Matt’s eyes locked on hers. “What color?” he asked softly.
“Green.”
He nodded, his heated gaze holding her captive. Curses, he wasn’t even touching her and Winter felt herself melting into a puddle of mush! She was just starting to buckle at the knees when Matt broke the spell by looking over her head at Tom and nodding. “I’ll be at your cabin tomorrow afternoon about an hour before sunset,” he said before suddenly walking out the door. The tiny bell made Winter’s nerve tingle with awareness as she watched Matt head toward the black truck parked just down the street.
“It’s about time a man came along and put some color in your cheeks,” Tom said.
Winter turned to find Tom wrapping up his model. She reached over to stop him, giving him a good glare. “Not one word about his straightening out my being spoiled,” she said, taking the carving and walking behind the counter. She set it down on the counter and smiled. “You’re more sneaky than Gesader, Tom. I couldn’t have come up with a better idea myself. Now Matt can’t kick you out.”
Tom walked over and stood opposite her. “This man you thought so poorly of because you feared he might evict me—I’m surprised to find you kissing him.”
Feeling her cheeks flaming red again, Winter wanted to crawl inside the little bear’s den sitting on her counter and pull one of its bushes closed behind her.
Tom laughed and picked up the model, handling it as if it were no more precious than an old rock he’d found on the shore of Pine Lake. “I better start earning my rent,” he said, wrapping it back up in the towel. “So, Goldie Locks,” he added, tucking the carving under his arm and grinning at her. “I mean, so Miss Strawberry Goldie Locks,” he amended with a grin, “do I put a mama, papa, and baby bear in my den?”
Winter blinked at him, her jaw momentarily slackened in shock. “What is it with everyone around here?” she snapped. “You all have me practically married to a man I met two days ago.”
Tom’s eyes danced with amusement. “Seems to me you’ve gotten rather well acquainted in only two days,” he said, turning and starting toward the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob and grinned at her. “And from the look in Gregor’s eyes just before he left, I’m guessing I’ll only have to wait a few weeks to know how many bears to put in my sculpture,” he said with a laugh as he stepped through the door.
Winter just stared after him, stunned to the roots of her strawberry hair. She couldn’t decide if she’d just been insulted or challenged. Was Tom telling her she was going after Matt too quickly, or that he thought she should move even faster?
Curses, would she ever understand men?
Winter reached under the counter and grabbed her sketch pad. She sat down on the stool, opened the pad, and stared at the two-story log and stone lodge she’d been sketching. But all she saw was a mama, papa, and baby bear snuggled up together inside the cozy little den Tom had carved.
No,she thought with a quick shake of her head, erasing the image from her mind. She was just learning to deal with her strong attraction to Matheson Gregor; she wasn’t anywhere near ready to start dreaming about having his babies—no matter how warm and fuzzy that made her feel.
Chapter Twelve
S itting opposite Greybeside the brightly burning hearth in the main living room of Gù Brath, Grace lifted her eyes from the book she’d been pretending to read to the clock on the mantel. It was twenty minutes to eight, and Grace knew her husband was also pretending to be so engrossed in his newspaper, one might think he’d forgotten all about his youngest daughter’s impending date.
“Ye still haven’t addressed the fact that Winter is going to live for centuries and her husband will not,” Grey softly said into the silence.
Grace looked over at him, not at all surprised he knew her thoughts, not after thirty-three years of marriage. “Would fifty years of happiness not be worth it, though?” she asked just as softly. “Or twenty years? Or even ten? Would you have Winter close her heart off completely?” Grace shut the book on her lap and leaned forward. “If I had died ten years ago, and you were sitting in this room right now with only your memories of me, would you be wishing instead that we’d never met? That we hadn’t had at least twenty-three wonderful years together?”
“Nay.”
“Then why would Winter be any different? Do you really believe she’s going to live hundreds of years without forming strong attachments? She can’t, Grey, because she feels things too deeply. Her heart will still get broken over and over again. Why do you think Daar keeps himself isolated up on the mountain? Is that what you want Winter to become? Another Father Daar?”
“Nay.”
Grace set her book on the floor and scooted down to settle between Grey’s knees. She cuddled against him and leaned her head on his pounding heart, sighing when he wrapped his strong arms around her. “And who knows,” she continued. “If Winter got rid of this Cùram jerk and saved Daar’s tree of life, there’s nothing to say she couldn’t live happily ever after.” She tilted her head back to look at Grey. “Even superheroes eventually retire. Women today are having their careers first and then their families. Winter can save the world and thenhave her babies.” Grace squeezed his rock-solid torso.
“The important thing is, shechooses her path. Not us, and not Father Daar.”
“It’s a path we haven’t even told her about yet,” Grey reminded her. “She needs to know before she gets too involved with Gregor.”
“No,” Grace said, straightening to look Grey level in the eyes. “We agreed to wait until we solve the mystery of the mutilated pine tree.”
He gently pulled her back against him and held her head to his chest. “Then remind me to get Robbie to look into Gregor’s background. I forgot to ask him today because I got involved in that damn tree.”
Grace bolted upright again. “No,” she said, giving him a fierce glare. “You and Robbie will not interfere. And tonight, when we meet Matt Gregor, you will be the epitome of politeness. You will not scowl or in any way try to intimidate him.”
Grey scowled now. “Gregor’s not much of a man if a little fatherly posturing is all it takes to scare him off.” Grey pulled her back against him, holding her head down with his chin and hugging her fiercely on a deep sigh. “Ye’d think I’d be better at this, having gone through it five times already.”
Grace was just snuggling closer when Grey suddenly stiffened and sucked in his breath. “Jesus, Joseph, and Mary,” he whispered. He removed himself from his wife’s arms and stood up. “Ye go right back upstairs and change,” he growled, pointing toward the living room door.
Grace scrambled to her feet and turned to see Winter and Megan standing in the doorway, Megan grinning like a Cheshire cat and Winter gaping at her papa. “Oh, you look beautiful,” Grace said, going to Winter. “I knew when I bought that dress it was perfect for you.” She took hold of Winter’s shoulders and turned her around. “Just perfect.”
“She’s not leaving here looking like that,” Grey snapped.
Grace ignored him, turning Winter back to face her. “The heels aren’t too high, are they?” she asked, checking out the shoes she had bought to match the calf-length dress. “They’re only an inch high.”
“They’re fine, Mama,” Winter said, running her hands down the dark green velvet material. She looked past Grace’s shoulder at her papa and scowled right back at him. “There is nothing immodest about this dress.”
“Aye, and that’s the problem,” Grey returned from right behind Grace. “Ye look toomodest.
And that is more enticing than if ye were wearing a bathing suit.” He waved a hand at his again-gaping daughter. “At least braid yer hair, so it doesn’t fall over yer shoulders so…so provocatively.”