Autumn Bliss (2 page)

He slid the second big, flat box on top the first, then turned back for the final one before slamming her door and pushing the lock button on her key fob. Apparently, what she wanted didn’t matter. Only she couldn’t get annoyed since he was helping her.

She followed him around to the passenger side of his truck, and he took all three boxes while she opened the door to climb up into the cab. A glance back over her shoulder caught him squinting down the road toward town. She hesitated as she stood on the running board, holding her skirt to keep the wind from flipping the hem up past her thighs.

“You’re sure you don’t mind?”

“I’m sure.” His gaze shifted back to her, and she noticed his eyes now appeared more green again in the morning sunlight.

She quickly situated herself in the seat so she could take the boxes. After returning her car keys, he handed her the seatbelt strap to secure before closing the door. The absent yet thoughtful gesture registered, reminding her of how he’d turned the heat on for her when she’d gotten in the first time. He might be a man of few words, but he didn’t miss much. She was hard pressed not to turn around and watch him as he crossed around the back of the vehicle.

Now that she’d heard his voice, she found herself wondering about his smile.

No—don’t
.

Becoming too interested in a man didn’t fit into her plan to get the hell out of town before she was stuck for life.

Chapter 2

Levi felt Mallory’s gaze as he got behind the wheel and began the drive back to Whispering Pines. A moment later, she focused out the window and didn’t so much as glance his way again. The mouth-watering scent of sweet, cinnamon baked goods filled the too-warm cab, but that wasn’t what had his senses in full-blown overdrive.

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the woman sitting in his passenger seat. Oh, she was pretty, with those expressive brown eyes and a smile that lit up the day brighter than the sun. Her dark hair flowed mid-way down her back in shimmery waves, and he’d have to be dead to not notice the sexy curves highlighted to perfection in her stylish clothes.

But she was an optimist, with no less than three motivational key chains vying for space on her key ring. Perpetually happy, always in a good mood that he’d seen. Well, except for a moment ago when she’d lamented her luck, but then again, even that had been said with a hint of humor.

Warning bells had gone off in his head the moment he’d set eyes on her a couple weeks ago, and since she’d started managing the lodge’s coffee shop, he saw her around the property every day, other than his days off. Her and that inviting smile that seemed to be solely for him.

Only it wasn’t.

In fact, her reluctance to take advantage of this morning’s situation told him what he’d begun to suspect as he surreptitiously observed her around the grounds. She wasn’t extra friendly because she was interested in him, she was simply being nice. Like she was with everyone. He was nothing special.

The confirmation should’ve been a welcome relief as his fingers gripped the steering wheel, but instead, it sparked regret. Something he shouldn’t be feeling when it came to a nice girl like her. He had way too much baggage to even consider acting on the attraction that warmed his blood each time he saw her face, or heard her light, uplifting voice.

As he drove, he was surprised when she didn’t start talking right away to fill the silence. That was another thing he’d noticed—she was never at a loss for words with Mark or Janelle, other employees, any of the guests, or even the dogs, Duke and Daisy. Hell, the first time he’d witnessed her carrying on a conversation with those two huskies, he’d had to turn away to hide his smile.

Imagine that. A smile on his face. The action had been normal at one time in his life, but now felt foreign, straining the unused muscles in his jaw.

So what kept her quiet in his cab this morning as she stared out the window at the passing countryside? She sure as hell wasn’t shy. And despite her pointed reference to her brother being a cop, she didn’t seem to be afraid of him.

Usually, he didn’t give a shit what people thought of his preference for silence, but suddenly, he found himself trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t come out sounding stupid. Which only irritated him, set off a little tremor of suppressed anxiety, and made his fingers clench tighter on the wheel.

Resisting the urge to glance over at her, he reached to flip the heat off, then made the turn into the long drive that led through the thick forest of evergreens shielding Whispering Pines from the road.

“I have a key for the back entrance to the shop,” she advised.

