“Dad, I told you, I don’t want to sign up for floor hockey!”
Asher sucked in a calming breath as his daughter’s voice careened toward a whine. Three days had passed since he suggested she try something other than skiing, and he was no closer to convincing her. “I’m not saying you have to. But you should give something a try.”
They sat in the atrium of the Sutter Mountain Community Center. The registration desk ran one side of the airy, glass-fronted space, and a few people stood in line, waiting to pay to get in for the Sunday morning public swim. The entrance to the pool sat kitty-corner to a small coffee bar. Asher and Ruth occupied one of the tables, the remnants of their lunch gathered in red plastic sandwich baskets.
He shoved the magazine-sized registration guide toward his daughter. “Here. If you’re not liking what I’m suggesting, then show me what looks good.”
She riffled to the back of the guide, smacked the page open and pushed it back to him. “Harper said training and fundraising have already started!”
A glossy advertisement splashed across the inside cover, the kids in the assortment of pictures either laughing in their snow gear or racing pell-mell down a hill.
His heart sank.
“Ruth.” He slid off his glasses and massaged the tight muscles around his eyes. “What about just taking lessons from Garnet and Uncle Caleb this season? And then if you really like it, we can see about racing next winter.” That would give him more time to squirrel away money for club fees and expensive equipment.
“But I want to race now.”
“Your enthusiasm is admirable, peanut, but I’m not sure joining the club is in the cards this year.”
Her mouth tightened at the corners. “Da-ad.”
Full-on whine-zone. Ten-year-old achievement: unlocked. He resisted the urge to pull out the, “I can’t understand you when you’re whining,” strategy he and Alex had used during Ruth’s preschool and kindergarten years. He put his glasses back on. “Try again, Ruthie.”
Her throat bobbed. “You never said no to me trying new things back home.”
Ouch. That one landed right between the ribs. Her voice had dropped to little-girl small. He hated anything that stole her spark. Especially when he was the thief.
“I thought we agreed not to compare Sutter Creek and New York,” he said.
She crossed her arms over the sequin star spangling the front of her T-shirt. Her lip wobbled and her gaze darted to the side. She didn’t answer.
“It’s normal to do that, though,” he said. “I miss Brooklyn, too.”
And Alex.
Though when Maggie had been in the library, her eyes had locked on his, and he’d felt about thirty pounds lighter. For a second, he’d wondered if there was room for something new in his life. Someone.
Ruth screwed her face up. Tears glinted on her lashes.
Ah, hell. What was he thinking? Sutter Creek might be their new beginning, but it wasn’t his new beginning. It was still too soon. For his sake, and for Ruth’s.
“I’m not sad because of moving.” She directed her claim toward the coffee counter, not to him, an obvious tell she wasn’t being honest. “I’m mad because you won’t let me ski.”
And because I moved you across the country.
And cancer stole your Papa.
Stole my love.
Reality struck. They’d lost all that, and he wasn’t doing what he could to give her something healthy she was asking for? Rubbing the heel of his hand across his forehead, he scrambled for a compromise. Maybe Garnet knew the club operators and could swing a discount for him. Or was there a way he could make some extra cash to refill the incidentals budget? His hours at work were fixed, so there weren’t any extra shifts at the branch. Maybe one of the local bars had a slot for a solo musician that would pay something? He snorted at the prospect. He hadn’t performed in years, unless singing along to Lady Gaga in the car with Ruth counted.
“I’ll see what I can do, okay?” he said.
Ruth wasn’t paying attention. She straightened in her chair, staring raptly at the giant blue-gray dog leading his handler past the pool entrance and toward the seating area where Asher and Ruth were sitting. “It’s that same dog!”
“So it is.” Who could pay attention to the furry monster when his lead was being held by Maggie Reid, though? Asher’s heart skipped a beat. Wow. A year ago, he’d thought his heart would never start beating again, let alone react to someone who wasn’t the man he’d loved since he was nineteen.
Maggie wore a long-sleeved T-shirt, a flirty skirt and patterned leggings. A human rainbow, nothing like the plain scrubs she’d had on when she came into the library. A wrap headband held her halo of blond curls off her face. Intense curiosity rose in his belly—her hair looked like it might be soft, but who knew with curls? Alex’s had been coarse to the point that he’d never let his hair grow out longer than half an inch. But Maggie’s—her locks bounced, and they were kinda loose. Maybe they—
“Dad, you’re staring.”
