Chapter Eleven
“Are you sure you wantto start staying here?” Nicole asked Paul as they crossed the yard to the cottage. Jim Baker arrived first thing this morning with his crew, and Paul had shown up not long afterward appearing cautiously optimistic about taking this step. She understood grief and still couldn’t imagine getting through the depth of his loss.
“It’s ten times better than anyplace I’ve bedded down in a long time.” He eyed the small barn-shaped quarters with appreciation.
“Well, like I said, the heat works well. They went ahead and updated the plumbing in the bath and kitchen this morning, and replaced the commode and vanity while they were at it.” She opened the door, closing it against the cold breeze as soon as they got inside, and waved a hand toward the kitchenette. “I still want to have the cabinets refinished and the countertop replaced. Only apartment-size appliances would fit, and, as you can see,” she said, turning to face the opposite side of the single room, “there’s just that half wall separating the sofa from the bed. At least the one window is large and gives you a nice view to wake up to.” Other than a dresser and compact table with two chairs, no other furniture would fit in the eight-hundred-square-foot space. “Bathroom’s here.” She pointed to the one separate room behind her.
“It’s perfect, and much appreciated.” Paul held out his hand. “I’ll go see where I can help your workers first and get settled this evening. It’s not like I have much to unload from the car.”
No, she figured he’d spent more effort coping with heartbreak than replacing the material possessions he’d lost while unemployed. Nicole wanted to baby him a little, talk him into relaxing for the two hours of daylight left, but she understood the need to keep the mind occupied with busy work.
“Jim can probably find a task for you. I’ll leave you to it, then. Come to the house for dinner.” She held up a hand when he started to protest. “I insist on including dinner in your benefits. I mostly fix casseroles that make plenty for two for three meals, so it’s no big deal. You can eat here if you prefer. Trust me when I say I understand.”
He swiveled toward the window with a jerky nod. “Thanks.”
Nicole opened the door, saying, “Stop by when Jim’s done, and I’ll have it ready.”
She left before his emotional duress rubbed off on her. After Slade had gone from taking her with the dominant aggression she loved to slow tenderness she’d responded to as easily, she was troubled by her own topsy-turvy feelings. Not to mention her shocking response to his hard hand on her bare butt. This morning, while she showered and dressed, she swore she could still feel leftover tingles from that hot discomfort racing across her tender flesh. Inhaling a deep breath of cool air, she forced those thoughts aside.
Her phone beeped with a text as she strode toward the barn. Checking the sender, she pressed delete seeing Natalie’s name again. Tolerance for Tony’s twin’s grief was one thing; allowing her to continue this constant harassment was another. She didn’t want to cause trouble, but she would never attain the peace she’d come here to find if she didn’t put an end to this.
Nicole entered the barn, tabling that decision until these renovations were done and she could consider the options with a clearer head. Of course, if Slade kept coming around, the clearer head might not ever return. How could a bad case of lust last so long? She had indulged in more sex with him in the last ten days than she had the previous ten months, yet she still went damp with one look, one simple touch.
Deranged Cowboy syndrome.Or insanity. There were no other explanations she could come up with.
“Wow, you move fast,” she told Jim, her gaze scanning the insulated walls and cleared concrete floor.
“I have a good crew. Work moves faster without obstacles. Open spaces like this are easy unless we run into problems. So far, nothing I didn’t already find on the inspection has popped up.”
Six young men had worked up a sweat even in this cool interior. Nicole shivered inside her coat, nothing she wasn’t used to. Growing up in the frigid Chicago winters with the wind blowing off the lake didn’t mean she endured long cold months without complaint.
“The pups and I will enjoy the heat once it’s in.”
“You’re paying a hefty amount to heat this place. Bedding them inside with hay would have saved you a lot. Just saying.”
She shrugged. Investing Tony’s money in the charity work that brought them together helped settle her conscience over inheriting from his suffering. The Renaldis didn’t need it. Natalie resented her for it, but Nicole just added it to the list of other things she resented her for, like breathing.
“It’s going to good use; that’s all that matters. My new handyman is here already and wants to help if you wouldn’t mind giving him something. Let’s just say he needs busy work.”
Jim patted her shoulder in a fatherly manner. “You’re a good person, Nicole. I can find something for him. I have the heating contractor coming tomorrow. With luck, we’ll have that going before the snow predicted at the end of the week. Planning on drywall and paint Wednesday, kennels and cleanup Thursday, maybe into Friday. The counters for the cottage will be in next week.”
