by Judi Lynn
Axel’s jaw dropped. So did Keagan’s. His mom made wonderful meals on Sundays, but he loved this combination. While she dished up food for Axel, Keagan opened the bottle of red wine he’d brought. When he paused over Axel’s glass, the old man nodded.
“You sure?” He turned to Karli. “Do we have to worry about any of the medicine he takes?”
“Let him have a glass. Tonight’s special,” she told him.
Keagan didn’t think it was possible, but Axel was on his best behavior while they ate. Well, he didn’t say much, mostly shoveled food into his face, but he seemed to enjoy listening to their conversation. Karli asked about the different farms in the area, and Keagan happily told her about the families and the specialties they raised.
“Mill Pond’s changed a lot in the last five to ten years,” he said. “People got together and decided to up their game. We wanted to bring more tourists and money into town, and it’s worked out better than we thought.”
“Do you sell a lot of your dinnerware?” Karli asked.
“Almost more than I can keep up with. I’ve never wanted to own a shop of my own. I’m happy displaying my work at Ian’s inn and in Art’s grocery, but I’d like a bigger studio someday, so that I can make more inventory and products.”
Axel paid attention to that and pointed a finger in his direction. “You’ve got to be close to having enough money by now.”
Keagan nodded. “I live on my mailman wages, but I’ve socked every penny I make from the dinnerware in the bank.”
“For how long?” Axel asked.
“Eight years now. It wasn’t anything to brag about when I started out, but I could almost live off it now. If I find the right property, I can afford it.”
“Good. You’ve earned it.”
Karli glanced at Axel, surprised, but didn’t comment. When they finished the soup, she went to the kitchen and brought back a gallon of vanilla ice cream. Keagan loved apple dumplings, especially a la mode, and had to stop himself from asking for seconds. By the time they ate the last bite, Axel sagged back in his chair, tired.
Keagan laid a hand on his shoulder. “The food and the wine’s done you in. Ready for bed?”
“I changed your sheets while you were in the shower,” Karli said. “You should sleep well tonight.”
Axel grunted and Keagan rolled him to his room and got him into bed. A few minutes later, they heard the TV turn on. Keagan shook his head. “Always with the TV.”
“He needs something to distract him,” Karli said. “But he won’t last long tonight.”
“Neither will I. After we clean up, I’d better go home. We plan to be here early tomorrow to work on the porch.”
When the last dish was dried, Karli yawned. “I’m going to call it an early night, too.”
On his drive home, Keagan had to admit he’d enjoyed himself at Axel’s. Karli was good company and one hell of a cook. Too bad she was only going to be here for a short time. He felt comfortable with her. He liked most people, but he wasn’t very social. He spent most of his free time in his studio. His mom bugged him about being too private. Maybe he was, but the idea of growing old alone didn’t bother him. Not after Cecily. He chuckled. Maybe he’d turn grumpy and stubborn like Axel in his old age.
Chapter 10
Karli set her alarm and got up early on Saturday morning. She pulled on an old pair of jeans and a lightweight sweater but took care with her hair and makeup. Keagan would be here, after all. In a hurry, she’d fixed overnight oatmeal for Axel and was surprised when he asked for seconds.
“That’s what my mom made for us kids when I was little,” he told her. For being such a curmudgeon, the old man sure put his mom on a pedestal. She liked that.
“Want me to help you clean up before everyone gets here?” She thought he’d turn her down, but he nodded. She supported him so that he could slide into his wheelchair and then he waved her away.
“I can do the rest.”
“Okay, go for it.” The more he did for himself, the better. After she cleaned up their breakfast things, she got out the ingredients for the chicken-fried steak and had to laugh at herself. Good God, she was turning into Suzie Homemaker! She rarely cooked three days in a row, but she wanted to impress Keagan and his friends. And if food really was a way to a man’s heart, she’d cook up a storm.
The men pulled into the driveway as soon as there was sunlight. Keagan came with Brad and introduced her to Tyne and Harley when they arrived. Be still her heart. But they both wore wedding rings. Someone had already scooped them up.
What the hell was in the water in Mill Pond? Harley had a rocker look with his dark, shaggy hair and long, lean build. He made her think of an Italian on steroids. Yum! He also had a thick, gold band on his ring finger. Hands off! Brad dazzled with his golden curls, and Tyne . . . Tyne looked like a walking sex commercial with his dirty blonde hair, stubble, and awesome body. His ring was silver, but married was married. To her, not one of them was as appealing as Keagan.
She did her best smile-and-greet routine. Every man responded but Keagan. Go figure, but she was genuinely impressed with how nice each man was. Good looking and decent human beings. And faithful, if she read them right. She respected that. A triple whammy. Keagan was ready to plow right into work mode, though, so she retreated to the kitchen.
This was shaping up to be a great Saturday. Harley and Tyne were taken, but they were great eye candy. Might as well enjoy. Brad was easy on the eyes, too, but he was a player. She’d been there, done that. What she’d never done was get too serious, too attached to move on. She frowned. Did that make her a female player? She’d never worried about it before. If she plugged into Keagan, would she be able to walk away?
