Chapter Eighteen

Nate

I fix the toque on Kira’s head as she pulls on her mittens. At least Gram and Kira had the same size feet, and her winter boots fit.

“All set?” I ask the crew.

“Let’s go,” Sam says and opens the back door, just as Brett is ready to knock.

“Hey guys,” I say.

“Who wants to ride with me?” Jason asks as he swings his car keys around his finger.

“Me,” Izzy says.

“Me, too,” Cody answers as he rounds the corner, pulling one of Gram’s toques onto his head.

“Shotgun,” Sam yells.

“I’ll take Kira and the boys. Kira’s car isn’t going anywhere with those tires.”

We all head outside, and the crisp air nips at our skin. Everyone piles into their cars, and I put the crazy carpets the boys brought, along with the ones I found in the shed out back, into the bed of the truck.

“I’m going to break my neck, aren’t I?” Kira is asking the boys when I climb into the driver’s seat.

“No way,” Brett says.

Liam pipes in with, “It’s so much fun.”

I adjust my rearview mirror, and two smiling faces stare back. I ignore the weird tug in my chest, right around the vicinity of my heart. Going sledding with the family is something I would have killed for as a kid, and this, right here, Kira in the front seat, the boys in the back, feels a little too real. My property here needs to be ready sooner rather than later because all this playing house is fucking with me.

I start the vehicle and turn up the heat as Kira shivers beside me. Snow crunches beneath my tires as I leave the driveway and hit the main road, which has already been plowed. I drive slowly, and the sun peeks out behind the cloud, lighting up the ice on the trees.

“My God, it’s beautiful,” Kira says, her eyes full of childlike wonderment. She takes her phone from her pocket and snaps a few pictures.

I catch up to Jason’s vehicle and follow him to the big hill at the edge of town. When we arrive, there are dozens and dozens of vehicles parked along the road, and at the bottom of the hill, off to one side, someone has set up a hot chocolate stand.

“I think the whole town is here,” I say.

We all hurry from the truck, and I grab the crazy carpets from the back. The sound of kids squealing, shrieking, and laughing reaches our ears, and the boys take off.

“Come on, Kira,” they say. “We’ll all go down together.”

“I’m not so sure about this,” she says as the boys run up the hill.

“You’ve got this,” I assure her, and give her a little nudge with my shoulder. She smiles up at me.

“You’re kind of an adrenaline junkie, aren’t you?”

I laugh at that. “Adrenaline junkies jump from planes and go bungee jumping off cliffs. This is sledding.”

“It’s like bungee jumping to me.” I make a move to go but get a snowball to the back of my head. I turn and find Sam and the crew laughing and running up the hill.

“Oh, it’s on,” I call out.

We walk through the patted down snow and reach the top of the hill. Kira glances around and takes in the beauty around her.

“I can’t get over how gorgeous this is. I’ve only ever been here in the summer, and I sure missed out on this.”

“Time to make up for that.” I drop the crazy carpet and go to my knees. I pull Kira down with me and gather a fistful of snow. “Pretend I’m talking to you and it’s serious, okay?”

She gives me a quizzical look, and I throw the snowball, catch Sam in the back of the head. He turns, and from my peripheral vision, I catch him looking at me. But what he sees is Kira and me in deep conversation as I point to the hill like I’m explaining how this goes down.

“You’re bad,” she says and stifles a chuckle.

“He has no idea it was me.”

Sam turns back to Cody and Jason, and I biff another snowball at him. He spins, and I continue to talk to Kira, but her shoulders are shaking as she laughs. I steal a sideways glance and catch Sam bending to grab a fistful of snow.

“He’s onto us,” I say, and jump on the sled, pulling Kira on with me, and push off. I wrap my arms around her as she shrieks, and we both go down the hill fast. The boys are in front of us, and Sam and the guys are yelling as they try to catch us. We reach the bottom, and Kira is grinning from ear to ear.

“Let’s do it again.”

“Fun, right?”

Someone tackles me from behind, and I faceplant in the snow. I roll and shove Sam off me. Jason holds a hand out and pulls me up.

“Nice one, Sam,” I say. “I probably deserved that.”

“Yeah, you did,” he says as he laughs and jumps up. “Come on, Kira. You’re coming with me.” He grabs her hand and practically drags her up the hill. The boys scoop up their sleds and follow them up.

“Want to get a hot chocolate?” Jason asks as I brush the snow from my clothes and face. I walk with him, and he gestures with a nod of his head. “I think Sam plans to get her to fall in love with the town so she’ll stay.” He glances at the two as they climb the hill. “Think it’s working?”

I turn my attention to the two and fight down the pang of jealousy as Sam wraps his arms around her and they push from the top of the hill. “I don’t know. Her life and work and family are in Victoria, and I don’t think she’d sell the house if she didn’t have to.”

“If we raise enough money, she won’t have to.”

“It’s just not that simple, Jason.”

He nods. “Yeah, I know.”

