His eyes were warm as they met hers, but then he looked away. “I’ll always be here if you need me.”
The words were ones of promise, but the way he said them was strange, as if it wasn’t what he wanted.
Why couldn’t she figure him out?
Chapter 6
Charlotte didn’t know what to think. Forced to retreat to the kitchen to start on the day’s offerings, she attempted to shut out all thoughts of Max and the way he’d managed to cool his emotions easier than her.
Once thing was apparent, he might feel something for her, but he didn’t like it. He probably regretted kissing her. She wrenched dough into a braid, battering it into place.
But if he did, why was he here helping her?
Ugh! Everything was so confusing. She wished he would just tell her what he was thinking and end her torment. Either way, she would accept it, but this limbo she was in—not knowing, and having to wonder, to wait—was torture.
She made several matching loaves, already finished with her daily inventory. These—hopefully not too abused—loaves were for the wedding.
She dusted off her hands and wiped the extra flour on her apron before giving in to the desire to peek in on Max. She’d heard customers come and go all morning, and while they didn’t linger, she could hear money and friendly conversation being exchanged.
She poked her head around the corner, her gaze hungrily lingering on Max’s back, completely distracted by his broad shoulders and the way his white shirt clung to his muscles. She couldn’t deny his appeal. He had to be the most attractive man she’d ever seen.
Really, it made sense he didn’t want to get any closer to her than he already was. Not only did he far surpass her in looks, but also in social stature, wealth, and practically every other way that mattered—especially in a marriage. She wasn’t a good fit for him, no matter how much his kiss had affected her.
Max said something to her customer, and the man smiled, gesturing to two items in the display case. Max retrieved them, saying something else before wrapping them. Money changed hands, and before she knew it, the customer was out the door, happy with his purchases.
Max was such a natural behind the counter, which completely surprised her. She’d been sure he’d struggle, that she wouldn’t sell as much as she normally did, that he’d possibly even alienate people with his direct, no-nonsense approach.
But as she glanced at the display case and the rack, most of the items had already been purchased. More than normal for this time of day. Not only had he not scared her customers away, he’d made more money than she normally did.
She stepped into the room, and at the sound, he turned toward her, flipping the towel he’d been using to wipe down the counter over his shoulder. He smiled at her. “How are things going back there?”
She leaned against the wall. “Good. Almost done.” She looked over the case meaningfully. “Looks like things are going well out here too.”
He nodded, glancing at the remaining items. “Everything’s been selling well today.”
“Better than usual.”
He shrugged at the implication, but she wouldn’t let it go. “You’ve done really well here today. Thank you for helping me.”
“The change of pace was nice.”
She softly laughed. “If you ever want to run the front of the store again, I’ll let you.”
“Deal.”
“I hope you’re not offended, but I’m really impressed. You’ve done so much better than I expected.”
His lips quirked. “You didn’t think I could do it?”
“Well…” She held up her hands. “I assumed it was far different from anything you’ve done before.”
“You’re right. It is. But I’ve been a customer plenty of times, and I know what I want when I go into shops. So that’s how I handled things.”
She paused. His approach should be something most people thought of, but it wasn’t. His logic had helped him adapt to a situation he’d never been in before and thrive.
At first, she’d thought he was cold and rigid, and that his logical nature was a hindrance, but now she could see how wrong she’d been. He might be logical, he might be brilliant, but he wasn’t cold.
He’d taken the day off work to help her with something most wealthy men would deem beneath him, and he’d done it with a great attitude. He’d worked hard, had treated her customers with the upmost professionalism, and he’d thrived. He’d done it all to help her out of a bind, sacrificing his own work.
No. He was definitely not cold.
“Thank you again. It means a lot to me. I should be done back there in a little bit. I only have one more item to make.”
He smiled at her again. “Take all the time you need. I’m here until you’re done.”
She leaned away from the wall. “Thanks. I’ll let you know when I finish.” She headed into the kitchen, looking back once before turning toward her workstation.
Her eyes met Max’s, and longing wove through her. No matter how much she told herself they weren’t a good match, her heart told her the opposite.
* * *
Max was tired, dirty, and—he was cognizant enough to admit it—surly. Everything had gone wrong at the mine. One of the beams had cracked, the new pulley system he’d designed had snapped a wire, rendering it completely unusable, and it seemed as though everyone he’d spoken to had their heads in the mud.
If he had to explain the same thing one more time—so help him.
He surfaced from the mine, breathing in fresh air for the first time in hours. He opened his watch, checked the time and cursed. No wonder he was hungry. It was already two, and he hadn’t eaten since before he left early that morning.
He knew any food would be long gone, and if he wanted to eat, he would have to ride the few miles to town.
“Boss?”
“What?” he grouched, turning toward the speaker. He winced when the man paused. “Sorry. Long day and I’m hungry,” he said in a nicer tone. “What do you need?”
