would react to my gesture, but in truth, I couldn’t care less. It was almost 3pm. Unless he or one of his workers had found a magic way to make food out of thin air, they were all starving. As usual, he was surrounded by his staff, and in the middle of a very heated discussion.
“Boss, I think we should start delivering to New York City again.” A middle-aged man addressed him in a hoarse voice. His balding head and his long, gray beard left me no doubt. It was Marcus Logan. “I read online that most roads around the city are clear.”
Trapped with the Mountain Man Page 5
