Kristine slept like a log in the guest room. Thick, hand-knitted blankets wrapped around her, and fluffy pillows cradled her tired head. At various times through the night, she woke up to the memory of Patrick’s sexual harassment lawsuit— and she clutched the blankets, weeping until exhaustion took over and allowed her to sleep. New York City was graciously miles and miles away. It was like a monster she’d left behind.
The next morning, an eggshell blue sky stretched for miles and miles above the glittering snow. Kristine and Kim sat in the kitchen and gazed out at it, mesmerized at the stillness of the land and the glorious sky. It was true that in the city, Kristine so often missed the bigness of the sky, as it was normally punctuated with skyscrapers. Once upon a time, she’d thought skyscrapers were beautiful. What had she been thinking?
Kristine made coffee and cinnamon rolls, and together, Kim and Kristine feasted, warming their insides as the radio played Shania Twain, Alanis Morrissette, and Ace of Base. Kristine checked online to see that the roads had been cleared in downtown Bar Harbor, but that the crew hadn’t made it quite this far out yet. They would soon, probably by late afternoon.
“Jennifer’s texting me every three minutes,” Kim complained with a laugh. “She thinks I’m probably dead by now.”
“She doesn’t trust me, I take it?” Kristine asked, taking their plates to the dishwasher.
“She doesn’t trust anyone,” Kim affirmed. “But she needed time off from me. I love her to pieces, but she can be overbearing— and I don’t take kindly to that. I might have snapped at her a few times.”
“You’ve been through a lot. You’re allowed to be in a bad mood here and there.”
A knock came from the front door. Kristine snapped the dishwasher closed and hustled to answer it, knowing it could only be one person. Sure enough, when she opened it, Robbie stood, broad and firm and all bundled up in the doorway. In his hands, he held another Tupperware, this time filled with brownies and blondies. His smile was welcoming and warm.
“Good morning! Quite a storm last night!” His voice echoed through the house.
“Uh oh. He brought more food, Kim!” Kristine took the Tupperware and opened the door wider so he could enter.
He kicked off his boots and removed his coat, which he hung up to dry. “The snow is beautiful out there. The drive from my place was a dream.”
“I can only imagine!” Kim called from the kitchen. “Now, get in here, so I don’t have to yell across the house.”
Robbie cackled and practically skipped into the kitchen. Kristine had never seen a grown man skip like that before. She followed after him, watching as he dipped down to hug Kim hello.
“Pour yourself a mug of coffee and sit down,” Kim ordered.
“Aye, aye, captain.” Robbie reached for a mug in the cabinet and joined Kim at the table. His smile waned slightly as he said, “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
Kim arched her brow. “Uh oh. I don’t like the sound of that.”
“It’s nothing serious,” he explained. “But the oak next to your house on the south side lost a limb in the snowstorm. It’s on your roof, threatening to smash into the bay window on the other side if we don’t take immediate action.”
Kim nodded. “I can call a tree guy tomorrow, I suppose.”
“Don’t worry yourself. I already have my guy on his way,” Robbie explained.
“Your guy! You have a tree guy?” Kim sipped her coffee, pleased.
“I have a guy for everything,” Robbie said. “He’s got great equipment, a snowmobile, and not much else to do today. I told him I would pay him a bit extra if he could get the job done by the afternoon.”
“Oh, Robbie. You don’t have to do this,” Kim insisted.
“I’m just being neighborly. Trying to make up for lost time after missing your accident.” Robbie furrowed his brow. “I should have been here to help out.”
Kim shook her head, at a loss for words. Finally, she managed, “What’s this I hear about more food?”
Robbie’s smile widened. He reached for the Tupperware, which Kristine still had in her hands, and showed off the selection of brownies and blondies, which he’d baked up the previous evening when he’d been “bored.”
“I hope you’re bored all winter long, Robbie,” Kim said. She selected a blondie and broke it apart in the center. It was thick, almost fudge-like in texture. After she took a small bite, she moaned and said, “You’re very talented. You’d sweep the awards on those baking TV shows.”
