A Temporary Courtship

“Friday. I’ll meet you at your place by eight-fifteen.” She sounded so professional, like they’d scheduled a business meeting. Not a date.

“Sounds good.” Ignoring the twist in his gut, Darren justified showing Bree around as an extension of his job.

A good word from Bree or her mom into the right ears might go a long way in upping his chances for the supervisor position. He’d take all the help he could to make sure he got the job this time.

He’d simply showcase the great up north outdoors and be done with it. When Bree left, he’d be done with her, too.

Chapter Four (#ulink_3b0e6c31-90c4-5da6-8aaa-b438cfece5a3)

By Friday night, the weather had turned chilly, so Bree dressed in warm layers. Who knew how long they’d be outside? Her parents thought she was crazy to venture out so late. Maybe they were right.

Following the map Darren had drawn was easy. She’d driven on the one main road heading north most of the way. Slowing down, she spotted the Honey for Sale sign right where he’d said it would be. Bree took the next right onto a dirt road. So far, so good.

Scanning the map again, she went another two miles until she saw the fish mailbox. This was Darren’s driveway. It was a dirt two-track path similar to the ones they’d taken to find mushrooms. She slowed to a stop and stared at that mailbox.

What was she doing coming here?

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and pulled into the two-mile drive. No regrets. No missed opportunities.

Her cell phone buzzed with an incoming text. She slowed to a stop and grabbed it, hoping it wasn’t Darren changing their plans. Another text from Philip that she ignored.

Darren hadn’t been kidding when he said he lived in the woods. She’d watched the sun dip low in the sky as she drove here, but the surrounding trees with new leaves blocked the dwindling light.

When she finally pulled into a large clearing, the wood home surprised her. She’d expected something far less airy than the chalet-style structure in front of her. Darren’s home was small but pretty with a wraparound deck that was partly covered and sat atop a two-bay garage. Another metal garage stood nearby.

She smiled when she saw him outside with two small beagles. Both were brown and white with black backs, floppy ears and sweet faces. Darren hunched down to give them each a pat and scratch behind their ears. Tails wagging, they followed him around a fenced area begging for attention. He gave in and petted them some more.

Stella had assured her that Darren was a good guy, but the gentle way he treated his dogs proved it.

She parked her car, got out and looked around. Wood stacked neatly under an overhang between the garage and stairway caught her eye. An axe lay against a beam with more wood scattered on the ground. She’d been spot-on with her lumberjack comparison. He even wore a padded flannel shirt.

“Hey.” He gave her a cautious smile. “You’re early.”

Only fifteen minutes early. She walked toward the fenced dog run. “I gave myself extra time in case I got lost. Your dogs are adorable. What are their names?”

Darren stood facing her on the other side of the fence. “Mickey and Clara.”

“Hi, guys.” Bree stuck her fingers through the fence, and both dogs jostled to lick her hand in greeting. “Do they stay outside?”

“When I’m working. They have access to part of the garage so they can get out of the weather.”

She nodded. “You have a nice home.”

He looked surprised by her compliment. “Thanks. It’s a prefab, but I’ve added a few things. The deck is one of them. I need to gather some gear, and then we can go. What size shoe do you wear?

“Seven and a half. Why?”

“I have a pair of waders that might fit you. Come in and try them on.”

“Weighters?” Bree followed him through the open garage door into a spotless space without a single vehicle parked inside. The walls had shelves filled with all sorts of outdoor gear—fishing poles, snowshoes. She pointed to a big metal safe. “What’s that?”

“Waders? They’re pull-on overall boots to wade into the water.”

“No, that big green thing in the corner.”

“Gun cabinet.”

She felt her eyes widen at the size of the thing. “You have a lot of guns.”

He laughed. “I have firearms for both work and recreation. So, yeah. I have a few.”

Her stomach tightened. She didn’t know men with guns. Philip’s anger over her residency had unsettled her big-time. It was the reason she finally broke it off with him. What would a big guy like Darren turn into when he was mad? Stella’s assurance that he was safe shriveled to nothing in the presence of that green cabinet.

She spotted a deer head mounted on the opposite wall and wrinkled her nose. “So, you hunt, too.”

“Yup.” His eyes challenged her to make something of it. “I like to fill my freezer.”

“Oh.” Of course, he killed his own food. Who was she to raise an eyebrow? She ate meat with no thought to where it came from. Just like the morels.

“Have you ever tried venison?” His voice sounded softer now. More coaxing.

“No.” She heard the whine of the dogs. They were inside the other garage bay that had been fenced off and poked their noses through the wire.

“It’s good.”

“Hmm. Maybe.” She wrinkled her nose.

Darren laughed. “There are no maybes about it.”

Bree ambled over to the dogs and gave them each a pat over the low fence, noticing their inside space looked pretty comfy. They had their own couch, water bowls and a basket of chew toys. This man took good care of his pets.

“Here, try these on. You’ll stay warmer in these.” He held out a pair of tan overalls with boots. Waders.

“So, you go into the water to catch these things?”

“You can net from shore, but that’s not nearly as fun.”

Bree was here to have fun, no matter how cold the thought of getting into a river at the end of April. She took the waders, found a chair to sit on and slipped off her sneakers. She’d never expected to do this sort of thing, so she hadn’t brought any kind of boots with her up north. They’d already been shipped out to Seattle. Not that she owned a pair of real hiking boots. Maybe she’d buy a pair. She had a feeling trekking off the beaten path with Darren might be rough in spots.

She shoved one foot in, then the other, and stood.

“Walk a little. How do they feel?”

She galumphed her way around. “Big.”

“I’ve got heavy socks upstairs. Come on.”

She slipped out of the waders and followed him in her stocking feet, leaving her sneakers on the floor. She wanted a peek at the inside of his house. That said a lot about a man, didn’t it? Too bad she hadn’t paid attention to Philip’s showy high-rise apartment.