now until I decide otherwise, your life is school and the Northern Star Lodge. No iPod, no video games, no anything that isn’t homework or work.”
He nodded, his shoulders sagging a little more.
“You can spend the rest of today cleaning your room.” He practically ran for his bedroom. “And don’t slam your door.”
She pulled a few fun-size candy bars out of her secret stash and sat down in the chair Nick had vacated. This was just the kind of day that had spawned the what-if fantasies. As stressful and worrisome as the day was, she was going to have a hell of a time nodding off and imagining Ryan’s hands on her had always been just the thing to soothe her to sleep.
It was a little different now that she’d actually seen Ryan and had a very real, not pretend reaction to the man. And, thanks to her son’s stupidity, she was going to be seeing a lot of him.
Popping chocolate into her mouth, Lauren walked to the fridge and slid the shopping list out from under a magnet. After rummaging on the counter for a pen, she wrote, Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate, on the bottom of the list.
She had a feeling she was going to need it.
* * *
“I can’t believe it was Nick Carpenter,” Josh said. “His name never even popped into my head as a possibility.”
“He’s always been a good boy,” Rose agreed. “But I can tell you with some authority that teenage boys do really stupid things all the time.”
Three of them around the table had the good sense to keep their eyes on their plates. Ryan knew he was a major contributor to her knowledge of teenage stupidity, as were Josh and Mitch, who also developed a keen interest in their meatloaf.
As soon as Paige had called to tell Rosie that Mitch was on his way home from Miami, Rosie had rummaged through the pantry and started throwing together a family dinner. Ryan figured his brother would rather crawl into bed with his fiancée and stay there for a couple days, but you didn’t turn down Rosie’s meat loaf.
“How’s the house hunting going?” he asked before Rose could start trotting out some of their less intelligent, youthful moments.
Paige perked up immediately. “I think I found one! It’s a little further out of town than I wanted, so I’ll have to drive to work, but it has a big barn and some land and a room that will make a great home office.”
“She showed me pictures of the master bathroom, too,” Mitch said. “Huge shower.”
When Paige blushed to the roots of her hair, Ryan decided not to ask why the shower size ranked so high on Mitch’s list of important details.
“Why not just move in here?” It seemed like a good compromise. There was plenty of room, Paige wouldn’t be alone while Mitch traveled, and it would take some of the burden off Josh’s shoulders.
There were a few seconds of awkward silence, which made Ryan wonder if it was something they’d already talked about.
“We both own businesses,” Mitch finally said. “We can help with the lodge, but it can’t be a full-time thing. And it’s important to Paige—to us—that we have a home that’s ours to raise our kids in.”
“Kids?” Rosie asked.
Paige laughed. “Not yet.”
“But soon.”
Ryan concentrated on his mashed potatoes while Rosie tried to pin Paige down on how long they were going to wait before starting a family. The woman was desperate for a grandchild. The Kowalskis might not be her kids by birth, as Katie was, but they were close enough for her to claim their grandbabies as hers should they ever get around to giving her any.
“I talked to Aunt Mary,” Mitch said, probably to change the subject before Paige got so desperate to avoid interrogation that she dragged him off to make a baby for Rose right that very second. “They can all come Columbus Day weekend.”
“The whole weekend?” Rosie asked.
“They’re going to come Friday and stay until Monday. They were going to leave Sunday afternoon so the kids would have all of Monday
He nodded, his shoulders sagging a little more.
“You can spend the rest of today cleaning your room.” He practically ran for his bedroom. “And don’t slam your door.”
She pulled a few fun-size candy bars out of her secret stash and sat down in the chair Nick had vacated. This was just the kind of day that had spawned the what-if fantasies. As stressful and worrisome as the day was, she was going to have a hell of a time nodding off and imagining Ryan’s hands on her had always been just the thing to soothe her to sleep.
It was a little different now that she’d actually seen Ryan and had a very real, not pretend reaction to the man. And, thanks to her son’s stupidity, she was going to be seeing a lot of him.
Popping chocolate into her mouth, Lauren walked to the fridge and slid the shopping list out from under a magnet. After rummaging on the counter for a pen, she wrote, Chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate, on the bottom of the list.
She had a feeling she was going to need it.
* * *
“I can’t believe it was Nick Carpenter,” Josh said. “His name never even popped into my head as a possibility.”
“He’s always been a good boy,” Rose agreed. “But I can tell you with some authority that teenage boys do really stupid things all the time.”
Three of them around the table had the good sense to keep their eyes on their plates. Ryan knew he was a major contributor to her knowledge of teenage stupidity, as were Josh and Mitch, who also developed a keen interest in their meatloaf.
As soon as Paige had called to tell Rosie that Mitch was on his way home from Miami, Rosie had rummaged through the pantry and started throwing together a family dinner. Ryan figured his brother would rather crawl into bed with his fiancée and stay there for a couple days, but you didn’t turn down Rosie’s meat loaf.
“How’s the house hunting going?” he asked before Rose could start trotting out some of their less intelligent, youthful moments.
Paige perked up immediately. “I think I found one! It’s a little further out of town than I wanted, so I’ll have to drive to work, but it has a big barn and some land and a room that will make a great home office.”
“She showed me pictures of the master bathroom, too,” Mitch said. “Huge shower.”
When Paige blushed to the roots of her hair, Ryan decided not to ask why the shower size ranked so high on Mitch’s list of important details.
“Why not just move in here?” It seemed like a good compromise. There was plenty of room, Paige wouldn’t be alone while Mitch traveled, and it would take some of the burden off Josh’s shoulders.
There were a few seconds of awkward silence, which made Ryan wonder if it was something they’d already talked about.
“We both own businesses,” Mitch finally said. “We can help with the lodge, but it can’t be a full-time thing. And it’s important to Paige—to us—that we have a home that’s ours to raise our kids in.”
“Kids?” Rosie asked.
Paige laughed. “Not yet.”
“But soon.”
Ryan concentrated on his mashed potatoes while Rosie tried to pin Paige down on how long they were going to wait before starting a family. The woman was desperate for a grandchild. The Kowalskis might not be her kids by birth, as Katie was, but they were close enough for her to claim their grandbabies as hers should they ever get around to giving her any.
“I talked to Aunt Mary,” Mitch said, probably to change the subject before Paige got so desperate to avoid interrogation that she dragged him off to make a baby for Rose right that very second. “They can all come Columbus Day weekend.”
“The whole weekend?” Rosie asked.
“They’re going to come Friday and stay until Monday. They were going to leave Sunday afternoon so the kids would have all of Monday
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