Chapter Four

As Bridget hauled herself out of bed the next Saturday, she thanked her previous self for having packed the car the night before to save time this morning. This week had been long with extra hours spent building her stock for the festival in Spitzenberg and keeping the store shelves full. They couldn’t afford to have someone walk in and not be able to find what they wanted. At least today would be different from the norm, and with any luck, a booming business day.

After parking, she popped open her collapsible wagon, filling it to capacity with her wares and a foldable display shelf. She dragged it over to her spot and circled back to grab her pop-up tent. Two more trips back to bring her table and chair and she was ready to actually start putting everything together. An hour later, her tent, table and displays were ready for the first festival-goers to come through. She’d gone with an autumn theme and was enjoying her thick, cozy sweater given the chill this morning. Fall was in full force in the Pacific Northwest and she loved it.

A small trickle of attendees started to come through the line of tents. Families, couples, groups of friends. All smiling and excited to try the food and fare, see the crafts, pet the goats and lambs and maybe even get their faces painted. A dull pang throbbed in her chest as she watched them. But that was silly. It wasn’t like she didn’t have friends—she did. There was Gran, who was pretty much her best friend. And Sarah…who now had her own life off in Seattle. Becca helped with the store and came to dinner a few times a month and had practically been another sister growing up. Plus Bridget had other friends. She just didn’t hang out with them a lot. Ever, really.

How had she gotten so far down this rabbit hole of being alone? Sure, the store needed her, but did she need to sacrifice everything in her life for it? Maybe Gran was right. Maybe she did need more in life. A boyfriend might be pushing it, but a night out would be good. She could make room for companionship of some sort.

She bent to pull her phone out of her bag and text Becca to see if she wanted to meet up. Maybe she could ask Serena, too? They used to hang out before Gran took more of a retirement role.

“Hey! Fancy seeing you here.”

Bridget jerked upright at Jack’s voice. “Um, hi. What are you doing here?”

He kicked up one side of his mouth and shrugged. “Nothing else to do today. I’ve never been to one of these fall things so I decided to check it out.”

“You’ve never been to a fall festival? Where did you grow up?” Her mind was completely blown by his admission.

“Seattle.”

“Seattle?” she parroted. “They have these kinds of events in the city all the time. How could this be your first time?”

“This wasn’t exactly my parents’ kind of thing, I guess.”

A group of four people walked up and began browsing, pulling Bridget’s attention away. “Sorry,” she mouthed before answering their questions. The group bought three soap bars, one tin of tea and one lotion, which was pretty good for a festival customer purchase. By the time the group had moved on, another pair had walked up and Bridget found herself with a nonstop train of customers for the next hour. At some point, she noticed Jack had wandered off. She couldn’t blame him. It couldn’t be entertaining to stand there and watch her sell stuff. Still, she missed the eye candy and now that things had calmed down, she craved his conversation.

Sighing, she sat back in her chair, fired off a text to her cousin, then focused on updating her business software, tallying her totals from the morning. Movement caught her attention, and she plastered a smile on her face. “Hi, thanks for checking out the Three Sisters Apothecary booth. Feel free—” She stopped mid-sentence as she realized it wasn’t a customer—it was Jack. She laughed. “Sorry, I was a bit distracted for a moment. Are you enjoying the festival?”

He nodded. “I am, actually. I didn’t know what to expect, but this place has some cool booths.” He lifted a bag. “I even bought stuff.”

Bridget rubbed her hands together. “What’d you get?”

Jack flashed a small smile. “Presents for my twin nieces. One really likes elephants and the other’s favorite is bears and there was someone who had knitted stuffed animals. I thought they might make a nice surprise. I’ll put these in their stockings for Christmas.”

Her heart thumped unevenly in her chest. He had wandered around trying to find gifts for his family? A stocking stuffer for his nieces? As if he wasn’t hot enough, now she had to add thoughtful and kind to his list of attributes? Boy, was she getting in deep with her crush on him. “That’s so sweet.” She stood up and her body reminded her that she hadn’t had any kind of break and it was after noon. “Uh, I hate to ask, but could you just make sure no one steals anything while I run to the restroom?” A loud rumble erupted from her stomach and she clamped a hand over it.