He jolted. “I am?”
Ruth’s brow knit. “Why are you smiling like that?”
Ah, crap. “Like what?”
“Like... I don’t know. It’s weird.” Ruth rolled her eyes before waving at Maggie. “Hi, Dr. Reid!”
Maggie startled, jumping almost as much as the dog did on his short lead. She lifted a hand in greeting.
“Ruth,” Asher growled.
“What? I used my manners,” she defended.
“That you did.” He lifted one corner of his mouth up, trying to wordlessly apologize to Maggie for Ruth having caught her off guard.
Maggie nodded back and kept going, then seemed to question her decision, veering toward them instead of continuing on to the coffee counter. She stopped a few feet from their table, as did the Dane. The canine was so tall he lined up eye to eye with Asher, seated in his chair.
“Maggie Reid,” Asher greeted. “And the fearless wonder dog.”
She grimaced. “I wish. I’m going to have to get pretty intensive with this guy. He hid from the neighborhood flock of starlings this morning.”
“I want to play with him so badly,” Ruth said hopefully. “But I know what you said about him working.”
Maggie pursed her lips in contemplation. “There’s a dog park around back of the pool. If you aren’t busy, you could come with me. I’d like to see him around kids when he isn’t in uniform.”
Ruth perked up.
“Once Ruth here picks an activity to sign up for, we could come for a bit,” Asher suggested.
Ruth’s smile faded. “Nothing looks good.”
Nothing that didn’t cost a fortune.
“Do you like chill activities, Ruth, or stuff that’s more exciting?” the veterinarian asked.
“Definitely exciting,” Ruth said. “My friends are on the ski racing team, and I want to join, too.”
Maggie shifted her gaze to Asher, lips parted as if she was holding back a question.
He gave her a little headshake, guilt squeezing his insides over not being able to fill his daughter’s request.
“There’s swimming, too,” Maggie suggested. “And I know it doesn’t involve speed at all, but the artist who teaches afternoon classes in the multipurpose room is mega talented.”
“I don’t know.” Ruth’s mouth pressed in a stubborn line. It was like looking at his mom when Ruth made that face. And just like her, Ruth didn’t respond well to bulldozing. Plus, he didn’t want to provoke a blowup in front of a virtual stranger. “Tell you what, Ruth. Why don’t we go to the dog park first? Maybe some fresh air will help you decide. We can sign you up for something after.”
She acquiesced with a wary nod.
“Lead the way,” he said, motioning to Maggie. He hadn’t pictured Sunday including time with a cute veterinarian, but he couldn’t say he minded. Even if his appreciation was going to have to stay hands-off.
He followed Maggie and her furry shadow out a glass door. Her tennis-style skirt twitched as she walked. Something in his chest twitched in response.
Don’t get carried away there, champ.
The path was wide enough for two plus a dog, and wound past a grassy patch and a row of pine trees. It ended at a fenced enclosure where a Lab and a Jack Russell were playing fetch with their owner. He jogged a couple of steps to catch up to Maggie.
“You know,” he said conversationally, “my twin is a vet.”
“You have a twin?” She ran her teeth along her lower lip. Her gaze was fixed somewhere on his chest or arms. Good move on hitting the free weights he kept in his garage before heading out this morning. “Are you, uh, identical?”
He shook his head. “Fraternal. And Dave takes after my mom’s side of the family. He’s all Klein.” The past rushed in and he snorted. “Teachers had a hard time believing my brothers and I were related, given Caleb looks more like our dad and I resemble both sides.”
“I got that with my older sister sometimes—we don’t look alike aside from our hair color.” She winced. “It’s not the same, is it?”
“Not entirely. But you should hear some of the questions I get about Ruth having two fathers. Being biracial is nothing in comparison.” He paused, unsure of how much to divulge. Maggie seemed accepting so far, and admitting a few of his worries to her might give him a read on how many problems he could anticipate facing. “It was one of my biggest fears about moving—how people in a new town would accept me. Ruth, too.”
Her lips twisted thoughtfully. “I would hope Sutter Creek proves your fears unfounded, but I know that’s naïve. My receptionist is gay, and he and his boyfriend talk about microaggressions now and then. No major safety issues, to my knowledge.” She glanced at his daughter, who had skipped past them and was waiting by the gate to the off-leash area. “You’re a good dad.”
He cocked a brow. “How do you know? You’ve spent all of twenty minutes with us.”
