Authors: Leanne Banks
“That's why I like you,” she said.
Nick met her gaze for a long moment, and she felt a click of something between them. Her heartbeat sped up.
She bit her lip at the feelings. “Have a nice night. I'll try to do the same,” she said and shoved her hands into her pockets.
“Give the guy a chance,” he said.
“I will,” she said and trotted out the door, but she couldn't help thinking about Nick. He put on a big front that he was a carefree bachelor, but underneath it all, he had a good heart.
Walking the short distance to the Ace in the Hole, she stepped inside and looked around and realized she hadn't gotten a description of her set-up date. After a couple of moments, she walked to the bar and asked for a glass of water.
“You never order any liquor,” the bartender said. “How am I supposed to make any money on you?”
She set a dollar bill on the bar. “There. I bet you don't get that kind of tip from everyone,” she said.
“True,” he said and grinned. “You're a good woman.”
“You bet I am,” she muttered and sipped her ice water. She surveyed the crowd and tried to figure out who
Tim
was. After five more minutes, she strongly considered leaving.
“Hey. Are you Cecelia?” a deep male voice said from behind her.
She turned around and met the gaze of a man wearing a Stetson and sheepskin jacket.
She nodded. “I'm Cecelia. Are you Tim?” she asked.
“I am,” he said, and his glance fell over her from head to toe. “You aren't what I expected,” he said. “They told me you were a tomboy.”
“I am,” she said. “This is my Halloween costume.”
He smiled and his eyes crinkled. She immediately liked that about him.
“Nice costume,” he said. “Wanna beer?”
“Sure,” she said.
He nodded. “I have a table. Join me?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said and followed him to a table in the corner of the room.
Cecelia learned that Tim owned his own ranch outside town and his brother owned yet another ranch an hour away. Part of Tim's ranch had been impacted by the flood, but he was coming back.
Inevitably, the conversation lulled and she invited him to play darts. Cecelia suspected this was the beginning of the end. Nick would fuss because she would crush Tim in darts. She was learning, however, that this was one of her tests for prospective boyfriends. If he could deal with her beating him in darts, he would make it to the next round. Otherwise...
Tim performed better than she'd expected, but she still beat him. At the end of their match, he looked at her and smiled. “You're a doggone good dart player.”
She liked his sense of humor, his lack of ego.
“I'm gonna have to work on beating you,” he said.
“It's going to take some serious work,” she said. “I'm very good.”
“I can see that,” Tim said. “But I'm up for it. You wanna go to dinner in Kalispell on Friday?”
She blinked at his invitation then gave a slow nod. “Sure. That sounds nice.”
“I'll drive you back to the rooming house,” he said.
“Not necessary,” she said.
“I insist. I was raised to make sure the lady got home safely.”
“Well, thank you very much,” she said and accepted the lift.
When she arrived at the rooming house, she thanked him again and scooted out of his truck. As much as she'd enjoyed his company, she still didn't want to kiss him. That troubled her. Cecelia really wanted to be attracted to one of her
dates,
but she'd felt little more than twinges. No sparks. She would keep on trying, she told herself. She was determined.
* * *
The next night, Cecelia made her way to a meeting of the informally named Rust Creek Falls Newcomers Club, so named because of, well, all the new-to-town folks who had banded together on a regular basis to get to know each other. She was a bit tired after all her dates, but she was determined to make the meeting. After all, she'd helped form the club. Despite her hopes, it had turned into an all-female organization. She took a plate of brownies to the community building and grabbed a mug of hot chocolate from the table where everyone shared their treats. There were a couple of new people attending tonight and she was looking forward to hearing what they had to say.
She gave hugs to Jordyn Leigh Catesâher friend Jazzy's younger sisterâCallie Kennedy, Mallory Franklin, Vanessa Brent and Julie Smith. Jordyn gave a whistle and waved everyone to the seats. “Hey, everyone,” she said. “Grab your goodies and let's sit down, so we can catch up.”
The women sat down. Jordyn slapped her thighs. “Any news?” she asked. “Besides the fact that Cecelia seems to have a busy social life.”
Cecelia felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “I'm not that busy,” she demurred. “Well, I'm busy, but nothing that interesting.”
“What about Nick? Or those other guys you've been with at the Ace in the Hole?” Callie asked.
“I didn't know anyone was counting,” she said. “But I was just talking with one of the other guys about some repairs he's doing on his mom's house.”
“Oh,” Jordyn said. “But you still seem busy.”