Jack burst out laughing. “Maybe you should grab some food, too. I can handle things here. Take a break and enjoy yourself a bit.”

“Oh, but if anyone wants to purchase—”

“I’ve got it,” Jack reassured her. He waved toward the computer. “I know how to work a Square and I’ve been told I’m pretty good with people. Go. Take a real break.” He winked at her and scooted between her and her chair. Plopping down, he grinned. “It’ll be fine, I promise.”

With one last glance at him, she scurried off, making a beeline for the port-a-johns first, then to the line of food trucks.

 

* * * *

 

Just after Jack had wrapped up his tenth sale, Bridget walked back into the tent. Her cheeks were rosy and that smile of hers hit him straight in the chest. Every time he thought he’d gotten used to how beautiful she was, he’d look again and find himself blown away once more.

She held up a paper tray. “I come bearing funnel cake. I hope things weren’t too crazy for you?”

“No, it was steady, but nothing I couldn’t keep up with.” He eyed the powdered-sugar-covered fried dough with appreciation. “But I won’t say no to funnel cake.”

“But will you say yes to sharing?” She held the treat just out of his reach with a teasing light in her eyes.

Laughing, he nodded. “I can agree to that.”

With a smile, she set down the tray and leaned her hip against the table. Snagging one of the forks, she speared a section and lifted it to her lips.

He stared at the unconsciously sensual movement of her mouth as she closed her eyes and hummed with pleasure. She peeked her tongue out to capture the lingering sugar and he swallowed back a groan. He wanted to lick away those remnants then kiss her senseless so those little sighs and moans were because of him. He wanted to see what it took to make her scream with ecstasy.

His cock jumped as an eager volunteer. Down boy, he reprimanded it. The last thing he wanted was for Bridget to notice his erection in the middle of a family-friendly event. His attraction to her was growing way too fast for his comfort. He needed to put some distance between them.

He cast around for something to talk about. “Did you get a chance to look around?”

She shook her head. “Mostly the food trucks, but those are always my favorite part. I love street food. There’s nothing else quite like it. How was the booth? I hope it wasn’t too stressful.”

“Not at all. Ten sales, I think. All logged in your computer, too.”

“You didn’t have to do that! And wow, ten sales is great. Maybe I need to have a hot guy manning my booth at all of these events.”

A slow grin spread across his face. “You think I’m hot, huh?”

The blush alone was worth teasing her. Damn, the things this woman did to him. Pleasant warmth seeped through his limbs as he watched her skin turn a delicious shade of pink all the way past the edge of her cream-colored sweater.

“I don’t—That is, I mean…” She stood and plunked her hands on her hips. “Like you don’t know you’re gorgeous. You’ve probably had women and men falling all over themselves to catch your eye.”

Laughter bubbled up in his chest. “I will admit to being told I’m easy on the eyes. Although I could say the same for you. It’s a wonder you’re single.”

She looked away and started rearranging items, shifting things around to hide gaps where products had sold. “Not much left, which is great. A handful or so more buyers and I might sell out entirely.”

“What will you do with your time if that happens?” Jack pushed aside the disappointment at her evasion about her personal life.

Bridget trailed her fingers across a stack of three soaps. “Maybe a little shopping. Head home early and relax.”

An older couple walked into the tent and she turned to give them her attention. She and the woman began an in-depth conversation, joined by a trio of girls who were strolling by. The older man ambled over to where Jack now stood, ready to jump in with assistance if needed.

“That’s a lovely young lady you’ve got there.”

Didn’t he wish. Shaking his head, Jack replied, “We’re just friends. Neighbors, actually. I met her a couple of weeks ago.”

The other man grunted. “Better get a move on. A girl that pretty with business smarts? Someone will come along and sweep her off her feet.”

Bridget glanced at him with a questioning expression while still talking with the women surrounding her. He gave her a smile and nod, letting her know all was well on his side of the tent. “Yeah, but I don’t know that she’s open to dating. A bit of a tough exterior.” Her admission from dinner the other night came to mind. “But I think deep down she’s lonely.”