Her contemplative smile flattened, as if some kind of intrinsic awareness was weighing down the corners. “I can tell.”
A twinge of curiosity ran up his neck. “My twin is like that. Reads people like he does animals.” Which—that wasn’t what she was doing. She wasn’t using animal sense; she was talking from personal experience. He pointed at the dog. “You sure seem to understand this guy.”
“Not as well as I’d like. He’s got me a bit puzzled.”
She opened the gate and waited for Asher and Ruth to go through before following with Jackson.
He leaned toward his daughter. “Make sure to follow Maggie’s lead, okay?” A dog that big could knock over an unaware kid. Hell, an unaware grown-up, even.
“I will,” she promised. “What should I do, Dr. Reid?”
Maggie unclipped the dog from the short lead and removed his vest. “Just play with him. He’s off duty.”
Ruth half crouched with her hands on her knees. “Jackson, wanna run?” she said in a goofy tone.
The dog cocked his head and bowed back, his tail sticking up in the air like a question mark.
“Let’s go!” Ruth took off.
Jackson followed, springing forward as if he’d been launched from a trebuchet.
Asher chucked at the gangly frolicking. “Graceful, that one.”
“A breed trait, for sure,” Maggie joked.
When he grinned, a hint of interest lit her eyes. Just for a second. She seemed to check herself, and that inner flash of light dimmed.
“So why dog training?” he asked. Pried, really. But why not? She intrigued him. All sorts of layers wrapped in one petite package.
“Why library science?” she volleyed back. She wore her question like a protective veil.
She might not want to dish up answers, but he had nothing to hide. “I get to help people root out solutions. Nothing’s more important than knowledge.”
Her brow furrowed. “Nothing?”
“Money, possessions, love—nothing permanent there. But you carry your wits and experience with you, no matter what.”
“Such a realist. I’d have pegged you as a romantic for some reason. But maybe losing your...” She shut her eyes in regret as she trailed off. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He didn’t mind her openness. Didn’t mind being open in return, even though it meant digging into the tender parts of his heart. “I can talk about it. Losing Alex was more painful than I’d ever guessed possible,” he said, throat tight, words strained. “But I’d never sacrifice the time we did have together, no matter how much it felt like my soul was ripping in two to watch him fade away. And if I’m lucky enough, I’ll find another equally fantastic partner at some point, when Ruth is ready. And have some more awesome years to make the hard parts worthwhile.”
“An equally fantastic...man?” she asked, cheeks red. She immediately cringed. “Ugh. Don’t answer that. You don’t have to explain who and what floats your boat to some random—”
He waved a hand. But after gaining silence, he wasn’t sure how he wanted to fill it. He’d known moving to a new town would mean coming out more than once. He’d run into situations where it was easier or safer to just let people believe he was gay because of his marriage to Alex. Being attracted to more than one gender meant living between two worlds at times. But Maggie had at least recognized he might also be attracted to more than just men. Somewhat of a semi win, though his stomach twisted nonetheless. “Women, too.”
She nodded before replying. “Thanks for telling me. You didn’t owe me that.”
He took a deep breath. “Sometimes it can complicate things. Bisexuality gets misunderstood. But people will eventually find out, so it’s a matter of picking my messengers and hoping my neighbor still waves at me when he comes in from his morning run. And if he doesn’t, well, then I know.”
“I hope he does.” Her mouth tilted as she mulled something over. “I’m impressed you’re open to finding someone new after being widowed... That’s brave. I don’t think I could...”
He waited a few seconds for her to finish. When she didn’t, he said, “Sure you could. Anyone can be brave after a loss.”
Resiliency had been one of the things that had drawn Asher to Alex. Asher’s husband had created a found family after his parents had denounced his sexuality and cut him out of their lives. Alex had insisted on deserving and finding love, and had built an incredible, albeit too short, life with Asher and Ruth and all sorts of friends and extended family. Asher, too, had tried his best to overcome the prejudicial baggage others dumped on him. There was no other way to embrace all life had to offer. So to see Maggie hold back from possibilities hurt his heart.
“Being careful matters, too.” She broke away from his gaze, staring across the pen at Ruth and Jackson playing a makeshift game of fetch.
A shadow crossed her face, like a cloud blown in front of the sun. It reminded him of his brother after the avalanche. What avalanche had swept up Maggie, tumbled and shaken and buried her?