Robbie laughed and took a brownie before glancing back toward Kristine. “Eat up, Kristine.”
“We just ate cinnamon rolls,” Kristine protested, her hand across her stomach. “I don’t know if I have any room.”
“Don’t be silly,” Kim insisted. “If there’s ever a time to over-indulge in sweets, it’s today.”
As Kim and Robbie began to discuss people and things Kristine didn’t know anything about, Kristine sat at the kitchen table and took a blondie from the container. She remembered several weeks ago when Patrick had begun yet another low-carb diet, his sights set on a swimsuit season that was still five months away. “I can’t believe some people’s eating habits. I mean, don’t they know how bad sugar is?” he’d said, stabbing his fork through a kale salad.
“Honey,” Kim interrupted Robbie, her eyes narrowed. “You’re supposed to eat the blondie. Not stare at it.”
Kristine tried to laugh, her heart thundering. With both Robbie and Kim’s eyes upon her, she couldn’t do anything but lift the blondie, close her eyes, and take a bite. The fudge-y texture and warm, buttery taste was overwhelming. She clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide open.
“Uh oh. You destroyed her,” Kim said with a laugh.
Kristine shook her head, both embarrassed and pleased. “People would pay six bucks each for a blondie like this in New York City.”
Robbie shook his head. “Charging money would take all the fun out of it for me.”
Kristine cocked her head, surprised at this answer. In her city life, people did anything for a quick buck. Before she could think of something else to say, a knock at the door saved her. She popped up to answer it, followed quickly by Robbie.
“I think it’s my tree guy,” he explained.
Kristine got to the door first and opened it, feeling a sense of responsibility for Kim’s house. To her surprise, the man at the door was familiar to her— all bundled up, his handsome face wrapped in wild curls and his blue eyes shining.
“Carter?” Kristine’s voice was high-pitched and girlish.
Carter kicked his head back, startled. “Kristine? What are you doing here?”
He was just as handsome as he’d been the other day. After the chilly snowmobile ride, his cheeks and nose were cherry red, which added a hint of adorableness to his attractiveness. Kristine’s knees wobbled. Behind her, Robbie laughed good-naturedly, noticing the bizarre air between them.
“I take it you two know each other?”
Kristine stepped back, putting two and two together. “Barely,” she explained. She then eyed Carter to add, “You’re the tree guy?”
“My friends call me ‘The Tree Guy,’” Carter joked. “But you can call me Carter if you want.”
“Naw. I’d love to call you ‘Tree Guy.’” Kristine couldn’t stop smiling. Was she flirting? “You want to come in for a cup of coffee? We have plenty of blondies and brownies to go around.”
Carter eyed Robbie. He looked vibrant, as though he’d just received very good news. “I think I’ll get started on removing that limb first. Best to get the work done first and celebrate with sweets later.”
“A wise man,” Robbie affirmed, grabbing his coat. “I’ll help however I can.”
When Kristine breezed back into the kitchen, she found Kim wearing a funny smile.
“What?” Kristine demanded with her hands on her hips.
Kim clucked her tongue. It was obvious she’d heard everything. “Oh. Nothing.”
“Kim…” Kristine warned.
Kim lifted her hands. “It seems to me I’m not the only one with a flirtation. That’s all.”
Kristine rolled her eyes and plopped back down in the kitchen chair. Attraction to Carter and adrenaline from the snowstorm made her especially loose-lipped. “He came by the house the other day to tell me his younger brother stole from the candy shop. He handed over bags and bags of cookies and candy, which my family has had very little trouble getting through.” Kristine giggled, then added, her voice more serious, “His brother gets in a lot of trouble. It sounds like Carter is the only one who cares if TJ graduates from high school or stays out of prison at all.”
“Ah. The Bilson boys?” Kim nodded as her eyes filled with sorrow.
“You know them?”
“There are people in this community who were given the short end of the stick,” Kim breathed. “But the older Bilson boy, your Carter, is a proud one. He won’t accept help from anyone.”
