California Dreaming: Four Contemporary Romances (65 page)

“Not really.”
What is it going to take for this kid to quit?

The boy shrugged toward the ocean. “You ever surf Maverick’s?”

Hunter took a deep breath. “Never got the chance. And now — ”

“Sorry. I didn’t think. My mom says I do that a lot. Not think.”

Hunter grinned in spite of himself. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Billy.”

“Well, Billy, it’s good to meet you.” Hunter held out his hand. The boy shook it.

“My mom says soldiers are heroes. She has to ’cause my dad’s in the army — just like you were. Weren’t you? Or were you somewhere else?”

Hunter’s shoulders straightened. “I was a Marine.”

“Wow. That’s hard-core.”

Hunter laughed and smiled at the boy. “You going to surf Maverick’s when you’re older?”

Billy shook his head. “No. I’m going to be a soldier like you and my dad. I want to be someone my mom can be proud of. My older brother’s a surfer.” Billy shrugged again as if the statement covered everything you needed to know about his brother.

Billy gazed up at him. “Thanks for talking to me, mister. I feel closer to my dad when I talk to a soldier. I can’t wait to tell my mom I met a real Marine. See ya.” He picked up a sand-covered bike from the ground, hopped on and peddled off.

Thanks for talking to me, son.

Hunter walked back to the Jeep, threw the gun in the glove box, and locked it. He rolled down the windows, cranked up the radio, and took off down the coast.

It was a good day to be alive.

• • •

“There’s got to be something else, Joe,” Hunter said to his friend the next morning in the little shop behind Joe’s house. Rain pounded the tin roof.

Joe shook his head. “Slow season. You know that. Some roofing jobs if the weather ever lets up, but … ” he gestured faintly to Hunter’s leg.

Damn it.
His injury was going to cost him everything. Correction. Already had cost him everything. A vision of Lauren’s face appeared in his mind.

“I’m sorry, Hunter,” Joe said. “I’ll let you know if I find anything that suits you.” He handed Hunter an envelope. “Here’s your paycheck.” Joe regarded him steadily. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Hunter stuffed the envelope in his jeans pocket and walked out of the house. If his best friend couldn’t see him as a complete man, who would?

He slid into the Jeep and glanced at the glove box.

No.
The voice seemed to come from a place deep within him.
You’re better than that.

I hope so.

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, got back out of the car, and strode back to Joe’s office. “Can I use your workshop?”

“Sure.” Joe shrugged. “What are you thinking of doing?”

“Building cabinets.”

“Okay.” Joe handed him a key. “Come and go when you want.”

Hunter took the key. “Thanks.” He walked back out the door, got into the Jeep, and roared off to the lumber yard.

• • •

Sunday morning Hunter pressed a shirt and put it on, along with his best khakis. He thought about picking up a bunch of flowers on the way, but laughed at himself. He was trying to find a room, not a relationship.

“Oh, it’s you again,” Sarah said when she opened the door, the dog standing next to her. She was frowning.

Against all reason, something about her made him want to scoop her up in his arms and hug her. Because her T-shirt and jeans were dripping with dust, cobwebs, and streaks of soap, it was probably a bad idea, but her short height and big brown eyes gave her an appealing elfin look. He’d always been a sucker for Éowyn in
Lord of the Rings
.

“I still don’t have any rooms,” Sarah continued and began to shut the door.

“Wait,” he said.

She stopped. “Why should I?”

He smiled. Considering their size difference, she really had no choice. But he bet she’d fight him with every ounce of her strength.

She’d probably fight like a girl — nasty.

“This is an inn, isn’t it?” he asked.

She smirked at him. “It’s an
unopened
inn. No room. Get the picture?” She started to inch the door closed.

This time he shoved his foot in the gap. The swinging door clanked on his prosthetic.

Sarah gasped. “I’m so sorry!”

He grinned. “I’m not. It would have hurt a lot more on the other leg.”

She looked up at him wide-eyed and smiled back, tentatively at first, and then allowing the grin to stretch across her face and into her eyes. Hunter chuckled and the laugh must have been infectious because soon they were both doubled over in laughter.