“I am,” Cecelia said, uncomfortable with all the attention placed on her. She sure didn't want to discuss her arrangement with Nick. “But not romantically busy. So what's new with the rest of you?” she said, trying to divert the attention from herself.
“Not much,” Jordyn said. “Vanessa, what's up with you?” she asked, taking one of Cecelia's brownies. “Whatever made you come to Rust Creek Falls, anyway?”
The attractive woman was typically pretty animated at their meetings, and today was no different. She took a breath and smiled. “You know I grew up in Philadelphia. I've worked in creative arts, and I'm taking a little break, living in a cabin on the Circle D Ranch. At least I
thought
I was taking a break, until I got roped into running an art program for elementary school kids at the community center after school.”
Cecelia laughed. “Rust Creek Falls has a way of getting you involved whether you planned on it or not.”
“That's what I'm learning,” Vanessa said.
Cecelia couldn't help wondering how anyone could take off that much time, but she would be the last one to pry about such things.
“Well, I'm sure everyone can agree that we're glad you're here.”
“Let us know if we can do anything to help,” Jordyn said.
Vanessa gave a slow nod. “You already have by including me in your group.”
Jordyn nodded and gestured toward another woman. “Julie, you've been awfully quiet tonight. Anything going on with you?”
Julie pressed her lips together. “I appreciate how welcoming you have been. I don't really have much to say about myself. I try not to focus on the past,” she said, lifting her chin in determination. “I try to live in the moment.”
Cecelia wondered what Julie was trying to forget, but she suspected it must be pretty painful. The thought gave her some perspective on her feelings about finding a man...or even just a date. She'd been out several times lately, but no one had made her heart flutter. She'd found a couple of them interesting, though. Maybe she should focus on that instead of heart flutters.
Chapter Five
F
or the next couple of days, Cecelia was assigned to work at the same location as Nick. She would never admit it, but she enjoyed watching him work. Especially when he was crafting customized cabinetry.
Late in the afternoon, she took a hot chocolate break and stole a few moments to look at him. Although it was a chilly day, physical labor had clearly warmed him up enough to remove his jacket and roll up his shirtsleeves. His broad shoulders and powerful biceps strained the seams of his work shirt. No denying the fact that he had a great body. She wasn't the only woman to notice that. What really captured her attention was the expression on his face at this very moment. Nick often gave the impression of being laid-back, but right now, he was totally focused. That rare intensity was so sexy.
She blinked at the thought and frowned.
Sexy?
Nick wasn't sexy to her. He was like a pain-in-the-neck big brother.
Suddenly, Nick glanced up at her and her gaze locked with his. She felt a weird ricochet of awareness ratchet throughout her.
“You're glaring at me,” he said. “What's wrong?”
She blinked again. “Nothing. Nothing,” she repeated for emphasis. “I was just thinking about something.”
“Well, stop thinking about it,” he said. “You look like you just ate a lemon.”
Irritation replaced...whatever fleeting crazy feeling she'd just had. Relief shot through her. She really didn't want to be attracted to Nick. That would be a nightmare.
“Thank you,” she said. “That cabinet you're working on looks good.”
He stared down at the cabinet. “Thanks. I would do more if I had more time, butâ” He broke off and shrugged. “I rarely get the time I want.”
“You're caught between being practical and being an artist,” she said.
He nodded. “Very well said. Nice that someone understands.”
She felt another unwelcome flutter and clamped her teeth together.
Back to inventory. Must focus,
she told herself.
She worked another thirty minutes. Most workers were leaving. She would leave soon, too.
A pair of boots came into her field of vision. Not the usual work boots or cowboy boots, she noticed.
“G'day, Cecelia,” Liam said in his cool accent.
She glanced up and looked into his weather-beaten face and felt a surge of pleasure. “G'day to you,” she said. “How did you find me?”
“I told you I would,” he said. “My mum has temporarily kicked me out of her house. She says I'm being a pain in the arse. I don't suppose you'd join me for a shopping trip for tile in Livingston. We can get a bite to eat, too.”
“Hi,” Nick said, moving between her and Liam. “I'm Nick Pritchett. I don't think we've met.”
“Probably not. I haven't been here long. Good to meet you. Nice-looking cabinet there. Couldn't find anything like that in Australia,” he said.
“Thanks,” Nick said, his voice tinged with reluctance. “What are you doing in Rust Creek Falls?”
“Helping out my mum. Her house needs some work and she refuses to move back in with us. Cecelia here has given me some advice about where to find the materials I need to fix my mum's house. She's a good one.”
“So she is,” Nick said then glanced at her meaningfully. “Cecelia, I thought you had a date tonight.”
