Oh, good grief.
His phone beeped again. Another frown.
“Is it serious?”
He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe. The heat seems to be falling at Wilder House. I need to get over there.” He pocketed his phone. “I guess I’ll take the four-wheeler.”
She didn’t know why the words emerged from her, why suddenly she thought this might be a great idea, why, apparently, she assumed he might want her tagging along, but just like that, the question simply erupted out of her. “Can I go with you?”
Her request hung there, bright and raw, and oh, she just wanted to pull it back—
“Really?”
And again, she didn’t know what possessed her. Simply, yes. Yes, she wanted…well, she didn’t know, really, what she wanted. But maybe she was tired of living by the plan, the rules, the sheet music.
She wanted to improvise. “Sounds fun.”
He considered her long enough for her to open her mouth to take it back when, “Okay then. But on one condition.”
Probably that she’d stop prying into his life.
“You’re going to have to wear boots.”
CHAPTER 4
TUESDAY, 4:00 P.M.
This was probably a bad idea. At least, that’s what Owen’s voice in Romeo’s head was shouting.
A bad idea to bring a guest along to fix whatever disaster awaited him at Wilder House.
Romeo’s phone kept buzzing, despite turning off the internet-connected thermometer that alerted him to problems with the heating system. But according to his app, the temperature in the wedding venue had dropped to less than fifty-five degrees and was headed quickly into pipe-freezing temps.
So, who knew what he was walking into, and yes, he probably should have told Stella no when she asked to go with him. But she’d looked so…well, if not hopeful, then eager.
Like she wanted to spend time with him.
And he wasn’t unaware of his own forbidden, surprising reaction to the look of fear on her face when she’d looked down at him from her perch on the ladder.
Yeah, he hadn’t been listening to Owen when she’d grabbed the star and headed up the ladder. But maybe he’d chalk up his response—to barrel up the ladder—to resort responsibility rather than the crazy urge to protect her.
He didn’t have such an excuse now. Simply that somehow, the urge to say yes to her had swept over him. And suddenly, dangerously, a pretty girl had ended up on his four-wheeler as he trekked through the snow to Wilder House.
“What is this place?” she said, leaning in, her voice in his ear. She wasn’t exactly tucked up against him—instead, she held onto the seat handles. But he was very, very aware of her presence, the tiny gasps or even laughs she gave when he skidded or went over a bump.
As if she were enjoying herself? So maybe, mission accomplished?
“It’s an old Victorian home that my cousin Casper restored and turned into a wedding venue. There’s a wedding here this weekend.”
Even as he said it, he turned off the gravel road and down the long drive toward the house. As they drew nearer, the five acres of cleared land opened a glorious view of Lake Superior, blue and smoky today as fog lifted from it, the water warmer than the crisp air.
The house, with its tall tower turret, wraparound front porch, dormer windows, and a Christmas-red barn, wasn’t a large venue, but it was the top of its game in Deep Haven, booked every weekend since it opened last February.
“Wow, it’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah. And inside, there’s an industrial kitchen, bride and groom’s suites upstairs, a room for a small reception or dinner, and another grand room for the ceremony.”
He pulled up to the house and she got off.
“It’s magical.” She spread her arms wide, leaning back. “And it smells amazing here.”
“It’s the lake effect. That, and the white pine that surround the place. The Evergreen used to be surrounded by them too, but they were taken out by a fire years ago and are still growing back.”
“A forest fire?”
He stepped up to the porch—he’d have to shovel—unlocked the door, and went inside, checking for anything amiss. “Yeah. I wasn’t around, but I heard about it from Darek Christiansen. He’s the oldest brother and used to run the resort. He used to be a hotshot with the Jude County Firefighters, same outfit that I worked for.”
She followed him in. The air carried the sharp edge of chill. He stopped by the thermometer, and sure enough, the head had dropped to fifty.
“Something has cut out the heat.”
She tried the lights. “Electricity is out.”
“Hmm.” He headed outside. And discovered, on the backside of the house, a birch tree had fallen, hanging on a line. “That’s the culprit. I’ll have to take down the tree and call the electric company.”
“Need help?”
“I’m pretty good with a chain saw.”
“Of course you are.”
He smiled at her, then headed to the barn and found a chain saw. Then he called the electric company and got an update on the restoration of power.
When he came out, he spotted her on the deck, shovel in hand. He walked over to her. “You don’t have to do that.”
She gave him a look. “I promise I won’t tell anyone. But this place needs a little wedding magic.”
It did, and he had nothing in argument. So he headed to the tree and attacked it, taking it down, then cut up the tree into manageable chunks to be chopped into firewood later.
The porch was mostly clean when he returned, and he took the shovel from her to finish the job. The snow drifted into the wind like fairy dust. She leaned against the railing.
“Why did you say yes?”
He looked at her.
“When your uncle John asked you to come here. Sounds like you enjoyed firefighting.”
“I did. But…” He finished the last swipe, then headed toward the steps. “About a year and a half ago, we had an accident. One of our team members died when his chute didn’t open.”
“Oh, Romeo. I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks.” His mouth tightened as he cleared the step. Sighed. “He was my trainee.”
She said nothing as he finished the next step.
He looked up at her. She met his eyes. Something about her expression made him continue. “I blamed myself. It was an accident, but…I had spent the last winter with a bunch of guys at a cabin in Alaska, but…I just couldn’t…”
“You couldn’t face their disappointment every day.”
He made a sound, deep inside. “Uncle John heard about it through…well, my jump boss, Tucker, is also from Deep Haven, so maybe that’s how. Anyway, he called, and I said yes and…”
“And now you’re here, trying to entertain a guest who is also running from disappointing the people she loves.”
He looked at her, and she wrinkled her nose. “Just saying, I get it.”
He didn’t know why, but her words sank in with an almost unbearable heat.
Oh.
“Let’s see if the furnace is on.” He went inside. “Sounds like it got reset. Just needed to take the tension off the line.” He toed off his boots and walked to the kitchen. Turned on the faucet just to make sure that the water was running. “I think we’re in the clear. Ready to go?”