When Sarah recovered, she looked him up and down, her hand on the dog’s head. “I suppose I should be nicer to a veteran. Come in. I’ve been rude. But I’m warning you, if you try anything I’ll sic Daisy on you.”

He looked at Daisy. The dog barked and wagged its tail. “Yeah. I can see that would be dangerous.”

Sarah frowned at Daisy. “Some guard dog.” Then she looked at Hunter. “This way.” She walked down the hallway, the dog following her heels.

Hunter followed Daisy.

“Coffee?” she asked as she gestured to a table in the center of the kitchen.

“I’d love some.” Daisy nudged his knee and he rubbed her head. Soon her chin was on his thigh and he was taken back to when he’d been a happy kid in this kitchen. He looked around. Not much had changed.

“Daisy, no,” Sarah said when she glimpsed what was happening.

“It’s okay. I like dogs.” No need to tell her how much Daisy reminded him of Tag-a-long, his boyhood dog.

She poured coffee into two cracked mugs. “I hope you like it black.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What if your guests want milk and sugar?”

“I told you,” she said as she sat in the remaining chair. “The inn isn’t open. That’s why you can’t stay here. Even
I
live with my mother.”

Better and better
. “Then you definitely need a caretaker,” he said. “Someone to help keep an eye on the place when you aren’t around.” He leaned forward. “And I’m handy with things like plumbing and electricity.”

And a lot of other things.

The frown was back. “I don’t know anything about you. You may be a veteran, but … I don’t know how to say this — it’s just I’ve heard — ”

“I get it.” He tried to keep the bitterness from his voice as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. “My resume.” Thin as it was, he’d put down what he could: construction, United States Marine Corp, odd jobs.

She unfolded the paper and scanned it before laying it on the table. “It looks good, but I’m not looking for a carpenter, or a soldier, although I do appreciate you for serving,” she said in a rush. “I’m sorry about — ” she gestured to his leg.

“It could have been worse,” he said, his hands tightening. He forced himself to slow down his breathing and take a sip of coffee. “So how about that room?”

She gestured in frustration. “The inn isn’t open. I don’t have furniture. There’s nowhere for you to sleep!”

“I do well with a sleeping bag and a mat,” he said giving her his best grin.

She drummed her fingers on the table and stared at him.

Daisy picked her head off his leg and crossed to her mistress. Sitting down, she howled at Sarah, turned, and laid her head back on Hunter’s thigh, thumping her tail the entire time.

“See, even the dog likes me.” He took another sip of coffee.

They stared at each other for several minutes.

“I’ll tell you what,” she said, standing. “I’ll check your references and I’ll talk it over with my advisor. But the answer will still be no.”

Why was she so adamant?

He stood as well. “Who’s your advisor? Maybe I could convince him of my sincerity.”

She smiled. “My advisor is my mother, and trust me — she’s tough.” She gestured to the hallway. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Sure.”

They walked to the front door, the dog trailing behind. “I’ll call you next week sometime.”

“Thanks,” he said, turning to shake her hand. “I appreciate the chance.”

“I haven’t given it to you.”

“True,” he said. He studied her and her face heated under his stare. Her gaze dropped to his lips and she licked her own.

He looked back into her eyes and saw an openness that hadn’t been there before.

He lowered his head and kissed her gently before he whispered. “I’m very handy.”

She took a step back. “I think you should leave.”

He straightened up, took a card from his pocket and scribbled something on it. “Here’s my cell phone. Give me a call if you need anything.” He smiled. “Anything at all.”

“Okay,” she whispered and set her fingertips on her lips.

He smiled as he strode back to the Jeep.
Score one for the good guys.

The Saturday of the work party held the promise of spring even though the calendar said it was still February. Mandy had managed to get ten people to show up. Sarah’s mother and Annie had been there in the morning, but both had left at noon, right after partaking in the rustic, but substantial spread Mandy had laid out in the kitchen. Sarah noticed Annie pick up one of Mandy’s catering cards on her way out the door.

In the middle of the afternoon, Sarah heard a yell from the foot of the stairs.

“Sarah!” Mandy called up. “Look what I found wandering outside.”

Sarah leaned over the upstairs railing and looked down to the entry hall.

Hunter
. The man couldn’t take the “no” she’d given him the week before for an answer.

