Chapter Eleven – Kian
Kian
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I had slept miserable all night, thinking it was freezing in the guest house, and I was right. It had been freezing!
I stared at the thermostat in the living room and willed it to move. When I exhaled and saw my breath, I knew I needed to leave and head to the main house.
“Just my luck,” I grumbled as I made my way to the bedroom. I pulled out a bag and packed a few days’ worth of clothes and my bathroom items. I headed out to the living room and did the same with my laptop and a few other things I would need while up there.
I grabbed my jacket and abruptly stopped after opening the front door.
“Snow? It’s snowing?”
It wasn’t like it had never snowed in Moose Village in March, but the weather had been so up and down the last few weeks. Yesterday, it was sixty-four degrees out, and I wore a T-shirt and shorts.
After getting into my car and starting it, I pulled out my phone and called Sally .
“Kian, is everything okay?”
“I’m sorry to call, Sally. I know it’s late, but the heater isn’t working in the guest house and it’s freezing in there. I just wanted to let you know I’m coming up to the house, at least for tonight, until I can get someone out here to fix it.”
“I’ll fix up one of the rooms for you with a fireplace, and I can go light a fire in there if you’d like.”
I couldn’t help but smile. That was Sally for you. She was always there for us kids growing up. Why should I be surprised she would do the same for us as adults? She cared more for me than my own mother.
“Nonsense. It will be fine. I’ll be golden if there is heat and I can’t see my breath. I just didn’t want you to panic when you heard me coming in.”
“If you’re sure. Can I heat you up some warm milk or maybe some tea?”
I laughed softly and said, “I don’t need a thing. Thank you, though.”
“If you change your mind, you’ll let me know?”
Smiling, I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m pulling up now, and I’ll be fine. I promise. Goodnight, Sally.”
“Sweet dreams, Kian.”
I hit End on the screen and grabbed my two bags from the passenger seat. The snow was starting to come down harder, and I nearly slipped and fell on my ass as I ran to the front door. I was hoping Sally didn’t have the alarm on, or at the very least, had turned it off when I called to tell her I was coming to the house. After punching in the code, I opened the door and let out a sigh of relief when I didn’t hear the beeping of the alarm. I shut the door and relished in the warmth of the house .
“Thank you, Sally, for keeping the entire house heated.”
I dropped my bags by the steps and headed into the kitchen. Despite what I told Sally, I needed a hot cup of coffee, tea, or maybe even hot chocolate to take the chill out of my veins. It had been a hot minute since I had done anything in this kitchen, so it took me a few moments to find the kettle and to look for some hot chocolate. Sally didn’t keep a whole lot of things stocked in the pantry since it was normally just her, but she must have gone shopping the moment she found out Cadie would be here.
“Hot chocolate, hot chocolate, where are you?” I said as I looked through the pantry. I spotted my favorite hot chocolate and grinned like a kid in a candy store. “There you are!”
Reaching back, I snagged the box and turned to walk out of the pantry; when I pushed the door open, I let out a scream that would put any young boy going through puberty to shame. Another scream besides mine echoed throughout the house. Somewhere upstairs, I heard Sally yelling out.
“Fucking hell, Kian! You scared the shit out of me,” Cadie said, a baseball bat lifted above her head.
With my hand over my chest, I took a few deep breaths. “Can you…please…put the bat…down.”
Cadie looked up at her hands still over her head and lowered the bat.
“Where in the hell did you even find a bat?”
Dropping the bat down to her side, Cadie drew in a breath. “It was in the closet in the bedroom I’m staying in. I just happened to see it when I hung up some clothes.”
Confused, I asked, “Why was it in there?”
She looked at me like I had asked the stupidest question ever. “How would I know, Kian? It was your room. ”
The sound of feet running down the stairs were followed by Sally crying out, “It’s just Kian! It’s just Kian!”
She skidded to a stop and looked between me and Cadie. Her focus finally landed on Cadie. “Where in the world did you get a bat?”
Rolling her eyes, she set the bat down on the counter. “I found it in the closet earlier when hanging up some clothes.” Her eyes swung back to me. “What are you doing here…and in the pantry?”
I set the hot chocolate down by the stove and looked at Sally. “Are the pans still in the same place?”
She smiled as she pointed to an electric kettle. “We have this fancy little thing here that boils the water or milk in less than two minutes.”
