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He burst through the door.
Laurel looked up from where she sat in his recliner reading the little book.
Brandon glanced toward the curtains. They hadn’t been disturbed. His chest lowered in relief. He looked at Laurel to see her gaze had followed his.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem.” He didn’t want her seeing the horrible state of his work. She’d admired it too much to have her be disappointed.
He pulled off his jacket and tossed it on the end of the bed. To his surprise and pleasure, she had made the bed and tidied the cabin.
“I made a fresh pot of coffee, if you would like a cup.” She put the book in her purse and moved to get up.
He toed off his boots. “That sounds nice. I’ll have one before we head into town.”
Laurel quickly poured and brought him a mug of steaming liquid as he sat in front of the fire. She even kept it going while he was out. It wouldn’t take much for him to enjoy Laurel’s kind of attention. He watched the fire trying to absorb that uncomfortable thought.
“It’s time for you to go.” That didn’t sound nice, but he didn’t try to retract it.
“Okay,” Laurel placed her mug on the kitchen counter. “I’m sorry but I need to borrow a pair of socks. I stepped in a puddle of water.”
He went to his drawer, pulled out socks and handed them to her. She took them, her fingertips brushing his. The almost indetectable touch sent an electric current through him. This had to stop. He searched under the bed and found a pair of his old boots. “These will be better than those silly things you wore here. You can leave them at the Inn and I’ll pick them up sometime when I’m in town.”
ChapterSix
Fifteen minutes later,Laurel trudged through the woods behind Brandon. The sky was beautiful. The day clear with fluffy, white clouds hanging high above them. The crunch of the snow the only noise.
“Try to keep your feet in the same place as mine. That way it’ll be easier to walk,” Brandon called over his shoulder.
Why did he suddenly act as if he were eager to get rid of her? During breakfast, he had been talkative and congenial. Last night, he acted as if talking to her was cathartic. So why was he so uptight now?
He stopped before entering the woods. When she wobbled in an effort not to slam into him, a hand shot out to steady her. He didn’t let go as he continued to follow the path. Her hand looked small in his but felt warm and secure. Joe had never created those emotions. Was she letting her long-time distant crush affect her?
She looked at Brandon in his plaid shirt, jeans, boots, and all that facial hair. Had the man he’d once been totally disappeared? Turned into this surly man? The loss of that dream hurt.
Yet she would bet there was a sensitive man beneath all that bluster. She’d seen his work. Admired the fine line of the carved timber. The one that made the wood come alive. All there because of Brandon’s touch and talent. Even the small piece at the Inn had affected her.
She must figure out a way to get him to reconsider working again. To at least try.
Brandon continued to hold her hand as he led her to the corner of the building facing Main
Street. There he stopped and dropped her hand. He pushed his damaged one into his jacket pocket. His entire demeanor had changed. He’d closed himself off. In a gruff tone he said, “I think you can find your way to the Inn from here. It’s just down that way two blocks and to the right.”
“Would you like to have a cup of coffee at the diner to warm up before you head back?”
He said nothing for a moment. “No thank you.”
Disappointment filled her. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting but she didn’t like this distance between them. “Thank you for taking care of me and giving me a place to stay last night. Showing me the way back to town.”
Brandon nodded. His hand remained shoved in his pocket.
“Then I’ll say goodbye. If you change your mind—”
He shook his head. “I won’t.”
“Still it has been nice to meet you.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
