He threw the last log onto the pile and rested his hands warily on his hips.
“Did you enjoy your shower, Delia?”
“It was very invigorating. I’ve always wanted to do a polar plunge, and now I’ve had some training.”
His eyes locked onto the bowl in my hand. “Is that my breakfast?”
“It is. Did you want some?” I dipped the spoon into the oatmeal and then fluttered it around in the air and took a bite.
Jack’s gaze darkened when I went in for a second round. He strolled closer, boots crunching over the hard-packed snow. Right when he was an arm’s length away, I tipped the bowl over and let it fall from my hand. Oatmeal spilled to the ground in wet clumps.
“Oops. I dropped it.” I pursed my lips into a pout. “Too bad I ate the last of the oatmeal before I came outside. I hope you weren’t too hungry.”
“I’m starving, Delia. You shouldn’t have done that.” Careful to avoid his fallen breakfast, he leaned in, lifting a hand to place it above my head on the post, trapping me with his body. My pulse jumped from his closeness and the scent of soap on his skin.
Had he taken a cold shower too?
The air sizzled between us as I watched an array of emotions filter across his face. Irritation morphing to interest and then settling on something wolfish that made heat pool inside my stomach. I stilled as his thumb brushed the side of my mouth, skimming over my lip.
“You missed some.”
Coherent words fled from my mind as his focus remained on my mouth, almost as if he fought himself to taste where his thumb had been.
The harsh ding of a service bell broke the spell and forced us apart. Jack peered around the shed while I blew out a tension-filled breath and tried to put myself back together. That hadn’t gone exactly as planned. So much for my cold dish of revenge. Instead, I was thawing at his feet. Thankfully, the bell had rung some sense into my head and reminded me why I was here in the first place.
“I have to deal with a customer,” Jack said, turning back to me. I was shocked by the regret that flashed in his eyes, and I backed up a few steps, needing to put some space between us.
“Yeah. I should get back to the inn, myself.”
He nodded and left me standing under the woodshed wondering what I’d gotten myself into. None of his pranks had even come close to making me pack my bags. But the look he’d given me while leaning against the post had tested my resolve.
I shook the unsettling feelings away and walked back to the inn, determined to start fresh tomorrow.
Chapter 6
Delia
The scent of bacon greeted me when I entered the kitchen the next morning. I stifled a yawn as I slipped into a chair at the counter. Today was the day to put my plan in motion, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’d had another sleepless night, tossing and turning, waiting anxiously for one of Jack’s pranks, but they never came. I didn’t know which was worse, lying in bed waiting in suspense or wondering why they might have stopped.
Grandma Jean wiped her hands on her festive apron and poured me a cup of coffee. With a smile that faltered when she caught sight of my face, she set the cup on the counter and nudged a tray of milk and sugar closer.
“Good gracious, dear. You look exhausted.”
I drank deeply from my cup, then waited as Grandma Jean topped it off. “I’ve been having trouble sleeping. But I’ll be fine.”
Grandma Jean pressed her lips together and shook her head. “Sorry, dear. I know my grandson has been giving you some trouble. Though you seem to be handling yourself well enough. You made it through the hot water episode, and Jack won’t stop grumbling about his broken chainsaw.”
“Don’t mess with a witch if you value your tools,” I said, taking another sip of coffee.
“Well, the good news is your plan is ready for action. Thanks to you, Jack has to go into town to buy a new saw. He should be down any minute. Make sure he gives you a lift.” Grandma Jean winked and offered me a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon.
I dug in, savoring the dish and chasing it with the rest of my coffee. Heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs, and I looked up as Jack entered the kitchen. Our gazes clashed, his holding mine while he poured steaming coffee into a tumbler.
“Sleep well, Delia?” Jack leaned leisurely against the counter, dressed in another one of his rugged flannels, and a pair of cargo pants. He refused to look away first. Did he know I tossed and turned all night? By the look of him, he hadn’t fared much better. He’d probably stayed up planning his next attack. I shouldn’t let my guard down.
I lifted my empty mug in a mock toast. “Like the Princess and the Pea. You are so lucky to live on such a quiet and peaceful, farm. I could stay here forever.”
