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Half of the men fell back into line, but a few still remained. Especially one who was far too cocky for his peace of mind. He’d gotten the lowdown on the trio he’d been worried about. And as he’d figured, Murphy had spilled all sorts of information.
Lon Mackie—an ex-football jock who continued to live vicariously through the memory of his glory days—watched intently. He hadn’t gotten the memo that those glory days were fifteen years back.
She gave Shane a side eye. “You didn’t just stake your claim or something equally asinine, did you?”
He dug his fingers into her belt loops. “Why? Have designs on someone new, Kendall?”
“Well, there are quite a few men to choose from here. Ones that certainly have a better disposition than you, Oscar.”
He stiffened and dropped his hand.
“God, you’re no fun to tease.” She laughed and hitched her shoulder under his arm until he had no choice but to push her away or let her in against his body. Because she smelled so good, he opted for the latter.
“I’m a sweaty mess.”
“Manly sweat and sawdust make me weak in the knees.”
“They do not.”
She giggled. “How do you know?”
He rested his chin against the top of her head. He hadn’t known he’d missed her until she showed up. His muscles loosened, leaving his shoulders to ache. In just a few days she’d burrowed into him until he couldn’t think without her in the vicinity. That was dangerous and stupid. She wasn’t his to keep. Wasn’t his to worry about.
“Where have you been?”
She peered up at him. “Earning my keep.”
He frowned. “You don’t need to do that. This job will pay for us to get to Winchester Falls as well as have plenty of spending money. Hell, we’ll even have money for the house if it needs upgrades.”
She stiffened. “Why would the Heron need upgrades?”
“Every house needs upgrades.”
She pressed her cheek against his chest, oddly quiet. Especially for Kendall. He nudged her back. “What?”
“Now you’re going to get talkative?”
His lips twitched, but he managed not to laugh. His Kendall was a mouthy one. “We’ve agreed not to talk about New York until we get there, but I need to know what I’m in for.”
“It’s a B and B, plain and simple. We have a dock, a half dozen good-sized rooms, and four acres of land that we own. We’re on a lake, and the area isn’t overly developed. It’s beautiful.”
He heard the wistfulness in her voice. Even with just a few words he could picture it. He’d looked at the area on the Web and knew it was close to the national parks in the northern part of New York. But not exactly on state land. Their lake was smaller, more remote.
Good for a getaway.
Good for a developer who would want to cash in on the picturesque Northeast.
“Do you actually have herons?”
He felt her cheeks stretch into a smile against his chest. “Yes, quite a few, actually. More Canada geese than I’d like, but we have a cheerful mutt named Brody that keeps them moving for the most part. I take the fishing trawler out a lot—both for tours and just to even out when I get to…”
Shane smoothed his hand down her ponytail and cupped her nape. He did the same with wood and didn’t need her to explain. He lowered his head and caught her mouth in a slow, thorough kiss. After a long day in the dust and listening to men cracking on each other, her taste was as welcome as an icy beer. He drank her in, forgetting where he was for a moment. She tasted of candy and heat, of things he’d never known he wanted. That Kendall taste he couldn’t get enough of.
The shrill whistle jerked him back to his surroundings.
“Does that come with overtime?” Lon cracked. “I’ll be workin’ plenty of hours, then.”
Shane bristled.