He wanted to find out, to explore all of her dark corners and hidden angles. But given how she’d shut down his question about why she trained service animals, he wasn’t about to probe further.
Silence stretched, a minute of way too much awkwardness. He may have just spilled his life’s philosophy to this woman, but they barely knew each other. If he had to guess, he’d venture that not many people at all knew Maggie Reid.
Would she let him?
And I’m so intent on this because...?
A horn honked from the nearby street. Jackson yelped and tried to hide behind Ruth.
“Crumbs,” Maggie muttered, then called for the dog.
Ruth followed, concern on her face. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, he’s just scared.” Maggie crouched down and stroked the dog. “He’s afraid of sudden noises.”
“You going to be able to fix that?” Asher said.
“I honestly don’t know.” She looked like she was trying to slide behind the same closed-off shield she’d worn a few minutes ago, but it wasn’t staying in place. Her mouth turned down at the corners, and she buried her face in the dog’s neck. After a few seconds, she pulled away and straightened. “My brother’s fiancée is working on her doctorate in canine psychology and has been giving me advice, but it’s not an easy process. I need more time to desensitize him. And my stupid promise to help Lachlan with the inside of his training facility is complicating that.”
“Hence the books on interior finishing you checked out from the library,” he said.
“Yeah. We initially planned on doing it ourselves to save money. But Lachlan’s in the throes of being a new dad, and I’ve got this beast to shape up.” She smiled at Ruth, who was waiting, mouth screwed up, clearly unsure as to whether she could still play with the dog. “Go on, Jacks. Go run.”
Ruth’s face relaxed and she bounded off, the dog at her heels.
“And you’re feeling like you overcommitted?” he asked. “I get that. Ruth wants to join the ski racing club, and I don’t know how I’m going to make that happen. It’s expensive. But I want to. I want her to be happy, to consider Sutter Creek home.”
Maggie nodded. “It’s hard to move to a small town. This was never home for me, not entirely. My brother and I lived here during the summers, but we were at boarding school during the school year, unlike our older half-sister, who lived here year-round. I was always jealous of Stella’s roots.”
“And your parents were here?”
The wind stirred, blowing the curls around her face. She pushed them back with a hand and shook her head. “They were—are—in Chicago. We lived with our grandparents during our summer holidays. And then I bought out the clinic from my grandfather when he was ready to retire.”
He should have been happy with that offering. She was sharing personal information, after all. But it was...surface. He could have found out more from chatting up the friendly woman who owned the bakery near the library. “And now you’re expanding.”
“Sort of. Not my part of the business—I’m full up. But my brother has wanted to build a search and rescue dog school since he caught the SAR bug in high school. He’s close. The bones and siding of the barn are renovated, and now we need to deal with the interior.” She sighed. “Even if we wanted to hire someone, which we honestly would consider at this point, the contractors in town are booked solid for months.”
The accountant in his brain clapped with joy. Hello, incidentals-budget supplement. “I’m not.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“I know how to do interior finishing. And I’d be cheaper than hiring a professional carpenter.”
“Oh. That’s...” Consideration played across her pretty face. “You’d have time for that?”
“I’d make time. Friday nights and Saturdays are earmarked for family stuff and often Shabbat, but I could do other evenings and Sundays. As long as it would be okay to bring Ruth with me.” Not the most exciting outing for a kid, but a necessary evil if she really wanted to ski.
Her head tilted in interest. “I’ll see what Lachlan says. See if we can handle the expense. Or if we can go further into debt with our older sister. She’s our not-so-angelic angel investor. But with the amount of sleep Lachlan isn’t getting these days, I think he’ll be happy to throw money at you.”
And Asher would be happy to take it.
And to have a reason to see Maggie Reid more often. He might not be in a place to offer more than friendship right now. But she made him smile. And having been in a space where smiles were hard to come by not long ago, he knew better than to squander chances at happiness.
A few hours after the impromptu dog park visit, Maggie let Jackson into her brother’s backyard to frolic with Lachlan’s dog, and then sneaked in through his front door without knocking.
Well, Lachlan, Marisol and Laura’s front door, to be precise. Her brother’s summer had been a whirlwind after learning he was going to be a father. He’d fallen in love with Marisol, who’d been in her third trimester of pregnancy. And with Laura’s arrival a month ago, he was immersed in the usual infant chaos. No small feat with starting up a new business.