At the apology, the man brightened. “There’s a woman here to see you. She’s waiting in the office.”
“A woman?”
He wasn’t expecting anyone. “Did she give her name?”
“It’s Miss Hayer.”
Before he could stop it, a warm feeling filled his stomach. But when he thought about why she would be here at the mine, he frowned. “Did she look well?”
At the strange question, the man shuffled his feet. “Well, sir?”
“In good health?”
“As far as I could tell.”
He glanced down at his filthy hands. “Tell her I’ll be right there.”
The man nodded and went to do his bidding while Max quickly washed his hands, arms, and face in a water trough. He wasn’t clean by any stretch of the imagination, but it was good enough. Besides, he didn’t want to put her off any longer in case something really was wrong.
After drying off, he headed toward the office and entered quickly. His eyes landed on Charlotte’s, and she stood from the seat she’d been resting in, a large basket held in front of her.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She blushed and looked down. “Yes. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“You didn’t.” Much. “I just wasn’t expecting you.”
“I wanted to bring you this.” She moved forward and handed him the basket.
He looked down at the cloth covering its contents. “What’s this?”
She stepped back. “It’s just a small token of appreciation for your help the other day. I wouldn’t have been able to get everything done like I did without you staying.” She looked shy, like she wasn’t sure if he would accept it.
“Thank you. That was thoughtful of you.” He moved the cloth, almost moaning in gratitude at what he saw.
“It isn’t much,” she rushed to say. “But I thought you might like it. I put your favorites in there.”
He could see
that. It was a basket full of his favorite treats. She’d also included a freshly baked loaf and a jar of preserves. His stomach rumbled at the smell of it all. “Your timing is excellent.”
“Oh?”
“I just finished in the mine and have been working straight since I got here. I haven’t had time to eat, and I was going to have to head into town to find something.”
Her smile lit the room, and it took his breath away. Charlotte was gorgeous and vivacious and more thoughtful than any woman he knew. He wanted to bask in it, to embrace her and all she could give him.
But he knew things weren’t always as they appeared. He’d learned that the hard way. It didn’t matter how well you thought you knew a person, they could always be hiding something. If the same thing happened with Charlotte, it would kill him. Better to remain safe.
She shuffled as if she wasn’t certain what to do. “Well, I’m glad you’ll enjoy it.”
She made to move toward the door, but even though he knew it wasn’t wise to get close to her, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to spend more time with her. “Why don’t you stay and share this with me? There’s more than enough food.”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude. I know you have a lot of work to do.”
“I needed a break anyway.” He nodded his head toward the door. “Come on. I know a nice place we can set up.”
They walked down a path a little way away from the yard. Several small boulders clustered together forming the perfect seating arrangement.
She grinned. “This is nice. Did you put these here?”
“No. It’s a natural formation. Pretty nice for eating, huh?”
“It’s perfect.”
He set the basket down, and she reached for it, unpacking a napkin and several items before handing them to him. “Would you like preserves on your bread?”
“Please.” He took a hearty bite out of a cookie, stifling a moan.
She glanced over her shoulder, a smirk on her face. “I knew you’d like that.”
He swallowed. “Is it new?”
“Made it today for the first time.”
He looked at the white icing and raspberry jam circle on top. “Heaven. These would sell like gloves in winter if they could be mass-produced.”
She chuckled. “Maybe someday. For now, I’m content making them for you—I mean my customers.”
He tried to not react to the slip up, but hearing her words, and the meaning behind them, affected him. It didn’t seem to matter what he did, Charlotte continued to draw him in. “I wanted to talk about—”
“Max, maybe we should—”
Having spoken at the same time, they stopped. He gestured toward her. “You go first.”
She blew out a breath. “I guess I just wanted to say thank you again. What you did the other day meant a lot to me.”
“My pleasure.”
She shifted on the rock as if gathering her courage. Finally, she looked at him. “Max, I have to ask. Did you mean anything by the kiss after the fundraiser? Or was it a momentary lapse of judgement?”
“No.” The denial flew from him swiftly. “No. it wasn’t a momentary lapse of judgement.” He didn’t want her to think that. Ever. “I couldn’t have stopped myself from kissing you even if I’d wanted to. Which I most certainly did not.”
She swallowed. “Then I don’t understand what’s been happening since then. I mean, maybe I’m seeing things that aren’t there and thinking way too much about it. And if that’s the case, I’m sorry. But I just can’t read you. Sometimes I feel like there’s something between us, and then other times it’s like we’re complete strangers. Is it just me?”
He cursed himself at the confusion in her eyes. He hadn’t meant to mislead her, to toy with her emotions, or hurt her. It was something he’d never set out to do. He’d pushed her away to protect himself from getting hurt again, but instead, he’d hurt her.