“Well, if that’s true, then all it could take is the right attention from the right person.” The man turned to focus his faded brown eyes on Jack. “And the way I saw her looking at you when we were coming up, she thinks you might be that person. Don’t mess that up, son.” He clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “She hasn’t friend-zoned you yet.”

Jack laughed with the older man. “I’ll take that under advisement, sir.”

“Good. Now hand me one of those tubs of good-smelling stuff so I can buy my bride a present and keep myself out of the friend-zone, too.”

 

* * * *

 

Sometime around half-past-two, Bridget sold out of items at her little booth. And Jack was still hanging out. She wasn’t sure which one made her happier. As the last customer left, she grinned wide and bright. “We sold out! I can’t believe it. I even brought more than usual and still sold out.”

“Congratulations, then. Today was a pretty good ‘light rain and heavy crowds’ kind of day, huh?”

“For sure,” she agreed. “Thanks for the company, too. It was nice having someone else around for a change.” She glanced around and sighed. “I guess I should break this all down and get it to my car.” She wondered if she’d have time after to walk the lanes a bit and see what else was being sold. Maybe she could find Christmas gifts, too.

“What needs to be taken down first?” Jack asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to stay and help. I’ve already worked you hard today as it is.” As soon as the phrase “worked you hard” flew out of her mouth, her mind went to all the ways she would rather have worked him hard. Mortification poured over her and she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

If he had noticed her unintentional innuendo or resulting embarrassment, Jack didn’t let on. “I don’t mind at all. Did you really carry all of this out here yourself? The tent and table, too?”

She nodded and started putting decorations back into her plastic bins then untying the Three Sisters Apothecary sign she’d affixed to the front of the table. “It usually takes me several trips back and forth to my car, but I have this foldable wagon that helps a ton.”

Covering one of her hands with his, he said, “At least this afternoon you’ll have me to help haul things back.”

The low, rough edge in his voice did warm, achy things to her body. She wanted to hear him growl dirty, sexy words in her ear as he thrust hard into her. Feel the rumbling vibrations of that voice as her naked breasts pressed against his chest. Hear how he sounded when he groaned her name as he came. And—

Good God, what was happening to her? Clearly her battery-operated boyfriend was not satisfying her needs these days. Exhaling a slow breath to get control over her rioting thoughts and raging hormones, she faked a smile and hoped he couldn’t see the hungry desire in her eyes. “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that.”

Within thirty minutes, her car was packed and her work for the day was done. The festival still had another two hours and Bridget stared at the tents, debating. Go home early, take a bath and relax? Call Serena to see about meeting up for drinks tonight? Or should she finally take the time to meander the festival lanes and see what else happened at these events outside of her booth and the food trucks?

“Come on, let’s go walk around.” Jack laughed. “I can see it written all over your face that you want to.”

“I do, but I also want to go home and relax. Maybe meet up with friends.”

“Why not everything? It’s only three o’clock. Plenty of time to do all of that. Plus, won’t it be relaxing to just be a festival goer instead of a booth saleswoman?”

His smile was infectious, then he held out his hand. She was a total goner. Looking into his eyes, she slid her palm against his. His skin was warm and the slightest bit rough and felt amazing. It had been too long since she’d had the simple joy of holding hands with someone. “Okay, let’s go be festivalers.”

They walked hand-in-hand back from the vendor parking lot to the open field filled with tents and laughter and scents of street food in the air. Her heart pounded in time with her steps. What was she doing holding hands with Jack? Was this a friend thing he did with all girls, or was this a subtle sign he was interested in her? Bridget wished she weren’t crap at things like men and dating. She hadn’t the first clue what she wanted in a relationship, let alone what a man wanted.

Enjoy it, she told herself. All he’d said that he wanted was for her to relax and have fun. She didn’t need to overanalyze the fact that her hand was warm and encased by his larger, rougher one. No reason to think about what that toughened skin would feel like caressing across the softer, feminine parts of her.

