Chapter 14
fourteen
. . .
Winnie
“Thanks for making time for me, Winnie. It was lovely to spend time with you,” Brenner said as he pulled into the driveway at Archer’s house.
“You too.” I unbuckled my seat belt and smiled at him. “And I hope you have a wonderful holiday.”
“Thanks.” He got out of the car and came around to open my door.
Brenner was a complete gentleman, and though there hadn’t been a spark or a romantic connection, I definitely felt like he’d be a great friend.
I stepped out of the car and walked toward the exterior door to my place, because it was late, and I didn’t want to wake Archer and Melody by going through the house.
Though I doubted Archer was asleep.
He’d texted no less than a dozen times during my dinner with Brenner with random questions.
Where had I put the Scotch tape, because he was wrapping presents.
I reminded him that it was exactly where he always kept it, in the kitchen junk drawer.
Had I seen the holiday gift wrap that he’d purchased yesterday in case I had more gifts to wrap.
I’d responded that we’d already discussed that this morning, and I thanked him again.
Did I like the new brand of mint chip ice cream he’d picked up for me.
Again, I responded that I loved it, and we’d also already discussed that this morning as well.
He’d shoveled the walk, so not to worry when I got home, because it should be clear.
I thanked him.
It was ridiculous, really, and it made no sense.
He was either a controlling boss who really wanted me to be aware of what was going on at the house while I was gone, or he didn’t like the idea of me being out with Brenner Layton.
Brenner placed the palm of his hand on my lower back and guided me toward the door. But before we could make it past the front entrance to the side, the door to the main house swung open.
“Oh, hey,” Archer said, standing in the doorway. “I thought I saw lights in the driveway and wanted to make sure you got home safely with the crazy weather conditions.”
Brenner chuckled under his breath as I glanced around. It wasn’t snowing. It was cold, but still a very calm evening as far as the weather went.
“The roads are fine.”
“Oh, I thought a storm was rolling in,” Archer said, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced up at the sky as if he were checking for a storm. “Anyway, I was waiting up to discuss your travel plans for tomorrow. There’s a few things I wanted to go over with you, if you have a moment.”
Brenner covered his laugh with a cough this time.
“I’ll be right in, Archie,” I said with a sigh.
He nodded and stepped back, closing the door a bit, but leaving it cracked open for me.
“Listen, I sense a little something here, and I certainly don’t want to step on any toes.” Brenner smirked. “Archer is a great guy, and I got the feeling he wasn’t happy about me taking you to dinner when I picked you up earlier.”
“Ahh… you mean when he was playing with his power tools in the garage for absolutely no reason at all?” I laughed, because Archer had acted odd as hell when Brenner showed up at the front door.
He was the one who had been avoiding me.
He’d gone on a date last night, and I hadn’t acted irrationally.
I worked for the man, for God’s sake.
He was the one who said that the almost kiss was a mistake.
“Or when he told me about how he has a membership to the gun club and flexed his muscles several times while standing in the doorway, glaring at me?” Brenner pursed his lips.
“There really is nothing going on here.” I shrugged. “I mean, he’s great, but he’s not interested in me that way.”
“I don’t think that’s the case, Winnie. And Bridger kind of warned me that I was barking up a dangerous tree by asking you out.” He chuckled.
“I think Archer is just protective because I work for him.”
“Sure he is,” he said with a smile. “How about this… We can be friends and grab a bite to eat anytime. And you figure out what’s going on with that jealous boss of yours in the meantime.
I noticed the way your cheeks pinked when he came out to check on you, so I have a feeling there’s a little more here than either of you want to admit. ”
“It doesn’t mean anything will come of it. I work for him, and I just got divorced.”
“You’ve been separated from your husband for a year. You deserve to be happy, Winnie.” He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
“Thanks, Brenner. I had a really nice time.” I held up my hand and waved as I walked toward the front door.
I couldn’t believe that Archer had waited up for me.
He was by far the most confusing man I’d ever met.
I pushed inside and caught him hurrying down the hall toward the kitchen.
“Nice try. You were totally spying on me.”
He turned around, wearing this lazy, sexy smile on his face. “I was just making sure you got home safely. What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t check on you?”
“A normal one,” I said dryly as I followed him to the kitchen. “I don’t think it’s common for a boss to check on his employee when she’s out on a date. And you texted me an awful lot with ridiculous questions.”
“Really?” He gaped at me. “Inquiring about your favorite flavor of popcorn is ridiculous?”
“It’s certainly not urgent,” I said as I hopped up on the counter. He opened the freezer and pulled out the new tub of mint chip ice cream and shook it in front of me before grabbing two spoons. “Nor is your need to know if I carry pepper spray with me.”
“Hey, you can never be too safe.” He handed me a spoon. “I’m glad you like this new brand. We did some damage the other night, and they were out of that brand when I stopped at the market.”
I dipped my spoon in the green goodness, and my gaze locked with his as I wrapped my lips around the utensil and chuckled. “Ice cream is my weakness.”
“Ahh… bows are your superpower, and ice cream is your kryptonite,” he said, reaching around my head and tugging gently on the red bow tied around the elastic.
“What’s your kryptonite, Archie?”
“I didn’t know I had one, but I think I might have been wrong.” He moved closer, and his green gaze locked on mine.
“Did you hook up with that woman last night?” I whispered.
“I did not.”
“Did you kiss her?” I pressed, because I wanted to know.
“No, but I’m fairly certain the waiter did. I’m not even sure if they waited until I left the restaurant before they started hooking up.” He chuckled, his hand moving to my cheek.
“You’re joking,” I said, shaking my head with disbelief.