A shriek came from one of the three upstairs bathrooms and a small girl ran out of the room, and tugged at Sarah’s shirt. “My mommy’s all wet. She says she needs help.”

Sarah looked down at Hunter who was looking bewildered. “Work party. You’re just in time. We seem to have a plumbing problem. Come on up.”

Her heart sank as she watched Hunter peer at the stairs before beginning the climb. His progress was laborious.

The things I take for granted.

“You really don’t need to fix this. I’m sure I can figure it out,” she said quickly.

“No you can’t.” Mandy yelled. “I’ve seen you after you’ve changed a washer, remember?”

“So have I,” Hunter added. “It’s not a pretty sight.”

Mandy chuckled and Hunter joined in. Sarah gave a mock groan and gazed at the small army of workers who were scraping wallpaper in the five upstairs bedrooms. Mandy was a miracle worker.

Hunter reached the top of the stairs. “Let’s see what the problem is.”

She led him to the bathroom at the end of the hall. A young blond was attempting to stop the water spraying from a jury-rigged shower head with little success. Everything in the room was wet and rags littered the floor.

“I followed the instructions,” the woman said. “But they must be wrong.”

“You got a crescent wrench?” Hunter asked Sarah as he maneuvered himself into the big clawfoot tub that dominated the room.

Sarah put the wrench in his hand.

“Did you turn off the water?” Hunter asked the blond.

“I thought I did, but … ” She waved her arm at the mess.

He peered over the edge of the bathtub. “Turn the knob the other way. You’ve turned it on full force.”

The woman’s face reddened as she complied. As soon as she was done she glanced at Sarah. “I’ll leave you two to the plumbing.”

“You don’t have to — ” Sarah said, but the woman was already leaving the room.

Sarah pushed stray hairs from her face and glanced in the mirror. Good thing she wasn’t interested in this man. Dirt smeared her face and her T-shirt was covered in cobwebs. If she looked closely, she could see a little bulge in her belly.

“You look cute when you’re working,” Hunter said, fiddling with the shower head.

“Right.”

He tightened the fixture and said. “I need you to come closer so I can give you something.”

“What do you need?” She stepped toward the tub.

“This.”

He bent down and took her head in his hands. His lips met hers in a lingering kiss.

Her first instinct was to pull back; she didn’t need this. But his lips seduced her and whispered of strength and maturity. Hunter was a man to depend on.

She pressed her mouth to his, longing for the experience she’d read about in books, but had never had.

“Ahem.” Mandy stood in the doorway. “Plumbing done?”

Sarah’s face flushed and she stepped back.

Hunter knocked on the shower head. “Good as new.” He had a big grin on his face.

Her temper rose.

Stupid.
That’s what she was.
Easy pickings for any man.
She glowered at the man climbing from the tub.

Her feelings changed from anger to concern when she saw the awkward stance as he worked to keep from slipping on the wet, uneven surfaces.

“Thank you.”

“Yes,” Mandy echoed. “Boy, have we got work for you.”

“I’m sure Mr. — Mr., um, Hunter has more important things to do.” Sarah turned to him. “Don’t you?” She needed him to leave. The kiss was too real.

She looked up at him and a breath escaped her.

He was studying her as if he’d never seen her before.

Mandy cleared her throat.

“I’ll be glad to help any way I can,” Hunter said. The words were layered with meaning. “How about I take you out to dinner after all this is over?”

Sarah took a step back and pressed against the damp sink. “No, that’s okay. You’ve done enough already. Besides, I’ll be too tired.”

He stepped toward her. “I’d really like to take you out.”

“I’m not dating.”

He braced his hand against the wall and towered over her. “Not dating at all? Not dating men? Or just not dating me?”

“Not dating men.”

He cocked his head. “You didn’t strike me as a lesbian.”

Mandy laughed. “Hardly! She’s being stubborn though. Sarah, go out with him. All you do is work on this house. It’ll be good for you.”

Some friend.
“I can’t go out and you know why.”

She would
not
allow her gaze to drift to Hunter.

“That’s no excuse,” Mandy said. “Go out with him.”

“What’s the best restaurant in town?” Hunter asked.