She swallowed and pushed those thoughts aside. Focus on the here and now and have fun, Bridget. They ambled along the paths, checking out quilters, woodworkers, stonemasons and plenty more homemade body products like hers. With each booth, she let go more and more of her work troubles and embraced the airy delight of the atmosphere surrounding her.

When they passed a face painter, she squealed. “Oh, I want to do this. I haven’t gotten my face painted in almost twenty years.”

“How old are you?” Jack chuckled. “It can’t have been that long.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m twenty-seven and I haven’t gotten my face painted since I was eleven? Maybe twelve? Come on.” She tugged at his hand.

The saddest part of getting her face painted was that she had to let go of Jack’s hand. The loss of his big, warm fingers around hers was visceral. The sparkly, whimsical unicorn on her cheek cheered her spirits. Then Jack sat down on the stool and got a dragon placed high on his cheek above his beard, making her laugh harder than she had in recent memory. When he leaned in and took a selfie of the two of them, her heart stuttered. The scent of fresh-cut wood and eucalyptus wafted over her. She wanted to nuzzle closer and bury her nose in his neck to see if the smell was strongest there. She wanted the fragrance of him on her pillows.

“So, where to next?” she asked as he slid his phone back into his pocket. “Petting zoo?”

“Petting zoo, for sure.”

This time they walked close to each other and their hands brushed against each other a time or two, but he didn’t reach out for her. Did that mean he hadn’t wanted to hold hands in the first place? Was he waiting for her to make the move? Should she—

“Look at that, they even have pet adoptions from an animal shelter.”

“Wait, what?” She did a double take. Sure enough, there was a set-up with groups of dogs lounging in a large penned-in area and another spot with a few cats in easy-view kennels. “Oh, how cute!” She beelined for the shelter group with Jack trailing along.

Once there, she knelt by the cats. There was one cage which held a trio of tiny kittens and a second with a larger black cat with one white ear. “Hey there, sweetheart,” she cooed. “Can I pet you?” When she glanced at an adoption worker, he gave her the nod to go ahead.

“That’s Candle. She’s a sweetheart who was found abandoned in a parking lot. She had some pretty significant fleas and skin conditions, but our vet’s given her a clean bill of health.”

Bridget opened the door and the cat stood, sniffing delicately at her fingertips. With a deep purr, she stretched her two front paws out, setting them on Bridget’s shoulders. Then Candle rubbed her head under her chin. “Oh my goodness, her fur is crazy soft!” Tears sprang to Bridget’s eyes as the cat continued to cuddle. Scooping her up, she asked, “How old is she?”

“We think she’s around two. We’ve had Candle longer than most cats because she’s a black cat and they don’t get adopted as easily. People still believe those old superstitions.”

Bridget was far too aware of how silly myths and fears hung around. The poor cat wasn’t responsible for having black fur and people being dumb. She scratched the top of Candle’s head and was rewarded with an extra burst of happy purring. Twisting around, she looked over at Jack with a wide grin. “I think she likes me.”

He held up his phone and took another picture of her. “I’d say so.” He held out a hand and Candle offered her single white ear for scritches. He obliged and widened his eyes. “Wow, she really is softer than most cats.”

The shelter aide smiled. “Yeah, she’s got the fluffier, extra-soft hair that most short-haired cats don’t have. We call them cats with rabbit fur. Another more common black cat trait.”

“How do I adopt her?” Bridget’s question surprised even herself. She hadn’t been thinking about getting a pet, yet she couldn’t imagine letting her go. She peered in Candle’s green eyes and knew they were meant to be together. Hadn’t she just thought about needing more companionship? Not wanting to feel so alone at home? Candle was the perfect solution.

The aide grabbed a clipboard and pen. “There’s some paperwork and the normal rate is a twenty-five-dollar donation, but for black cats we lower that to ten.”

“I’ll donate a hundred dollars. She’s worth way more.” She kissed the top of her cat’s head then turned to Jack. “Will you hold her while I fill out the paperwork? She can’t go back into that cage.”