He drove around the fifteen-thousand square foot lodge with its wraparound porch, to the coffee and gift shop that had been added to the main structure the previous summer. Its two sides of huge glass windows afforded a great view of the grounds and lake. The inside entrance right next to the patio provided easy access for both the lodge guests, as well as those staying in the cabins.

Once he’d parked by the back entrance, Levi loped around to the passenger side as Mallory pushed open the door with her booted foot. With effort, he kept his gaze from lingering on the smooth lines of her shapely legs and took the large bakery boxes from her lap.

“Thanks.” She gave him another one of those smiles. The kind that slammed his heart against his ribs in a way he hadn’t experienced in so long.

He gripped the boxes to step back while she climbed down and hurried past him to unlock the door. It swung open before she could fit the key in the lock. Janelle Riley stood just inside with a wide, though confused, grin.

“Good morning you two.”

His shoulders tensed with his nod, and he avoided their boss’s speculative gaze as the eye-opening aroma of fresh brewed coffee wafted out into the fall air.

Mallory grabbed the door, talking a mile a minute while he carried the boxes inside past both women.

“Hey. I’m sorry I’m late. My car broke down, and my phone battery died, and Levi was nice enough to give me a ride when he found me on the side of the road, but he didn’t have a phone for me to call and let you know what was going on. So, again, I’m sorry, but I’ll—”

“You’re not technically late,” Janelle said behind him. “Yes, I’m so used to you being here early that I missed the coffee, but all I had to do was start it myself. No big deal.”

“Thanks.” Relief colored Mallory’s voice. “That means I should be able to get everything set up in time to open.”

“I’ll help. Well, as long as Hazel cooperates, anyway.”

Janelle’s little red-headed five month old sat in a baby carrier off to the side, smiling as she played with a chew toy. Levi set the pastry boxes down on the stainless steel work table in the middle of the small kitchen and turned around to find both women facing him.

His pulse picked up at the sight of them blocking the exit. The kitchen and storage area was separate from the front of the store, and with only a small window near a sink on the outside wall of the room, the confined space began to close in on him. He shifted his gaze to the door as Mallory stepped forward.

“Thank you again for saving my morning, Levi.”

Without much space to get by, she reached out and squeezed his arm on her way past. The casual touch jolted through him. He couldn’t keep his muscles from tensing beneath her touch, but her hand slipped away as she kept moving.

“Can I get you a cup of coffee? Or a cinnamon roll, or something else?”

“No, thank you.” The gruffness in his voice had him easing toward the exit as the invisible vice around his chest tightened.

“Maybe tomorrow?”

He glanced back over his shoulder. The hopeful inflection in her voice matched the expression in the brown eyes watching him. Confusion swirled, mixing with rising anxiety. He had to get out. It felt like he was running and there was nothing he could to do to stop himself. Not if he wanted to hold it together.

“Or whenever,” she added, her smile fading. “I’ll leave a note that whatever you’d like is my treat next time you come in.”

Managing his habitual nod, he met Janelle’s concerned gaze for a split second before shoving outside. Thankfully, neither of them followed. He climbed in his truck, shifted into reverse with a slight spinning of the tires, and made it out of sight around the side of the building before he reached to roll down the window while slamming on the brakes.

Fresh air flowed into the cab. He sucked it into his burning lungs as his knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. It took a few minutes of concentrated breathing before he could pry his fingers off the wheel and rub his hands over his flushed face. Then he fisted them in his hair until his scalp stung, and he lowered his hands to his thighs, shoulders slumped.

Shit
.

It’d been a while since he’d had a reaction like that. A year at least. Other than the enclosed space in the kitchen, there was no reason for his anxiety to have been triggered. The only thing he could think of was the mixed up reactions to Mallory Parker. Reactions that turned him upside down and had him unable to combat the turbulent emotions he usually kept buried deep enough to control.

Another breath convinced him he was recovered enough to resume his trip to the veteran’s health clinic in Green Bay. One day a week volunteering in the physical rehab unit put his own issues into perspective. He might be a little messed up in the head, but at least he still had all his limbs.