She wouldn’t know until she tried, right? Not that she was making any headway. She was striking out with the man. Time to up her game. And if that meant appealing to what was important to him, like food, so be it. That’s what seemed to make Axel happy, too.
She mixed flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper for the dredge. She was going all out. She coated every cube steak, then pan-fried them. She put them in the slow cooker with a little beef broth and set it on low to keep them warm. Then she started on the gravy. There were more than enough pan drippings to give it flavor. When she dipped her finger in and liked the taste, she turned it off. She’d reheat it when the men were ready to eat. She wrapped potatoes in foil and tossed them in the oven, then opened three cans of green beans and added them to crumbled bacon and sautéed onions. Nothing too fancy. She didn’t want Keagan to think she was trying too hard.
The men plunged right into work. They started by jacking up the front porch. There was no way for her to help them, so she concentrated on dusting and sweeping upstairs. She didn’t plan on spending any time there, but it had to be healthier eliminating so much dust from the house. The second-floor bedrooms were all good-sized. She wondered when someone had walked up here the last time. Before Charlie moved out? Enough cobwebs hung in the corners that Mill Pond could have used Axel’s house for their haunted castle. The bathroom had been updated at some point. Maybe a pipe had leaked, because Axel didn’t do any more than he had to, by the looks of it. The tile and fixtures were dated, but there was a toilet, tub, sink, and shower.
She was sweeping the second bedroom when Brad touched her shoulder to get her attention. “Sorry! The vacuum’s so loud, I didn’t hear you come up the stairs.”
He grinned. “You’re a brave woman, trying to take on Axel’s house.”
“Not really. I’m not good at sitting around with nothing to do, and this definitely needs doing.”
“You’re using a vacuum on wooden floors?”
She gestured to the side of the room she hadn’t gotten to yet. “Too much dust for a broom or dust mop.”
“Are you going to move your mattress up here?”
> “No, but since I’m here, I might as well get something accomplished.”
His smile dazzled. “I could help you fill some of your spare time. What if I picked you up and we went to Chase’s bar some night? I could introduce you around.”
She loved bars. She’d love to meet more Mill Pond people, but she didn’t want to encourage Brad. “That sounds like fun. You know I don’t expect to be here much longer, though, right? Either Axel lets me help him, or he doesn’t. Are you okay with just drinks and a kiss good night? Because that’s as far I’ll go.”
His smile grew wider. “One night with you? Sign me up.”
She pursed her lips. Maybe she’d worded that wrong, but it would be nice to get away from Axel for a while, to have fun and meet people. She nodded. “Next weekend?”
“Done. You’re mine on Saturday night.” He looked pretty happy with himself.
She glanced at her watch. “Boy, time’s gone fast. Are you guys ready for drinks? I bought lots of beer and pop.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “It’s not too early for me to down a beer.”
She motioned toward the stairs. “Let’s see if the others are ready for a break.”
When she invited them in for something to drink, they all sniffed and glanced at the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”
Silly question. She nodded toward the kitchen. “Everything’s ready. If you want to serve yourselves, I have plates and silverware on the counter top.”
They stood as one. She frowned at the mismatch of plates she’d washed, but she was lucky she’d found six in the cupboard.
“Don’t forget me!” Axel called from the sun-room.
“Want to come and join us?”
The men cringed, but luckily Axel turned her down.
She had his plate in hand. “You guys go ahead. I’ll take this to Axel, then grab one for me and join you.”
The men were chatting comfortably among themselves when she brought her food to the long, cherry dining table.
“Damn, I love chicken-fried steak,” Harley said. “I’ll have to mention how good it is to Kathy. She never makes it.”
“She’s probably afraid to make anything that isn’t Italian,” Tyne said, teasing him. “Your dad makes a point of letting everyone who visits the winery know about your Italian heritage.”
Harley laughed. “Yeah, but I was born in Mill Pond. I’m a melting-pot kid. I loved chicken nuggets at school lunch. I like it all.”
Keagan turned to Tyne. “Is there any food you don’t like? You’ve traveled so much, you like it all, don’t you?”
Tyne grimaced. “No bugs. I’ve been to places where they’re considered tasty but not to me.”
“Even if we doused them in coconut milk?” Keagan asked.
“Even then.” Tyne’s brown eyes twinkled. He turned to focus on her, and she felt a flush tinge her skin. Damn, he was hot. “How’s it going with Mr. Meany? You okay?”
She shrugged. “We’re getting along all right, but he won’t sign up for any home care. I have a visiting nurse coming today to assess him, but he’s pretty set in his ways. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to help him or not.”
“His choice.” Tyne obviously didn’t mince words. “If he wants to stay here and stink and let the house fall around his ears, it’s his own fault.”
“I heard that!” Axel called.
“Good, but I bet you don’t waste time thinking about it.” Tyne must know Axel better than Karli realized. “Keagan tried to get you help, too, but you’re too damn stubborn.”
“Hmmph!”
The TV volume got louder, and Tyne shook his head. “Stubborn, old man.”
“There’s more food in the kitchen,” Karli said. “I made plenty if you want seconds.”