Kristine’s heart filled with pride, although she wasn’t sure why. There was something about a man who wanted to do everything himself. It was such a contrast to Patrick, who’d been given everything as a child.
“If there’s something between you and Carter, you could do a whole lot worse,” Kim added knowingly. “Why not have a little fun this winter? You deserve it.”
After the tree limb was cleared, Robbie and Carter stomped off their boots, hung their coats to dry, and sat in the kitchen in their socks to enjoy hot coffee and brownies. Carter announced that the roads were nearly cleared, which meant that Kristine would probably be able to head home soon. On cue, Jennifer called Kim to say that she was about to brave the roads to come back to her.
“My doting daughter is on her way,” Kim announced with a laugh. “She doesn’t know how to leave me alone for more than a day. Bless her.”
“I suppose that’s what love is,” Robbie kidded.
For a strange moment, Carter and Kristine locked eyes over the table. Carter had a piece of brownie lifted in his very large and capable hand. He looked like he wanted to say something, something that mattered. But instead, he dropped his gaze and left Kristine wanting more.
“I haven’t seen your daughter in ages,” Robbie said. “Mind if I stick around and say hello?”
Kim’s cheeks glowed with surprise. “You’d be doing me a favor, getting between me and the line of fire. All these questions! Did I take my medication? Did I get enough rest? Am I drinking enough fluids? Good grief! I’ve kept myself alive this long, haven’t I?”
Everyone at the table laughed.
“She sounds like me with my little brother,” Carter explained. “I hear myself nagging him all the time, and I think, ‘Is that really me?’ I used to be cool! I used to be fun! Now, I’m just boring and responsible.”
“Welcome to adulthood,” Robbie said, lifting his mug of coffee.
“I don’t subscribe to the theory that adulthood is boring,” Kim corrected. “With that said, I always drink enough water. It keeps me youthful.” She winked.
After Jennifer arrived, she bustled around the house, tending to messes that didn’t exist. Kristine gathered her things, hugged Kim goodbye, and headed for the front door, where Carter remained, waiting for her. He blushed like a teenager waiting for a girl at her locker.
Kristine bundled up in the coat Kim had lent her and packed her city one in her backpack. Carter pressed open the door to hold it open for her, and she passed through, thanking him. Outside, the blue sky had darkened to a soft gray.
“You headed home?” she asked him as they walked toward her mother’s car. She jangled her keys in her pocket.
“Guess so.” Carter smiled at her. Was he nervous? “I hope TJ hasn’t gotten himself into any trouble today. Then again, most places downtown were closed. Not much to rob from.”
Kristine wrinkled her nose. “It sounds exhausting.”
“It is.” Carter palmed the back of his neck, watching as Kristine slung her backpack into the back seat and opened the front door. “Listen. Um.”
Kristine turned, so that her nose was only a few inches from his. Her heart beat quickly, like a rabbit’s. “What’s up?”
Carter laughed, embarrassed. “This is going to sound crazy.”
“I’m sure it won’t.” The other things Kristine had learned over the previous twenty-four hours were probably a lot crazier.
“Well. Would you maybe like to grab dinner with me sometime?” Carter stuttered. “Like, on a date? In case it isn’t obvious that I’m asking you out.” He smiled that handsome smile and his dimple went deeper than ever before.
Kristine’s lips parted with surprise. Back when Patrick had first asked her out, she’d wanted to do backflips around her and Bella’s living room. This felt different, softer.
“Oh. That sounds nice.” Kristine smiled, unsure of how she really felt.
Carter’s smile widened. “Great. Really great.” He nodded a little too quickly, then produced his phone to collect her phone number. She entered it in as chilly New England winds whizzed past her ears. “I’ll text you tonight.”
When Carter sat on his snowmobile, he lifted his sturdy hand in the air and started the engine. Kristine remained in the front seat of her mother’s car with her heart in her throat. Her stomach stirred with a mix of gladness and dread. What on earth was she doing? And was it really the way to a happy ending?