by Judi Lynn
He smiled at her. “Keagan said you were coming to see his work tonight. Thought I’d stop in, too.”
Were the heavens mocking her? Why did he show up when Keagan had actually noticed her?
Karli pointed to a squat, fat, embossed tureen with a matching platter. “I want a set of those. I love to cook soups and stews.”
Keagan looked surprised. “You travel a lot. I didn’t think you’d want a lot of baggage to drag with you.”
“Those are worth the bother.”
Brad grinned. “Do you cook at home?”
Why don’t you go away? She couldn’t say it. Brad was Keagan’s friend, his roommate. She had to be nice to him. She forced a smile. “Sometimes, when the mood strikes. One-dish meals are my favorites.”
“I love beef stew.” Brad looked at her, hoping for her to follow through.
She didn’t. She looked at Keagan. “Beef’s heavy. I like chicken stew. Have you had it?”
He blinked, caught off guard. He obviously thought he could melt into the background since Brad arrived. “I don’t think so.”
“Do you like chicken wings?” Brad asked. Karli had to give him credit. He didn’t discourage easily. “Our pizza place makes really good ones.”
“I’m a little picky about wings. My favorites are grilled citrus-chipotle. I get them at The Tower Bar at home.”
Brad glanced at Keagan, still undeterred. “My buddy says you’ve been doing a lot of painting lately.”
She nodded. “Axel’s house is starting to look better.”
“Maybe I can take you out after a long day of painting. You wouldn’t have to worry about cooking supper that way.”
He really was a nice guy, but he was only looking for a good time. Usually, that’s all she wanted, too. And maybe that’s all she’d get in Mill Pond. She smiled. “That would be nice. Kurt goes through more food than Axel ever did. And Sylvie’s coming soon.”
Keagan shook his head. “Mom talked to me about Axel’s kids. Sylvie’s name came up. Nothing good.”
Karli sighed. “Yeah, that’s the impression I got. Two of the worst are coming to duke it out over Axel’s money.”
“Some families are like that.” Keagan shrugged. “Not mine. We all try to help each other.” He looked at Brad.
“Beats me,” Brad said. “My family’s kind of live and let live. None of us have enough to fight over.”
What Brad didn’t know was a lot. Karli had lost a patient whose two daughters squabbled over who got which knickknack.
Keagan looked at his watch. “Hate to say it, but I’m on the clock early tomorrow. Are you ready to call it a night, Karli?”
She faked a yawn. If they left now, she’d have a little more time alone with Keagan. “Works for me. It’s been a nice night.”
“I’m driving right by your place,” Brad said. “What if I give you a ride home?”
“Thanks.” Keagan glanced out the window at the lights shining in his parents’ windows. “That way, I can stop to say a quick hi to Mom and Dad.”
Damn, she’d been shanghaied, but she had to put a good face on it. “Thanks for the tour of your studio,” she told Keagan. “And I really do want your tureen and platter with the coffee mugs and pies on them.”
He nodded. “I’ll make them for you.”
Brad turned up the wattage on his smile. “It’s you and me, pretty lady. Let’s go.” He led her to his truck and held the door for her. “No need for a seat belt. You can sit close to me.”
Oh, brother. This was so not how she wanted to end the night. And she had no intentions of getting cuddly with Brad.
“How many more days will you be in Mill Pond?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not sure, it’s according to how miserable Sylvie is to live with.”
He lost a little bit of his flow, but recovered quickly. “Indy isn’t that far from Mill Pond. If we click, I’d still like to see you.”
She wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. “I don’t know where my next job will be. I’ve been thinking about the East Coast.”
That caught him off guard. “Where on the coast?”
“Maybe somewhere in New England in the summer and someplace warm in the winter, like Florida.”
“It would be nice to be able travel like you do.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Would you really leave here?”
He laughed. “Probably not. I’m happy in Mill Pond.”
Just as she’d thought. When he pulled into the drive, she leaned closer and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then slid out the truck’s door. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Any time. Someday, I’m taking you out on the town, and we’ll get to know each other better.”
Like hell they would. She smiled and made a dash for the house. If she showed any interest in Brad, Keagan would wipe his hands of her. And Keagan was going to start taking her seriously, whether he knew it or not.
Chapter 17
The next day, when Keagan drove down his parents’ long, gravel drive to deliver mail, he glanced at the far fields, looking for the dust cloud that followed his dad’s tractor. Nothing. What was Dad waiting on? The weather was good, but there were no guarantees how long it would last this time of year.
When he pulled up to the house, his sister hurried out onto the porch to hand him an open cardboard box with a covered, aluminum foil pan inside it. “Thanks for stopping for this. Mom took it out of the freezer and thawed it last night, then baked it this morning.”
Keagan inhaled the aroma. “Really? Mom made one for Karli and not for me? She knows I love sausage and spinach pie.”
Marcia pulled her jacket closer and grinned at him. “Sorry, bro. There was only one and Karli beat you out.”
“I’m protesting.” He put the box on the floor on the passenger’s side of the mail truck. Then he gestured toward the dry fields. “I thought Dad would be turning over the sod by now. Did he change his mind?”
