“Dinner was delicious as usual, Susannah. Thank you.”
She smiled at him as she stood to begin clearing the dishes. Colton joined her, carrying his own plate to the sink. “You know you don’t have to do that,” she said softly.
With a shrug, he said, “And you know I don’t mind helping.”
It had been four days since the soft opening of the inn and while he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, he could tell that something was on her mind. This was the first time he’d been over since that night – not that he was purposely avoiding her, but he really needed the time to himself to figure out how he truly felt about moving forward without getting married. Plus, now that the inn was finished, his focus was on other Coleman jobs and by the time he was done for the day, he was tired and dirty and it was easier to just go home to his place.
“You’re awful quiet tonight,” she said after a minute. “Everything all right?”
Here was the perfect intro for him to talk about his feelings.
“Yeah,” he said instead. “Everything’s fine. Just a little tired. This job over at the yacht club should have been a no-brainer, but we’ve had inventory issues and I had two guys out sick today and there’s rain in the forecast and that’s going to set us back on top of the holidays, so…”
She walked over and gently guided him back to his chair and then stood behind him, massaging his shoulders. “I’m sorry. And it’s been so cold out too. I hate thinking of you working outside like that.”
Her hands felt so good that Colton instantly began to relax. “I’m used to it. I’ve been doing this for over twenty-years so I barely notice the weather anymore.”
“Still,” she said, her hands kneading deeper, “I wish you didn’t have to work so hard.”
It was something she started saying after they began work on the house. Colton had a crew full of guys who were younger than him and as foreman, he probably could get by with delegating what needed to be done. That wasn’t the way he worked, though. He was a hands-on guy and that meant if his guys were swinging a hammer, so was he.
Her hand hit a particularly sore muscle and he hissed.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“Nothing to be sorry for. It feels good.”
“That wasn’t a sound of something feeling good,” she teased.
“Trust me.” His head leaned back and rested against her which caused him to hum with approval. “How about you, Suz? How was your day?”
“Still going over the comment cards everyone filled out this weekend and trying to make adjustments for the grand opening.”
“What does that mean? Did people complain?”
“No. Not really,” she said, moving her hands so they were both working his right shoulder. “More like suggestions.”
“Such as?”
“There were a few suggestions about the selection of toiletries we offered – some of the scents were not a hit.”
“Okay, that’s not huge.”
“One complaint about the pillow selection…”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “A little like Goldilocks – one was too firm, one was too soft…”
“Good grief.”
“Another person wrote that I didn’t have enough gluten-free and vegan options for breakfast, but I asked everyone when they made their reservation about dietary needs and restrictions so I’m not too worried about that one.”
“You know you’re not going to be able to please everyone, right?”
“I know.” Now she shifted to his left shoulder. “But in the beginning, I really need to be aware of what people want and try to accommodate as much as possible. So if that means having extra pillows stocked, I’ll do it. If I have to add a few items to the menu, it’s not a big deal. Same with the toiletries. I’ll add a couple of varieties.”
“I just don’t want you killing yourself and jumping through hoops. That’s all.”
Leaning down, she kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” Giving his shoulder one last squeeze, she stepped around him and finished putting the dinner dishes in the dishwasher. When she was done, she came back over and sat down beside him. “I’m glad you came over tonight.” Reaching out, she took one of his hands in hers. “I missed you.”
Colton couldn’t help but smile. “I missed you too, beautiful.” He loved seeing her blush when he called her that.
“I baked some apple cobbler for dessert. You know, when you’re ready.”
She definitely spoiled him. Susannah was a fantastic cook and she seemed to get real pleasure from making special treats for him.
And he appreciated each and every one of them.
Placing a hand on his stomach, he grinned. “I’m still full from the pot roast, but thanks.” He paused. “So have you finalized your Christmas plans? Will everyone be here for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? I know you and Georgia were deep in discussion over that last time we talked about it.”
She laughed softly. “Christmas Eve here, Christmas Day at Georgia’s. You’re coming to both, right?”
“Uh…”
Truth be told, he wanted to. He planned to up until a week and a half ago. Now he wasn’t so sure of his place and didn’t want to be the guy hanging out where he didn’t belong.
As if reading his mind, Susannah sighed. “Colton, we’ve got to talk about this.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” And honestly, he couldn’t be sure what exactly she was referring to. “I don’t expect you to invite me to every family gathering, Susannah. I don’t need to be with you for both. And besides, your cousin might not appreciate my being there.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Georgia loves to entertain and the more the merrier.” She smiled at him sadly. “And that’s not completely what I was referring to.”
He arched a brow at her and waited for her to explain.
She let out a long breath. “I know things got a little…awkward…but you said you weren’t going anywhere and…you kind of have.”
“Excuse me?” Straightening in his chair, he studied her hard. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means…it means you left the night of the opening and you didn’t come back until tonight.”
“Susannah…”
“No, I know you have other jobs you need to focus on, but I feel like you’re pulling away and…and it bothers me.”
“You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” he murmured, raking a hand through his hair as he jumped to his feet.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, you can’t keep pushing me away with one hand and pulling me back with the other!” And yeah, he was frustrated.
“That’s not what I’m doing!” she cried.
“Let me ask you something,” he began and didn’t wait for her to respond. “Do you love me?”
Her expression softened. “You know I do.”
“But not enough to marry me,” he stated.
“You know why…”