Before Jack could say anything, she plopped Candle into his arms with a grin. His eyes were wide with his eyebrows halfway up his forehead, but he swiftly recovered and cuddled the cat close. To everyone’s surprise, Candle stretched and climbed up, lying down across his shoulders and neck. As soon as she had settled on her perch, she blinked at Bridget as if to say she’d made a good choice in men who also doubled as a cat tree.

Bridget cackled at the sight and scrambled for her phone to get a picture before either of them moved. Once she had it, she reached up and patted Candle’s head. “Good girl. This won’t take me long at all.”

Jack couldn’t help but think this whole cat thing had escalated quickly. Somehow it had gone from pointing out how nice it was that the local shelter had a booth here to a cat now making his shoulders her new bed. As long as she didn’t decide his neck was a scratching post, he supposed he could make this work. The pure elation on Bridget’s face made it all worthwhile.

He reached up and rubbed his fingers over the rabbit-like fur and was rewarded with a squawky meow and purr. “Keep your claws to yourself and we’ll get along just fine,” he murmured.

Bridget finished up the paperwork then relieved him of cat chair duty. “I have so much I need to do. Things to buy for her! A litter box, actual cat litter, food, some toys, maybe a puffy bed to put by a window? Oh, a collar with a name tag! Maybe a green one to match her eyes. How am I even going to get her home in my car?” She spun back to the very amused-looking shelter worker. “Is she microchipped?”

The helper laughed. “Yes, all of our animals get chipped and you can take this kennel with you for transport. On the last page of your copy of the paperwork is a list of common items needed for cats.”

“Thank you!” Bridget grinned up at him and Jack forced himself not to lean in and kiss the hell out of her. She was too cute with her giddy happiness, and the way she cuddled her cat stabbed a pang of jealousy through him. He wanted her to snuggle and love all over him the same way. Damn, but he was losing his battle to this crush. Holding hands earlier had felt like a major step forward, but she hadn’t reached out again after their face painting. At least he had their selfie together plus the ones he’d taken of her with Candle. He did have to admit, the cat was adorable.

“Why don’t you take her home and I’ll run by the store on my way back and get those things for you?”

“Jack, that’s so nice, but you don’t need to do that for me. I can get her settled and then duck out to get everything. I could have Gran or Becca come by to stay with her if I need to.”

He shook his head. “I don’t mind. I want to do this. Think of it as a congratulations on your new cat gift. Like cat shower presents instead of baby shower presents.”

Her laugh was worth every penny he was about to spend on an animal that wasn’t even his. “Okay, if you insist. But don’t purchase everything. I need a litter box and some food to get me through tonight. I’ll get the rest tomorrow, after she’s settled in more.”

“Sure,” he lied, knowing he was going to buy anything and everything for her cat. If it made her smile at him like she was right now, he’d do whatever she asked. Hell, he’d run naked through this entire festival if she wanted him to. They walked back to the car, Candle protesting pitifully inside the carrier.

Bridget made lots of soothing noises and kept holding the case up to peer into it. “It’s okay, baby. I’m still here, we’re going home! Just you and me, okay? I promise I’ll give you extra scritches and kisses when we get there.”

Ugh, the jealousy was killing him. How could he be this envious of a cat? Because he wanted her petting and kissing him all over, that was how. He’d be more than happy to return the favor if she’d let him. They reached her car and after placing the carrier into the passenger side, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

“Thank you again. I can’t believe how amazing this day turned out because of you. I never would have wandered the grounds otherwise.”

He held her close and once she couldn’t see, stuck his nose into her curls and inhaled her flowery, feminine scent. Every part of his body tensed. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder, take her back to his bedroom, and make love to her until they were both too sated and exhausted to move. How very lumberjack of you, Jack.

He cleared his throat of the desire clogging it. “I didn’t do anything that someone else wouldn’t do for you. You’re the one with the magic that made today so special.”

She stiffened and stepped back, pushing her hair out of her face. “Well, anyway. Thanks. I’ll see you back at my house.” With that, she turned and went around her car to hop in.

What the hell had he done wrong there? He had paid her a compliment and she had shut down completely. He trudged back to his truck, hunched against the late afternoon chill setting in. He was never going to understand women.

