Redeeming Her Montana Love Read online

  He stood but didn’t immediately face her. People didn’t like getting bad plumbing news.

  “Give it to me straight,” she said. “Will the patient live?”

  Her head was back a little as if she was setting herself to take a blow, something he knew too much about. “If it was me,” he told her, “I’d pull the plug and put the patient out of its misery.”

  She groaned and scrubbed her forehead. The about-to-be-punched look had faded; either that or he’d imagined it. “Figures. To quote my grandmother, rest her soul, when it rains it pours.” She scrubbed some more. “My guess is you’re going to say the same about the plumbing in the bathroom. Old is old.”

  “Everything doesn’t have to be done at once. You’ve been using the cabin all along, right?”

  “Not much in recent years. There’s a lot—not much.”

  Unless he was wrong, she was dodging something she didn’t want to go into. He knew what that felt like. More to the point, she fascinated him. He couldn’t say why, not completely. She was sexy, not in his face sexy, but simmering beneath the surface. In the short amount of time they’d been talking, she’d revealed layers of complexity. She reminded him of a forest trail with something new to explore around every corner.

  “All right,” he said. With the two words, he realized his mind was made up. He wanted to see her more than this one time. “My suggestion is I change out not just the split pipe but everything down there.” He tapped the floor with his shoe. “Then we’ll test the system and see how things function.”

  Her eyes went big. They also glittered. Was she trying not to cry? Hopefully not, because he didn’t know how to deal with crying females, especially ones who were practically strangers and whose wet tennis shoes had tracked mud onto yellowed vinyl but didn’t seem to care.

  A woman who’d chosen a big, ugly mutt instead of some designer lap dog.

  “When—I don’t want to push you but when do you think you might be able to tackle the work, if you’re willing to do it that is?”

  “I’m willing.”

  She looked confused and relieved. Maybe he was imagining it but wasn’t there another emotion? Perhaps the same interest he was experiencing.

  “Thank you,” she said. “That’s a huge load off my mind. I’m sure I didn’t bring enough money to pay you. Is there an ATM machine at the lodge?”

  “I don’t know. I have access to the parts. I’ll let my boss know what I’m using them for. I’m sure you can settle up with him later.”

  “What about your labor? What’s your usual rate?”

  “I’m on salary here. How about you keep track of the hours I work here. We’ll discuss paying me later.”

  She shook her head. “You’re never going to get rich that way.”

  “I don’t care about rich.”

  When her mouth remained open a little, he surmised she wasn’t sure she believed him. She pushed away from the counter and wandered into the living room. She sat on the arm of the recliner Bruce had claimed. The big dog planted his head on her thigh. With her back to the windows and the lake beyond that, he was struck by how comfortable she looked in her surroundings. What would owning the roof over his head feel like?

  “What do you do?” he asked because his conflicting thoughts were confusing him.

  “I’m a real estate developer.”

  That didn’t fit, not that he really knew what real estate developer meant. He conjured up an image of men and women in power suits making multimillion-dollar deals, a cutthroat profession where only the connected and sometimes ruthless succeeded. Someone like that wouldn’t sit in a small, damp room with a couple of cobwebs dangling from the ceiling and let some mutt drool on their jeans.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” she said with a small laugh. She hugged Bruce’s solid head. “I look out of my element here, don’t I?”

  No. “Is that how you feel?” He sat in the chair opposite her and tried not to stare at how well denim outlined her thighs. The way he was positioned, the sun’s glare made it hard to read her expression.

  “Good question.” She hugged Bruce again. “That’s part of why I’m here. Doing some self-assessment.”

  Things were rapidly getting heavier than he was used to. With most women anywhere near his age, their conversations usually included intimate undertones. He’d put out a few sexual feelers and more times than not they’d be picked up on. His gaze would linger on a breast or leg, even a crotch. The woman and he would question each other about present or past romantic encumbrances, not that he knew much about the condition or wanted to.