“Nope,” she said cheerfully, ignoring his disapproving gaze. “And I was just finishing up. I'd love to go shop for tile, Liam. You just have to promise to talk the whole way coming and going so I can listen to your lovely accent.”
Liam gave her a gruff smile. “No worries. I can talk both your ears off.”
“Cecelia?” Nick said.
“Yes?” She met his gaze.
“I'll see you later,” he said firmly.
“Don't wait up,” she said and headed out the door.
Cecelia enjoyed listening to Liam's voice during the shopping trip to Kalispell. They dined in a pub and she ordered fish and chips. It may have been fried, but she rarely got the opportunity to eat fish in Rust Creek Falls. On the return drive, Liam did as he promised, talking the entire way.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the sound of his voice. As soon as he pulled up beside her truck, she glanced at him. “This has been fun.”
“For me, too,” he said. “You're a great girl.”
She smiled, completely relaxed, because she could tell he wasn't going to kiss her. “You're not the least bit interested in me as a girlfriend, are you?”
“No,” Liam said. “I hope you're not disappointed. But I have a mate back home. We're committed to each other. Thank goodness my brother got married and had some children. My mother can only nag me so much.” He paused a half beat. “Have I disappointed you?”
“Not at all,” she said. “I have a new friend with a great accent. If you need anything else, call me. Here's my cell number....”
“No need,” he said. “I'll find you.”
Cecelia kissed him on the cheek and scampered to her truck. Starting the engine, she waved at Liam and put the truck in gear.
The adventures of modern dating,
she thought and smiled. Truth was she wasn't all that disappointed. She was glad to have a new friend.
Driving to the rooming house, she looked forward to a good night of rest. She dragged herself up the steps to the front door and opened it. No baking for her tonight, she thought and headed for the stairs. After the first flight, Nick greeted her outside his room.
“So, how'd your date go?” he asked, searching her face.
“Fine. Great,” she said. “Liam is super nice. He had lots of interesting stories to tell about Australia.”
“Did he make a move on you?” he asked, his face as stern as she'd ever seen it.
Cecelia thought about taunting him, but she didn't have the energy for it. “Not at all. His true love is in Australia. I'm a safe, sweet, sexually nonthreatening girl. I'm safe, sweet and nonsexual to most,” she muttered.
“What's that about?” Nick asked. “If all you want to do is have sex, you could do that no problem. I thought you were looking for a relationship.”
“I am,” she said. “But we're not living in the Regency period. I wouldn't mind a little, well,
heat.
”
“Heat,”
he echoed. “Another requirement?”
She shrugged. “We'll see. I'm too tired to think about it right now,” she said and started to walk past him.
He grabbed her arm. “Whoa. Don't you think Tim can take care of the heat?”
“I don't know,” she said. “It's too early to tell. Anyway, I've got to go to bed, big bro. I have an early day tomorrow.”
Cecelia trudged to her room, washed her face, brushed her teeth and put on her pj's. Maybe if she kept calling Nick
big bro,
she would stop feeling this strange quivery sensation around him. Maybe.
* * *
The next morning, Nick lingered over breakfast. He wouldn't admit it, but he was getting all twisted up about finding a man for Cecelia. This Tim guy sounded good on paper and she seemed to like him okay, but maybe he wasn't good enough for her. Plus, he didn't want anyone taking advantage of her.
“Would you like another pancake?” Beth Crowder asked him.
Nick shook his head. “Nah, I'm fine, thank you.”
“Anything else?” she asked.
He appreciated her warm, concerned gaze. “Not at all. I meant to tell you that Will Duncan called me the other day. He couldn't say enough good things about you. Thanks for taking them food.”
Beth's cheeks turned pink. “It was nothing. He's such a nice man. And taking over the care of his grandchildren. That's a real man for you,” she said and removed his plate from the table.
“He mentioned that he could use some help. He could pay for it, but not as much as he'd like,” he said.
“Paid help?” she echoed, her brow furrowing.
“Well, I didn't know if you would be open to another part-time job,” he said.
“Hmm,” she said, clearly uncertain. “I'll have to think about that. I'm not sure I would feel right about taking money from a man in Mr. Duncan's situation.”
“He's proud,” Nick said. “He's got a pension from the military and the lumber mill.”
Her brow furrowed again. “I'm not sure,” she said. “I'll let you know. Anything else?”