“Nope. They had a real connection, and I was too busy texting you the whole time.”
“Yet, you’ve been avoiding me since we almost kissed the other night.”
“Correct.”
“Why?”
“For starters, I’m too old for you.” He ran the tips of his fingers along the edge of my jaw before stepping back and dipping his spoon in the ice cream.
This man is so hot and cold.
“You’re so hung up on my age.” I rolled my eyes. “Honestly, I think I’m far more mature than you are.”
He swallowed down the bite he’d taken, and his mouth fell open. “Shots fired. How are you more mature than me?”
This man managed to be ridiculously sexy with his mouth hanging open, standing here in a pair of gray joggers and a white tee.
“Well, for starters, you were spying on me when I got home from my date. You didn’t see me doing that last night after you went out, did you?”
The corners of his lips turned up, and he sighed. “I’m sorry. Did I interrupt a kiss good night?”
“No. I wasn’t going to kiss him either way.”
“How come?”
“Because I like him as a friend. I don’t have romantic feelings toward him.”
He nodded. “Did I make you uncomfortable the other night?”
“No. I wanted you to kiss me.”
He narrowed his gaze as he studied me. “Yet you weren’t jealous last night when I was out with someone else?”
“I didn’t say that,” I snorted. “I just wasn’t lame enough to spy on you.”
“Oh, I’m lame, am I?”
“You’re confusing, Archie.”
“How so?”
“You’re very hot and cold with me, and I can’t read you,” I admitted.
“You’re my daughter’s nanny. And the best damn thing to happen to both of us in a very long time,” he said. His eyes softened, and I saw all that vulnerability there. “I don’t want to fuck that up.”
“And kissing me would fuck that up?”
“I don’t know, Winnie. I don’t really date, and kissing a woman who lives in your home and works for you seems like a bad decision.” He stepped closer. “Even if I really want to.”
I blew out a breath and put my hands on his chest, pushing him back the slightest bit before jumping off the counter. I set my spoon in the sink and replaced the lid on the ice cream before setting it back in the freezer.
And then I turned to face him. “Listen, you need not worry. I wanted to kiss you the other night, too, but I don’t want to kiss you tonight, Archie.”
He looked surprised by my words, and I moved past him, heading for the door to my bedroom.
“You’ve lost interest that quickly, huh?” His voice was laced with humor, but I could hear the vulnerability.
I turned around and shrugged. “It’s not about losing interest; it’s about knowing my worth. And I don’t want to kiss a man who isn’t sure about me. Even if it’s the first man in a very long time that I’ve wanted to kiss.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry for being hot and cold with you. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“Neither do I.” I forced a smile.
“All right. So, we’re friends?” he asked.
“Of course we are.”
He chuckled. “And not the kind of friends who kiss.”
“Nope. The next man I agree to kiss is going to have zero doubts when he looks at me. When I left my miserable marriage, I made a promise to myself not to settle for anything less than that.”
“Nor should you.” There was a tortured look in his eyes.
But it wasn’t my job to convince Archer Chadwick that I was worth the risk.
It had taken me a long time to find my worth again.
And I meant it when I said I wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Even if I was desperate to kiss my sexy-as-sin boss.
“Merry Christmas, Winnie girl.” My father was wearing the same Santa hat that he’d been wearing every year for as long as I could remember.
“Thanks, Dad.” I chuckled as I unwrapped my gift and gasped. “What did you do?”
“I think you’re due for a new laptop, aren’t you?” he asked.
I’d had the same laptop for several years, and I was definitely in need of a new one.
“This is amazing. And way too much.” I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you so much.”
“You deserve everything, sweetheart.” He smiled.
“And so do you.” I stood and walked to my room, the one I’d grown up in.
We’d lived in this little two-bedroom house right down the street from my father’s mechanic shop my entire life.
I leaned forward, pressing my hands on the top of the package as I pushed the large gift out to him, and his eyes widened.
“And what did you do?” He chuckled as he tore the paper off and unveiled his new Craftsman rolling tool chest. “Wow. This is amazing.”
“Apparently it holds hundreds of pounds of tools.”
“It sure does.” He leaned forward and kissed the top of my hair. “Thank you very much. But you should be saving your money.”
“I’m doing pretty good now that I don’t have someone emptying the bank account anytime there’s something in it,” I said as my phone vibrated, and I saw an incoming FaceTime call from Archer.
My father glanced over and chuckled. “Your boss sure calls you a lot.”
I moved to my feet. “I promised Melody we could FaceTime this morning so she could show me her gifts.”
My father was right. Archer and I talked several times a day. Sometimes about Melody.
Sometimes just about life.
About the weather, our families, friends, work, books, movies—we talked about everything.
He nodded and waved me off as he tore open the box to start building his tool chest.
“Merry Christmas!” I smiled as they came into focus on my phone screen.
“Winnie! I misses you!”
“I misses you, too, sweet pea.”
“Merry Christmas, Winnie,” Archer said, his hair disheveled, as a sexy grin spread across his handsome face.
“What time are you guys heading over to your aunt and uncle’s house?”
“In an hour. We’re just talking about how much we miss your pancakes,” he said.
“Oh yeah?” I walked into my bedroom and closed the door. “I miss you guys, too.”
I really did. I was surprised at how much I missed them, when I’d only been gone for a few days.
After spending years in a relationship with Jaden, I’d felt nothing but relief after I left.
And a few days away from Archer and Melody had been much more difficult than I’d imagined.
And I couldn’t wait to get back home.
Home.
Rosewood River felt like home.
Archer and Melody felt like home, too.