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I guess it will just be Silas and me in the shop for a bit. The thought of being alone with Silas shouldn’t excite me, but I can’t help it. Ever since last summer at the lake, when he took the kids and me out on his boat for the day, I swear something shifted in me. He went from being a friend who I could lean on when I needed him, to the one person I can’t wait to see and talk to each day.
There’s no one reason why my feelings changed. And maybe they didn’t change. Maybe I just woke up to finally see the incredible man in front of me. He didn’t discount Brayden’s protective nature for me. Instead, Silas validated Brayden’s feelings by treating him with the kind of respect you don’t often see a man give a young boy. And the way he helped Aspen work through her fears of the water, never letting her go until she felt confident in herself to go under. It also didn’t hurt that when he took off his shirt to swim, his abs looked like they were sculpted by God’s hands himself.
“You can do this,” I whisper to myself in the car. “Don’t make it weird.”
I get out, carrying the plastic container filled with spaghetti and meatballs—Sy’s favorite.
A quick glance around the empty shop when I walk in lets me know that the guys must be out on a call. It has to be a big one if both of them are there. I mean, it is snowing outside, so a possible pileup isn’t entirely out of the question. I’m about to write Cam a note to let him know that I will leave the food in the fridge when I hear something roll across the floor. I turn and see Silas appear from beneath a maroon minivan.
The terror that rips through me unleashes a blood-curdling scream and sends the plastic container flying out of my hands and into the air. There’s no time for either of us to react but simply watch in horror as it falls to the floor, bursting open and spraying Silas with tomato sauce, meatballs, and noodles.
“I’m so sorry!”
Silas just throws his head back and laughs at the mess I’ve made. I kneel down next to him and start grabbing handfuls of food off him. There’s no mistaking, even in my embarrassment, the feel of his hard chest. My body warms, and my lower belly pulsates with excitement.
“It’s okay, Elle,” he says, his laughter quieting. “Your reaction was worth a lap full of your spaghetti and meatballs.”
“I thought you guys were out on a call,” I say, grabbing the last meatball off the floor and dropping it into the trash can nearby. There’s hardly anything left in the container that can be salvaged. “I wasn’t expecting you to roll out and scare the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry.” He chuckles and pushes up to his feet. “Cam’s out on a call right now, so you were half right.”
Silas pulls down the zipper of his mechanic jumpsuit and ties the arms around his narrow waist. I’m about to say to him that the spaghetti will stain when I remember that it’s already covered in oil and grease. A bit of tomato sauce is the least of his concerns.
“So, um, did Cam tell you the news about the offer?” I ask, turning away. The temptation of Silas wearing a tight tank top is almost too much. I don’t want to embarrass myself.
“Yeah, he did.”
I glance back at him to read his expression. Silas is usually all smiles when it comes to big and exciting news, but the look on his face makes it seem like I just told him Santa Claus isn’t real.
“What do you think about it?”
He shakes his head. “That’s not for me to say.”
“But I’m asking you.”
Silas scratches the scruff on his square jaw. It’s clear that he has an opinion, but I don’t understand why he won’t share it with me. I thought we were close enough that we could share things with each other, but maybe I was wrong.
“Elle, I need to tell you something,” Silas says, closing the distance between us with only a step.
“Okay,” I swallow hard the lump in my throat.
“What I want to say—” The deep timbre of his voice lights up all the nerve endings in my body. “What I’ve wanted to say for such a long time—”
My heart starts thumping rapidly in my chest. I asked him about what his thoughts were about the offer on the inn, but something tells me that whatever he’s about to say has nothing to do with that.
Suddenly the bell above the shop door rings out, making us both take a step back from each other. I spin around, expecting to see my brother walk in, all at once feeling guilty that whatever he was about to say might change everything between the three of us.
“There you are!” I say in a sing-song voice, attempting to hide the trembling I’m feeling. “I brought you dinner, but it’s probably cold by—” I stop when I see a woman walk in.
Her hair is wet from the snow, and she’s got a scowl on her face, but I’d know her anywhere. Romy Sorenson. She’s the travel writer for the wildly popular “Roaming with Romy” website.
I stare in stunned silence as my brother points out the shop restroom to her. It isn’t until the door closes behind her that I’m able to find my words.
“Do you know who that is?” I hiss.
* * *
Silas