“Sounds good. I’ll make a trip in to Casper midweek and stop at the shelter with an update. Thanks, Jim. See you in the morning.”
Nicole brought Sam inside when she returned to the house. Ever since she’d made the mistake with the coyote, she hadn’t left him out alone at dawn or dusk. She disliked owing Slade gratitude, yet she wouldn’t discount his timely appearance that evening or his enlightening information. And there she went, thinking about him again.
Annoyed with herself, she fed Sam then started on dinner. Paul would like her spaghetti pie. There wasn’t anyone she’d fixed it for who didn’t, and it was one of her favorites. She ignored the phone when it rang while she was mixing the cooked pasta with butter, eggs, and parmesan. Her parents were away on a cruise, so it was likely Allie or Lily. While she enjoyed their friendship, they would want to bring up Slade, and she was trying hard not to dwell on whatever was going on between them.
She was closing the oven door when she heard someone drive up and got halfway to the door when Slade’s loud voice followed his sharp rap.
“Nicole! Open up, or I’m coming in.”
Flinging the door open with a scowl, she snapped, “What are you ranting about?”
“You didn’t answer your phone,” he stated in a relieved, much calmer tone than the strident worry she’d caught at first.
Moving back, she held the door open since it appeared he was coming in anyway. Nicole closed it with a sigh, betrayed again by that damn little skip in her pulse upon hearing him, the instant pleasure at seeing him again.
“I was busy. What did you want?”
Instead of answering, he sniffed, tossed his lined denim coat on the sofa, and walked toward the kitchen, saying, “Smells like my timing is perfect. What are we having?”
“We?” She honestly couldn’t think of anything else to say.
It was his turn to scowl at her, hands fisted on his hips, that darn sexy Stetson still tipped low, hiding his eyes. “Yes.”
“You don’t sound happy about it.” About as pleased as she was, she imagined.
“I’m in the adjustment stage of our new relationship, same as you.”
A few words and the man left her dumbfounded. “We’re in a relationship?”
“Yes, and from watching my brothers this past year, eating together is apparently one of the things couples in a relationship do together. Where are the plates? I’ll set the table.”
She pointed to the cabinet behind him, delayed in questioning him further when Paul knocked on the back door. “That’s Paul, my handyman. He arrived early and is getting a plate to take to the cottage. He didn’t want to join me here. Respect that,” she told Slade.
“Of course,” he replied, setting his hat on the counter.
***
NICOLE brUSHED BY SLADE, eyeing him as if she didn’t believe him, before opening the back door. “Good timing. Come on in, and I’ll take it out of the oven.”
The new guy gazed at him with as much mistrust as Nicole, forcing Slade to throttle back his impatience. The instant, hair-trigger concern that sent him rushing over here when she didn’t answer his call still hadn’t eased all the way. Pretty soon, he would have no choice but to admit he’d already slipped from the milder L word to the deeper, more meaningful L word. He planned to take his brothers to task over not warning him about how love could sneak past, like without advance warning. It would have been nice to be prepared when it hit him in the face. For an ex-sniper, whose life had often depended on staying alert, that really rankled.
He held out his hand. “Slade Kincaid, the neighbor.”
Paul nodded, his grasp strong enough to assure Slade he was up to the task of helping Nicole despite the recent rough years he’d suffered. “Lily’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. Paul Westman. I don’t mean to intrude...”
“You’re not,” Nicole cut in. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and eat with us?” She handed him a covered container big enough to hold several helpings.
“I’m sure, but thanks. I’d like to finish getting settled. I’ll be up early to start work.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Slade spotted the plates as Nicole got out the container and set the table while she brought over a pan topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese. She set it down with a thump, the same way she took her seat, obviously still unhappy with this turn of events.
“I have water, beer, wine. Glasses above the sink. Help yourself. Spaghetti pie,” she added, using a spatula to scoop a generous portion onto his plate.
“Looks and smells good. We’ll have a glass of wine afterward.”
She ignored that and started eating, waiting to swallow before asking, “So, what did you want, when you called?”
“Nothing. See how you’re doing, that sort of thing.” He must be getting it bad when he found her scowl kind of cute.
“All this hassle because you just wanted to chitchat?”