  This setting was perfect for the kind of relationships he had experience with. Unless Peter came to check on her, they were alone for the foreseeable future. Bruce might object but they could put him in a bedroom or outside or—

  No, today wasn’t going to turn into sex.

  He didn’t want it to.

  Didn’t know why he felt as he did.

  “Self-assessment?” he said. “Are you talking about your career?”

  “Yeah, I’m at a bit of a crossroads.”

  “You’re thinking about changing jobs?”

  “Kind of. My father died last winter. He’d started Hearne Development in Missoula. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of it.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It only means something to people who give a darn about construction projects. From the time I was in high school I worked for the company. He taught me—so much. Made sure I got a business degree. A couple of years ago he made me his partner.” She idly stoked Bruce’s head. “Then one day he was gone.”

  “He died unexpectedly?”

  She’d been studying him but now the worn carpet caught her attention. A breeze had found its way past the open window behind her and was helping to clean the air, but he didn’t think she’d noticed.

  “Very suddenly. One of the worst days of my life for a lot of reasons.” She briefly closed her eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go there.”

  He’d always locked away any and all emotional baggage women tried to drag out of him, but Alisha and he had just met. “I’m thinking that deciding how you want to earn a living might be making it hard for you to focus on what this place needs. One’s a lot more important than the other.”

  She nodded but continued her study of the carpet. “The problem is, this whole career thing is complicating the question of whether I’m going to keep the cabin.”

  “Selling might simplify things for you. Of course you’d have to list it as an as-is property.”

  “True.”

  “What is it?” he pressed when she didn’t elaborate. “Are you afraid you won’t be able to sell it?”

  “It isn’t that. Now that the resort has new ownership with deep pockets, Lake Serene is starting to get more attention. The Forest Service won’t allow any more lots to be developed on national forest land so what exists here keeps getting more valuable. Many people dream of a place where they can get away from it all.”

  “I’m sure they do.” Like me maybe.

  “I’ve been approached by several parties interested in it, even had a couple of crazy offers.” Her gaze swept around the room, her expression softening and her muscles relaxing as she did. She looked younger than she had moments ago.

  “Crazy good or bad?”

  “Outrageously generous.”

  “But you weren’t interested.”

  Her mouth opening, she stared at him. “I didn’t say that.”

  “No you didn’t, but your body language is saying that’s something you don’t want to do.”

  She frowned. “You’re studying my body language?”

  I’m studying everything about you. Can’t you tell? “Figure of speech. It wasn’t a come-on.”

  “That’s good to know.” She shook her head. Was she disappointed? The whole sexual dance got darned complicated sometimes, and he was far from a pro. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like I did. It’s just t
hat—my emotions are kind of raw. I don’t like feeling that way.”

  Because of her father’s death and having the business dumped on her shoulders and the question of what she should do going forward, he guessed. What he was less certain of was why he’d come to the conclusion he had. He’d never considered himself a good judge of human nature in large part because he made it a habit not to get close. Either her system was giving away things he sensed on a subconscious level, or there was a connection between them.

  Right.

  They were practically strangers.

  Not only that, he didn’t know her marital status and, even if she wasn’t married, whether there was a man in her life.

  “I’ve been considering my options regarding the cabin,” she said. She lifted Bruce’s head and rubbed her thigh. “I’d sell this place furnished. The new owner can have everything, furniture, sheets, towels, dish soap, toilet paper. Well, I might take the toilet paper.”

  He laughed because he figured she was expecting it. Mostly he wanted her to go on touching her thigh. She probably wasn’t aware of it, but the gesture was damned sexy. “Being able to get water into the cabin without flooding the crawl space would definitely increase the value.”

  “Unfortunately you’re right,” he said.

  When she turned her attention back to the carpet, he took the chance to study her some more. Right now she looked tired, worn down. If that was true, he wouldn’t be surprised if everything was a big decision for her. He couldn’t do much about that, but there was one decision he could make for her—maybe two.

