Rill hurried to add, “Oh, gosh! I totally didn’t mean it like that. You spent half an hour with me. I learned so much about Owen and his work. You even explained the limits of the entire cold shaping process. You’re working hard and doing a great job. Please, accept the money.” She held it out toward him.
“Thank you, ma’am.” He slid the money into the pocket of his jeans, a huge smile on his face.
“Please, call me Rill. All my friends do.”
“Thank you, Rill.”
“Okay then,” Owen interjected, “What’s next?”
“Rides and games of course.”
Owen turned to Glover. “We’ll be back around noon to watch the booth while you take a lunch break.” When the boy agreed, they said goodbye and walked away.
Once they were out of earshot, she spoke. “You hired him to help his family, that’s so wonderful.”
“I hired him because I’m working full time at the inn.” He looked away, obviously faking interest in the crowd now that they were back outside.
His humility touched her. He’d changed so much from the child he’d been. Years ago, she’d recognized the hurt boy inside the renegade teen, but she’d had no idea how much he’d been through and what it was taking him to survive. Seeing him lend a helping hand, a hand up, without making it a hand out, was touching.
“It’s a generous thing you’re doing. Helping his family survive without taking their dignity. I’m proud of you.” The words were inadequate.
“You don’t even know me.” He glanced at her and quickly looked away again.
“I think I do.” She grasped his arm and pulled him from the stream of traffic to the side of a food vendor truck. She had a point to make, so she ignored the chilly air and the tempting smell of frying burgers. “You see yourself in him. A tough life. Family troubles. Maybe anger at his situation that could easily go astray. You’re lifting him up, giving him a chance to succeed. You’re teaching him to work with people and hold his head high. You’ve even taught him to embrace his artistic side with metalwork. You are incredibly generous.” She brushed a kiss across his cheek.
A man in touch with his past and helping others with their future was a man she could easily fall for. If it wasn’t for her stay here being temporary, she’d set her heart free to succumb to him.
Chapter Eleven
Owen couldn’t stopsmiling. The Winter Festival was more fun than a basket of puppies. Owen led Amaryllis from booth to booth; they sampled treats, learned about local wildlife, and purchased small items. He bought a lovely pendant for his mother, and Amaryllis purchased a series of stacking bracelets with jade beads for her aunt.
They went on a twenty-minute-long dogsled ride and later were towed by snowmobile around an open space, perched precariously on innertubes. They tried snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Owen did great, the army had taught him a lot of skills. Amaryllis on the other hand took her dismally clumsy attempts in good fun, not worrying that she was terrible at both.
Late in the afternoon, he led her to the top of the toboggan hill and stopped in at the registration booth.
“North and Rose reporting in for the doubles race,” he said.
