by Diane Kelly
Could she tell how he felt about her? Out of respect for Pappy, he’d done his best to hide his feelings all these years. He wasn’t sure how successful he’d been, though. Pappy had come upon him once last summer when Jeremy had hidden among the maples to spy on Annalise as she sat on the bank of the pond, reading a book. Pappy silently stole up behind Jeremy, making him nearly jump out of his skin when Pappy placed a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Beautiful, huh?”
Busted. Jeremy felt his cheeks heat up. “The sunset?” Jeremy said. “Sure. It’s real pretty.”
Pappy had chuckled. “You aren’t out here to watch the sunset and we both know it.”
Thank goodness the old man had left it at that. Jeremy wasn’t ready to admit his feelings, not even to himself. He’d convinced himself that he’d trailed Annalise to the pond out of curiosity and boredom, when the fact of the matter was that he’d hoped they’d cross paths in the woods. She’d think it was merely coincidence, maybe invite him to join her on the banks to discuss whatever literary masterpiece she might be reading . . .
But once Pappy had called him out, Jeremy felt self conscious and lost his nerve. What had he been thinking, anyway? A smart, city girl like Annalise, one from a good family and with an advanced education, what would she want with a backwoods guy from a troubled family?
When Jeremy began to step away again, Mrs. Quimby stopped him with a hand on his arm. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re family, too, Jeremy. Heck, you and Annalise are practically cousins.”
Cousins? The mere thought made his stomach flop. He’d never thought of Annalise as his cousin. One glance in her direction and he could tell she was equally mortified by the thought of the two of them being related. Her lip was curled back, her nose crinkled, and her skin looked a little green. Good.
CHAPTER SEVEN – ANNALISE
After Pappy’s funeral, and despite the fact that his ancestry was pure Norwegian, the Quimbys held an Irish wake at a local pub. It’s what the old man would have wanted. Glass after glass was raised to Pappy, toast after toast made.
One of Pappy’s delivery drivers raised his glass of stout. “May Pappy rest in peace and never again have to shovel snow!”
The others replied with cries of “Here, here!” and clinked their glasses together.
The wife of one of the older men who worked in the sugar house stood. “Thanks to Pappy, we own our house outright, sent three kids to college, and will have a comfortable retirement when the time comes. He was a good-hearted, generous man. To Pappy!”
Murmurs of assent and more clinks followed.
Jeremy stood from his chair next to Annalise, his cheeks flushed as he made his toast. “Pappy Sorensen gave a good-for-nothing kid a roof over his head and a chance to make something of himself. I owe that man everything.” His voice broke when he said, “I wish there was some way I could repay him.”
Jeremy’s words tugged at Annalise’s heartstrings. Sure, Jeremy owed her grandfather a lot. But Jeremy had enabled her grandparents to live in their home and as independently as possible until their dying days. She knew Pappy would consider any debt repaid and then some. She raised her glass with the hopes of lightening the mood and relieving Jeremy’s angst. “What a sap!” she called. “They should make syrup out of you!”
As the group laughed and raised their glasses, Jeremy tossed her a grateful look. He probably hadn’t intended to become so emotional and appreciated her covering for him. Jeremy sat back down and, to her surprise, reached under the table to give her hand a squeeze.
A pretty, brown-haired waitress stepped up to their table, her green eyes roaming over Jeremy’s broad shoulders. She smiled flirtatiously and leaned forward, giving Jeremy an up-close and personal view of her ample cleavage. “Another round?”
Envy erupted in Annalise, an envy she knew she had no right to feel. Jeremy wasn’t hers, and he probably appreciated the female attention. It wasn’t like there were thousands of women his age in Thief River Falls.
To his credit, Jeremy kept his eyes on the young woman’s face rather than venturing below her neck. “Another round sounds great. More nachos, too. Thanks.”
As the celebration of Pappy’s life continued, a weatherman appeared on the screen of the television mounted over the bar. The bartender raised the remote and aimed it at the TV, turning up the volume. Although it was difficult to hear over the chatter in the pub, the text on the screen made it clear that bad weather was on its way. A winter storm working its way across the northeastern United States and Canada was expected to hit the Midwest tomorrow afternoon. Looked like Old Man Winter had set his sights on Thief River Falls. At least they’d have time to get her parents on their way back to California and visit with the attorney tomorrow morning before things got ugly.
“Blizzard’s coming tomorrow, folks!” the bartender called out. “Better drink up while you can.”
Eventually, the winter sky began to grow dark and those assembled in the pub headed home to their dinners and families. Annalise, her parents, and Jeremy finished their drinks and pub food and returned to the cabin. While her parents packed their bags for their early evening flight, she and Jeremy stood on the front porch, watching the dogs romp and play in the snow. When Flurry and Zamboni finished their play, they bounded onto the porch, stopping to shake the snow from their fur and sending up a shower of moisture.