  “I’ve taken enough of your time.” He indicated the grocery bags on the counter. “You’re going to want to get settled in before dark.” He waited until she’d given him her full attention. “Do you think you can get along with the hose from the pump?”

  “Yes. I have buckets—somewhere.”

  “I’ll fill them and put them in the bathroom before I leave so you can use the toilet.” He stood. “How about I come here after work tomorrow? As much overtime as I’ve been putting in, Rey isn’t going to object if I take off a little early. Besides, it’s his doing that I’m here. I’ll bring everything I need to change out the pipes I’ve targeted.”

  Her expression as she got to her feet struck him as a mix of gratitude and disbelief. He didn’t blame her since he wasn’t sure why he’d decided to make her problem his—not entirely sure, he amended as she rubbed the denim covering her hips. Bottom line, the woman interested him in ways he didn’t understand but hoped to.

  “I should at least tell you not to hurry but I’m not going to,” she said. “This means so—it’s such a load off my mind.”

  “You need it.”

  The silence and her confused expression started to make him uncomfortable so he walked over to the door and opened it. Instead of heading down the two stairs, he looked out at snow remnants on the ground, trees with soft green, new growth, a few clouds in a beautiful blue sky, and a distant mountain that stood as an anchoring force to everything around it. The longer he stood there, the more relaxed he felt. The sound of ducks near the shore overwhelmed the faint whine of a distant boat motor.

  “Wait,” she said. “I’ll walk down to the lake with you. Untie the boat once you’re in it.”

  “You don’t have to but it would make getting underway easier. You don’t have a boat yourself?”

  “I sold it. I loved being in the boat but until I’ve decided whether I’m going to keep the place…”

  “Maybe you should make a list of the pros and cons. I’ll talk to Rey. As the resort’s contractor, he’ll probably have suggestions about the best way to deal with the dock.”

  “I’d appreciate it. It sounds as if I need to thank this Rey. He sent the best person he could have to talk to me.”

  “I don’t know why he chose me. I didn’t ask.”

  Her expression turned serious. After a moment, she touched his shoulder. “Well I’m grateful.”

  The contact lasted maybe all of a second but the after-effect lingered. The day was bright and clear with just a few clouds that had factored heavily in his decision to see how much speed the boat was capable of. It was starting to slide into evening with tree shadows turning the lake grey and making it hard to spot the ducks that, going by the increasing squawks, weren’t happy with the humans’ presence. Since he’d been hired, he’d seen the long winter evenings at Lake Serene as good for a couple of beers and little else since they rolled up the non-existent sidewalks once it got dark.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way,” she said as he started working his way around the tree limbs to the bobbing boat, “but I hope you’ll go slower on your way back. The ducks are returning to the area. It won’t be long before chicks start hatching. Maybe you’ll see an osprey.”

  “A what?”

  “Osprey. Don’t you know what they are?”

  “Sorry.”

  “They’re raptors, big hawks really that feed on fish. There used to be two pairs with nests. Hopefully they’re still around. Watching them dive into the water—it’s a thrill I hope I never get over.”

  He had to hold onto a branch to keep from losing his balance as he looked back at her. Her eyes held a childlike excitement. Years and years ago, his kid brother’s eyes had sparkled like that.

  Before everything had gone bad.

  “I’ll keep an eye out for them,” he belatedly said. “See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter Four

  THE NEXT DAY, Alisha selected a washcloth and placed it in the kettle of warm water on the stove. After wringing it out, she scrubbed her face with it. She put on moisturizer followed by lip gloss and a bit of mascara. She debated doing the whole makeup thing but didn’t want Nate to think she’d put on her war paint for him. He was going to do a job and she was going to pay him. That was the extent of their relationship.

