Chapter 3
Gwen
Breakfast was a tense affair.
Knox had slept in the barracks bunkhouse by himself last night. It could house up to a dozen men at a time. But since Knox was the first one ever, he was kind of like the trial run.
The night’s sleep hadn’t lifted his mood.
Poor Eric kept trying to talk to the guy, but Knox just grunted and gave short responses, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
Despite his gruff demeanor, I’d found myself taking extra care with my appearance this morning. Instead of old, ratty sweats, I’d put on a new cute pair of joggers that highlighted my butt. And I’d taken some time to style my hair before coming out of the bedroom to greet my housemates.
Eric continued, “And later on today I thought we’d go see my buddy, Leroy. He’s ex-military, too, and—”
Knox cut him off. “What I really want is to get started with work. You mentioned a sawmill that might be hiring?”
“Uh, yeah. But don’t you want to take some time and settle in before you—”
“No.” The way he boomed the word out left no questions in the air.
But Eric didn’t take that no for an answer. “The logging camp might be a better fit. There’s a lot of ex-army guys out there and—”
“Naw. Sawmill.”
A flash of annoyance crossed Eric’s face.
“The logging camp has a lot of openings. You could start right away. It’s run by the Harrisons.
The sawmill only has one spot. And it will probably go to a local.
You have to interview for that one. With the logging camp there’s no interview.
You’re just in. You can either work for the Harrisons or the Harringtons.
And everyone I know works for the Harrisons. ”
Knox gripped the fork in his hand tightly, a bite of breakfast sausage suspended in midair. “I’d prefer to try the sawmill.”
Eric let out a grunt, finally giving in. Then, he pulled out his phone, tapping away. After a few minutes of that, he gruffly said, “You’ve got an interview with Jane at eleven hundred. It’s at Mick Harrington’s office.”
Knox nodded. “Thanks for that. But can we do away with the military time? We’re not in the army anymore.”
Eric leaned back, his expression darkening. Then he got up and clattered his plate into the sink and stalked off.
It wasn’t that Knox had said anything rude. It was the way he’d said it that set Eric off. Every word was a dismissive growl, warning us to back off and keep our distance. I was good at that, so it wasn’t a problem for me.
Poor Eric was taking it personally, though. He wasn’t bonding with the new guy the way he’d expected.
Emerald popped up, her gaze skittering between Knox and me. “I should go check on him.”
And that left me alone with the surly one.
I had a late shift at Bookish tonight and nothing to do between now and then. My new friend Eliza, another transplant to the Ozarks, wasn’t free today. So I couldn’t count on her being my lunch date at the Hungry Rooster today.
The empty hours stretched before me. The Mountain Man Romance Book Club was scheduled to meet in the back room of the bookstore later on, so I imagined it would be a late night for me. The ladies were always a rowdy bunch.
“Would you like a ride to Mick’s office?” I asked him. “I’m heading that way at eleven.” Knox didn’t have a car yet. He’d taken a bus to Fernwood, then hitched his way here.
He grunted, “If it’s not out of your way.”
“No, they’re close to each other.”
He nodded, and I knew to interpret that as a yes.
Then we finished eating our breakfast in silence.
I didn’t mind a little silence. It actually made me feel more comfortable with him.
Unlike every other unattached guy who’d been at the party last night, Knox wasn’t trying to get in my skirt.
It was a little refreshing. There were too many single men on Red Oak Mountain, and some of them acted like they were starved for love.
But were they? Or did they just want to explore the heat between my thighs?
I guarded my heart closely these days. Emerald had spent the last six months trying to set me up on blind dates. She was on a mission to see me married off and settled, as though we were living in Victorian times and I was in danger of entering my old maid years.
It was cute, but entirely unnecessary.
My big plan in life was to rent an apartment with my co-worker Avery. Then wait for an opening at the hair salon. I worked at the bookstore right now, but my certification was in cosmetology, and that was where my real passion lay.
The only part I wasn’t good at was the small talk that went along with being a hairdresser. But I figured there were quiet people like me, too. And maybe they’d want to get their hair done with a minimum of extra fuss. I could develop a following of quiet ones. The in-and-out crowd.
