She swallows her bite of sandwich and raises a brow. “Really? How?”
“The guys told me she was always trying to set them up.”
She laughs. “You think that’s what I’m doing?” She feigns innocence and adds, “I just want to spend time with my new friends before the place sells, and I move back.”
The sandwich turns to lead in my stomach as I think about our hookup and the expiry date that comes with it. She checks her watch.
“Almost time to go?” I ask, and she nods. “These plans involve you going out?” She nods again, and I reach for my keys. “I’m driving. You’re not going anywhere in Gram’s car until you have winter tires.”
She sighs. “Here I thought I wouldn’t even be around long enough to need a winter coat.”
“Are you disappointed that you’ve had to stay so long?”
“Actually, no.” Water instantly pools in her eyes. “I…I love being here, surrounded by Gram’s things. I can feel her love and warmth in this house. And you guys.” Her throat makes a noise as she swallows. “You’ve all been like the family I always wanted.” I stand, pull her from her chair, and wrap my arms around her.
I clear my throat. “I’ve been thinking, what if I—”
The back door opens and in walks Izzy. Kira makes a move to go, but I hold her to me.
“Kira, you okay?” Izzy asks, real concern in her voice.
Kira wipes her face and inches away from me, and I instantly miss her warmth. “Just emotional today, I think. I have to take some of Gram’s paintings to a gallery, and I’m finding it harder than I thought I would have.”
“I’m sorry,” Izzy says. “I’m free today. I can help.”
“Thank you,” Kira says. “But I think I just need some alone time.”
Izzy opens the fridge. “I’ll be hanging out here today, so give me a shout if you need anything.”
“Come on. I’ll drive you,” I say.
We pull on our coats and toques. I open the back door and hear Jason, Sam, and Cody talking near the pond, as we head to my truck. They must be checking the ice.
“Wait, don’t you need to bring some paintings with you?” I ask.
“I need you to take me somewhere first if you don’t mind,” she says.
I’d take her to the moon and back if she asked. “Sure.” We get in the truck. “Where to?”
“Bluenose Drive, but let’s go by the wharf first.”
I nod and head toward Lunenburg’s downtown. As we drive, I notice there seems to be a lot of traffic this Saturday afternoon, and when I reach the wharf, I can see why.
“Holy shit,” I say and turn to find Kira grinning at me. “Did you know the Bluenose II was going to be in dock today?”
“I did,” she says.
“How?”
She lifts her chin. “I have ways.”
“Holy shit,” I say again and laugh. I park the truck, and we both get out. A crowd of people are on the wharf taking pictures of the gorgeous schooner. I’ve wanted to get a look at her since I first arrived in Lunenburg, but she’s never been in port.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Kira says.
I take her hand, and we get closer. “Did you know she won the first international fisherman’s trophy for the fastest fishing schooner that worked in the North Atlantic deep-sea fishing industry? She had to win two out of three races to claim the trophy. She defeated the American challenger Elsie for the international fishermen’s trophy and returned to Nova Scotia in 1921.” I spout off a few more facts, and Kira is grinning at me by the time I finish.
“You really do like boats, don’t you?” she asks.
I shake my head and grin. “And I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know, am I?”
“No, but it’s okay.” She shuffles closer, and I offer her my warmth. “I like listening to you, and I love your enthusiasm.”
I exhale, and my breath turns to fog in front of my face. “I’m so glad I got to see her,” I say quietly. More importantly, I’m glad I got to share the moment with Kira.
She checks her watch. “We need to go.”
“Okay,” I say, and we get back into the truck. I’m about to take her back home to get the paintings, but she points the other direction.
“This way,” she says.
I give her a quizzical look, but she just stares out the window. We drive down the road, and she says, “Pull over here.” I pull the truck over and glance around. I scan the streets for an art gallery, but all I see is the Dorey Shop.”
“What are we doing here?”
“You’re building a boat today, Nate.”
I sit up a little straighter. “What are you talking about? I didn’t sign up.”
“I signed you up. I overheard you at the Halloween party, and wanted to do this for you.”
“Kira…” I say, my heart swelling in my too-tight chest. I swear to God, this is the nicest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. I take in her smile and the tumble of honey-blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
I’m in deep fucking trouble here.
The women from my social circle have never taken the time to get to know the man beneath the suit, to dig below the surface and discover who I really am, and what makes me tick, let alone sign me up for boat building lessons. Then again, have I ever let them? I closed my heart off long ago, yet I somehow opened it to this sweet and sexy mathematician without realizing it. Everything tells me it can only lead to trouble. But at times like this, when it’s only me and her, the world falling away around us, that I easily forget why we can never work out.
“You okay?” she asks. “You want to do this, don’t you?”
“Yeah, of course, Kira. I just…I don’t even know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“What about the paintings? I thought you were going to the gallery.”
“I am. I’m going to do it while you’re in there.”
“You’re taking my truck,” I say, her safety on the roads is of great concern to me. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
“You don’t have to. I’d never make it over the back roads in the land yacht.”
I have no idea what back roads she’s taking, but right now, all I can think about is kissing her. I lean across the cab and press my lips to hers. Everything about her mouth is incredibly hot, delicately soft, deliciously warm. After a deep, intimate kiss, one that leaves us both breathless, she inches back.