Put that way, it made him irritable again. Before snapping in reply, like he was tempted to, he ate in silence, thinking of a better way to move forward instead of backward. Part of what he decided required baring more of himself, but he supposed that was necessary for a good relationship.
“Ever taken a walk on the wild side? Gone with or pursued any wild impulses?”
She thought a moment then said with decisiveness, “No.”
“Ever want to?”
“No. I like things on an even keel, calm, easy. Why?”
Sucking it up, he admitted, “I have. As a military sniper. At first for the risk-taking adrenaline rush. Working for the greater good of saving lives proved a bonus.”
“Until your last assignment.”
“Yes, but even with the regret, I saved lives. As difficult it was, still can be, I’ve come to accept the boy as dead either way from the moment he was kidnapped. Now, it’s your turn. Dare you to take that walk now.”
Her lips quirked, a positive sign. “You want me to become a military sniper?”
“Funny girl. Lose the attitude. I’ll do the same. See where this goes. Who knows, you may not go for my kink, and we’ll call it quits.”
“So, this is all about sex. I can do that, and try more of your kink.”
She appeared happy to admit that, and Slade let her believe that’s what he meant for now. It would help her lower her guard and leave her vulnerable to deeper feelings. And the fact he was psychoanalyzing proved how deeply invested he already was.
“More?” she inquired as he shoveled in the last bite.
“Sure. In case you can’t tell, it was damn good.”
Nicole handed him the spatula. “Thanks. Help yourself while I get the wine.”
They ate seconds and drank wine, talking about the renovations and her plans to foster. He hadn’t thought to bring Chace until Sam kept giving him a look that said where is he? Slade figured he had pushed Nicole enough by the time they cleared the dishes and he picked up his hat.
“We usually go to Ina’s for dinner midweek. I’ll walk over early through the woods and show you the way to my place and then we’ll leave from there.”
She followed him to the door, not attempting to prolong his stay he noticed. “Is that your way of asking me to dinner?”
“Nope. Telling in case you’ve changed your mind already.” He kissed her, hard and fast. The sex would wait until this weekend so as not to distract from either of their schedules. He still had to confront Evan Saturday morning when he was next scheduled to work, and preferred giving her his full concentration after he settled that disturbing matter. “Thanks for dinner.”
Slade brought Chace with him Wednesday afternoon when he returned to Nicole’s, taking the forest trail. Enough daylight remained to guide them back to his place with both dogs where they’d leave them while at dinner. He wanted Nicole and Sam to become familiar with the shortcut. As he and Chace emerged from the woods, they caught the tail end of Jim’s work crew leaving and, from the looks of things, they would finish the kennels on schedule, by the weekend.
She opened the back door before he reached it, still shrugging on a single-breasted knee-length coat the color of oatmeal. Her short, dark hair swung around her chin as she closed it behind her and then gazed up at him with her bright-blue eyes clear for a nice change. “Ready?” It took work to tamp down his readiness for more than a simple dinner with family, like hauling her back inside and bending her over the kitchen table.
“I’m hungry, if that counts.” She smiled, her eyes sliding to the dogs tussling with exuberant playfulness. “They sure like each other.”
He clasped her hand and started across the yard. “Chace hasn’t been around other dogs much, only my mother’s. I keep him busy working with me, which he loves. The trail is easy to follow, but not so much at night.”
“Oh, wow, it’s so different in here,” she said, walking through the trees alongside him. Do I hear water?”
“A creek, right around this curve.” Even in the waning light, he could see the pleasure suffusing her face when they reached the bridge.
“This is so nice, and close enough to enjoy more at a warmer time. Sam! Damn it,” she swore when the dogs chose to splash through the water instead of crossing the bridge with them. “Now I’ll have to get a towel from you and dry him before we go.”
“Relax. They’ll shake most of it off and run the rest of the way. See? Sam’s right on Chace’s heels, and they’ll beat us back.”
“I’m used to protecting him. He was a malnourished stray, and it took Tony and I months to get him healthy and comfortable with us.”
That was the first time Nicole had brought up her ex without remorse coloring her tone. Another positive indication in favor of this working. Now, if he could get past the shock of finding himself in this position and weather his brothers’ ribbing without clocking them, he could sit back and enjoy the ride.
“You’ve done an admirable job.” They reached the end of the trail with deepening dusk and drop in temperature. “And here we are.”
