An extravagant run today. The sap gushed, overwhelming the system this morning. Why? A genuine freezing night, down to 22 degrees for several hours. A busy day. We stopped boiling for today, but the reverse-osmosis machine will run during the night, and we’ll resume in the morning.
—Colton Abbott’s sugaring journal, March 31
Standing next to Lucy, Colton watched his parents leave and tried to figure out how they’d managed to completely manipulate him. So much for being a grown man who ran his own life. “Well, that was mortifying.”
“How so?”
“They sort of handed me my ass just then.”
Lucy pinched her lips together, but her dancing eyes gave away her amusement.
“Oh go ahead and laugh, if you must.”
She did just that.
“I hate you, too.” He made sure his tone was light so there was no way she could take him seriously.
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I bet I can prove otherwise.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“I assume that one is your house?” She pointed to the cabin.
“You assume correctly.”
Lucy took his hand and led him into his own house, which had been cleaned and straightened in his absence. In that moment, he was extremely grateful for Molly Abbott. But then he remembered the mandatory invite to dinner and his gratitude faded. He hadn’t expected to spend so much of this weekend aggravated and irritated by his family. “Where are we going?” he asked as he watched Lucy take in his austere living space. He’d wondered how his rough-hewn home would appear to his city girl.
“This is very cozy.”
“Told you.”
“I like it.”
“I’m glad, but you still haven’t told me where you’re taking me.”
She released his hand and turned to him. In her expression he saw something he hadn’t seen before—pure happiness. Gone was the edgy doubt and worry. In its place was a lightness he embraced with everything he had.
“You look happy, Luce. Are you?”
Her fingers found the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it up and over his head. “I like your parents.”
“Most people do.”
“I can see why. Are you surprised to hear they knew all along what we were up to?”
“Not as surprised as I should be. We never have gotten away with much with the two of them watching over us. Nothing has changed in that regard since we grew up and became adults.”
“You’re still their kids.”
“Exactly.”
She flattened her hands on his chest and leaned in to drop a series of kisses on his collarbone. “I’m glad they know.”
“Are you?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You didn’t answer my question, Luce.”
“Which one?”
“Are you happy?”
“I’m very happy. What time do we have to leave for dinner?”
He consulted his watch. “Two hours.”
“Mmm. Good. That ought to be enough time.”
“For what?” he asked, even though he was starting to get a very good idea of where this was leading, but because it was the first time she’d initiated it, he wanted to see how far she’d go. Then she tugged on the button to his shorts, and he sucked in a sharp deep breath.
“Is this okay?”
“What do you think?”
Her smile lit up her face and made her eyes dance with pleasure. He loved that almost as much as he loved the dimples that lined her cheeks.
“You were a good sport with my folks just now.”
“I like them.”
“They like you, too.”
“I’m glad.”
Colton put his hands on her hips and brought her in closer to him. “Do you think your dad and Emma will like me?”
“I’m sure they will. What’s not to like?”
“See? That’s what I say, too, but no one—” He never got to finish that thought because she kissed the words right off his lips.
Colton pulled back from her, even though that was the last thing he wanted to do. “I was going to show you around.”
“Can you show me around later?”
“Yes, I suppose I can.”
“Good.” She went back to kissing him, and her enthusiasm had him hot and bothered in record time. Except . . .
“Hey, Luce?”
“What, Colton?”
“I just . . . I don’t want you to think . . .”
“What don’t you want me to think?”
“That this is all I want from you.”
Her hands fell from his chest, and he instantly regretted that he’d stopped her from taking what they both wanted. “I don’t think that. You spent five weekends showing me that wasn’t all you wanted. I’m sorry if I was too forward—”
“You weren’t.” He took her hands and put them back where they were before he’d been stupid enough to stop her. “Now where were we?”
“I was just about to ask you to show me to your bed.”
“That I can do.” Keeping his hands over hers, he walked backward ten steps, which brought him to the bed in the corner of the room. “That about completes the tour of the house.”
“I like it.” She looked around him. “Are those flannel sheets?”
“You know it. A year-round essential in the mountains.”
He cupped her shoulders and ran his hands down until he encountered the hem of her dress, raising it up and over her head. “You’re so beautiful, Lucy,” he said, taking a greedy look at her sexy sheer, nude-colored bra and panties.
“I’ve never felt beautiful before,” she said softly, making his heart ache with what was starting to feel an awful lot like love.
He held her face in his hands and looked directly into her eyes. “You’re so, so beautiful. You take my breath away.”
“Bed, Colton. Now, please.”
Never one to have to be asked three times, he shed his shorts and pulled the down comforter back to reveal blue-and-green plaid flannel sheets. “After you.”
She crawled in ahead of him, giving him a spectacular view of her ass.
He was right behind her, reaching for her with urgency he’d never experienced quite so acutely before. The sound of a car horn made him groan almost as loudly as Sarah and Elmer were barking to welcome the visitor. “No way. Not now.”
“What?”
“Customer at the store.” He kissed her. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back. And don’t change your mind while I’m gone.”
“No chance of that, but you should really hurry.” She propped herself up on one hand, and all he could see was the plump tops of her breasts spilling out of her bra.
He moaned as he got out of bed, found his shorts and pulled on the T-shirt she’d taken off of him.
“It’s inside out,” she said with a giggle.
“I don’t give a shit. Everything is covered.” He could only hope his customer wasn’t observant because the T-shirt went only so far in hiding his erection. Colton had never expected to spend so much of this weekend feeling frustrated and aggravated. The universe seemed to be conspiring against him, which wasn’t fair at all.