Maggie’s chest filled with pride for her little brother. Chronologically little, anyway. As the shrimp in the family, she barely reached Lachlan’s armpit. Stella’s, too, when their sister wore heels.
She quietly shut the front door and tiptoed up the half flight of stairs to the main floor. Lach had texted to warn her that both Marisol and Laura were napping. She’d have waited until he showed up at work tomorrow to talk to him about hiring Asher, but they were in a hurry.
She hung her purse on the newel post at the top of the stairs. The living room was to her left, anchored by a stone fireplace. Infant paraphernalia decked the warmly decorated space. Her brother lay on his back on the couch with her niece in the crook of his arm. Lachlan was sound asleep. Laura was not. She lay still in her swaddle, her brown eyes wide and blinking.
Maggie went over and stole the baby from her sleeping sibling before going into the adjoining kitchen. “Hello, precious,” she cooed, earning Laura’s rapt attention.
The baby smacked her lips.
“I can’t help you there,” she said. “You’ll have to talk to your mama about lunch.”
She launched into the usual one-sided conversation required of a person holding an infant. Pointing at things in the kitchen and out the back window at the dogs playing on the lawn, singing a little nursery rhyme. Laura was the first infant Maggie had felt any sense of attachment to. She just didn’t have the craving to procreate like so many of her friends did. Not that she didn’t like kids. Heck, look at Ruth Matsuda—she was interesting and funny, a genuine delight. But Maggie spent her days trying to solve problems for creatures who couldn’t use words. She needed a break from that when she got home.
A floorboard creaked behind her and she turned. Her brother leaned against the counter, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. “You stole my napping buddy.”
Laura squirmed and Maggie swayed a little to soothe her. “Only one of you was napping. And you get her all the time.”
“All the time, indeed.” Lachlan braced himself against the counter for a few seconds before fumbling to get a pod into his coffee maker. “Last night it was at midnight, three and five. Mari’s ready to fall over.”
Exhaustion permeated his words, but the crinkles around his eyes spoke of a contentment Maggie had never seen on her brother’s face before Marisol and Laura. He’d always been a nester. He’d just never had a nest before.
Maggie, however—she kept far away from that kind of intimacy. People like Lachlan and Asher, open to love? They were asking to get hurt.
And Asher...knowing it hurt and being willing to do it again at some point...
Was he out of his mind?
She stared down at Laura’s chubby face. “I hope you stay safe, little one.”
Lachlan looked up sharply. “Why wouldn’t she?”
Because life doesn’t work that way.
Just because her brother had seen the reality of their own fractured family and chose to ignore the possibility of it happening to his relationship didn’t mean Maggie had to take the same risk.
“I know you and Marisol will do the best you can, Lach, but even if you’re great parents, there’s still...”
“Pass me the baby.” He held out his hands. “This is a cynicism-free zone.”
She shot him a dirty look. “I’m not going to taint your kid.”
“You might if you keep spouting doubt all over her precious soul.” He snatched his coffee cup off the maker and inhaled. “We aren’t destined to replicate Mom and Dad’s awful example.”
“Says the charmed sibling.”
“Says the sibling who’s open to possibility,” he chided.
Yeah, the possibility of being rejected. Of never feeling good enough. Boarding school, summers away, Christmases spent in either passive-aggressive silence or a barrage of criticism—Maggie’s parents had shown her early on it was foolish opening up to someone who could, purposefully or inadvertently, reject her like they had. And the one time she’d ignored that lesson, it had blown up in her face. She’d fallen in love with a guy who worked on the mountain. They’d moved in together, got a puppy together... The puppy he’d taken with him when he up and got a job somewhere in Quebec. No forwarding address.
She still bled inside whenever she treated one of Cleo’s three siblings still living in town, now all senior Shepherds with gray muzzles and hearts of gold.
“I’m happy focusing on work, thanks.” She dropped a kiss on Laura’s forehead. “And being an auntie.”
Lachlan shook his head, sighing. “Whatever, Mags. So, why did you interrupt my nap?”
“I have a way to get you more naps. I found someone to do the interior of the barn for us.”
“Everyone in town is unavailable,” he reminded her. “And either way, the cost would kill our budget.”
“Stella will open the purse strings more if necessary.” Their older sister raked in money working as a hedge fund manager in New York, and had loaned Lachlan a chunk of cash, despite hating the connection to Sutter Creek. A couple of months back, Lachlan had made the egregious mistake of borrowing money from their dad to make up for an unexpected shortfall right before he’d been scheduled to break ground. Stella had come through instead. Apparently sinking some of her hard-earned savings into Lachlan and Maggie’s business was preferable to knowing that her younger siblings owed their emotionally manipulative parents.