“Nothing,” he said and walked away from the table. Beth Crowder was a sweet woman, but he knew she needed money. He wondered what was holding her back from taking this job with Will Duncan. To him, it seemed right up her alley. Maybe he wasn't reading people well lately. His mind took a hard swerve to thoughts of Cecelia and he felt a dark rush of emotion. Based on Cecelia's response to his matchups, he wasn't doing all that well.
Nick spent the day working at the new lodge outside town and grabbed a sub and a six-pack from a convenience store on his way home. He was dog-tired and just wanted to watch some football. Thank goodness he'd installed satellite TV for the rooming house.
He stomped toward the stairs and stopped abruptly when Melba and Cecelia stepped in his path. Both women seemed to search his face for something. He didn't know what they wanted, but instinct told him it didn't involve him drinking a few beers and watching football in the privacy of his room.
“I need your help,” Melba said. “Actually, the community needs your help.”
“What's up?” he asked, looking from Melba to Cecelia.
“The high school is having their first dance of the school year at the community center and they need a minimum number of chaperones or they'll have to cancel.”
Feeling a sick twist in his gut, Nick immediately shook his head. Images of his mother dancing with his siblings flashed through his mind. “Not me,” he said. “I don't do dances. I didn't even do them in high school. Not my area.”
“That's what I told her,” Cecelia said. “But several of the chaperones who signed up aren't able to come for one reason or another.”
“It's only for three or four hours,” Melba said. “Gene and I would do it, but it's way past our bedtime, and I'm not sure Gene could handle those teenage boys if they started acting rowdy. They need the natural intimidation of a strong man to keep them in line in case any of them has mischief on their minds.”
Nick rubbed his face in frustration. “Are you sure you couldn't find anyone else?”
Melba lifted her hands in helplessness. “I tried,” she said. “Everyone is busy.”
Nick swallowed a growl. He was supposed to be busy relaxing tonight. “Okay,” he said reluctantly. “Do I have to wear anything special?”
“A clean pair of jeans and a shirt will do,” she said, with no cajoling left in her tone. She turned to Cecelia. “You don't need to dress up either. I'll call Helen Jameson to let her know you're coming. She'll be so relieved. Go ahead and get changed. The dance starts in an hour and a half, and you're supposed to be there early.”
Nick sighed and met Cecelia's gaze. “We can go in my truck. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes.”
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the community center, which was decked out in crepe paper, balloons and lots of little lights. “Why are they using Christmas lights in September?” he asked Cecelia.
“I think they're trying to provide ambiance without spending too much money,” she said.
“If you say so. Once the kids start coming in, you can stand near the punch to make sure no one spikes it,” he said. “I'll hold up the wall near the door. This is going to be the longest night of my life.”
“That's an exaggeration and you know it. I only went to a couple of my high school dances. It might be fun to watch it from this side of graduation,” she said.
“You like to dance?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don't hate it. Of course, it helps if you're dancing with the right person.”
“Hmm,” he said. “Looks like they're putting out the cookies. I'm hungry,” he said, and headed for the food table.
From the other side of the room, Cecelia watched Nick as he prowled around like a wild animal that had been let out of its cage. She'd always known he wasn't much for dancing, but she'd never known why. He was certainly coordinated enough. She suspected that might extend to other areas, such as dancing or... A heated image of Nick blasted through her mind, and she shook it off. Her thoughts were so embarrassing. She was relieved no one could read her mind.
Still, she couldn't resist wondering what it would be like to dance with himâto feel his strong arms around her, his body so close she could feel him breathe. Her stomach fluttered at the thought.
At that second, Nick glanced up and met her gaze. Cecelia blinked, assuring herself that her thoughts had been her own and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. That didn't stop her cheeks from heating as he walked toward her.
“The DJ is here,” he said. “The kids should be here soon. You might want to take your position by the table with the punch. We can take shifts if you get tired of standing there.”
“I'll be fine,” she said.
“I'll cruise the room to stay on top of everything,” he told her.
“Okay.” She paused a half beat and gave in to her curiosity. “Why do you hate dancing so much?”
He narrowed his eyes and turned away as if he weren't going to answer her. “My mom. She taught all of us to dance with some music her parents had passed down to her. Frank Sinatra stuff. After she died, my father never let us play that music again, and he didn't allow dancing in his house anymore.”
Cecelia's heart twisted at his words. “That must have been doubly hard. Losing both your mom and those special memories.”
“Watching what happened to my father after she died makes me wonder if it's better not to have the kind of memories that rip you apart like that. My father continues to live and breathe, but there were plenty of times he seemed like an empty shell of a man to me. I never want to live like that,” he said, then looked away. “Enough about that. The kids are coming in. I'll talk to you later.”