First, he’d been annoyed. Felt challenged. Admitting lustful thoughts arose every time he was around her might have been a simple answer, but he didn’t want to give in to something simple. Physical attraction was all good and fine, but unless it was one of the rare one-night stands he’d enjoyed when younger, Alex had reached the point where he liked to be friends with the women he took to bed.
Which is why last December, he’d been flabbergasted to finally realize a possible reason for why Yvette was so fascinating. Why, no matter how much they seemed to be two sticks of kindling irritating each other, he couldn’t stay away.
Alex wasn’t about to completely go off the deep end and say it was fate, but there were stranger things in the world. Heck, one of his best friends insisted that with his first wife, it had been love at first sight.
“I’ll be right back.” Yvette rose from the table suddenly.
Alex rose to his feet as she did, curious when she came back with a to-go container and began packing away the treats he’d bought.
She offered him a smile before leaning forward and lowering her voice slightly. “This place is going to get a whole lot busier over the next little while. I don’t want to explain what we’re doing until we’re sure what we’re doing.”
“We’re dating,” he said firmly, but he was careful to keep his volume down.
“Yes, fine. But what we’re doing first is going to my house where we will eat five million calories and open the day-one calendar thingy.”
Alex took the container of treats from her, pressed the key chain back into her hand, then grabbed the sandwich bag. “I’ll follow you to your house.”
By the time he’d backed his truck up, she was waiting for him on the front porch of a of small cabin adjacent to the Heart Falls veterinary clinic.
At some point in the past, the building had started out as a dovetail-joined log shed. Over the years, the owners of the veterinary clinic had renovated and expanded until it was now a one-bedroom cabin heated by a wood-burning stove. Living there meant Yvette did the nighttime checks on the animals staying over at the clinic.
She looked at home standing at the top of the stairs, her well-faded Wranglers tucked into black cowboy boots that had been polished many times. The cold air had turned her pale cheeks red, and her dark hair stuck out from beneath the ear flaps on her woolen cap.
He supposed she had what people called a button nose. Yvette was cute and friendly. Most of the time she wore a smile, and everyone and anyone around her seemed content to spend time by her side.
He was such a sick bastard that what he liked the most, though, was when she got a flash of fire in her eyes. Her light-brown irises were beautiful, so light that there was a golden glow to them. Like spun amber or sunlight shining through the tips of wheat shafts. When she was mad, they all but snapped as if she had the power to light him on fire.
Yvette angry was a sight to behold.
But so was this. Curiosity was written all over her face as she joined him. He dropped the tailgate of the truck and climbed into the bed. He undid the straps holding his creation in place and slid the blanket-wrapped object forward until he could reach it from the ground.
“That’s bigger than a bread box,” Yvette said.
“It’s a writing desk that’s been in my family for a long time.” Alex jumped down from the back of the truck. “Any ideas where you want me to put it?”
“This might be a problem.” Yvette turned on her heel and headed inside.
He paused to grab their lunch bag and treats then followed her in the door. The place was warm, embers glowing behind the glass-fronted stove.
Beyond that, there wasn’t a spare inch of wall space anywhere in the room. Yvette had bookcases and side tables and knickknack shelves everywhere. He’d known she liked trinkets, but this was spectacular.
Alex wanted to start at one end and work his way around, poking into every nook and cranny. Hopefully over this month, he’d get a chance to do a bit of that.
Right now he glanced toward the door at the end of the open room opposite the kitchen counter and table. “Bedroom?”
A snort escaped her. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she lifted her laughing gaze to his. “Sorry. You’re going a little fast for me there, Tiger.”
It was his turn to snicker. “I mean, do you have more room in your bedroom?”
“Oh.” Yvette shook her head. “Not really.”
She shrugged her way out of her winter coat, revealing a long-sleeve shirt that clung to her sweet curves. Alex admitted to himself he was very much looking forward to getting to explore her bedroom.
Problem-solving first. Because if she wasn’t opening his present, they weren’t working on becoming friends. If they weren’t becoming friends, they would never get to the becoming-a-couple part of this arrangement.
He dropped the food on the table then tilted his head toward the front door. “On the front porch works. It’ll be protected from the weather, and it’s probably better than putting it too close to the stove.”
“I promise I won’t burn it down,” Yvette said.
He balanced the desk on his shoulder and brought it up the stairs a moment later. “I was thinking about some of the items I hid in here. They’ll do better outside than near something hot.”
“Oh, that’s a hint.” Yvette helped him manhandle the bureau into position behind the two Adirondack chairs she had faced west toward the mountains. “You have meltable things in the drawers. Which makes me think chocolate.”
Alex unwrapped the thick wool blanket he had wrapped around to save the wood from wear and tear. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
He stepped back, checking immediately for Yvette’s reaction.
He’d seen the writing desk a million times over the years before he’d begun work on it two weeks ago. In that short time, he—with his dad’s help—had pretty much left the back and upper sections alone but replaced and installed a number of locks on the drawer fronts. It wasn’t fancy, with no elaborate scrollwork or gold filigree. It was a solid working-man’s household item that Alex hoped now held a bit of magic.
Yvette’s eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly. Her gaze dipped over the rows of small, square drawers on the top of either side then lingered on the far larger ones near the base. She stepped forward to run a finger over the top section in the middle that was covered by a curved, rolltop writing desk door.
“Alex. This is beautiful.” She met his gaze. “The desk has obviously been around for a long time. Are you sure you want to give it to me?”
“Yes.” If he had any doubts, the expression on her face would’ve wiped them away. She’d looked as if she’d won the lottery.
She stood silently before nodding firmly and turning with a smile. “Okay. No promises except to keep an open mind.”
An alarm sounded from his watch.
Alex swore softly as he checked his messages before smiling sheepishly. “That’s my warning. When I sent you the note, I didn’t know what my work schedule would be. My shift at Silver Stone begins in half an hour. But I can wait while you open the first door.”
“Oh. Right.” Yvette pulled the key chain from her pocket and stepped toward the bureau. She paused then glanced over her shoulder. “Please tell me I don’t have to randomly guess which drawer to open.”