I turned to Cadie and said, “Sorry, I should have texted you, but it was late. I did call Sally to tell her I was coming up here to stay.”
Blinking rapidly, she asked, “What do you mean…to stay?”
I reached up and pulled out three mugs.
Sally waved her hands in front of her. “Not for me. I’m heading back up to bed. Be sure to unplug this.”
When Sally walked by, I kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sorry to scare you like that.”
She chuckled. “You didn’t scare me. The second I heard the two of you scream, I knew what happened.” Sally faced Cadie. “Do you need anything, sweetheart?”
With a shake of her head, Cadie smiled. “I’m good. Thank you so much, Sally.”
With a goodnight to both of us, she disappeared out of the kitchen.
“Want some hot chocolate?” I asked as I held up a Tigger mug.
Cadie’s mouth opened but then quickly shut. Her eyes looked confused as her gaze searched my face, the kitchen, then back to my face.
“You don’t have to feel like you need to keep me company. I just need to heat up some before I head to the room Sally made up for me.”
Her mouth dropped open once again, but she remained silent.
I scooped some hot chocolate mix into my mug as I said, “I’m guessing I’ll only be here tonight. Once the repair guy comes tomorrow, I’ll have heat back at my place.”
Sally had added milk to the glass kettle. She was right; the milk was already boiling. I took it off and poured the milk into my mug. I looked at Cadie and silently asked her about the hot chocolate. She grabbed the mug, put some hot chocolate in, and stepped back for me to pour the milk in.
“Thank you,” she softly said as she slid onto one of the stools. I put the mix back into the pantry, poured the leftover milk out, and set the kettle back on its heating element. Once I unplugged it, I sat at the island’s opposite end.
“I’m sorry I scared you.”
She held the mug with both hands while she blew on the hot chocolate. “It’s okay.”
“Do you always scare so easily?”
Her eyes lifted and met mine. “I’m in a strange house, Kian. I heard the front door open and then heard voices in the kitchen. Of course, I would be scared.”
“Voices? It was just me. ”
She looked at me like she wanted to throat-punch me. “How was I supposed to know you would be down here talking to yourself?”
I nodded. “Fair point.”
We sat silently for a few moments as we sipped the hot chocolate.
“So? What do you think?” I asked as I set my mug down.
“This is delicious hot chocolate.”
“I know! I was so happy to see it in the pantry.”
A smile played at the edges of her pretty mouth.
Don’t look at her mouth, Kian. No matter how soft and kissable it appears.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a hot chocolate guy.”
I pretended to be offended by her remark. “I am a huge hot chocolate lover. Don’t tell Sally, but Opal makes the best hot chocolate.”
She took another sip and set her mug down. “She does. She made some for me after we ate with her the other day. When did your heater go out?”
“Earlier today. I think I noticed it around seven. By then, it was too late to call someone, and I figured I could just layer up, and I would be fine. Turns out I was wrong. That house must be terribly insulated because it was so cold in there I could see my breath. I finally called it and decided to come up here.”
“I don’t blame you,” she said, again picking up her mug. “It’s freezing outside. Which is crazy to me because we were eating ice cream and sitting outside the other day.”
I laughed. “That’s Upstate New York for ya. Granted, we were probably crazy for eating ice cream when it was in the forties. ”
“It was so good though!”
I chuckled. “I won’t be here more than one night. I’m sure the heater guy can come by tomorrow and fix whatever is wrong.”
“Kian, this is your house. I’m the one who is staying as a guest, not you.”
Smiling, I replied, “I get that, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable with me being here.”
She shrugged. “Sally is here, and I’ll be fine.”
I finished off my hot chocolate and stood. “Done?”
Cadie took another drink and then handed me the mug. “Thanks, that hit the spot.”
“I’m just going to wash these up quickly, then head upstairs. Again, I’m sorry if I scared you. I really should have at least sent a text.”
“Nah,” she said with a wave of her hand. “I overreacted. I’m glad you’re warm now. Sweet dreams.”
A sudden urge to pull Cadie into my arms and hug her goodnight hit me, and I took a step away from her as I pushed my hand through my hair. “Yeah, sleep well.”
She smiled before turning and walking out of the kitchen. I leaned against the counter and looked up at the heavens. “Please let the heater be fixed tomorrow.”