That must have been the invitation they were waiting for. They all went to fill their plates again. Karli noticed that Keagan took seconds of everything. When he sat down, she saw that his golden-brown hair had sawdust in it. Her fingers itched to brush it out, to touch him. His worn jeans showed off his muscular thighs. She bet he’d be great in bed.
“Everything’s delicious,” Brad told her, capturing her attention.
“Thanks.” Her gaze returned to Keagan. He was so not her type. She usually fell for guys like Brad. But there was something about her friendly mailman, something self-contained.
Tyne finished his food and pushed to his feet. “I’d better get started again. I can only stay till two. I work tonight.”
She stared at him, surprised. “You work tonight and you’re working here all day?”
“So does Harley, but we’re so happy someone’s making this old place look better, we were thinking of sneaking out here at night to fix it up in the dark.”
She laughed. “That’s pretty desperate.”
Harley stood with Tyne. “Old Mill is trying to make itself into a tourist town. We’re doing a good job, but this place is an eyesore. At least, it looks like it might not collapse now.”
Tyne turned to Keagan. “I’d love to get rid of the peeling paint. Bare wood would look better than that.”
Harley nodded. “Most of the paint’s gone anyway. If we had a full crew, it wouldn’t take long if we had two men per side. Would Axel let us scrape it?”
“Knock yourselves out!”
“How in the hell do you hear everything we say back there?” Keagan called.
Axel chuckled. “I know when to turn the TV down.”
“I’m game,” Keagan said. “Are you going to set this one up, Harley?”
“I’ll put my old man on it. He’ll offer everyone a free bottle of wine for a full day of work.”
Karli blinked, surprised. “You guys are serious about this house.”
“We have to strike while the old man’s in a good mood.” Tyne stood. “But right now, I have to get back to the porch, or I’ll have to leave you guys to it without me.”
Keagan finished the last bite on his plate, and he and Brad rose, too. “Let’s do it,” he said.
While the men went back to work, Karli cleaned up after their meal. Only two steaks remained, enough for a quick lunch someday, then she returned upstairs. She was finishing the fourth bedroom when the doorbell rang. She ran down to greet the visiting nurse. “Thanks so much for coming. Axel’s in the three-season room at the back of the house. He doesn’t want to see you, but he needs some kind of in-home care.”
The woman, in her late fifties, smiled. “No one wants to admit they can’t care for themselves, but once he hears the benefits we can offer, he’ll change his mind.”
Karli wasn’t so sure but guided the woman back to him.
Axel’s expression went sour. “Go away. I don’t want another damn nurse bothering me.”
The woman gave a pleasant smile. “I didn’t come to bother you, Mr. Crupe. I’m an RN. If you need medicine or equipment, I can help you with that.” She took out her stethoscope. “Let’s listen to your heart for starters, okay?”
He pinched her. Hard.
She jerked back. “Now, now, we can’t have that. I’m only here to help you.”
He turned his back on her.
“There’s no reason for that.”
He turned to glare at her and raised his middle finger. “This is my house. I don’t want you here. Go away.”
Her expression hard, she gathered up her things and started to leave. “I can’t help him.”
“Wait!” Karli jumped up to follow her. “He needs in-home assistance.”
“He needs to learn manners. I don’t have to deal with him.” The nurse stomped from the house.
Karli crossed her arms over her breasts and returned to Axel. “You think you’re pretty damned clever, don’t you? Well, you just blew that.”
He crossed his arms, too. “You’re bad enough, but I told you.
No more people. I don’t want any little Nurse Nancy traipsing in and out of my house.”
“Fine! What are you going to do when I leave?”
“Throw myself a party.”
She wanted to throttle him. That would look bad on her nursing record, though, so she stalked out of the room instead. She worked upstairs until she finished the last bedroom, then came down to start a batch of ham sandwiches, the kind her dad made for football Sundays, on Hawaiian buns with Swiss cheese, ham, and a seasoned butter coating.
She took two sandwiches in for Axel and plopped them on his TV tray. “Enjoy real food before you’re scraping applesauce out of plastic containers again.”
“Wait till my kids get here. They’ll compete to make me happy, hoping I’ll leave everything to them.”
She snorted. “Good luck with that. When I talked to Mom, they didn’t sound like the type.”
She left him to carry the food out to the men on the almost-finished porch. Tyne and Harley had already left, but Keagan and Brad climbed down their ladders to join her.
“The porch is about done,” Keagan said. “It should last another fifty years.” He sounded awfully happy with himself.
Brad dipped right into the sandwiches. “Damn, these are good.”
Keagan ate half of his in one bite and gave her a nod of approval.
She smiled. “My dad makes them for football Sundays when buddies drop in.”
Brad gave her a look. “I bet I’d like your dad.”
“I bet you would, too. He’s pretty damned likeable.” She tossed a glance at Keagan. “You’d like him, too.”
Keagan blinked, surprised. The idea obviously hadn’t crossed his mind. He frowned. “Is your family thinking of coming to Mill Pond to see Axel?”
“Hell, no.” The words spilled out before she could edit them.
Keagan laughed. “I don’t blame them. Axel’s a pill.”
“That’s putting it nicely. How do you put up with him? He just chased the visiting nurse away.”
