The Sweetest Hours

He nodded to her. She wondered if he would reach for her hand. But, no, as always, he was careful not to touch her.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, then,” he said. He kept his hands in his pockets.

“Yes. Of course,” she answered.

His phone rang, and he seemed relieved to turn away from her. “Hello, I’ll meet you out front,” he said into the phone.

She went back out to the packing area, trying not to think of him. She had wanted him to leave, after all. By now, the shipping guy had shown up and was loading the stack of boxes into his truck. Kristin signed time cards for Mindy, Jeff and Arlene, and was saying goodbye to them when George approached her, looking worried.

“I wonder if I might ask for your help,” he said.

So polite. But at least he hadn’t reverted back to scowling at her. She nodded. “Certainly, George.”

He seemed to flinch. “My, er, driver got into a small accident.” With a rueful expression, he gazed out the tall factory windows. In the light that fell over the parking lot, the snow swirled. Two inches accumulation, she judged. The fresh snowfall had amounted to more than the dusting she’d expected.

“Is he all right?” she asked.

George shrugged. “He’s not used to driving in snow. He skidded off the road and into an embankment. He called for assistance, and now he’s awaiting a replacement vehicle. They estimate two hours before he’s able to get here.”

“Oh.” She digested that information. What did it mean for them?

“Is there a taxi company nearby that I might call?” he asked, ever so polite. But she saw the worry lines on his face.

“Yes. Absolutely.” She went to the bulletin board in the break room and pulled the tack to release a worn business card, and then brought it back to George. “There’s only one taxi service in town, but they’re usually pretty reliable.”

He held the card between his fingers while he pressed the buttons for the phone number. He had large hands, the nails bitten to the quick. No rings, wedding or otherwise. She glanced up at him to see his gaze dart away from hers.

She felt warm inside, from her face to her toes. Now, that was strange. She definitely didn’t want that. A fantasy was one thing, but this...this physical attraction was reality. And it was still too dangerous—she didn’t know this man. Yes, everything had gone well so far, but...

Even if their work arrangement didn’t end tonight, she just wasn’t interested in a relationship with him. She seldom dated, and never with anyone she’d met at Aura. It just wasn’t who she was.

Frankly, these days, she’d pretty much resigned herself to the fact that she was meant to be single. The loyal employee, the quirky aunt, the want-to-be-adventurous sister. Maybe—on a good day—even the dutiful daughter. That was all that she was.

Thankfully, George Smith was leaving town. She turned away from him and marched from the packing area. She kept her hands balled in her pockets. She was far enough away that she couldn’t hear him, which was good, because the sound of his deep, low voice speaking into the phone was doing a number on her, making her body feel things she didn’t want to feel.

She busied herself by walking through the plant, checking that lights were off and doors were locked. Inside her office, she grabbed her flashlight from the shelf, along with a spare pair of mittens and a beret that she kept in one of her desk drawers. It would be a long walk home in the dark and the cold. She shut down her computer and closed up the room.

When she turned down the corridor, she saw George walking toward her. Her legs seemed to freeze. She stopped where she was, twisting the mittens in her hand.

“The taxi service isn’t willing to drive me to my hotel. The snowfall is supposed to intensify, and they don’t want to get stuck.”

“Oh,” she replied.

“Is there a diner where I can get something to eat and do some work until my ride arrives?”

“I... No.” She laughed ruefully, not able to avoid gazing into his eyes. Sky-blue. So beautiful...

She shook her head, looking away. “We’re a backwater town. All that’s open on Saturday night is a convenience mart, a seedy bar I don’t recommend, two gas stations and a twenty-four hour pharmacy.”

His countenance fell. Kristin rubbed her arms and risked glancing at him again. He really was worried. Suddenly, this was not just his problem, but their problem. They were a team, and he needed her to help him solve this.

It made her feel sick and a little anxious.

“How about if I find someone to drive you to your hotel?” she suggested shakily. Maybe her brother was home. He had a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

But her brother was like her; he tended to talk too much and inappropriate things often popped out without him intending it. “On second thought, never mind,” she said hurriedly, “I’ll take you instead.”

“No.” George shook his head. “Absolutely not. I will not have you jeopardize your safety. It’s out of the question.”

“Then...what do you propose we do?”

He set his mouth in a line. “I’ll wait in your office.”

“No, we can’t do that. Because of the alarm, you can’t stay in the factory without me being here with you.” She rubbed her trembling palms against her sides—she had no choice, really. “How about if you wait with me at my sister-in-law’s house?” Nothing could go wrong with that scenario. “My niece invited me for an early dinner tonight. We’ll sit with their family while you wait for your ride.”

“No, I don’t want to impose,” he said.

But she could tell he was being polite and cautious, refusing the invitation the same as she would have, in his place.

“Stephanie is a professional chef. To her, adding another seat at the table is a good thing. The more people who enjoy her meals, the better, as far as she’s concerned.”

He still looked dubious.

“I’ll call her now and tell her.” She had to—she couldn’t leave George out in the cold.

Holding her mitten with her teeth, Kristin took out her phone from her pocket and dialed her sister-in-law’s number. George gave her a pained expression, but he didn’t argue.

Stephanie picked up on the first ring. “Where are you? You said you’d be here at five o’clock.”

“I’m bringing a work colleague to dinner. That’s okay, isn’t it?”

George was now outright frowning at her and looking tremendously unhappy.

Kristin glanced away. “His name is George Smith, and he’s snowed in for a couple of hours until his ride shows up. I told him that he could grab a bite with us, and that it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“You’re bringing home a man?” Stephanie asked over the phone. “Our Kristin is actually bringing someone home? Are pigs flying?”

“Stop it,” Kristin murmured. George winced. She smiled gamely at him, trying not to tremble.

“You used to be fun,” Stephanie complained.

“I still am,” she whispered into the phone.

“No, I mean, you used to date. You used to like guys, and want to have a family of your own someday. You were gonna have a set of twins, remember—so they would be best friends with my kids—and we were all going to vacation together, happily ever after. I even married your dumb brother for it.”

Oh, no. Knowing Kristin’s brother, some elaborately planned prank had backfired. She glanced nervously at George. “Um, what’s he done now?”

“Nothing! That’s the problem—he’s refusing to eat my cooking. And me, a professional! You would think that after eight years of marriage, the dummy would learn.”