Avery’s thoughts seethed like salmon fighting for a place to spawn in a crowded stream.

Who the hell had asked Cat to marry him? And not just one man, but many?

Many?

Staying away from her wasn’t working, and it was no longer possible to deny his desire for her. Maybe they could be together without needing a judge and marriage license. He could handle a dalliance, and when it naturally ended, they could both go their separate ways.

No harm, no foul.

Yet, the thought of Cat taking up with another man—hell, marrying one someday—caused his heartburn to flare. He needed some damn antacids, that’s all.

Drew walked by carrying five large pizza boxes.

“Hey, where are you going with those?” Avery already knew they were Cat’s order.

“Leif said to deliver them across the street for Catriona.”

“I’m going with you.”

“Why? I can handle it.”

Needing something to explain why he wanted to accompany Drew on a simple pizza run, Avery held up his hand for Drew to stay. He hollered into the kitchen for Honoree to man the bar and grabbed two cases of microbrew from the walk-in refrigerator.

He joined Drew, holding up the beer. “There was more to the order.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Drew turned toward the exit, pushing the door open with his back and held it for Avery.

The cold hit him with slicing fingers as it had when he’d chased Catriona out of the bar earlier. Once again, he’d forgotten his coat. The temp had to be hovering near ten below, the sun having set hours ago. When would winter finally release her talons on the landscape and allow spring to break through her icy surface?

The house across the street was ablaze in lights, and the sounds of construction filled the night air. Four pickups were backed up to the door, their beds full of broken pieces of sheetrock, discarded two-by-fours, a mess of wires and Lord knew what else.

Drew knocked on the door, but there was no answer.

“They can’t hear us over the racket,” Avery said. “Just walk in.”

Drew turned the knob and held the door for Avery as his hands were loaded down with beer.

“Hello!” he hollered.

The hammering paused. “Up here,” someone yelled. Avery thought it might be Ryder, but it could have easily been Dare. They not only looked alike, but they also sounded the same.

He set the beer on the floor and gestured for Drew to leave the pizza on the display table where he’d thrown the offered food from the night before, before backing Catriona up against the wall and kissing her, and then doing a lot more than kissing her.

He led the way upstairs, Drew falling into step behind him. “You can head back to the Pump House.”

“I want to see what they are doing too. Besides, I’m on my break.”

“Fine.”

The upstairs looked like a bomb had detonated. Jack, Ryder, Dare, and Ash stood regarding their work. Each wore a tool belt, leather gloves, and safety glasses.

“Sure, show up when the bulk of the work is done.” Hank appeared from the doorway of another room.

“Dad?” Avery said. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like? You should be helping out your neighbor too.”

“I brought food and beer.”

“Now that’s the best help of all.” Dare wiped his brow. “I’m more than ready for a break.”

“Amen to that,” Ryder said, hooking his hammer in the loop of his tool belt.

Avery looked around trying not to make it obvious he was searching out Catriona.

“She’s in there.” Hank gestured to the room he’d exited with a knowing smile.

“Who’s in there?” Drew asked at the sound of women’s voices.

“Cat and her sisters,” Hank supplied.

“Is Zoe here?” Drew’s eyes went wide, and he brushed at his clothes.

“You’re a little young for her,” Avery pointed out.

“Age means nothing when it comes to love.” Drew cocked a smile and sauntered off into the room.

“Now there’s a man not afraid to go after what he wants,” Hank said low enough for only Avery to hear.

“Drop it, Dad.” He wanted to follow Drew into the room, but there were too many people crowding the place to have a private word with Cat. He’d have to wait until later. Maybe by then he’d know what he wanted to say. “Pizza and beer are downstairs. I need to get back. Tell Drew his break’s almost over.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Ryder headed for the stairs.

“Me either,” Ash said, following Dare and Ryder.

“You’re not staying?” Hank asked.

“I have a business to run.”

“There’s more to life than work, son.”

Says the man who escaped his family to head to the office every chance he got when Avery was a kid.

“Don’t do what I did,” Hank said, reading Avery’s mind.

That’s exactly what he was trying not to do.

Hank pushed Avery toward the room where he could hear Cat laughing with her sisters. Drew was probably charming them like he naturally did. “Go and say hello.”

“I really need to get back.” The walls seemed to be closing in on him, and it became hard to breathe. He turned on his heel and headed downstairs, feeling like he fought tethers that were wrapped around him, anchoring him to Cat.

“Hey, Dawson, grab a beer, stay a while,” Jack said, when he entered the main room.

“Another time. Enjoy the pizza and beer. I need to get back to work.” How many times had he said that now? Yes, he had a business to run, but it was a weeknight, and he hired good people. They would be fine without him. But he couldn’t stay.

This was too intimate. Well not intimate but uncomfortable with the close family members helping each other out, the love permeating the walls of the place with everyone here supporting Cat and her dreams. Growing up, his house had been full of strife and tension. No wonder his dad had taken off for work all the time.

He waved them off and escaped into the cold. He made it to the middle of the street when Cat called his name.

“Avery!”

Thank God she hadn’t called him Dawson again.

He turned and watched her run up to him. How he wanted to open his arms and have her fall into them. Instead, he anchored his hands in his pockets.

“Thank you for the pizza and beer, which you really shouldn’t have added. I won’t get any more work out of them tonight.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think of that.”

“It’s okay. There isn’t much heavy stuff left to do other than clean-up.”

“Well, it looks like you got a lot done. What else do you have planned?”

“Pretty much patching and painting and then stocking inventory. I hope to be open in two weeks.”

“That fast?”

“If there aren’t any delays, I think I can do it.”

“Won’t it take you longer than that to get inventory in place?” Shipping to Alaska took a while.

“I have a storage unit bursting at the seams with what I’ve already collected over the last year.”

“You’ve been planning this that long?” How had he not known in this small town that knew everything?

“Believe it or not, I have a good head on my shoulders.” Her mouth tightened, and his eyes centered on her lips.

God, he wanted to kiss her.

“I have no doubt about that. I’m impressed with what you have accomplished in such a short time.”

“Wow, a compliment. How hard was that for you to say?” A twinkle entered her green eyes, and he realized she was teasing him.

“A lot easier than the ones I’ve been biting back.” To hell with it. He wanted her. She wanted him. “Would you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“What? Like a date?”

“Yes, like a date.”

“We’ve already tried that, and you didn’t like it, remember?”

“Remembering is the problem. I can’t forget you, Cat. Not being with you isn’t working.” He freed a hand from his jean pocket and brushed some debris from her hair.

Her eyes went wide.

“Don’t analyze it, just agree to go out with me. Let’s start again.” He didn’t know what he’d do if she said no.

“Don’t you have to work?”

“The benefit of owning your own business is that you call the shots.” He waited, holding his breath, for her answer. She took her time in answering, making him sweat in the subzero temperature.

“Okay, Avery, I’ll have dinner with you.”

Relief hit him with such force it felt like a section of his cold heart calved off like ice splitting off the side of glacier. Fire burned in his chest and he no longer felt the cold. He reached for her, cupping a hand behind her neck and slowly leaned down and kissed her.

She melted into him like she did every time he touched her, and it took everything he had not to deepen the kiss, haul her up in his arms, and carry her to his bed above the bar.

Reluctantly, he released her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Wait, where are we going? I need to know what to wear.”

Wear nothing was on the tip of his tongue. “You look great in everything. It’s you I want to have dinner with, not your outfit.”

“That doesn’t help. I’m a woman. I need to know if I should wear something dressy or comfortable.”

“Definitely comfortable.” He hoped whatever she chose, she wouldn’t be wearing it long.