“We could call her now,” Maggie suggested.
Her brother grimaced. “You don’t think she’s saved our bacon enough?”
“This is necessary,” she said. “Neither of us have time, not if you want it done for your soft open next month.”
“Doesn’t solve every contractor being booked solid until next year.”
She held up a hand. “We don’t need a contractor. I found out today that the new librarian has a side hustle.”
“Caleb’s brother?”
“No, the other new librarian. Of course, Caleb’s brother.” Caleb Matsuda had only been in Sutter Creek for about a year, but the doctor seemed right at home now, engaged to Maggie’s friend Garnet, a lifetime local.
“I guess the guy looks like a construction worker.”
That he did. Those biceps...
Side benefit of hiring Asher: she’d get to see him hauling lumber. Over one shoulder.
Just like he could with a lover.
Her belly tingled, a slow burn of possibility...
Would he wear his sexy glasses while hammering, or did he have contacts?
Oh, man. Maybe hiring him was a terrible idea.
Jackson whined at the door to the back porch, a reminder of her priorities. Getting the dog trained and dealing with the dark circles under Lachlan’s eyes mattered more than testing her self-control. She could avoid thinking about panty-melting eyewear and straining biceps.
Probably.
“Hey.” Her brother snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Space out any harder and you’re going to drop my kid.” He gently scooped Laura out of Maggie’s embrace and tucked the little bundle into the crook of his neck.
“Sorry,” she said. “Didn’t mean to daydream. Anyway, Asher seemed eager for the work.”
“And I like the idea of getting something off my plate.”
“Will you call the bank of sister, or shall I?” she said.
“My name’s on the loan. I’ll do it.”
A few minutes later, Stella had confirmed she’d chip in for the extra cost, and they were both breathing easier.
“I’ll give Asher a ring.” They’d exchanged numbers before leaving the dog park. She couldn’t stop her mouth from quirking as the image of his cute, half smile surfaced.
Lachlan raised a brow and jiggled the baby. “Maggie.”
He cheeks heated. “What?”
“You’re blushing.”
“Your sleep deprivation is worse than I thought.”
“No, you need to work on your poker face.”
She stifled a laugh, then cringed. Damn it, she was grinning like a fool.
Lachlan cupped Laura’s swaddled bottom with one hand and pointed a finger at Maggie with the other. “You tittered.”
“I did not,” she insisted.
“You did. And you’re smiling.”
“I’m not allowed to smile?”
“Oh, you’re allowed. Hell, I’m glad to see you thinking about someone—”
“Shh!”
“Laura’s a little young to worry about earmuffs. Besides, Marisol and I want to raise her to know it’s good for women to take pleasure—”
“Lachlan. For crying out loud, enough!”
Laura squawked.
He pasted on an innocent look before bending his head to his baby’s ear and murmuring something in a soothing voice.
“He’s telling you lies, Laura,” Maggie grumbled.
“Auntie Maggie’s just being touchy because she’s finally interested in someone, and that scares the snot out of her,” her brother said.
“I’m not—argh.” She stomped into the living room and pulled her phone out of her purse. Swiping in her security pattern, she flopped on the couch, which was still warm from her brother’s nap. She dialed Asher’s number.
“Maggie Reid,” he answered, a smile evident in the greeting. “What can I do you for?”
Oh, you can do me for at least a week.
She cringed. “Crumbs.”
“Uh, what?”
Double crumbs. “Oh gosh. I didn’t mean... I’m at my brother’s, and he was giving me a hard time.” Not totally a lie.
“Say no more. I specialize in brotherly angst.”
“Giving and receiving, no doubt.”
“Oh, no doubt whatsoever. I’m sure if you bought Caleb a drink at the next search and rescue gathering, he’d tell you all sorts of horror stories about the ass pain that is having younger twin brothers.”
She laughed.
Lachlan padded into the room and whispered, “Tittering.”
She whipped a hand in the air in her brother’s direction. “Quiet,” she mouthed.
“Quiet?” Asher asked, sounding confused.
Groaning, she dropped her head back on the couch. “I’m so sorry. That was meant to be silent, and for Lachlan.”