Staring at the heater repair guy I hadn’t ever met before, I asked, “Are you certain?”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Yes, I’m certain. This isn’t my first time figuring out what is wrong with a heating unit. You need a new one. ”
My hand instantly went to the back of my neck to rub at the ache that was beginning. “And Tom wasn’t able to make it out?”
A look of frustration instantly appeared on the guy’s face, and I knew I had fucked up. He was offended now, and I would probably never get a new heater, at least from this guy.
He folded his arms over his chest and glared at me. “Like I said earlier, Tom is on vacation. Listen, I know you don’t know me, and I don’t know you either, but I know I have fifteen years of experience in this industry. You’re going to need a new heating unit, Mr. Carter. This one is older than you, probably. This thing is obsolete. The gas valve is shot, the board is out, and they no longer make the parts for this thing. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry; what was your name again?”
“Chuck.”
“Chuck, yes, please forgive me. I didn’t sleep much last night and wasn’t expecting that kind of news. Of course, you know more than I would. How long before we could get a new one installed and up and running?”
“I’ll have to return to the office and have Janice look it up. She can give you an estimate for the new unit and a time frame for when it will be and when we can install it. I’d say a week…most likely two.”
My mouth fell open. “A week?”
“If we’re lucky.”
I closed my eyes and thought back to last night, how I had laid in bed and thought about Cadie. Her lips, the way her pajamas hugged her body. And worst of all…how easy it would be to slip out of my bed and right into hers. I had jerked of f to images of her and came so hard I thought I might black out. I didn’t even care I was under the same roof as Sally. It was no different than when I was a teenager looking at dirty magazines my best friend Declan Gallagher would sneak to me.
Shaking away my wayward thoughts, I forced myself to smile at Chuck. “Okay, yeah, if you could just let Janice know I’m willing to pay extra for labor if we can install it as soon as possible.”
Chuck raised a brow, looked at the house behind me, and huffed. “Right. I’ll pass along that message, Mr. Carter.”
He gathered up his tools, and I followed him to his truck. “Thank you so much, Chuck,” I said, hoping to get on the guy’s good side.
“Yep, sure thing,” he replied as he shut the back door to his van. He looked at me again and said, jerking his thumb behind him, “You could always sleep in that monstrosity of a house there.”
Glancing up to the house, I saw Cadie on the back porch. She looked to be bundled up in a blanket and drinking something.
I sighed. “I may just look at getting a space heater.”
Chuck laughed, climbed into his van, and said, “Good luck with that.”
I watched as he pulled out of the drive and turned right. “Great. Way to go and piss off the guy, Kian.”
Turning back to the guest house, I thought about if there was anything else I might need. I didn’t have much stuff, and most of it was at the main house. After Chuck’s reaction to my space heater comment, I figured the best bet was to suck it up and stay at the main house. With Cadie .
Sighing, I quickly made my way back to the main house. The first thing I did was find Sally.
She was in the kitchen, and the smell of bacon instantly made my stomach growl. Walking up to her, I kissed her cheek. “Morning, Sally.”
“Good morning. I see you got someone out here pretty quickly.”
“Yeah, I called Tom’s, and Janice said she would have someone stop by first thing. It wasn’t Tom, though…some guy named Chuck.”
“Tom and Angie are in Hawaii for their fiftieth anniversary.”
“Are they?” I asked as I took a piece of already-cooked bacon. “The repair guy did mention he was on vacation. I think I pissed him off when I questioned if he was sure about needing a new heater.”
“Language, Kian.”
I paused from getting the orange juice out of the fridge. “Sally, you do realize I am thirty-three years old. You can’t reprimand me for saying a bad word.”
Glancing over her shoulder, her brows shot up to her hairline. “Is that so?”
A part of me wanted to drop the juice and make a run for it, but the adult in me smiled at her.
“Don’t think you can charm me with that smile.”
Pouring myself a glass of juice, I replied, “You think my smile is charming?”
I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
Glancing out the French doors, I saw a fire in the outdoor fireplace, and Cadie was sitting out there. “Is she crazy sitting out in this cold weather? ”
Sally glanced over her shoulder once again. “She is the sweetest thing. She started that fire alone and said the fresh air felt good. I brought her out a blanket and some coffee.”