Jenny from the Grand Banker is at the table serving up hot chocolate. “Hey, guys, what are you two doing here?”

Jason jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Kira’s never been sledding before.”

She pours us each a hot chocolate and drops in a couple of marshmallows. “Any takers on the B&B?”

“No,” I say. “Bad time of year to sell.”

Jenny snaps her fingers. “I’m sure it will just take the right person to fall in love with it, and it will go like that.” She glances at me and narrows her eyes. “Nate, right here,” she says, and brushes her cheek with the tip of her finger. I wipe my mouth. “No here,” she says and reaches out, runs her thumb over the side of my face. “Marshmallow.”

“Thanks.”

Just then, Sam, Kira, and the boys show up to warm their bellies.

“I want extra marshmallows, please,” Brett says, and I like that he used his manners.

“Me too, please,” Liam says, and Jenny hands them both their hot chocolate, brimming with marshmallows.

Kira gratefully accepts a cup, but her mood has changed. “You good?” I ask.

She smiles, but I know her well enough to realize it’s forced. “I am. That was fun. But exhausting,” she says. She takes a small sip of her drink. “Mmm, delicious. How nice of Jenny to set this up.”

“Very nice,” I say and stare at her for a moment. Is she jealous that Jenny touched me? I’ll have to ponder that later. I check my watch. “These plans of yours—what time do you need to get back?”

“Around two. We have a lot of time.”

“Good,” Sam says. “I want to hit the hill a few more times.”

“Same,” the boys say. We all walk to the nearest picnic bench and sit with our drinks.

“Nate, is the pond out back of Gram’s frozen yet?” Brett asks.

“I’ll have to check it,” I say and sip my hot chocolate. “Why? Do you want to skate?”

“We should do a pickup game,” Jason says.

“What’s a pickup game?” Kira asks, and around the table, jaws fall open in disbelief.

“What kind of Canadian are you if you don’t know what a pickup game is?” Sam asks.

“Apparently not a very good one,” she says and laughs.

I lean into her. “Hockey.”

“Ah, I don’t follow it,” she says.

“Okay, that’s it. We’re shipping you to Siberia,” Sam says, waving a dismissive hand.

“Why Siberia? They don’t play hockey there?” She whacks Sam. “And, hey, why not someplace hot, like the Caribbean. You know I hate being cold.”

I laugh, resisting the urge to lean in and kiss her on the cheeks. She’s so fucking sweet and funny, playful and open, that it hurts my heart.

“I’ll teach you how to play, Miss Palmer,” Brett says.

She ruffles his toque. “Call me Kira, and that’s very sweet of you, Brett. I’ll take you up on that.”

“I’ll help, too,” Liam pipes in.

“Thanks, Liam.” Kira smiles at the boys, and my gut tightens. Everything about her screams white picket fence and kids—even though she voiced something different—but it’s everything I can’t give her but suddenly want to.

Don’t go there, dude. You have no staying power, and she’s the last girl you ever want to hurt.

I fight off the heaviness in my chest, finish off my drink, and say, “I’ll check the ice, but I don’t think it will be frozen through. Maybe another week or so.”

“There’s a game on tonight, Kira,” Brett says. “After we finish painting, maybe we can watch, and I can explain the plays.”

“I would love that,” she says, and looks off into the distance like she’s done a million times. What could be going through her head right now? We all finish our drinks, drop our cups into the recycle bin, and hit the hill again. We spent the next hour racing each other down the hill, and I’ve never seen Kira laugh so hard, or her light shine so bright.

It’s close to one when I realize it’s time to call it quits. Kira has plans, and while I don’t know what they are, I don’t want her to be late. The boys grumble good-naturedly as we all pile back into my truck and head home. I see them home, and Kira is making us sandwiches when I head back to the B&B.

I grab us each a glass of juice and put them on the table. “Thanks,” I say when she slides the sandwich to me. She has a small grin on her face.

“Something funny?”

“I called Amber when you took the boys back. She and a few friends are coming by tonight to watch the game. I thought we’d make a night out of it. Maybe bake some cookies. I did promise them we’d put the eggs to better use, and I’m sure Amber and her friends would love some of Gram’s cookies, too.”

I grin at her. “Yeah, I’m sure they would.” I take a bite of my sandwich. “You know, I think you’re more like Gram than you realize.”

She swallows her bite of sandwich and raises a brow. “Really? How?”

“The guys told me she was always trying to set them up.”

She laughs. “You think that’s what I’m doing?” She feigns innocence and adds, “I just want to spend time with my new friends before the place sells, and I move back.”

The sandwich turns to lead in my stomach as I think about our hookup and the expiry date that comes with it. She checks her watch.

“Almost time to go?” I ask, and she nods. “These plans involve you going out?” She nods again, and I reach for my keys. “I’m driving. You’re not going anywhere in Gram’s car until you have winter tires.”

She sighs. “Here I thought I wouldn’t even be around long enough to need a winter coat.”

“Are you disappointed that you’ve had to stay so long?”