Marcia’s gaze darted away from his. “Dad decided to go into town with Mom today. They thought they might grab lunch there.”
“I smell a rat.” Dad never went into town to lunch with Mom. “Is there anything wrong I should know about?”
“Like what?”
She still didn’t make eye contact. Was she trying to keep a secret? A good one or a bad one? “You tell me.”
“Nothing to tell.”
He hesitated but had lots of deliveries to make so didn’t argue. When he pulled away, though, he felt uneasy. His sister was a terrible liar, and he knew her telltale signs. Her eyes always slid away from his, but Marcia hadn’t out-and-out lied to him today or she’d have rubbed her nose—her sure giveaway. She hadn’t told him the whole truth either.
On the way to the road, he glanced at the far fields again. Something wasn’t kosher, but he’d wait. Were Mom and Dad planning something special for the holidays this year? Was one of them sick with something that needed treatment? If it was something serious, they’d have told him. So why the cloak and dagger this morning? But secrets didn’t last long in Mill Pond. Eventually, he’d find out what was going on.
He changed his route a little bit so that Karli would be his last delivery for the day. He told himself it was because it would be more convenient, but he knew that was stretching it. If he were like Marcia, he’d be rubbing the bridge of his nose. Before he pulled into Axel’s drive, he told himself that he’d better be careful around Karli. She was way too attractive, and he was a little bit too attracted to her. She acted like she might return the interest, but she’d be leaving Mill Pond soon. And that might be a good thing for him. All he had to do was wait it out.
When he knocked on her door, it took her longer than usual to answer it. When she did, she looked frazzled. She was makeup-free with her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail, and she looked lik
e she could spit nails. He stared. “Looks like I came at a bad time.”
She glanced at the foil pan he carried and motioned him inside. “I want to wash my hands again before I touch food.”
Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good. He went to the kitchen and put the casserole on the long, wooden worktable. He laid the mail beside it. She went to the bathroom and came to join him a few minutes later.
“Do I want to know?” He wrinkled his nose. A rank smell drifted from the three-season room.
She glowered. “Idiot Kurt drove to town to buy beer and brought back tons of chocolate candy bars. He and Axel ate them all at one sitting.”
“Chocolate gives Axel diarrhea. I never give him straight chocolate.”
“That’s because you have a brain.” She turned to glare at the back room. “And the dumb ass who provided the chocolate can’t stomach anything unpleasant, so while I was changing Axel’s diapers, because he couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time, Kurt was throwing up in the trash can.”
Keagan felt sorry for her. “You’re made of stern stuff. Most people would turn and run.”
“I’m a damn nurse. I’ve seen lots worse, but I’d like to strangle Kurt right now.”
Keagan didn’t blame her. “My mom sent supper if you’re not in the mood to cook.”
“Those two get broth and crackers. And if there’s one more accident, they won’t see good food for another week.”
He nodded. “What about you? How are you doing?”
“They ruined my appetite. It’s tea and crackers for me.”
He tried to think of a different subject, something pleasant. “Are you looking forward to Thanksgiving? It’s not that far away. Bet you’ll be ready to head back to Indy to celebrate with your parents.”
She grimaced. “Mom and Dad are flying to Dad’s parents’ house in Milwaukee. I usually go with them, but it felt like too much this year. If I’m still in Mill Pond, I’ll just stay here.”
He was appalled. “With Axel?”
“And the moocher moron.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “If I’m really lucky, Sylvie will get here in time, too. This Thanksgiving’s going to be fun.”
The words sprang out before he could stop them. “Come with me to my parents’ house. We always have enough food.”
Her brown eyes sparkled. “Really? You don’t know how nice that would be. Thank you.”
What had he done? Damn it! Didn’t he just tell himself to stay far away from this woman? But no one should have to eat frozen turkey dinners with Axel and Kurt.
She smiled, and he was happy to notice she seemed to be getting in a better mood. “Is your parents’ farm as big as Axel’s? It probably keeps them busy, doesn’t it?”
“Farms are a lot of work. Things are slowing down now, but their farm’s bigger than this one. Seven hundred acres.” They’d had a family summit in the spring when the Bransons’ fields, across the road from Mom and Dad’s, went up for sale. They were prime acres and wouldn’t be available long. If his parents bought them, they’d be overextended, but if they didn’t make an offer, someone else would. Each family member got a vote, and Keagan voted to buy. Everyone did but Dad.
Karli looked surprised. “Axel owns a hundred acres, right? Kurt thinks it’s worth $600,000. He expects to be rich soon.”
“A little high, but close. It’s not going to be that easy, though. Axel’s kids were always like a dog with a bone. They’ll fight over it.”
She started toward the dining room. “I need to get away from the smell.”
A good idea. “I bet you’re going to be happy to leave here. Where have you been as a traveling nurse?”
She perched on a wooden chair and stretched her legs. She had damn nice legs. “I spent some time in Florida. My sister lives there, and I got a job close to Tampa. Then I went to California for a while, but the cost of living is too expensive, so I went to New Orleans. I love the food, but missed my mom and dad, so came back here for a while.”
