Dakota Love (12 page)

There was no question in her mind this was a good career choice. Somehow, some way, she’d prove that to Jason. Caroline ran her fingers over a quilt block and smiled. But that was a worry for another day.

R
odney hadn’t kept his promise to Michelle that he’d tell Caroline about his heart problems. He talked to Caroline one time after Sunday morning, and that was a short chat over the phone. Telling her about his health condition required a face-to-face conversation.

During the phone call, Caroline was all business, never mentioning anything personal, like the foiled kiss. He prayed that she hadn’t been bubbling with worry over it. Instead he hoped she found herself lost in a pleasant daydream, the way he was when the thought of their closeness crossed his mind.

Sunday’s snowfall kept his crew busy through Tuesday evening. He plowed customers’ driveways while his two part-time employees used the snowblower or hand scooped to clear sidewalks and tight spaces. Since the demographic he targeted when he started his business was elderly people, most living alone, who could no longer do the work themselves, like his mom, he tried to prioritize them by need. Mr. Hanson’s physical therapy appointments were every other Monday, so Rodney made sure he had a safe, clear path from his house to the curb where his daughter parked. Mildred liked to grocery shop on Thursdays, the first day of the specials. The list went on.

He didn’t mind working his schedule around his clients’ needs. Either way, the snow had to be removed. The weatherman forecasted the rest of the week warm and dry, so all Rodney would need to do was check for melting and apply salt or sand, whichever the client preferred, to the slick spots.

He spent his evenings tweaking Caroline’s website if she provided pictures of her latest project. He also created a website for his own business. He wondered if other small business owners needed this service. Allison, his old intern, would know. The final thing he did last night before hitting the hay was kick off an e-mail to Allison. He could easily manage lawn care, snow removal, and web design.

Rodney dunked a tea bag in hot water and yawned for the fifth time since he got up. Fatigue plagued him today. He’d hit the snooze button three times before rolling out of bed, and skipped his usual treadmill routine.

Must be all of the hard work the last couple of days. Although pushing snow from driveways with the blade on the front of his pickup in the comfort of the warm cab couldn’t really be considered hard work, it was still tiring.

He sipped his tea as he headed to his computer, anxious to see if Allison had responded. A reply waited in his in-box. His index finger tapped the mouse twice and he read, “What are you doing e-mailing at two thirty in the morning? Thought you put those days behind you?”

Rodney rubbed the back of his neck, the soft stubble reminding him that his scalp needed a buzz. He hadn’t realized how late it had been when he’d sent the e-mail. No wonder he’d had trouble getting going this morning.

Determined not to fall into old habits, he decided that if he hurried, he could exercise, shower, and get his day back on track by ten after he read Allison’s e-mail.

He scanned her suggestions and opinions on the topic, responded with his thanks, asked a few more questions, and then began an Internet search to look at competitors and pricing. It might not be a cost-effective endeavor.

The chime of the doorbell pulled his attention away from the screen. He glanced at the time on the corner of the monitor. Ten fifteen! Another chime echoed through the quiet house. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Rodney looked down at his faded exercise clothes and shrugged. Maybe it was just the mailman with a letter or package too big for his mailbox. A few more rapid chimes sounded before he rose from the office chair.

He jogged through the short hall to the living room and tried to see through the beveled door window. He caught sight of what he thought was the back of a white parka descending the stairs. He turned the dead bolt and then opened the door. “Caroline?”

The breeze caught her curls and blew them across her face as she turned on the bottom stair. Her gloved hand pushed the hair behind her ears and revealed her smile.

“Come in.” Rodney stood in the middle of the threshold, holding the storm door open with one arm and the main door open with the other.

Caroline stepped past him and waited for him to close the door. The pleasant aroma of her flowery perfume lingered in the crisp morning air.

“Aren’t you feeling well?” she asked, her voice filled with concern.

“No, I’m fine, well, a little tired, but fine.”

Worry settled into the lines on Caroline’s face. She gave him a once-over. Had Michelle called and ratted him out? Was she here to confront him about his health?

“Really, I’m just tired, Caroline. Nothing’s wrong with me.”

Again her eyes glided over him from top to bottom. Why was she looking at him like that? Hadn’t she ever seen a man in sweatpants and a T-shirt?

“Well, okay.” Her face remained doubtful. “I’m sorry that I’m running late, but I do have good reason for that. If you’re ready, I’ll tell you my news on the way.”

“On the way?” His mind, fogged with website research and lack of rest, wasn’t registering what she was talking about.

“It is Thursday, isn’t it?” Her lip tucked under but just for a second; then she pursed her lips tight as if to keep them in place. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

He hadn’t looked in the mirror this morning. Maybe he looked worse than he felt. “Caroline, I’m fine. I just don’t know what you’re talking…” His memory bank woke up. His body slumped like a balloon slowly losing air. “We’re going to the quilt shop today.” He’d been so preoccupied with research on creating a website business, he’d forgotten. “I’m so sorry. It slipped my mind.”

Caroline’s purse strap slid off her shoulders when they sagged. She hooked her thumb under the strap and pulled it back into place. “It’s okay. I’ll run Mark’s finished kit quilt to him,” she said, her voice thick with disappointment.

“I am so sorry.” He hoped she heard the sincerity in his voice.

A trace of apprehension ran across her eyes. “Rodney, we don’t have to go together.” She took a sudden interest in her boots. “You can go another day to look at the fabric dealer’s catalogue of retro fabric, since Mark’s having a hard time finding a flour sack that matches your quilt through Internet auctions.”

Did she think he’d forgotten on purpose? That he didn’t want to spend time with her because of the kiss incident?