“Sounds like he’s doing a solid pester job. Impressive.”
“Sure.” She sighed. “Good grief, you’re going to think we’re nuts. And here I was calling to offer you the job.”
“You decided not to because your brother’s a pest?” he asked, chuckling a little.
“No. I’m worried you’re going to want to steer clear of our family dysfunction.”
“Actual dysfunction, or the kind where you blame your siblings for all life’s evils but would lay down in the road for them?” he asked, tone thoughtful.
“The latter.”
“Then sign me up.”
“To...be harassed by my brother?”
He chuckled. “No, to build you some cabinets.”
“Right. Cabinets.” Agh, way to sound intelligent.
“Whatever you need, really.”
What she needed was her sense back. “Oh?”
“Flooring, moldings, baseboards—I can do those, too, so long as you have the measurements.”
Not quite the need that first came to mind. “Quite a skill range.”
“You bet.”
Was that suggestion in his voice? What had she been thinking? She’d so teed him up. But he hadn’t had to take the shot... Maybe he hadn’t. Maybe she was hearing things.
Either way, her chest was getting warm, and that was not okay.
“Uh, Maggie?” Whatever she’d detected in his tone was long gone, replaced by wariness.
“Yes! Right here. Sorry. I—I’m not myself today for some reason.” Lachlan snorted, and she glared at him. “We have most of the materials purchased, and the tools, too. What’s your hourly rate? ”
He named a price that sounded fair to her, then said, “I have some of my own tools. Brought them with me when I moved, figuring I’d need to do home repairs now and again. When do you need the work completed?”
“Lachlan’s going to start working classes out of there next month.”
Asher whistled. “Doable, I’m sure, but depending on how much needs to be done, and given I’m working with limited hours, I’ll want to get to it right away. You’re going to be okay with me having to work in spurts?”
“If it means I get Jackson trained up and Lachlan gets more time with his family, you can work at three in the morning for all I care.”
He chuckled. “When’s your first appointment tomorrow morning?”
“I start at nine on Mondays. And Lach will want to be there, too, of course.”
“Naturally. How about I rip by after I drop Ruth at school?” he suggested. “That’ll give us twenty minutes, enough time for me to get an idea of what needs doing. And then if I need to pick anything up at the building supply store, I can do it in Bozeman on Tuesday while Ruth’s at Hebrew school.”
Asher Matsuda, bright and early on a Monday morning? Something fluttered in her stomach. Not butterflies—talk about ridiculous. A crane fly, maybe? Ew. Crane flies were gross. Okay, fine. It was a butterfly. One solitary butterfly. “Tomorrow. Sure. See you then.”
“Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it, Maggie.”
The connection cut, and she stared at her phone. Gah. He’d used that tone again. The one that promised he could do more than shelve library books and build cabinets with those big hands of his. She’d noticed his hands this afternoon. His rings had caught her eye. Silver bands around his left middle finger and right ring finger, and a gold one around his right thumb... So freaking attractive...
Aaaaaand the warmth in her chest was back.
Fan-tastic.
Lachlan sat down next to her, still cradling the baby to his front. He smirked. “I know that face, Mags. I wore that face all summer.”
“You still wear a face. But given I’m not interested in seeing anyone, it’s not one you’ll find on me.”
“Not wanting to date and wanting to mess around can coexist.”
The skin of her arms prickled at the truth of that, and she scratched both at the same time. “Then all you wanted to do with Marisol was mess around?”
“No, but—”
“So how can it be the same face, then?”
Lachlan grinned. “I know you’re trying to reason your way out of a corner here, but all you did was pen yourself into agreeing that you want to get busy with Asher Matsuda.”
“I—”
“Ding, ding, ding, the round goes to me.” He stood and headed for the hallway. “It happens so rarely, Maggie. Let me have this one.”
The prickles spread across her chest. “But I—”
“I’m going to go savor my sweet victory by napping with my fiancée. Lock the door when you leave.”
“Lachlan, you—you—you’re the worst!”
His laugh faded with the click of his bedroom door.
Picking up a throw pillow, she pressed it to her face and yelled incoherently into the thick cotton. Whether or not she wanted to get busy with Asher was moot.
He wasn’t just passing through town, looking for a short fling like the men she usually dated. He was looking to establish roots—he was a father, for heaven’s sake. And he believed he’d find someone to be happy with again.
For his sake, she hoped he did.
But goodness knew, she never had. And never would.