Life as they knew it would cease to exist.
As Birch waited for her to be seated at the table, Ariella studied him once again. He was so handsome, with his dark gray eyes and chiseled features. There was yearning inside for something deep inside. She sensed that in the past, they had once been very close.
But how could that be?
As she tried to puzzle it out, she became aware of his mind remaining blank as he handed over coffee with cream, along with a large blueberry muffin. How had he known she’d taken cream in her coffee, not to mention her love of anything with blueberries?
“My favorite,” she murmured, biting into the muffin.
He looked puzzled, scratching his head as he glanced at her coffee and then the muffins.
And then he was having those lascivious thoughts again, which made her smile since she was having similar thoughts about him.
When she was finished with her muffin, she looked at him with curiosity. Even though she already seen what he intended to ask, she decided to get the conversation going so they would both quit having these crazy thoughts about one another.
“You said something about wanted to work with me?”
For a moment, he stared at her blankly and she nearly laughed out loud.
He cleared his throat. “I, well, heard through my realtor that you were having electricity brought to the island. I’m a licensed contractor and I thought that maybe I could handle some of your issues, like the wiring and plumbing, so that the house had the modern conveniences without losing all the qualities that make it unique.”
“I have been dwelling on how I was going to handle those things,” she admitted. “How would you run electricity through the house without spoiling the look of the interior?”
“Odds are, the house will also have to be better insulated and adapted for appliances. It might actually be better to work from the outside in and pull off sections of the exterior siding and add treated lumber and run the new wiring and plumbing through what would be a shell cocooning the house.”
She bit her lip, “That sounds expensive.”
He shrugged, and she could suddenly read his mind.
“Alright,” she answered.
Birch blinked. “I didn’t even answer you yet.”
This time she shrugged. “You were going to suggest offering your services if I let you move here and live on the island with me.”
Aurora jumped onto Birch’s lap.
“Hi, Aurora,” he murmured, rubbing her on the head as she purred.
He paused, becoming aware of what he’d just said. “How did I know that? Is that her name?”
“I think so,” she answered. “When I arrived here last night, I did the same thing myself.”
They stared into each other’s eyes, suddenly smiling.
“Let’s finish our coffee, and then I can show you where you can stay.”
“Alright,” he answered, looking dazed as he continued rubbing Aurora’s head.
A few minutes later, Ariella was showing Birch the room at the end of the hallway on the second floor that she’d been exploring earlier today. It was a very masculine room, and somehow she had the feeling he belonged here for now. Plus, it had access to the back staircase, which led directly downstairs to the kitchen.
“This room is huge,” Birch said, looking puzzled. “Thank you. It’s everything I would have wanted.”
She shrugged. “It seems to fit you, plus it has quick access to the kitchen.”
His glance around the hallway was thoughtful as they walked from the bedroom. “Plumbing might be even more important than electricity. Although I noticed that there’s a pump running into the house so there must be a well, which will save some time.”
“Yes,” Ariella answered. “There’s a room downstairs which also contains a pump and a tub. I have a feeling that it was used for bathing and laundry too.”
“When are they planning on installing electricity?”
“I think they’re worried about incoming weather, so they’re coming out here this afternoon.”
“Good. How about I bring a grill along with me when I return with some of my things?” he suggested once they returned to the kitchen.
She blinked since his mind had remained blank during the last few minutes. “You’re moving in today?”
He stared into her eyes. “Unless you have any objections?”
Without hesitation, she answered, “No.”
“Good,” he answered, suddenly smiling. “Let me give you my phone number.”
She picked up her phone from the table. “I can give you mine too.”
After they exchanged numbers, she watched him as he walked away, feeling bemused. It had been one of the strangest few days she’d ever had, and there’d been several after discovering at six years old that she was considered to be a witch.
Chapter Nine
Birch felt like he’d been sucker punched in the gut when he drove off in the cruiser. Somehow, she was much different than he’d expected. He sensed no weakness in her, and she was totally in control of her femininity.
Now that he knew he would be sleeping literally a few feet away from her, he was worried about how he would manage to be able to keep his hands off her while concentrating on the work he’d promised to do.
Well, the good thing about it was he would have to hire several workers to get everything done in a timely manner, because he sensed that time was of an essence with everything that needed to be done on the island before winter set in.
Or maybe because something even worse was going to happen soon. There was a feeling of dread he was carrying around inside, as if the events that were happening had occurred another time before, and everything he undertook would have to be managed on a strict schedule.
After returning his cruiser to the marina, he spoke with the owner, Matt Renfrow. “I’m looking to hire a crew of plumbers and electricians immediately. I’m going to be doing some work for someone who needs to modernize and older home.”
“The person you’re talking about wouldn’t be Ariella Capella, by any chance?”
Birch rolled his eyes upward. “I’ll bet she purchased the pontoon from you, didn’t she?”
Matt grinned. “She’s a beautiful woman, isn’t she? Vin sure fell hard. Tell you what, I’ll give you the number for Callahan Construction. Cal should be able to do the impossible and line up a crew. You might consider hiring Vin to do some of the grunge work.”
“Thanks, Matt. And yes, Vin’s help will come in handy.”
Birch couldn’t believe how everything fell right into place from the moment he’d called Cal, who he’d met a few times with Sam Danielson. Apparently, they were pretty good friends.
Birch gave Ariella a call, and she answered right away. “Hello?”
“It’s Birch,” he answered, even though he knew she would see his name on her caller ID. “How soon is the power company coming?”
“They’re here right now,” she murmured.
He blinked. “How did you…?”
“I have my ways,” she answered.
“I’ll bet,” he answered dryly. “I’ve been able to line up a crew. Shall I send them out this afternoon to check things out?”