Autumn Bliss (6 page)

The two halted, and she blinked away the moisture before glancing at Levi again. Her heart skipped when his moss-colored gaze locked with hers. A slight frown wrinkled his forehead, and his expression was anything but welcoming.

Taking a steadying breath, she summoned a smile as she stepped forward. “Hey, Levi.”

“What are you doing here?”

The man beside him glanced over in surprise. “Dude, that’s no way to say hello to a pretty girl.”

She noticed Levi’s jaw clench, and the heat in her face probably matched the color that bloomed along his cheekbones. Still, she couldn’t help but grin at the stranger’s rebuke as he gave her his full attention and leaned on one crutch to extend his right hand.

“Kevin Spencer.”

His grip was firm, and the warmth of his touch was mirrored in his blue eyes. Despite that, the butterflies churning in her stomach were all due to the man next to him. Just the sight of Levi these days got her pulse strumming.

“Mallory Parker,” she introduced herself to the wounded veteran before pulling her hand back. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” He shifted on his crutches, and speculation filled his gaze as it flicked to the silent man beside him, then returned to her.

“Levi and I work together,” she explained, though it didn’t really explain anything at all as far as she was concerned. She wondered why he seemed upset to see her? They’d exchanged polite goodbyes after the booth planning meeting yesterday, and hadn’t spoken since. There was no reason for his intimidating glower now.

She forced herself to meet his gaze. “I was on my way to see the director. I have some promotional brochures for the fall harvest festival.”

“A festival—sounds like fun,” Kevin inserted.

Mallory looked away from Levi and reached into her tote bag to pull out an orange flyer for the soldier. “It’s the first weekend in November at Whispering Pines Lodge. We’d love to see you there.”

“Thanks.” He swept his gaze over the front of the paper, then gave her a grin full of flirtatious charm. “Maybe you will.”

It was impossible not to return that smile.

Levi shifted, his frown still firmly in place as his gaze sliced from Kevin to Mallory. “I can give Chad the flyers.”

She had the distinct impression he would prefer she leave.

Tamping down on a twinge of unexpected annoyance at his cool attitude, she gripped her bag a little tighter. “Janelle asked me to talk to him directly.”

His jaw muscles flexed again, but Kevin spoke before Levi. “In that case, we’ll show you to his office.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can find it.”

“We insist.”

Levi’s unyielding expression made her pause. She wasn’t quite sure what his problem was, but she had just as much right to be here as anyone else. It wasn’t like she’d followed him.

She relented and gave Kevin an appreciative smile. “Thank you. Lead the way.”

After she’d stepped aside, he moved forward on his crutches. He asked her about the festival as they slowly made their way toward the intersecting corridors. Levi walked silently on her right. When they turned the corner, a voice called his name from down the opposite hall behind them.

Mallory turned to see a tall, slim brunette with two young kids entering the clinic’s sliding doors. Her chest tightened as the unmistakable resemblance between the dark-haired boy and the quiet, tense man beside her registered. Her gaze shifted to the little girl with equally dark hair, who looked about a year or two older than the boy.

Curiosity exploded. Where they his children? Was the woman his wife?

Maybe that was why he seemed annoyed by her appearance. She hadn’t noticed him wearing a ring, and though she thought he lived alone in that last cabin, the rest of his family could’ve been away on a trip or something. Long trip, considering she hadn’t seen any of them before and it was her fourth week at the lodge.

Then again, maybe she was an ex-wife—or a girlfriend.

Questions hovered on the tip of her tongue, but Kevin spoke before she could figure out a way to ask without sounding nosey.

“Go ahead, man, I got this. Mallory will help me if I need it, right?”

The words brought her attention back to the soldier. “Ah—sure, of course.”

Levi hesitated, and she suddenly hoped he didn’t go. What if something happened? What if the soldier lost his balance and fell, and she actually
did
have to help? She had no clue what to do, and yet, how could she possibly voice her concerns out loud?

“Seriously,” Kevin added, jerking his head in the direction they’d been headed. “Hahn’s right over there. Thanks for the workout, and I’ll catch ya next week.”