I took a drink of the OJ. Without taking my eyes off of Cadie, I asked, “So what’s for breakfast?”
“Your favorite. Blueberry pancakes, bacon, and I cut up some fresh fruit.”
“Wow! I should have been coming up here for breakfast every day if I had known you would spoil me.”
A soft laugh came from Sally. “I’ve missed cooking for people. Now, get Cadie and tell her breakfast will be ready soon. She’s going to need to warm herself up.”
With a salute, I replied, “Yes, ma’am!”
Sally grabbed a dish towel and attempted to hit me with it, but I was too quick, and she missed.
When I opened the French doors, Cadie turned and smiled up at me. “Morning. How did it go? The repair guy wasn’t here for very long.”
“How are you not freezing out here?”
She looked at the fire. “The fire is keeping me warm.”
I looked from the fire to her and then back to the fire. “The wind alone is making it feel frigid out here, Cadie. You are obviously made of heartier stock than me. By the way, breakfast is done, and Sally is insisting you come back in.”
“The fire?”
“It will be fine,” I insisted as I held my hand for her to take. “My gosh, how many blankets do you have wrapped around you?”
Cadie laughed. “Two. Plus, I have a long-sleeve shirt on, a sweatshirt, and gloves.”
“All that for a bit of fresh air? ”
She nodded as she took off each blanket and quickly folded them. Tucking them under her arm, she started for the doors.
Once we walked back into the kitchen, Cadie let out a moan that I desperately tried to ignore.
“That smells so good!”
Sally beamed. “It’s Kian’s favorite.”
Cadie looked at me. “Really? Pancakes, huh?”
“Not just any kind of pancakes,” I replied with a wink. “Blueberry pancakes. And bacon.”
“Don’t forget the fruit!” Sally added.
Cadie chuckled. “Spoiled much?”
“Oh, he was so spoiled as a young boy,” Sally added, handing me a plate piled high with pancakes and a side of bacon and fruit. “The maple syrup is on the table, nice and warmed up.”
When I stole a peek at Cadie, she was biting back a smile as she made her plate.
After sliding into her seat beside me, she leaned in and whispered, “She made your plate?”
I shrugged. “She likes taking care of us kids. Who am I to argue with that?”
Her mouth fell open at the same time her eyes went wide. “Let’s see, maybe a grown-ass man who can make his own plate?”
Picking up the syrup, I poured it over my pancakes while giving Cadie a shit-eating grin.
“What are your plans for today?” I asked.
“I’m covering this afternoon at the bakery, so I didn’t have to be there this morning. Which was kind of nice that I was able to sleep in. ”
“Especially after I woke you up last night.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, I was reading. I had difficulty falling asleep even before you showed up talking to yourself and looking for hot chocolate.”
I laughed. I loved how Cadie wasn’t afraid to dish it out as well as she could take it.
After chewing, she asked, “What about you?”
Sighing, I sat back. “I’m not sure. The heater won’t be fixed anytime soon, so it looks like we’ll be roomies for a bit.”
Her brows lifted. “Really?”
“You okay with that?”
She cleared her throat and wiped her mouth. “Of course. Like I said last night, it’s your house. If you have a problem with it, I can go back to the inn or–”
“Absolutely not! You will not go back there!” Sally interjected. “It will be fine, and if you’re worried about town gossip, don’t be. I’ll be here.”
Cadie and I both looked at Sally. Did she really think that her being here would stop anything? Not that anything would happen.
“All due respect, Sally,” Cadie said. “But I don’t think people who like to gossip would give two iotas that you’re here. But I’m not worried about gossip.”
“You’re not?” Sally and I said at the same time.
“No. Are you?”
I looked at Sally, who promptly turned away. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I looked at Cadie again. “Of course not. No one is even going to notice.”
The lie slid off my tongue so easily that it concerned me. Sally started to cough to hide the laugh that had slipped free. Cadie smiled and said, “There you have it then. And don’t worry, I won’t bother you with your writing. You won’t even know I’m here!”
My eyes fell to her soft pink lips, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they would feel like against my mouth. Or my skin. Or my…
Clearing my throat, I shook away my thoughts. “Same goes for me. You won’t even know I’m here.”
The smile that appeared on Cadie’s face was, most definitely, forced.
Oh. Shit.