  In the nearly twenty-four hours since she’d seen Nate, she’d cleaned the windows, chased down cobwebs, and dusted. The cabin wasn’t a showplace but it now looked a hundred times more lived in. She wasn’t sure what made the most impact for her, probably being able to see out and letting in more sunlight. Although it was hard to do on her own, she’d put up the screen doors to keep the mosquitoes out and to let more air in.

  Because insomnia had really set in since her father’s death, she’d brought along several books and her satellite radio. Between reading a cozy mystery and listening to a couple of comedy programs, she’d managed not to let her mind fixate on how dark nights far from city lights got. It helped to know Doc was nearby.

  Then she’d gone to bed, even dozed off, only to wake before long wondering what it would feel like to have a man’s body next to hers. She hadn’t had sex for so long. Usually she was able to push sexual need to the back of her mind by focusing on work, but she was far from the office. Right now it didn’t matter. Only being a woman did.

  A woman who’d just met a man whose physical form spoke to hers.

  As soon as it had gotten warm enough to go outside this morning, she’d taken a hand axe to the smallest limbs on the fallen trees. She’d hauled them to the fire pit and started burning slash, something she wouldn’t be able to do once the Service declared the start of fire season.

  It was hard, dirty work, but physical exertion felt good. Hopefully she’d wear herself out enough that she could get more sleep tonight than she had last night. That exhaustion would come between her and mentally replaying whatever had happened while Nate had been here.

  Doc had come by with his chainsaw and spent about an hour tackling larger limbs. In between catching up, they’d managed to strip the tree closest to the dock which would make landing easier for Nate. Doc had admitted he’d kept an ear tuned to the sound of Nate’s boat leaving and wanted to know how things had gone.

  “Pretty good,” she’d said. “I don’t know all the details of what he’s going to do. I’m just grateful. I talked to the resort’s contractor. He said I’d be satisfied with Nate�
�s work.”

  Doc had chuckled. “There’s work and then there’s work. The man isn’t just doing this out of the goodness of his heart.”

  She hadn’t replied.

  “Our company’s returning,” she told Bruce as a new sound caught her attention. “What do you think of him?”

  Bruce yawned.

  “That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Do you have reservations?”

  Bruce cocked his head to the side.

  “What are you telling me?” She hugged the humane society special. “Just don’t chase him off until he’s fixed everything.”

  She took Bruce’s steady stare to mean he agreed. Bruce wasn’t one of those slap happy dogs who slobbered on everyone. He took his time to size people up. Apparently he hadn’t yet made up his mind about Nate.

  Neither had she, she admitted as she headed for the lake. There were a couple of things she knew about the man. For one, he wasn’t afraid of work—and he liked speed.

  There was more of a breeze this afternoon and water sloshed over the tilted dock. Snow runoff had flowed into the lake and the shoreline to her left was marshy like it was most springs. Before long, countless beautiful, iridescent-blue dragonflies would perch on waving grasses. When she’d first seen the dragonflies copulating, she’d asked her mother if they were hurting each other. As she recalled, Mom had changed the subject—something she’d been good at.

  Strangely, there hadn’t been an insect, bug, or creepy-crawler that bothered her mother. Mom hadn’t been comfortable in social settings but nothing, not even the mice that wintered in the cabin and made nests in the newspapers they used to start fires, bothered her. Maybe that was why Alisha had no qualms about the bats that took flight here every evening and fed off the mosquitoes. She’d never heard her mother squeal so why would she? In contrast, she’d be surprised if her father had given critters a minute of his attention. He had much more important things to deal with.

  Nate was coming. Moving slow and steady through the wind-caused waves.

  More flustered than she wanted to acknowledge, she raked her fingers through her hair. As he guided the boat into the open space she’d created, she drew comparisons between him and the plumbers her father and she dealt with in their business. Hearne Development was all about business complexes, not a twelve-hundred square foot seasonal cabin. Those plumbers worked for companies and charged outrageous rates. They certainly didn’t come by watercraft.