Georgia: Much better, thank you! Good or bad news?
Declan: My friend Tristan the roofer can meet you up at your place at four this afternoon. That good for you? I’d come too but I’m hauling logs with my cousin today until six.
My heart sinks but I type back quickly.
Georgia: Thank you!
Declan: Let me know what he says, Peaches.
I put my phone down on my lap.
“Declan says the roof guy can come over this afternoon. Could you run me back up the mountain?”
“Sure. Those Connors are good folks, but Declan’s always had a reputation for being a little wild.” She takes a sip of her tea.
My heart sinks a little more. “A womanizer?”
Aunt Trish glances over. “Who knows? I’ve never seen him with a woman. Good-looking man like him must get a lot of attention. But Declan doesn’t play by the rules. Certainly, he’s out on that mountain in all weathers. He had some ruckus with a farmer who was poisoning wildlife, came into Friar’s Bar and hauled him out. Folks said the farmer turned white as a sheet. That guy sold his farm and moved away not long after. So he’s a fierce one. Maybe it’s the military background.”
I nod. “He said he and his brother were both in service.”
“That’s right. I believe he’s got a bunch of medals, too. Don’t know what for. Are you interested in him? I saw the way he looked at you when he drove you out here yesterday.”
“I don’t have boyfriends, Aunt Trish.”
She smiles and pats my hands. “You’re a beauty, Georgia. Even though you dress sorta old-fashioned. Could have anyone you wanted if you let them in. And that Declan’s a handsome man.”
“He’s older than me.” I’m looking for an excuse to shut this conversation down.
“So’s Uncle Bill. Never got in our way.”
I stand. “Let me hem those curtains for you before I go. We can pre-make those salads for your event tomorrow. And I need to get that cake out of the oven, too.”
After Aunt Trish takes me back to the cabin, I organize all my sewing stuff in the living room and put the cake in the kitchen. The damaged roof is right over my bed, so I scoot the bedframe away in case the storm my aunt mentioned hits soon. The air is still, the sky bright blue and all that storm talk seems ridiculous.
A scuttling sound has my heart beating faster for a second, but then Albert sticks his furry snout in the window.
“Hi, trouble. Will you promise to stay out of my trash?” I ask. I walk out to the back door to see what he’s doing.
The raccoon makes a chattering sound, yawns, and then curls up with his legs out in front of him. The porch looks different. I can’t put my finger on why until I spot the paint can and clean brushes neatly stacked in the corner.
It's finished. All the painting, which would have taken me at least a day to complete, is done.
A thrill runs through me. DidDeclando this? I pick up my phone and then put it down again. What if it wasn’t him? Albert makes a half-groaning, half-snoring noise and I giggle.
“Was ityou, little guy?” I ask, sitting down next to him on the porch. “Declan said you were smart.”
He opens one eye and then closes it again. He’s completely relaxed with me out here. Declan must have taken good care of him when he was a baby.
The big woodsman is kind, I can tell that, despite what Aunt Trish said about his wildness. Maybe he’s some big player and finishing the painting is a ruse to soften me up? Arranging for my roof to be fixed, too; I need to be careful. He has an effect on me that’s so intense, it makes me feel almost drunk.
A truck beeps its horn as it turns into my driveway. Smoothing my sleeves down, I get up, shading my eyes against the sun.
The roofer, Tristan, looks a little like a surfer dude and has the same laid-back vibe. It takes him a while, so I finish off the hem of a satin robe I’ve been working on. Albert is still snoring outside.
Tristan knocks on the door and I let him in.
He shakes his head, his face stern. “Sorry, Georgia, but you’re going to have to go back to your Aunt’s tonight. This isn’t safe. And that big storm Carl’s predicting could hit tonight or tomorrow. You don’t want to be here until I’ve fixed it up.”
