“Whee.” Twirling down the steps, Charlotte interrupted my staring contest with Felix. “I wish it would storm! I like snow.”
Felix saved her from colliding with the car by redirecting her toward the open space in front of the cabin. “Do a good job of helping with the work, and maybe I’ll take you up to the visitor center to the snow play and sledding area. They have snow tubes and things like that.”
“That sounds fun.” I grabbed some grocery bags from the back of the SUV.
“You can come.” Charlotte offered first, but Felix nodded as well.
“I might.” I followed Felix into the cabin and set my load of bags on the kitchen counter. “Think you brought enough groceries, Doc?”
He laughed, a real chuckle, some of the awkwardness draining away as we started putting stuff away. “Couldn’t risk having to live on jerky and eggs. Or pancakes. I thought we could make pasta tonight.”
“You remembered that I can do spaghetti?” My ego perked up right along with my posture. I liked how he truly listened to my stories, remembering even small details.
“I didn’t want to miss our chance to have your specialty.”
“Oh, you’ve got more than one chance.” The girls were nowhere to be seen, so I risked a suggestive tone and look to match. Prowling closer, I reached for him, but he stepped back.
“Did you know you have bones in your ear?” Charlotte popped up over the breakfast bar.
“Really?” Felix shot me an apologetic smile, but I shrugged. If the kid interruptions were the price I had to pay to get him alone later, I didn’t mind. And honestly, Charlotte was rather cute, the way she knew so many big facts. Madeline was far less talkative and seemed less happy to see me, but I liked her too, the way she was talented at sliding her own requests or observations in between Charlotte’s monologues.
“Should we start dinner or do we have time to start on my list?” I asked Felix once the last of the food was put away.
“Your list, huh?” Both of Felix’s well-groomed eyebrows went up.
“Well, you sent it to me.” He’d sent me the list as a picture on the phone so that I could see what needed doing this weekend. The grainy image with its cluttered bullet points had practically screamed out for my talents. I retrieved a couple of printouts from my bag and handed one to him. “I might have improved upon what the management company sent you. I organized it into subtasks and things that might be kid-appropriate. Their column is pink.”
Felix tilted his head like I’d grown a second nose. “You made a spreadsheet for the weekend?”
“Overkill?” I rubbed the back of my neck. I was so used to organizing as part of my job that I forgot that not everyone shared my love of planning.
“No, I’m impressed.”
“Told you. I’m good at logistics.” I might have a fun-loving rep, but organizing spreadsheets and having clear tasks always made me happy. I could think on the fly, but I kept my sub running with my advance planning. “And speaking of supplies, I picked up a few things to supplement the toolbox.”
“You didn’t have to do that. I can pay you back.”
“We can work that out later.” I made a dismissive gesture and could practically hear my brothers laughing at me. Me not care about repayment? Yeah. I had it bad for Felix.
“All right. But we will settle up at some point.” Felix wagged a finger at me. “Now, what’s first on your chart?”
“A number of the items have to do with loose things like cabinet handles.” I dug around in my bag until I came up with a roll of yellow tape. “So I want the girls to go test every handle in the cabin and put a piece of tape on the loose ones. You and I will follow behind with screwdrivers.”
“Yay!” Charlotte cheered while Madeline took the tape from me, and we all spent a fun hour testing doors and tightening screws.
“That was a brilliant way to involve them.” Felix patted my back. We’d ended up back in the kitchen, working on adjacent cabinets while the girls checked the bathroom for other loose handles. “Didn’t you say you thought you were bad with kids?”
“It’s not that I don’t like them.” I leaned into his touch, and he took the hint, rubbing lightly. “I’m always afraid of squashing or dropping the tiny ones. Or scaring them. Or making the bigger ones laugh because I did something stupid or didn’t get a pop culture reference. And even older, well-behaved ones like yours are a lot of responsibility. I worry about screwing up.”
Wow. I couldn’t believe I’d spewed all that out loud, and I had to look down, closely examine each screw to see if it was stripped. I wasn’t sure what it was about Felix that got me talking. Even family members and longtime acquaintances couldn’t get this sort of deep thinking out of me.
“Calder. They’re people. Small people.” Felix’s tone was patient and kind, but firm. Maybe that was part of why I liked talking to him so much. Felix never judged, but he also wouldn’t let me get away with BS either. He moved his hand from my back to massage my tense neck. “Some kids are smart and funny and amazing. Most are good-hearted. A minority are mean-spirited or more challenging than others. A few will make you tear your hair out, but it’s not that complicated to be good at interacting with them.”
“It’s not?” I all but purred at how good his touch felt.
“Simply keep doing what you’ve been doing. This idea of yours was great.”
“Thanks.” I tipped my head back, seeking a kiss, but right then Madeline came down the hall and Felix dropped his hand.
“I’m hungry.” She glared at both of us. This was part of what I’d meant. Some kids I simply couldn’t seem to charm.
“Dinner is spaghetti. Why don’t you go pick out a book for tonight while Calder and I cook? It’s your turn to pick.” Felix gestured at the stairs and the girls clattered up them, bickering over what sort of story they were in the mood for later.
“Sorry. They seem to have impeccable timing today.” Felix’s tone was weary, and his eyes were apologetic when I spun to face him.
“Can I kiss you?” I pulled him closer and this time he let me. “Please?”
“Since you asked so nice...” He stretched to brush a light kiss across my lips. His mouth was familiar and warm, and I groaned low. Something about that sound must have done it for him because he deepened the kiss. We went from chaste and friendly to burn-the-kitchen-down hot in three seconds flat.
His mouth was urgent against mine and the gasp he made when I used my tongue against his went straight to my groin, but I was also on red-alert for noises from upstairs. Reluctantly, I released him.