He blew out a long, slow breath. “I’m sorry, Charlotte. That was never my intention. Something happened…something in my past. I don’t like talking about it because I felt like such a fool, but it also hurt.”
Her mouth opened softly, but he tried not to look at her. If he did, he might not be able to get this out. “There was a woman I was in love with. At least, I thought I was in love. She was beautiful and sweet and everything I’d always looked for in a woman.”
At his pause, she asked, “What happened?”
“I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her, give her everything I had. But when I went to see her, to propose, I walked into her family’s house only to see her kissing another man. My best friend.”
Charlotte gasped. “No!”
He nodded, remaining silent until she composed herself.
She lowered her hand from her mouth. “What did you do?”
“What anyone would do.”
Her eyes bugged out. “You pummeled him?”
He didn’t know how it was possible, but a chuckle escaped his lips, growing into a full, rich laugh.
“What is it?” She looked at him like he was crazy. Though, to her, he probably was.
“No. I didn’t pummel him.”
She shook her head slowly like she was trying to understand. “Then what did you do?”
“I walked away,” he said simply.
“You just left?”
“Yes. They pulled apart after I cleared my throat. My friend looked slightly ashamed, but the girl just smirked as if she’d scored a point.”
Charlotte looked aghast. “Why would she do that?”
This was the part he hated admitting. “The truth was, she wanted me for my fortune. I thought she was kind and gentle, but really, it was all an act. She’d done it to me and my friend and several other men, luring us all in and throwing the smaller catches—like me—back.”
A notch formed between Charlotte’s brows. “I find it hard to believe that you’re a ‘small catch.’”
“Back then I was. My fortune has grown significantly. Now, it’s far vaster than anything any of the men who were interested in her had.”
Bemused, Charlotte shook her head as if she couldn’t understand how such a thing would happen. “What happened to your friend?”
“He married her.”
She gasped. “How could he do that?”
“He hadn’t realized the trap he’d fallen into at the time. After that, he was obligated. He’d been seen kissing her and was forced into it.”
Charlotte reached over and took his hand. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how you must have felt.”
He’d been heartbroken, betrayed. He’d been a shadow of himself for some time after, uncertain of his future, of who he was, or how he could ever trust anyone again.
“It was hard. But after a while, once the gnawing ache faded, I realized I didn’t truly love her. More than anything, I loved the idea of her. I loved the thought of starting my life with someone, building a home, and gaining even more success with a partner by my side.”
And even after all these years, a part of him still wanted that. He hadn’t realized it until he started spending more time with Charlotte, but it was there.
Charlotte’s eyes filled with understanding. “I can see why you reacted the way you did.” She looked down. “I must remind you a lot of her.”
He didn’t want to lie. “Yes, but not any of the bad.” Charlotte could never be as deceptive as Crystal had been.
She nodded slowly, hurt, and he regretted needing to tell her about it.
“I appreciate you telling me this,” she finally said.
When she stood up, he followed. “It probably wasn’t what you wanted to hear.”
She smoothed a hand over her skirt, and he could tell she was trying not to fidget. “I wanted honesty, and that’s exactly what you gave me. I think I’ll return to town now and reopen the shop.”
He gathered up the basket and looped it through his arm. “Let me walk you to your horse.”
She nodded her
agreement but didn’t say anything else until they got there. She mounted quickly. “Enjoy the basket.”
“I will. Thank you again.”
“See you later tonight,” she said before heading back toward town.
He watched her ride away, wondering if he’d just made the biggest mistake of his life. He’d never told anyone what had happened between him and Crystal, but he knew it had been the right thing to do.
Crystal had made it hard for him to trust, but talking about it just now had helped him see how much the memory had held him back.
He wondered if he could rebuild the heart she’d decimated years ago.
Chapter 7
Charlotte wrapped several of the apple tarts in a cloth and carefully placed them in the basket. Since she’d dropped off the first basket to Max a few days ago, she’d brought him one every day since.
After their conversation, she’d been completely blindsided. Out of everything she’d imagined, all the reasons he wouldn’t want her, none of them had come close to the truth.
She couldn’t imagine how that betrayal had affected him. Not only did Charlotte remind him of that woman, but she was probably the first woman he’d gotten close to since then. No wonder he was having problems figuring out how he felt about her.
She was having a hard enough time herself, and she hadn’t experienced anything like that.
There were two options, she realized. She could either become so upset at him and the situation that she washed her hands of him and didn’t give him another moment of her time. Or, she could be his friend, get to know him, show him what kind of person she was, and if anything else grew between them, then it would be right.
She chose the latter. So, the day after their talk, she’d packed him another basket and taken it to him.
He’d been shocked, of course. He probably expected never to hear from her again. But then he’d looked relieved. And that was the reason she’d continued to bring him treats each day. If she could bring a smile to his face, if there was something she could do to make his day better, she wanted to do it.
Western Future: Copper Kings - Book 3 Page 6