On the way back to Fallbank’s general store, he tried to enjoy the scenery around him. Lush, thick Douglas firs with the occasional brightly colored deciduous tree mixed in while the road meandered in long, slow curves helped take his mind off his parting with Bridget. It really was beautiful out here. As much as Seattle pushed for environmentally sustainable businesses and homes and tried to keep nature a part of the city, it had nothing on this little section of Oregon. Here nature was the deity in charge and allowed little pockets of humans to gather together as long as they remembered who was the boss. It reminded Jack of his place within the tapestry of the universe.

Twenty meditative minutes later, he pulled up to the store and jumped out. Jack located the pet aisle easily enough and soon had a cart full of cat supplies. Everything from litter to food dishes to toys to catnip, he had it all. And since he was here, he decided to make a loop for anything else he might need at his place. Though he smiled politely, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the other shoppers were giving him weird stares for some odd reason. He checked his clothes—and his zipper fly—but everything was in good order. Shaking it off, he lined up to cash out and tried not to engage too much with the flirty checkout cashier who made bizarre cat and dragon jokes. No need to encourage crazy to follow him home.

Then he was parked at his place and hauling the bags with the cat items. He walked over to Bridget’s house and rang the bell.

Her guarded expression cracked when she opened the door and burst out laughing.

“Okay, what gives? People looked at me like I was crazy at the store and now you’re laughing at me, too.”

Bridget sucked in a breath and calmed her laughter. “It’s just that you still have that dragon painted on your face!” She broke into giggles all over again. “I can’t believe you forgot you had your face painted and walked around town.”

A meow sounded from behind her and Jack looked over her shoulder. “Are you mocking me, too? After I bought you all this stuff?”

Bridget backed up and gestured him inside. “I’m sorry, but not really sorry. You have to admit, it’s pretty funny. How many grown adult males get their faces painted at all, let alone walk around in stores that way?”

A smile crept across his face and he let go of his laughter. “Okay, I agree, it’s hilarious. I’m glad I could give entertainment to the town today.” As he set the reusable bags down on her kitchen table, she scooped up Candle and joined him.

“Oh my God, Jack! How much did you buy? I told you not to get everything, just a litter box and some food.” She looked at him with wide eyes and his choices were validated. The happiness and surprise and something else. Maybe a little crush? Not love, but like? As in like like?

“I might have gotten a little carried away, but I’m invested, too. I kind of feel like we found her together. I’m her… I don’t know? Dad? Uncle? Cousin?” He reached out and massaged behind the cat’s ears and she stretched her paws to jump over into his arms. Then she leaped up onto his shoulders again. “See?” He grinned and so did she.

“Candle has spoken. She’s claimed you for her own. Congratulations, you’re a daddy.”

A sudden image of her saying those words in an entirely different context filled his mind. The breath in his lungs seized. Holy shit, he wanted that. Wait, he wanted that? Kids? With Bridget? What the…no, no way. He barely knew her. It had only been a few weeks. They hadn’t even kissed, yet here he was picturing her having their child? He was insane.

What kind of crazy voodoo magic spell was happening to him?

“Um, you know, I think I’m going to head home. I’m suddenly really exhausted.” He extracted Candle from his shoulders and set her down.

“Are you okay?” She crinkled her forehead.

The frown on her face almost had him backpedaling, but even that waffling moment reaffirmed his decision to leave. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Tired. It’s been a long day and an even longer week. I think you’ve got whatever you should need here.” He waved toward the bags then ran his fingers through his hair. “Good night. I’ll see you around.”

As he turned to leave, he caught her bewildered expression but he couldn’t back down. Not when she’d shaken him so hard with a simple sentence. One he’d prompted her to say in the first place.

Sure, he wanted kids one day. In the future. With someone. Eventually. He was only thirty-one…plenty of time for a family later. His feet carried him swiftly back to Cornelius’ house and to his room there. It was just a stupid crush. Nothing more. Focus. Jack needed to focus on the logging and deciding if the business was the right investment. Not playing some lovesick guy chasing after the girl next door.