“You have a great lifestyle.”
She gave him a thoughtful look. “Would you travel?”
“Travel, yes. Move, no. I’d love to go someplace special for a couple weeks once a year, see the country, more of the world. All I’ve been doing lately, though, is saving money.”
He’d love to hear about the places she’d been, but he was pretty sure the more time he spent with Karli, the more time he’d want to spend with her.
She locked gazes with him. “I like to travel, but I always miss my family. I like seeing new places, then I always come home.”
“And I always stay home, but I’d like to see new places. If you’d put us in a blender, we’d be perfect.” He wondered how well they’d fit together, but even her stay in Indy was temporary. Everything about her was short-term. He had to remember that.
She raised a dark eyebrow, studying him. “We might be perfect, as is.”
He was getting in over his head. Time to run. He gave a breezy smile. “I doubt it. You’re more adventurous than I am. I hope your day gets better, though. And I’d ban chocolate from the house.” He started for the door.
She called after him, “Thanks for inviting me for Thanksgiving!”
Thanksgiving. She probably wouldn’t be here by then, and if she was, he’d have his family there to serve as a buffer. He’d be fine. He could do this.
Chapter 18
Early Thursday morning, Brad called to invite Karli to go to Chase’s bar with him for supper. She couldn’t think of one reason not to go. She was going to Art’s Grocery before lunch to stock up on groceries for the rest of the week, and she’d agreed to pick up a case of beer for Kurt just to shut him up. She could reheat Keagan’s mom’s casserole for supper, so Axel wouldn’t starve, and she could hardly wait to get away from both men and the house.
“I have to be back early,” she told Brad. “Axel’s been having some problems lately.”
“Fine with me,” Brad said. “I have an early appointment on Friday, need to install a new furnace. This way, we’ll get to know each other a little better, and I’ll have great company while I eat.”
The man had an answer for everything. She was impressed. At the store, she bought deli meat to make sandwiches for lunch. Just to annoy Axel, she stocked up on applesauce, cottage cheese, and Ensure, but then she ruined it by buying a ham hock to make him bean soup. He’d told her how much he loved it when his mother made it. She bought some of his other favorites, too—pork chops, everything to make macaroni and cheese, and a whole chicken.
When she got home and threw sandwiches together, the old coot went on and on about how much he loved deli ham. He thought he was being sly, “buttering her up” as he called it, but flattery would get him nowhere.
“Enjoy it while you can,” she said.
Axel looked smug. “Sylvie’s been married three times. She probably cooked for her husbands.”
Kurt snorted. “Either that or she cooks like shit and that’s why they left her.”
When Axel frowned, Karli shook her head. “There’s always Meals on Wheels if you get desperate.”
Kurt licked his lips. “Those were pretty good.”
“Then you buy them.” Axel finished his sandwich and turned back to his TV, flipping to his favorite station.
“Hey, I was watching Judge Judy,” Kurt complained.
Axel shrugged. “You have a room. Buy a TV for up there and leave me alone.”
Karli had noticed the two men were getting tired of one another’s company. Maybe a nursing home would start looking better. She finished putting groceries away and turned her attention to the wooden floors. They were in remarkably good shape, so she spent the day polishing them. By six, though, she was showered and dressed, ready for Brad. She hadn’t gone to a lot of bother, just mascara and lipstick, but he still looked happy to see her.
“You look great! Everyone at the bar’s going to be jealous.”
She’d pulled a jacket over her long-sleeved tee. Her sweater hadn’t been warm enough last night. She wondered if Keagan stopped at Chase’s to eat. Even if he did, he wouldn’t come tonight, she was sure. He’d do his best to avoid her and let Brad work his magic. It wouldn’t matter. Keagan couldn’t get rid of her that easily.
When they walked in the bar, people looked up and waved. It was just like going to Joel’s microbrewery. The town greeted her. Most tables and booths were full, and Buck Kreiger—Brad said he ran a landscape nursery—motioned them to his table.
“Is the place always this busy?” Karli asked.
Brad nodded. “This time of year. After New Year’s, everything will slow down. Tourists stop coming and people hibernate. The shopkeepers count on it to build up new inventory and have some time off.”
Chase himself came to wait on them. He frowned at Brad. “Where’s Keagan?”
“He had an order he had to finish tonight.” Another ready answer. Brad was full of them, but it was just as Karli suspected. Keagan was offering Brad a clear playing field, damn him.
Chase raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t buying it either, but gave Karli a dazzling grin—the man knew how to dazzle. “What can I get you?”
They all went for burgers, but after Chase left, Brad laughed. “It’s a good thing Chase is wearing that big, gold ring. Before Paula, when he asked, What can I get you, he never knew what to expect.”
Karli could understand that. This town had its share of hot men and Chase was near the top of the list. “I’ve heard he makes great barbecue.”
“True, that,” Buck said. “His sauce is a guarded secret.”
“He hasn’t even told Paula?” Brad sounded surprised.
“He’s told her, but she’s not allowed to use it. As a chef, she gets that.”
Karli shook her head. “Does everyone in Mill Pond take food so seriously?”