***
NICOLE GUESSED brETTconvinced Allie to refrain from saying anything about her and Slade arriving at Ina’s together. That helped make dinner more enjoyable yet left her wondering what he’d told his family, if anything. She was still hesitant to believe this thing between them was anything more than mutual sexual interest. After mistaking the friendly attraction she’d felt toward Tony for the onset of something deeper developing, she remained cautious. However, continuing with the sex she could do with no problem.
“How nice to see this table filled with the Kincaids,” Ina said, carrying over half of their orders with the waitress balancing the other half. “I was in the back when you got here.” Her gaze went from Slade to Nicole, and she smiled with approval.
“It was this herb cheese soup that brought me in,” she quipped lightly, taking in the large bowl of creamy soup thick with cod and broccoli and the generous slice of homemade bread.
“New recipe.” Ina set a plate in front of Slade and one for Lily. “Save room for pie.”
“Don’t I always?” Brett replied, taking his stack of ribs from the server.
“You and Allie, yes.” She laughed. “Reed and Slade aren’t as devoted as you two.”
“We are,” Reed protested. “It’s not my fault I can’t resist seconds.”
Lily nudged him with a teasing grin. “At home, he doesn’t stop at seconds. Put me down for a slice of cherry, Ina.”
That’s a hunger pain, not a pang of longing for inclusion, Nicole insisted when her abdomen cramped listening to the banter. Since moving here, she’d missed her parents and friends on occasion, but overall was happy with her decision. More so now seeing the progress and envisioning Tony’s approval of how she was spending his money. They had talked often about fostering, their busy schedules forcing them to put it off until she established herself as a graphic artist. She’d reached that goal when she’d snagged the contracts she had been in the process of fulfilling before leaving Chicago.
The work was fun, as she’d hoped, and between the new friendships and end to her long celibacy, her life here would have fulfilled a wish list if she’d had one. Other than her work, she owed the rest to Slade. She glanced at him as they ate, her heart executing that funny flip that started shortly after the night they’d gone upstairs at Casey’s. It meant nothing, of course, just a reactive response to the sexuality he oozed in spades, so she put it out of her mind.
“Lily and I have an appointment with the caterer Friday afternoon, so we’ll see you at Casey’s,” Reed stated as they all finished and prepared to leave.
“We’ll get there early. I’m working with Jordon.” Slade stood, picking up the check then taking Nicole’s hand.
It took getting used to again, this couple thing. Nicole hadn’t planned on going to Casey’s both Friday and Saturday and clamped shut on pointing out his assumption since she’d agreed to give it a try. Instead, she tried to disregard the tingles from the slight abrasion of his calloused, rough skin and failed. Even his slightest touch was too potent to ignore.
“I’m so glad Paul is with you and the job is going well,” Lily told Nicole when they stepped to the side so the guys could pay at the counter.
“We’re getting along good, and he seems to enjoy physical labor. Jim, my contractor, is also happy to have his help.”
Allie and Brett turned to leave. “See you this weekend,” she said with a wave.
“A little late, but we’ll be there,” Lily replied.
Nicole lifted her hand, still adjusting to the commitment she’d made to Slade and this whole dating thing again. She made herself cough up some more of that adjustment when they arrived back at her place and her phone beeped with an incoming text. A quick peek revealed Natalie’s name, as she’d suspected, and she pressed delete.
Ever astute, he shut off the truck, turned her way, and asked, “Is someone harassing you, Nicole?”
She didn’t want to involve him in her ongoing saga with Natalie but saw no way around it now. “Tony’s twin sister can’t get past her grief and blames me. She’s harmless, the texts idle threats she doesn’t mean.”
“Don’t take any threats lightly. You should report them.” Slade opened his door. “Do you mind if I see the progress Jim is making?”
“No, go ahead. I have to get back to work.”
Flashing her a grin, he asked, “You’re not ready to show me your illustrations, are you?”
She was trying not to think about how his rare smile gave her tingles when she answered. “Not yet. When this book is done, maybe. Thanks for lunch.” She never shared her drawings until she finished a story. In her mind, they looked better coming together to tell the tale without reading the words, depicting what made a child happy with reading the book.
“I’ll hold you to that. Does six on Friday work for you? We can get something to eat first.”
“Sure,” Nicole replied, acting like it was nothing more than a date, when the thrill of going upstairs with Slade again at Casey’s shot through her. Maybe one more night would get her over this lust-induced infatuation she kept swearing she wasn’t ready for.