be fun,” she said.
Damn that smile, Kyle thought, snatching a plaid flannel shirt from the clothes in his arms and shrugging it on. Next came a sweater, and then a pair of quilted coveralls.
Nia resumed digging through the closet. “Do those fit?” She called out.
Kyle looked down at the coveralls, the hem of the pants ending abruptly at the shins of his six-foot-four frame. He didn’t need a mirror to know he looked like a refugee circus clown.
Nia came out of the closet holding a pair of boots. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and he could see she was struggling not to laugh.
“Any tall sizes in there?” he asked, before finally giving in to his own laughter.
Giggling, she extended the boots to him. “They’re the largest pair I could find.”
The boots fit. They also came up to his knees, compensating for the six-inch gap between the hem of the pants and his ankles.
“I don’t supposed you want me to grab my phone and snap a photo of your fashion statement as a keepsake,” she said.
“Let’s just get this over with before I come to my senses.”
A half hour later, Kyle found himself on the business end of a shovel. He scooped up another load of the heavy, wet snow and dumped it on the growing heap.
“When you mentioned fun, I assumed we’d build the requisite snowman and then go back indoors,” he said.
Nia stopped and leaned on her shovel. “I might have exaggerated the fun part, so consider it earning your keep.”
Kyle laughed as he heaved another scoopful of snow atop the pile. Actually, it wasn’t so bad. He looked back at the snow they’d cleared away from the path leading to the wide covered porch and felt a sense of satisfaction he didn’t get from running in place on the treadmill or beating Adam at their weekly game of one-on-one basketball.
“I appreciate your help,” Nia said. “The county plows will take care of the roads, but it won’t matter if we can’t get out of the door.”
While the snow was still falling, the wind had stopped whipping it about. Kyle looked up at the gray sky. “Will it ever stop snowing? The knee-deep path we shoveled is already up to my ankles.”
Nia followed his gaze heavenward. “If it keeps up, we’ll probably be out here in a few hours shoveling again.”
Digging his shovel into the packed snow, Kyle resumed shoveling. The thought of having to do it all again didn’t bother him, but he couldn’t help but worry about how long the weather would keep him cut off from the office, and wonder what Logan was up to in his absence. For all he knew, his cousin was already moving into the CEO’s office. Uncle Jon had been just that ecstatic to see his son again.
“You okay?” Nia asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re practically attacking that snow.”
Kyle shrugged. “I was thinking about work. There’s a lot going on at my office right now.”
She shivered. “Well, I’ve had enough manual labor for today,” she said. “I’m going back inside.”
Kyle looked out at the remaining stretch of driveway leading to the road. “You go ahead. I want to finish up.”
He watched her trudge up the path they’d cleared to the house and resumed shoveling. Logan wasn’t his only problem. There was also his uncle’s latest assignment.
It wouldn’t be easy. Not to anyone with an ounce of compassion.
He cut into the snow with the edge of the shovel. But he was David Ellison’s son, and like his father he would put the company first. Even if it meant passing out two thousand pink slips.
By the time he got to the end of the drive, Kyle heard his name and looked up through the falling snow to see Nia standing on the covered porch of the yellow clapboard house beckoning him toward her.
She met him at the bottom porch step and removed the shovel from his hands.
“You’ve done enough shoveling. Let’s enjoy your handiwork.”
Kyle watched her brush the snow off a wrought-iron bench with the sweep of her arm. Sitting down, she
Damn that smile, Kyle thought, snatching a plaid flannel shirt from the clothes in his arms and shrugging it on. Next came a sweater, and then a pair of quilted coveralls.
Nia resumed digging through the closet. “Do those fit?” She called out.
Kyle looked down at the coveralls, the hem of the pants ending abruptly at the shins of his six-foot-four frame. He didn’t need a mirror to know he looked like a refugee circus clown.
Nia came out of the closet holding a pair of boots. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and he could see she was struggling not to laugh.
“Any tall sizes in there?” he asked, before finally giving in to his own laughter.
Giggling, she extended the boots to him. “They’re the largest pair I could find.”
The boots fit. They also came up to his knees, compensating for the six-inch gap between the hem of the pants and his ankles.
“I don’t supposed you want me to grab my phone and snap a photo of your fashion statement as a keepsake,” she said.
“Let’s just get this over with before I come to my senses.”
A half hour later, Kyle found himself on the business end of a shovel. He scooped up another load of the heavy, wet snow and dumped it on the growing heap.
“When you mentioned fun, I assumed we’d build the requisite snowman and then go back indoors,” he said.
Nia stopped and leaned on her shovel. “I might have exaggerated the fun part, so consider it earning your keep.”
Kyle laughed as he heaved another scoopful of snow atop the pile. Actually, it wasn’t so bad. He looked back at the snow they’d cleared away from the path leading to the wide covered porch and felt a sense of satisfaction he didn’t get from running in place on the treadmill or beating Adam at their weekly game of one-on-one basketball.
“I appreciate your help,” Nia said. “The county plows will take care of the roads, but it won’t matter if we can’t get out of the door.”
While the snow was still falling, the wind had stopped whipping it about. Kyle looked up at the gray sky. “Will it ever stop snowing? The knee-deep path we shoveled is already up to my ankles.”
Nia followed his gaze heavenward. “If it keeps up, we’ll probably be out here in a few hours shoveling again.”
Digging his shovel into the packed snow, Kyle resumed shoveling. The thought of having to do it all again didn’t bother him, but he couldn’t help but worry about how long the weather would keep him cut off from the office, and wonder what Logan was up to in his absence. For all he knew, his cousin was already moving into the CEO’s office. Uncle Jon had been just that ecstatic to see his son again.
“You okay?” Nia asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“You’re practically attacking that snow.”
Kyle shrugged. “I was thinking about work. There’s a lot going on at my office right now.”
She shivered. “Well, I’ve had enough manual labor for today,” she said. “I’m going back inside.”
Kyle looked out at the remaining stretch of driveway leading to the road. “You go ahead. I want to finish up.”
He watched her trudge up the path they’d cleared to the house and resumed shoveling. Logan wasn’t his only problem. There was also his uncle’s latest assignment.
It wouldn’t be easy. Not to anyone with an ounce of compassion.
He cut into the snow with the edge of the shovel. But he was David Ellison’s son, and like his father he would put the company first. Even if it meant passing out two thousand pink slips.
By the time he got to the end of the drive, Kyle heard his name and looked up through the falling snow to see Nia standing on the covered porch of the yellow clapboard house beckoning him toward her.
She met him at the bottom porch step and removed the shovel from his hands.
“You’ve done enough shoveling. Let’s enjoy your handiwork.”
Kyle watched her brush the snow off a wrought-iron bench with the sweep of her arm. Sitting down, she
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