“Hey!” Annalise cried, throwing her arms up in a vain attempt to protect herself from the slush. No such luck.
Laughing, Jeremy knelt down and wrangled playfully with the dogs. “You goofballs! Shake yourselves off on the steps next time.”
As she brushed moisture from her face, it dawned on her that she had no idea what would become of the dogs. Her place in California was tiny and had no yard, and her parents already had a couple of mutts they’d adopted from the shelter.
Jeremy seemed to have read her mind. “Unless Pappy’s will says otherwise,” he said, “I’d be happy to take Flurry and Zamboni. I’ve got enough saved up to put a down payment on a house with a yard.”
“You’d take them?” she said, relaxing in relief. “That would be great, Jeremy.” She knelt down to pet Zamboni, who returned her affection with a lick on the chin. “Of course I’ll miss the heck out of them.”
Jeremy stood, turned to put his back to the railing, and set his gaze on her. “You could come visit the dogs. As often as you like.”
Her heart spun like a figure skater in her chest, and she averted her eyes so he wouldn’t see the excitement his invitation had sparked in her. “That would be nice, Jeremy. I’d like that.”
An invitation to visit, huh? Maybe her fears had been unnecessary. Maybe whatever there was between the two of them wasn’t over as she’d feared. But what exactly was there between them? Despite the arrangement Jeremy had with her grandparents, the two had never felt like family. There’d always been some other type of undercurrent. So, what is our relationship exactly? Annalise wondered. A close friendship? A burgeoning romance? Dare I hope for the latter?
She forced these thoughts aside. It was a moot point, really. Jeremy lived in Thief River Falls and Annalise’s life was in LA. Long distance relationships rarely worked, and that wasn’t what she wanted anyway. She wanted a real relationship, someone she could come home to at night and spend every Valentine’s Day with for the rest of her life. She sighed inwardly. At least with the promotion she’d been given she’d be able to buy a condo sooner than she’d expected. Of course it would still be years down the road. But years go fast, don’t they? It seemed like yesterday that she’d first set eyes on Jeremy.
She looked up to find Jeremy’s gaze still on her. “I owe you a big apology.”
He cocked his head and his thick, dark brows drew together. “For what?”
“For decorating your face with mashed potatoes.”
When she’d come to visit Grammy and Pappy all those years ago and discovered that some stranger had taken over the room that had previously been hers, s
he’d been furious. How dare he? And not only had he taken over her bedroom, he’d clearly taken a share of her grandparents’ affection and concern, too. They’d posted his school picture on the fridge, right next to hers. At dinner that evening, her jealousy got the best of her. She’d grabbed a fistful of mashed potatoes and flung them across the table at Jeremy. She’d even gone so far as to scream “You don’t belong here! You’re not part of our family!”
Jeremy chuckled and his face softened. “No need to apologize, ‘Lise. You were only twelve then. Just a kid.”
“You were only fifteen,” she reminded him. “You were just a kid, too.”
His focus shifted, and he looked off into the woods behind her now. “I suppose I was.”
The set of his jaw and the faraway look in his eyes made it clear what he was thinking. That, despite his tender years, he hadn’t felt like a kid back then. That whatever childhood he might have had was a short, lonely, unhappy one. At least he’d been able to spend the end of his formative years with her grandparents. They’d done their best to ensure he enjoyed what remained of his adolescence. Her heart broke for him, and it was all she could do not to reach out and put a hand on his cheek.
As if sensing her concern, he turned back to Annalise, their eyes locking for a long, silent moment before the sound of the front door opening interrupted them. Her mother emerged with a suitcase, her father on her heels.
“We better get going,” Mrs. Quimby said. “Don’t want to miss our flight. The next one isn’t until tomorrow, and with this storm coming in who knows if they’d be able to get planes off the ground.”
CHAPTER EIGHT - JEREMY
After putting the dogs in the house and locking the doggie door to ensure their safety, he stowed the suitcases in the bed of his pickup once again and everyone climbed into the cab. As they drove to the airport, the intermittent snow flurries became heavier and more constant, the precursor of the storm that was on its way.
As they rode along, Jeremy couldn’t help but think back to Annalise’s apology. It was sweet, though unnecessary. He’d fully understood why she’d been so upset with him at the time. If he’d had grandparents as wonderful as the Sorensens he wouldn’t have wanted anyone horning in on them, either. Besides, she got over her jealousy rather quickly when she, Pappy, and Jeremy had gone out to the frozen pond to skate. While Pappy could skate with remarkable speed and Annalise could perform graceful turns and leaps, it was all Jeremy could do to stay on his feet. She’d taken pity on him and given him some pointers.