After that? Well, I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.
When Knox was done eating, he took my plate and washed the dishes, all without saying a word.
After he was done, he met my eyes, gave me a small head nod and walked briskly out the door.
A man like that? I could do his hair.
He’d be quiet through the whole thing.
Eric might be having a hard time adjusting to Knox. But I was on his wavelength. I felt like we had an unspoken understanding between us.
I sat there trying to absorb the change in dynamics here at the house.
Emerald, Eric, and I had it down to a science.
It was rare for me to feel like the third wheel. And I just tuned out the caterwauling that happened every night after they went to bed.
But with Knox here, I was seeing a new side of Eric. He was trying so hard to accommodate his new guest, and I got the feeling Knox just needed Eric to take one step back and let him catch his breath.
It was a shame they didn’t seem to be vibing well. Eric had put his whole life savings into this passion project of his. He wasn’t even getting paid to do it. It was just something he felt strongly about.
I did a quick sweep of the kitchen floor while I thought about how to get those two communicating better.
Emerald came back in while I was finishing the floor. “Oh, you already did the dishes? I was going to get those.”
“Knox did them,” I told her as I tucked the broom and dustpan along the edge of the fridge where they lived.
“Huh. I guess that makes sense. They get trained to keep things clean in the military. Eric keeps this place spotless.”
He sure did. I’d never lived anywhere as clean as this before.
“Is he all right?” I asked.
“Yeah, he’s wrapping his head around the fact that this might be harder than he thought.”
I nodded. “Knox might just need a few days to settle in. I think if we all give him a little space, it might help.”
Emerald bit her lip. “Yeah. You’re probably right. I’ll tell Eric that.”
Then her eyes lit up as she changed the subject. “So, about last night.”
I couldn’t help chuckling. “I know what you’re going to say. The answer’s no.”
“But what about Briggs? Or Amos? Amos was really into you.”
When she saw my face she added, “Or Forest? He’s not the most outgoing guy in the world, and I saw him talking to you, too. That means a lot coming from him.”
“All the guys last night were really nice.”
She went on, “Dawson is a real catch, too. What did you think of—”
Emerald stopped talking when I giggled.
“But?”
“But… I didn’t feel a spark.”
My best friend in the whole world sighed and furrowed her brow.
Taking her hand, I said, “It’s okay, Emerald. I’ll find someone. You’re more worked up about it than I am. I’ve only lived here on Red Oak Mountain for a few months. And I didn’t move here to find a husband.”
She gripped my hand tightly. “I just want to see you as happy as Eric makes me.”
“I’m very happy. Some things happen in time. You can’t rush love.”
Emerald said, “But if you would reconsider Dawson. He’s a really good guy.”
I laughed. “Absolutely not! I don’t think any of the guys at the party are looking for something real. And I don’t need to play anymore. I’ve had enough of that. The next man I sleep with will be the one I marry.”
Emerald said, “It’s not true about all those guys. Briggs has been looking for a wife for a while now. And Amos has a heart of gold hidden under his burly beard. I know he must want to settle down. He can’t be a player forever.”
Shaking my head, I told her, “Briggs is like all these military guys. Good for a quick fling and nothing more. Not to say that Eric isn’t more than that. I know he’s the one for you.”
Then I thought about it and added, “But if I were going to play. I think it would be with Knox.”
“Knox! But he’s kind of an asshole, isn’t he? I mean, good looks are one thing, but—”
Something clattered in the living room, and we both looked up. Knox scooped up an electric razor that had dropped to the ground. He had his duffel bag in one hand and a towel and the razor in the other.
Gruffly he muttered, “Eric said I could do laundry. And I was going to grab a shower.”
Emerald put on a cheery smile. “Absolutely. This is your home now, too. Feel free to come and go as you need. We leave the front door unlocked twenty-four-seven.”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Had he heard what I’d just said about him?
Our eyes met for a moment. And the way they scraped across my face told me he’d heard Every. Single. Word.