What a Bachelor Needs (Bachelor Auction Book 4)(21)

She nodded.

“I’ll rig up some sort of baby proof barrier around the fireplace.”

“Right.” She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m thinking that this barrier should be a work of art. A stretch goal.”

He looked up from his pancakes and pinned her with his gaze. “Stretch goal?”

“Tony from the bar reckons he can build me a fire grid with slender wooden limbs and black mesh panels with a wrought iron river running through it. And cutout deer merrily playing.”

“Sounds like a lot of sharp edges,” he said with a narrow gaze.

“Doesn’t it? But I’m sure Tony has something planned. He has grandchildren of his own and knows all about curious little fingers. Of course, Tony can’t get to making it for a while. If there’s going to be a fire in the fireplace tonight there should probably be a grid in place tonight as well, don’t you think?”

“Challenge accepted,” he said. “I’ll use offcuts. There might even be waterfalls. And puppies.” He offered Claire a triangle of pancake dripping with syrup and she took it from him as easily as she took food from Mardie. “I’m going to need another list of things to do around here.”

“I just gave you a masterpiece to create.”

“Yeah, but that has to happen today. What about Thursday and Friday?”

“Help me bring the couch and the chairs into the front room?”

“That shouldn’t even make the list.”

“Can I think on it?”

“Get imaginative.” He nodded and dug into his pancakes with relish. “Man needs a challenge.”

*

Bad weather meant fewer customers and less tips. That was the downside to Mardie’s work as a waitress. She could rely on a base wage, but the rest was dependent on customers and service. Usually, Grey’s Saloon saw a steady and generous crowd passing through, but all bets were off on this bitterly cold Wednesday, what with a snowstorm making its promise felt. Even their regulars weren’t lingering.

Mardie leaned against the counter as the last customer on the floor caught her eye, tucked a crumpled note beneath the empty plate in front of him and stood to leave. She headed for the door and opened it for him. “See you, Jim. Take care.”

“You too,” said the gruff old mechanic. “Maybe the boss’ll let you go early.”

“Maybe.” Mardie smiled brightly. She didn’t want an early mark, she wanted a bar full of people, all tipping generously. A bus full of tall strangers. Short strangers. Aliens.

Wasn’t going to happen.

She cleared the table and headed for the kitchen. Not a lot happening back here either, other than Ryan cooking up a pan full of fettuccini in white wine, cream, and bacon. “Our last customer just left,” she informed him.

“Reese told me to close the kitchen. We’re finishing up,” Ryan countered. “Come and eat.” He loaded three plates with fettuccini, reached for the parmesan cheese and sprinkled generously. One for him, one for her and presumably one for Reese. “How’s the handyman working out?”

“I have a beautiful wooden floor in my front room and a porch that no longer sways. The handyman is a magician and I’m living in the land of ask and I shall receive. How’d your bachelor date go?”

“I cooked dinner for Rachel Cassidy, the new doctor. She liked it.”

“And?”

“That’s it.”

Not quite what Mardie had heard, but if Ryan didn’t want to share…

Reese walked in and took a seat at the bench.

“Your mother called. Daycare closed early and she’s got Claire. She said she’d keep her overnight, save you being on the road in these conditions.”

Mardie frowned.

“It’s a good plan,” Reese growled. “Get some rest.”

“I’m thinking about asking Jett to knock down the wall between my kitchen and my dining room,” she said.

“Good plan,” said Ryan. “Torch the kitchen while you’re at it.”

“It’s retro.”

“It’s soul-destroying.”

“Last time I invite you to a housewarming, even if you do bring the best desserts on the planet.”

“It’s my gift.”

“It certainly is. What time are we finishing up here?” she asked Reese.

“Three.”

“Seriously?”

“Have you looked outside?”

The man had a point.

No work, no Claire, and an afternoon off. How long had it been since that happened? She could go to bed early. There could be hours and hours of sleep. On a satisfyingly full stomach.

“Is dessert going to follow this fettuccine?” she asked hopefully.

“There’s half a red velvet cheesecake in the cool room that needs eating,” Ryan offered.

Now they were talking. “Is there wine on this planet?”

There was.





Chapter Seven




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It felt odd not to have Claire with her, decided Mardie, as she stepped through her back door. Her arms were still laden, this time with leftovers from Grey’s kitchen, but there was a definite hole in her world where a small girl should have been. The house wasn’t empty though, far from it. Jett’s pickup sat in the driveway, a radio was on in the front room and a banging noise was coming from the laundry room.