Besides, if either of them owed the other an apology, it was him. At twelve, she’d been just a cute, chubby kid with crazy blond hair. But by the time she turned sixteen, the chub had rearranged itself into curvaceous hips, muscular thighs, and shapely glutes, giving her a strong female figure like Serena Williams. Her blond hair had turned from crazy and unruly to wild and sexy. And when she turned those gorgeous blue eyes on him, it was all he could do not to grab her and pull her to him and kiss her. He’d fantasized about much more than kissing, too. In his dreams, she’d been willing and wanton, and the two of them had found some creative and sensual uses for Pappy’s pure maple syrup . . .
Mrs. Quimby’s voice yanked him from his reverie as he pulled into the airport. “Drop us at the curb, Jeremy. No sense you and Annalise getting out in this weather.”
Jeremy did as he was told, pulling over to the curb to let Mr. and Mrs. Quimby out of the truck. While Annalise gave her parents goodbye hugs, Jeremy retrieved their suitcases from the back of the truck and placed them on the curb.
Mr. Quimby reached out a hand to give him a shake, augmenting the gesture with a pat on the shoulder. “Thanks for all you’ve done, Jeremy.”
Mrs. Quimby was more demonstrative, pulling him into another bear hug. “I’m glad Pappy had you to keep him company. He thought the world of you.”
Jeremy felt his throat constricting with emotion, but managed to squeak out, “The feeling was mutual.”
Mrs. Quimby turned to Annalise. “Be sure to stock up on groceries on your way home. And make sure you’ve brought plenty of firewood into the house in case the electricity or gas go out.”
“We will,” Annalise promised.
With that, the Quimbys rolled their suitcases into the airport. Annalise climbed into the front seat of the truck’s cab, taking the passenger seat her father had vacated. Jeremy climbed back into the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb.
With Annalise sitting closer now, his nose detected the faint hints of her fruity shampoo and lotion. God, she smelled good. Like strawberries and melons. He had a sudden craving for a heaping helping of fruit salad.
He glanced her way. She stared at the thick snow falling ahead, her face tight. “You okay?” he asked.
“I’m worried about the weather.”
“We’ll be fine,” he replied. “We get storms like this every year. Besides, it’s just snow. That’s nothing compared to the earthquakes you get in LA.” He reached over, took her hand, and gave it a soft squeeze like he’d done at the pub earlier. It was a bold move, yet at the same time one he’d given no thought before doing it. He’d acted on instinct. It had seemed the natural and right thing to do.
When he released her hand, she cut a soft smile his way. “Thanks. I’m feeling better now.”
His pulse rocketed. Was she telling him that his touch meant something to her? It sure seemed that way. But did it only mean she found it comforting? Or was there more to it? And would she want more of it?
She turned her head, looking out the side window now.
Damn. Women were so hard to read.
CHAPTER NINE - ANNALISE
He touched me again. Annalise felt absolutely abuzz. She and Jeremy had been alone before. They’d stayed up late watching television or talking in the cabin, taken the dogs for a walk in the woods together. But always Grammy or Pappy had been around the periphery. Now, when they returned to the cabin, it would be just the two of them, totally alone, with no chance of interruption. The thought both titillated and terrified her.
If Jeremy made a move, she knew exactly how she’d react. She’d crack and melt under his touch, like ice under salt. She’d be unable to resist. Heck, she didn’t want to resist. How many times had she daydreamed about the two of them engaged in, well, let’s call it a romantic interlude? More than she could count. Jeremy wasn’t tall but he was solid, and undeniably masculine. He didn’t have the bulging muscles of the bare-chested guys who showed off pumping iron at Venice Beach, and he certainly didn’t have a lean and tan surfer’s body. Rather, he had a stocky, square build with strength built naturally from hauling heavy buckets filled with sap and loading cases of bottled syrup onto delivery trucks. He wasn’t some narcissistic poser. He was the real deal. A real man. And she bet making love to him would feel real good, too.
Afraid Jeremy would be able to read her thoughts, she stared out the side window on the drive to the grocery store. There, they joined what seemed to be hundreds of other shoppers stocking up on food and household supplies.
Jeremy reached up and pulled a can from the shelf, cringing. “Yuck. The only soup left is cream of broccoli.”
“Vegetables won’t kill you,” Annalise teased, taking the can from him and adding it to their cart. “We eat them all the time in California.”
“You hippies with your tofu and quinoa,” Jeremy teased right back. “You might as well graze in the fields along with the cows.”
“Hush,” she told him. “That’s no way to talk to someone who’s practically your cousin.”
He cringed again. “Ew! That’s more disgusting than broccoli soup!”
She couldn’t help but laugh. Evidently he’d been as disgusted as she had by the thought of the two of them being even unofficially related. But was he disgusted for the same reason? Because he thought of them more as friends, as potential boyfriend and girlfriend?