Back out on the road, he slowed down when he saw a squad car by Mallory’s vehicle. The hood was up, with a uniformed officer bent low to check out the engine.

After a moment of hesitation, Levi braked to a halt. The dark-haired man had glanced back once, but seeing Levi had stopped, he looked both directions before crossing the road.

“Can I help you?”

“Mallory’s brother, I assume?”

“How do you know Mal?” the officer asked without answering Levi’s question. But he didn’t need to. Though his sister’s features were much more delicate, the relation was undeniable in the straight nose, high cheekbones, and dark eyes.

“I work at the lodge,” Levi advised.

The man’s expression relaxed into a smile that further reminded him of Mallory.

“You gave her the ride this morning.” He extended his hand. “Shane Parker.”

“Levi Jenkins.”

“Thanks for taking care of her. I appreciate her not having to walk at a time when this road is practically deserted. She caught me on my cell a few minutes ago on my way into work.”

Levi nodded, pulling free of the handshake while shifting his gaze to the car. “You figure out what’s wrong?”

“I’m not a mechanic, so I’ve got a tow truck on the way. She mentioned you thought it could be the starter or alternator? Maybe both?”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug.

“Either way, she’ll have it back in a few days.”

Levi nodded again, suddenly itching to move on because he really shouldn’t care one way or the other.
And why the hell did I even stop just now?

A truck with flashing yellow lights appeared in the distance, headed their way.

“Well, again, thanks, man.” Shane tapped the side of his truck door as Levi started to ease off on the brakes. “Have a good day.”

He lifted his hand in acknowledgment as he drove away. The man’s friendly parting words made the answer to his silent question a moment earlier click in his head as he glanced into the rearview mirror. He’d stopped to score points with Mallory’s brother.

In which case, he was more messed up in the head than he’d thought.

Chapter 3

Mallory’s attention jerked up as movement registered in the corner of her eye and voices reached her ears. One glance was all it took to see Janelle’s long red hair, and Judy Walsh’s steel-gray head beside her. The elder woman carried her great granddaughter in her arms.

It’d been two days since Levi had given her a ride to work. Two days of getting her hopes up with each new customer who entered the shop, only to have to smile through her disappointment when it wasn’t his tall figure striding toward her.

She should be happy about that. She didn’t need or want the distraction of a man in her life right now. Nothing that would keep her here longer than she absolutely had to stay.

The thing was, he’d rushed off so quickly the other day, she’d wondered if something was wrong. She didn’t think she’d done anything—and she certainly hadn’t said anything, even though her tongue was sore from biting it to keep quiet during the ride. Janelle had frowned after his departure, but she’d done nothing more than shrug in answer to Mallory’s fishing comment about his reserved manner.

When he’d been noticeably absent around the property since then, she found thoughts of him popping into her head more often during the day, and couldn’t help worrying if something
was
wrong. She’d caught a glimpse of him across the lake earlier this morning, Daisy prancing at his side, Duke a safe distance ahead and to the side. So, physically he appeared to be fine, but she still wondered about his absence.

Had been for most of the past three hours, she realized.

Smiling at her boss and Judy, she silently acknowledged she needed to get over this infatuation for the lodge’s maintenance man. If the lure of free gourmet coffee and Josie Sullivan’s amazing pastries couldn’t bring him around, he clearly had no interest in speaking with her again.

Which was for the best, really.

Maybe tomorrow, on her day off, she’d call Josie and her sister Tessa to go out in Green Bay. Maybe Nikki, too. A girls night out was just what she needed to put things back in perspective.

“Looks great in here, Mallory,” Judy said as she turned around to survey the new holiday gift displays that’d been set up earlier in the week. Catching little Hazel’s arm before her hand knocked a glass ornament from the shelf, she gave her granddaughter a smile. “No offense, Janey.”

“None taken, Grandma. I’m just as impressed with what she’s done in the couple weeks she’s been here.”