“Freaking awesome!” Eli said.
She laughed, full and open, and I gripped my glass tighter than I meant to. Wren seemed to notice. Her gaze cut to mine, curious, and maybe even hopeful.
Glenda dropped off the trough with four spoons and four pink piggy snouts. She insisted we put them on then pose for a picture.
“We don’t need to be in it.” I pushed the pig snout to the middle of the table. “The glory is all yours, Delaney.”
She playfully swatted at my shoulder. “Shut up and put on your pig snout.”
Eli and Wren weren’t sure how to react to that. Besides the guys who came to poker night, Delaney was the first person they’d ever witnessed calling me out.
“You too,” she said to the kids. “I wouldn’t have gone up there if you hadn’t dared me. We’re in this together.”
For the first time since I left Mama Mae’s house back in Texas, I shut up and did what I was told. Glenda had us standand cluster close together. Close enough that Delaney’s arm brushed against mine and the scent of mountain air right after a spring rain tickled my nose. My chest tightened as heat coursed through my veins. Delaney Hart wasn’t what I expected. I just hadn’t decided yet if that was a good thing or if I was in for a world of trouble.
Glenda snapped a couple of pictures with an ancient Polaroid. She handed one to Delaney and tacked the other to the wall of winners. Delaney waved the picture around while it developed, then held it out for Eli and Wren to see.
“Wow, who knew your dad was capable of smiling?” she teased.
“Hey, I’m capable of a lot of things.” Things I hadn’t thought about in a long, damn time. Things that were probably better left unsaid. Things that being around the young, attractive brunette had stirred up inside me.
She held my gaze for a beat too long then handed me the picture. “Do you want to keep this? There are three of you and only one of me in it.”
“We can put it on the refrigerator,” Wren said as she reached for it.
I should have said no. Did I really want Delaney’s smile greeting me every morning when I opened the fridge? I wasn’t sure. But something deep down inside prevented me from handing it back to her.
“Can we eat the ice cream now?” Eli asked, already seated again with a spoon in his hand.
“You’d better before it all melts.” Delaney slid back onto the bench seat, and I followed. My Saturday night had taken an interesting, though not entirely unwelcome turn.
After we’d stuffed ourselves full of ice cream and I slipped Glenda my credit card to cover dinner, the kids and I walked Delaney to her car.
“Don’t forget your trophy.” Wren handed her a plastic trophy with a pig on top.
Delaney laughed as she took it. “I’ll have to set it on my desk at the office since I don’t have a mantle.”
The cabin I’d set her up in had an old-time woodburning stove but no fireplace. It was rustic and offered the bare necessities, but I hadn’t really been thinking about the woman who’d be living there when I’d picked that one over one of the other bigger places.
“Are you sure you’re comfortable in the cabin?” I asked. “We can move you to one of the others if you want.”
She turned her attention toward me, the smile lingering on her full lips. “No need. It’s great and I love my neighbors.”
“Neighbors?” There wasn’t another cabin within half a mile. They’d been spread widely throughout the park for campers who wanted to experience nature up close and without any distractions.
“There’s a family of raccoons living under the front porch, a nest with baby birds right outside the front door, and I haven’t seen it yet, but I know there’s been a bear snooping around the trash bins.”
My gut immediately clenched. Maybe they did things differently up in New York, but even a kid knew not to leave trash out where one of the numerous black bears in the area could get to it. “The trash should be secured in a cage with a bear lock on it.”
Delaney put her hand on my arm. “Relax. It is locked up. I’ve just got an extremely motivated bear nearby.”
My skin tingled at her touch while heat crept up my arm. And fuck if I didn’t like it. A lot. I jerked my arm away fasterthan I should have, uncomfortable with the kind of feelings and thoughts that being around her stirred up.
“I’ll have someone come out and take a look at it in the next day or two.” I tried to soften my tone, so I didn’t actually growl at her. It wasn’t her fault she’d woken up a long-ignored, deep need inside me. She was all smiles and laughs, smelling like she’d just stepped out of my favorite part of the forest. I needed to keep my distance if I could be this affected by her after spending a few hours sitting next to her while putting away some ribs.
Being around her felt too comfortable, too easy. Like she was already part of our world. Like she belonged.
“It’s okay. I can handle things myself.” She held out her hand to slap against Eli’s then hugged Wren back when my daughter snuggled up against her. “I’ll see the two of you on Monday. I hope you’re ready for a week of nature journaling.”