He moved forward on his crutches and called the director’s name. Apparently Chad Hahn’s presence assured Levi it was okay because he moved in the opposite direction without another word. Mallory was left with no choice but to follow Kevin as she battled a combination of confusion and resentment at Levi’s cold shoulder.

She glanced back one more time and saw him stoop to pick up a child in each arm before straightening. When he leaned in, presumably to kiss the pretty brunette rising on her tiptoes with a smile, she turned back to Kevin so she wouldn’t have to watch.

Chapter 6

“I want to see Janey!”

Piper skipped a few steps ahead of Levi on the lodge’s blacktop lane, swinging her arms in the carefree fashion of a normal six-year old. The bright green and blue strings on her knit hat bounced with each step.

“I want hot choc-it,” Colin added as he tripped after her. At four, he did his best to keep up with his sister at every turn, even bundled up against the mid-morning chill.

Levi preferred to avoid the lodge for now. “Later, guys. Let’s go see the kittens in the barn first.”

Maybe they’d see Janelle there and he could get the kids to skip the lodge altogether.

No such luck. As if he hadn’t even spoken, Piper veered off the blacktop to run across the leaf-covered grass toward the patio outside the gift shop and Colin followed. Instead of raising his voice in front of the couple guests enjoying morning coffee on the patio, Levi broke into a jog as he cursed under his breath. The two rascals could create havoc faster than the Tasmanian Devil.

He hurried across the patio, but they entered the lodge a good ten yards ahead of him. A quick glance through the coffee shop windows brought a flash of relief when he glimpsed some new girl at the counter instead of Mallory. Good. He wouldn’t have to face her just yet.

He’d been a jerk at the veteran’s clinic yesterday, but the shock of seeing her there, of all places, had knocked him completely off balance. He hated that feeling, and found it was getting worse each time he saw her.

Kevin’s open flirting hadn’t helped, either. Jealously stabbed hard with each smile she and the wounded soldier exchanged. Anna’s unexpected arrival had been both a Godsend and a curse. It extradited him from the uncomfortable situation, but then left him wondering the rest of the day. Kevin was more than bold enough to have asked Mallory out, and Levi couldn’t deny the idea bothered the hell out of him.

Somehow, he had to shut down his growing attraction for her.

Either that or act on it.

The unexpected thought had his heart leaping into his throat as the kids ran into the gift shop.

“Hey, whoa, slow down you two.”
Mallory’s voice.
Shit.
“No running.”

One last stride brought him around the corner and into the shop. He saw that although they’d slowed at the reprimand, Piper and Colin still made a beeline for the counter with the pastries. A quick glance spotted Mallory by the wall to his left, stocking one of the glass shelves with ceramic pumpkins, and out of sight from outside.

Her gaze met his, full of a cool reserve that surprised him even as he knew he deserved it for acting like a jackass yesterday.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “They got away from me.” He hurried over and knelt down while turning the kids to face him. “You both know better than to run inside. Especially here at the lodge where you could break things or run into people.”

“Sorry,” Piper mumbled.

Colin’s lip trembled as he looked at the ground. Levi sensed Mallory had come to stand behind him, and he shifted to the side, but avoided looking up at her.

“Apologize to Miss Parker,” he instructed.

“They can call me Mallory.”

After a chorus of apologies, Piper lifted her blue gaze to his as he rose to his feet. “Where’s Janey?”

“I told you, probably at the barn with the kittens.”

“Then let’s go.”

She grabbed his hand to tug him toward the door, but Colin’s feet were planted firm, and his lower lip protruded in a pout. “Janey always gives us hot choc-it.” He turned his equally irresistible blue eyes upward. “Pwease?”

Levi bit back a sigh. “Piper, hold on. As long as we’re here, we’ll get your brother his hot chocolate. Would you like one, too?”

She finally eased up on her insistent pulling. “Yes.” As if remembering her manners, she added, “Please.”

The girl behind the counter was serving another customer, so Mallory moved around to the other side. She glanced back over her shoulder as she filled two small, insulated to-go cups. “Levi? What do you want?”

Good God, she had no clue what a loaded question that was for him these days.

Swallowing hard, he managed to keep his gaze from sweeping down the length of her body as he replied, “I’ll take a medium pumpkin spice.”