Sliding his feet into a pair of old flip-flops, he clomped outside and groaned again when he saw Mrs. Andersen’s car. One of the town’s busiest busybodies, she was also a regular visitor to Colton’s mountain. And she liked to talk. As his grandfather would say, she could talk a dog off a meat wagon.
Most of the time he didn’t mind passing half an hour or so listening to Mrs. Andersen’s litany of health issues, including her most recent battle with gout. Today, however, he had much better things to do, and the vision of Lucy nearly naked in his bed nearly had him turning around and blowing off Mrs. Andersen.
But tending to customers was part of his job, so he didn’t do that. Rather, he pasted on a fake friendly smile and went to greet her.
“Oh, hi there, Colton. I didn’t think you heard my horn.”
“I heard it.” They’d probably heard it in Canada. “I’m tied up today, so I can’t linger, I’m afraid. What can I get for you?”
“Tied up with what?”
“Um, some, ah . . . business. Did you need syrup?”
“What kind of business?”
He had to tell himself to stay calm, to not scream, to not give her anything juicy that she could blab all over town faster than the speed of light. Her nosiness—and her presence—had succeeded in totally killing what had been a rather promising boner.
“Is there something I can get for you?” he asked again, determined to get rid of her once and for all.
“I’ll take a couple of gallons of Fancy Grade.”
“Right this way.” He led her into the retail store, got the syrup she wanted and rang up the sale on the old-fashioned cash register that dated back to when his grandparents ran the sugarhouse. Naturally, the drawer picked today to jam and none of the usual tricks would get it to open. Since he had no way to make change, he handed the two twenties back to her. “We can settle up next time.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m absolutely positive.”
“Okay, then.” Right when he thought she was actually going to leave, she took a long, measuring look at him that made him feel like she could read his mind and knew exactly why he wanted her to go. “Is everything all right? You’re acting very strange.”
“Everything is fine.”
“While I have you . . .”
No! No, no, no!
“I was curious as to what you think about your sister marrying Nolan.”
“I’m thrilled with it. We all are. He’s a great guy.”
“But do you think she’s ready? I’d hate to see Nolan get hurt. He’s such a wonderful guy.”
“She’s ready, Mrs. Andersen, or she wouldn’t have accepted his proposal.” Colton hoped if he headed for the door she might follow him. No such luck. “We’re all looking forward to the wedding. It’s nice to see Hannah so happy. She certainly deserves it, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Oh yes, absolutely. The poor dear went through such an awful tragedy losing Caleb so suddenly.”
The very last thing in the universe Colton Abbott wanted to do right then was take a trip down that particular memory lane. Thinking about the brother-in-law he’d loved and lost always left him feeling hollow and sad.
“Right. Well . . .”
“I suppose I should move along. I’ve got lots of errands to get done today.”
“It was good of you to come by.”
“I’ll be back soon to settle up with you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, I will. It’s all I’ll think about.”
He held her car door, waved her off and ran for the house, pulling at his clothes as he went and nearly tripping over his shorts when they tangled around his feet. At the edge of the bed, he stopped short when he saw that Lucy was sleeping. “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” he whispered.
Without opening her eyes, she said, “I am kidding you.”
“Seriously? Oh my God!” He pounced on her, tickling her until she screamed with laughter and begged for mercy. “That was so mean.”
“You should’ve seen your face when you thought I was asleep,” she said, wiping laughter tears from her cheeks. “Totally hilarious.” She curled her arms around his neck. “I bet you have lots of ladies from town who come up to buy their syrup right from the hunky mountain man who makes it, don’t you?”
“A few.” He nibbled on her neck and breathed in her bewitching scent. “God, I love how you smell.”
“How do I smell?”
“I don’t even know how to describe it. You smell like Lucy, which is the sweetest thing I’ve ever smelled.”
He felt her lips curve into a smile against his cheek.
“Let’s talk about these ladies who visit you. Do any of them ever come for more than syrup?”
“I’ve got the biggest case of blue balls in the history of the condition, and you want to talk about my customers?”
She reached down to cup his balls, making him jolt from the unexpected contact with his most sensitive place. “Are they really blue?”
“So blue.”
“We can’t have that, now can we?”
“It’s really not healthy.”
She pushed him over onto his back and began kissing his chest as she continued to caress his balls.
“Lucy . . .”
“What?”
“Just wondering what you’re up to.”
“Oh, this and that.” She emphasized her words with a squeeze that had him gasping. “I’m trying to properly diagnose your condition.”
He laughed even as he groaned.
Outside a car horn sounded.
“No. Absolutely not.”
Lucy dropped her head onto his chest and laughed.
“Don’t stop. I’m not going out there.”
“You have to go out there. It’s your business.”
“We’re closed today.”
“No, you’re not. The store is wide open.”
“Let them steal the syrup. I don’t care.”
“Yes, you do.”
A knock sounded on the door followed by a female voice calling his name. Colton froze when he recognized that voice. This could not be happening.
“Colton! Are you in there? Your truck is out here, so I know you’re home.” More knocking followed the comment.
Lucy leaned back and looked at him, her brow raised in inquiry. “Another of your admirers?”
“A friend. That’s all.”
“Uh-huh. Let me take care of this for you since you’re in such a bad way with the blue balls and everything.” She got up, retrieved her dress off the floor, turned it right side out and dropped it over her head.
“Lucy, wait.”
“Relax. I’ve got this.”
As she crossed the small room to the door, she ran her fingers through her hair and fluffed it up. She’d almost made it to the door when he realized he was lying there bare-ass naked, so he grabbed the comforter and covered his important parts, which had once again gone from raging and ready to shriveled up and dead. The extremes couldn’t be good for them, could it?
“Lucy . . .” When she ignored his final plea to ignore the visitor, he flopped back onto the bed, resigned to his fate. This was not going to be pretty.