“Actually, no.” Water instantly pools in her eyes. “I…I love being here, surrounded by Gram’s things. I can feel her love and warmth in this house. And you guys.” Her throat makes a noise as she swallows. “You’ve all been like the family I always wanted.” I stand, pull her from her chair, and wrap my arms around her.

I clear my throat. “I’ve been thinking, what if I—”

The back door opens and in walks Izzy. Kira makes a move to go, but I hold her to me.

“Kira, you okay?” Izzy asks, real concern in her voice.

Kira wipes her face and inches away from me, and I instantly miss her warmth. “Just emotional today, I think. I have to take some of Gram’s paintings to a gallery, and I’m finding it harder than I thought I would have.”

“I’m sorry,” Izzy says. “I’m free today. I can help.”

“Thank you,” Kira says. “But I think I just need some alone time.”

Izzy opens the fridge. “I’ll be hanging out here today, so give me a shout if you need anything.”

“Come on. I’ll drive you,” I say.

We pull on our coats and toques. I open the back door and hear Jason, Sam, and Cody talking near the pond, as we head to my truck. They must be checking the ice.

“Wait, don’t you need to bring some paintings with you?” I ask.

“I need you to take me somewhere first if you don’t mind,” she says.

I’d take her to the moon and back if she asked. “Sure.” We get in the truck. “Where to?”

“Bluenose Drive, but let’s go by the wharf first.”

I nod and head toward Lunenburg’s downtown. As we drive, I notice there seems to be a lot of traffic this Saturday afternoon, and when I reach the wharf, I can see why.

“Holy shit,” I say and turn to find Kira grinning at me. “Did you know the Bluenose II was going to be in dock today?”

“I did,” she says.

“How?”

She lifts her chin. “I have ways.”

“Holy shit,” I say again and laugh. I park the truck, and we both get out. A crowd of people are on the wharf taking pictures of the gorgeous schooner. I’ve wanted to get a look at her since I first arrived in Lunenburg, but she’s never been in port.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Kira says.

I take her hand, and we get closer. “Did you know she won the first international fisherman’s trophy for the fastest fishing schooner that worked in the North Atlantic deep-sea fishing industry? She had to win two out of three races to claim the trophy. She defeated the American challenger Elsie for the international fishermen’s trophy and returned to Nova Scotia in 1921.” I spout off a few more facts, and Kira is grinning at me by the time I finish.

“You really do like boats, don’t you?” she asks.

I shake my head and grin. “And I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, am I?”

“No, but it’s okay.” She shuffles closer, and I offer her my warmth. “I like listening to you, and I love your enthusiasm.”

I exhale, and my breath turns to fog in front of my face. “I’m so glad I got to see her,” I say quietly. More importantly, I’m glad I got to share the moment with Kira.

She checks her watch. “We need to go.”

“Okay,” I say, and we get back into the truck. I’m about to take her back home to get the paintings, but she points the other direction.

“This way,” she says.

I give her a quizzical look, but she just stares out the window. We drive down the road, and she says, “Pull over here.” I pull the truck over and glance around. I scan the streets for an art gallery, but all I see is the Dorey Shop.”

“What are we doing here?”

“You’re building a boat today, Nate.”

I sit up a little straighter. “What are you talking about? I didn’t sign up.”

“I signed you up. I overheard you at the Halloween party, and wanted to do this for you.”

“Kira…” I say, my heart swelling in my too-tight chest. I swear to God, this is the nicest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. I take in her smile and the tumble of honey-blonde hair falling over her shoulders.

I’m in deep fucking trouble here.

The women from my social circle have never taken the time to get to know the man beneath the suit, to dig below the surface and discover who I really am, and what makes me tick, let alone sign me up for boat building lessons. Then again, have I ever let them? I closed my heart off long ago, yet I somehow opened it to this sweet and sexy mathematician without realizing it. Everything tells me it can only lead to trouble. But at times like this, when it’s only me and her, the world falling away around us, that I easily forget why we can never work out.

“You okay?” she asks. “You want to do this, don’t you?”

“Yeah, of course, Kira. I just…I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“What about the paintings? I thought you were going to the gallery.”

“I am. I’m going to do it while you’re in there.”

“You’re taking my truck,” I say, her safety on the roads is of great concern to me. “I won’t take no for an answer.”

“You don’t have to. I’d never make it over the back roads in the land yacht.”

I have no idea what back roads she’s taking, but right now, all I can think about is kissing her. I lean across the cab and press my lips to hers. Everything about her mouth is incredibly hot, delicately soft, deliciously warm. After a deep, intimate kiss, one that leaves us both breathless, she inches back.

“I’ll be back at six, when class is over.” She glances past my shoulder. “Now go, before you’re late.” I grab the handle, but I’m reluctant to leave. “Thanks for the use of your truck,” she says.

The use of my truck is nothing, because as I revel in the warmth in her big brown eyes, I realize it’s the world I truly want to give her.