“I can tell you were looking forward to this trip.” Rodney stepped closer and lifted her chin until they were eye to eye. “Can your news wait until later when I take you to dinner tonight to make this up to you?”

“You don’t—”

Rodney placed a finger on her lips. “Yes, I do. But I want you to know that I consider this a date.” Caroline’s blue eyes widened, but she didn’t speak. “Not a business dinner, not two friends getting together because they’re tired of eating alone, but two people who are interested in getting to know each other better. Are you free?”

When Caroline gave a gentle nod of her head, her soft lips barely brushed his winter-chapped finger, sending intense vibrations coursing through his entire body. He leaned toward her. With one fell swoop, their lips could meet. He lifted his eyes to hers. There it was again, that trace of apprehension. He straightened his stance. He wanted to kiss her. But did she want to be kissed by him?

Silent tension filled the area in the entryway. The corner of her mouth disappeared under her upper lip. Not a good sign. He put his hands on her arms just below her shoulders and squeezed. He looked directly into her eyes.
Trust me
.

“I’ll be at your house at five forty-five. Since it’s short notice, let’s make it casual.” He dropped his hands, then held one out. “Deal?”

For the first time since he’d met her, Caroline’s face held no expression. She looked from his eyes to his hand and back again. She reached for the doorknob with her left hand. She viewed their relationship as business only. With first the almost-kiss and now the date suggestion, he’d messed up his chances with Caroline.

The click of the latch releasing cut through the unspoken tension in the entryway. Her gloved right hand clasped his extended hand. Her warmth penetrated through the leather and ignited the dying vibrations.

“Deal.” She pulled her hand free, opened the door, and smiled over her shoulder. “The Queen of Quilts won’t stand for being stood up again.”

Caroline emptied the clothing bags on her bed. What exactly
was
casual? Jeans or khakis, sweatshirt or sweater? That question gnawed at her the entire drive to Sioux Falls. She almost called Angela for her opinion, but her intuition told her “bad idea,” so she relied on the much too young and lithe salesclerk in the
women’s
clothing store. To Caroline’s surprise, the young woman listened when she explained her shopping plights—legs too long for most women’s inseams and, although she remained thin, gravity-created flaws that needed hiding. The clerk showed her several casual yet stylish outfits and to her credit avoided reds, pinks, burgundies, and form-fitting T-shirts.

In the end Caroline decided on a denim skirt with a back vent that hit just above her knees and a slate blue ribbed V-neck sweater. The last time she’d worn a dress was Jason’s wedding day. Her inquiry about whether the store carried panty hose garnered a strange look from the clerk. Bare legs might be the fashion for her generation, but not Caroline’s and definitely not in the middle of a South Dakota winter. Although they didn’t carry hose, they did stock a vast array of tights, so to save time and a trip to another store, Caroline opted for a pair in navy. She had navy loafers, and with the thaw today, shoes versus boots shouldn’t be a problem. Caroline passed on purchasing new accessories. The new outfit was a splurge, but she did have reason to celebrate. Besides, the income from teaching quilting at Granny Bea’s would offset this expense to her monthly budget. The clerk assured her that a chain and earrings in gold or silver would be the perfect accessories.

Of course, the day when she was on a timeline, her first stop, Mark’s store, had had a steady stream of customers, making it difficult to talk about the quilting classes. She needed to know Mark’s expectations for the content of each class.

Caroline jotted down a few notes and promised to type up some loose lesson plans, then e-mail them to him. When she finally headed to her favorite women’s shop, she’d hit every red light. Those things, combined with the length of time she spent trying on outfits at the clothing store, had put her behind schedule. The digital readout on her alarm clock warned that she had thirty minutes before Rodney would be there to pick her up.

After a three-minute shower to freshen up, Caroline began the task of getting ready for a date. A date at her age! She’d caught herself worrying on and off throughout the day. Would they have things to talk about other than her quilting business? Really, it was the only topic they ever discussed. Nerves caused her hands to shake as she smoothed the tights over her legs. Would there be room for food with all the butterflies in her stomach? And if there was, would the food stay put?

She decided to accessorize with earrings only, since cooperation ceased to exist between shaking hands and small necklace clasps. She eyed the clock. Fifteen minutes left to do her hair and makeup. The former was easy. She smoothed her curls into a twist and secured it with a tortoise shell–colored clip. She twirled the stray wisps around her curling iron for a few seconds and released them, letting them hang in ringlets. She tipped the ends of her bangs under the hot iron, then finger-fluffed them for a natural look.

Sheer will stopped her hands from shaking long enough to apply her makeup. She dropped her lipstick tube in her small denim clutch at the same time Rodney knocked on her back door.

“It’s open,” she shouted and ran to the bathroom for one last check in the mirror. She walked into the kitchen to find Rodney holding a mixed bouquet of cut flowers.

“Whoa.” Rodney gave her a once-over. “You look very nice.”

Without thinking twice, Caroline curtsied. “Thank you.”

“These are for you.” Rodney held out the flowers. “They were to show you how sorry I was about forgetting our appointment today, but now I’m thinking I’m glad I forgot. You look beautiful with your hair up.”

Caroline absently patted her hair with her free hand while a blush warmed her cheeks. She smiled. “Thank you.” She noted Rodney’s attire, glad she’d chosen denim. His winter jacket covered his shirt, but he wore black jeans. “I’ll get a vase.”

She left the kitchen for a moment and came back holding a white vase edged with silver. “I hope you don’t mind. This one was the easiest to get.” She laid the bouquet on the counter while she held the vase under the faucet. “It was a gift from Jason on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.” She pulled the flowers from the flimsy plastic cover and inserted them into the vase, turning the vase so the silver 2 and 5 faced her.