A moment later, she set the three cups on the counter, and he dug his money from his front pocket. He considered scoping out the pastry case for another of those mouth-watering apple crunch bars, but decided against it.

“Can we have a cookie?” Piper asked. He shifted his gaze but found she was looking at Mallory, not him.

“That’s up to your dad,” she answered. “Did you eat a good breakfast?”

“Daddy’s in A-gan-stan.” Colin hadn’t yet mastered the correct pronunciation of the country’s name.

“Uncle Levi made us scrambled eggs,” Piper said.

Mallory’s widened gaze ping-ponged from his nephew, to his niece, then lifted to him. Levi was having a hard time processing the unexpected turns of the conversation. It felt like a concussion grenade had gone off and things were registering in slow-motion as he fought the shock of the word
dad
and the anxiety-inducing
Afghanistan
.

Then Mallory’s gaze met his and the beauty of those soft brown eyes socked him right in the gut. Everything else faded into the background.

“Uncle.
That
explains the resemblance.”

He managed a nod as his mind focused on the fact she now sounded relieved. Why? Because she’d thought the kids were his? That Anna was his—what, wife? Ex-wife?

The need to explain rushed forward, demanding he set her completely straight. “Piper and Colin are my sister’s kids. She had to work the night shift at the hospital, and her regular sitter had to cancel at the last minute, so she met me at the clinic to drop them off.”

“Oh. Is your sister a doctor or nurse?”

“Nurse.”

“And your brother-in-law is…deployed?”

He nodded, thankful she’d avoided the country name.

Her gaze flicked toward the kids. “How long before he comes home?”

“We’re hoping in time for Christmas.”

“I hope it works out.”

Another tug from Piper jerked his shoulder down. “Uncle Levi,
can
we have a cookie? Pretty please?”

Ever since she’d asked the first time, Colin’s eyes had been glued to the array of brightly frosted sugar cookies individually wrapped and placed in a basket on the counter next to the intriguing goodwill jar. He found he still wanted to dip his hand in and pull one of those messages out. He deserved one as much as the next person, didn’t he?

Mallory leaned forward across the lower part of the counter to smile at his niece and nephew, then looked back up at him through her lashes. All evidence of her earlier reserve was gone as she reached out with one hand to inch the basket closer.

“Come on, Uncle Levi. What do you say?”

Her teasing tone and the hint of cleavage revealed by her bent-over pose sent heat through him more effectively than a gulp of the steaming, spiced latte.

“Okay,” he agreed, knowing there was no way around it now. “You can each pick one cookie.”

While they made their choices, she arched her eyebrows slightly. “Anything else for you?”

Resolutely holding his gaze steady above her chin, he went with the safe route. “Do you have any of those apple bars?”

Her smile reached her eyes as she pushed up from the counter. “We do.”

While she put the bar in a wax-coated pastry bag, he set a twenty near the cash register, stuffed a couple singles in the tip jar, then turned to make sure the kids weren’t getting into any trouble.

“All set,” Mallory advised a minute later, his change in one hand, treat in the other.

“Thanks.” He pocketed the money, then handed Colin the bag, Piper one cup of hot chocolate, and picked up the other two cups. “What do we say to Miss—ah—Mallory?”

Cookies and other treats clutched in their hands, the two kids hollered out
thank you’s
and
goodbyes
as they started for the door.

“You’re welcome. Have fun at the barn and tell Janey I said hi,” she called after them.

Levi paused before following. “I was planning to install the shower in your cabin after they go home this afternoon. Is that okay?”

“Door’s unlocked, just like I said.”

He nodded and continued after the kids. Before stepping through to the lodge great room, he gave in to the nagging urge to look back one more time. Mallory glanced over during her conversation with the other girl, and he lifted one of the cups in self-conscious acknowledgement. “Have a good day.”

Her bright smile made his heart skip a beat.

“You, too. See you later.”

* * *

His sister had been late picking up the kids, but Mallory still wasn’t home when Levi parked his truck in front of her cabin after five-thirty. He carried his tools inside and his senses were immediately overwhelmed by the amazing aroma that filled the cabin. His stomach growled in appreciation of the savory meat smell, reminding him he’d only had one hot dog and a small bowl of macaroni and cheese for lunch with the kids. Then they were off and running again, for a hike in the woods.