Nerd Gone Wild (18 page)

She remembered his finger tapping ever so subtly on the table when they’d been watching Clyde’s tap-dancing routine. Thinking about Mitchell’s sense of rhythm got her hot and bothered again.

She wondered if he’d turn out to be as talented as she thought he might be. She didn’t care if he moaned and groaned or not. She just wanted him to pay attention. From all that she knew of him, he seemed to be the kind of guy who would pay very close attention. He was into detail, after all. But she wasn’t going to find out.

“So what about this other thing?” she asked.

“If you should change your mind, I wouldn’t use Betsy’s supply. I’d buy my own.”

“Oh. Okay.” She liked that kind of assertiveness. “But you don’t need to bother. I won’t change my mind.”

“Just letting you know, in case you do. Maybe I should pick some up, anyway. To have on hand.”

“Trust me, I respect you too much.” Warm squiggles of desire shot through her system. It would be fun to test the sexual skills of Mitchell J. Carruthers, Jr. “I don’t suppose you’ll be telling Betsy that you’re buying your own.”

“No, I won’t be telling Betsy. I’m just telling you. In case you change your mind.”

“Okay, but it’s a waste of money.” She pictured him going to the store and picking out the item in question. “And you do realize this is a small town.”

“I’m sure even small towns keep a supply in stock. Especially this small town, which seems to be focused on the subject.”

“That wasn’t why I mentioned it. I—” But she didn’t get to explain that buying condoms at Porcupine’s general store might be similar to putting up a billboard announcing “
Mitchell J. Carruthers, Jr., the new guy in town, is hoping to get lucky.
”

She couldn’t finish the sentence because Dave suddenly appeared, and Mitchell had to leap backward to keep from scraping his knuckles on the blade of Dave’s shovel.

“And there you have it!” Dave smiled, flashing what looked like a perfect thirty-two, polished within an inch of their lives. “You can climb right out of there. The rest of the alleyway is safe. I tested it, poked a few holes in the crust with a section of rebar. You’re good to go.”

Dave’s smile was dazzling, no doubt about it. Ally imagined little points of light sparkling from those very white teeth. Or maybe the teeth seemed whiter set against his neatly trimmed black beard and mustache. His eyes were such a startling shade of blue that she wondered if he wore tinted contacts.

He might, judging from the perfection of his beard. He’d thrown back the hood of his parka, as if disdaining the need for warmth, but it might have been to show off the luxurious hair he’d pulled back in a ponytail. Dave obviously took pains with his look.

To Mitchell’s credit, he got to his feet and stuck out his hand. “Thanks, Dave. Appreciate it. I’m Mitchell Carruthers, by the way, and this is Ally Jarrett.”

Ally stood, too, impressed with Mitchell’s manners. But of course he would have good manners. Grammy wouldn’t have hired a person lacking in manners.

“Glad to meet both of you.” Dave stepped down into the hole and shook Mitchell’s hand, but he made it quick. He took a lot more time shaking Ally’s hand. “I heard about Betsy’s new guests. So, Ally, I understand you’re up here to take wildlife photos?”

“That’s right.”

“I don’t know much about photography, but I’m a great guide. I know this area like the back of my hand, and I’m available during the day.”

“Thanks for the offer.” If Uncle Kurt didn’t get here soon, she might need to take Dave up on it. She didn’t want to waste time waiting for Ernie to sober up and start plowing.

“Anytime,” Dave said. “And I’m not a photographer, but I have a fair eye for what would make a good shot. I don’t know if Betsy mentioned that I do some sculpture.” He said it with exactly the right touch of modesty.

“Betsy mentioned that. Chain-saw sculpture.” Ally thought about the advance billing that Betsy had given Dave, and so far she could see why he’d make some women sigh with longing. Strangely enough, he had zero effect on her.

There was something a little too calculated in the way Dave came across, as if he’d put together a package designed to impress. She wondered if his chain-saw art was any good, or if it was part of his image.

“What kind of market is there for that type of sculpture?” Mitchell asked.

Dave shrugged. “I don’t really worry about that. If someone likes what I do and wants to pay me for it, that’s fine. If not, it doesn’t matter. Doing art gives me pleasure. I don’t feel the need to sell it.”

Ally wondered if she’d been hanging around Mitchell for too long. An hour ago she’d argued this very point with him. She believed what she’d said, that artists should be free to create for their own pleasure. But with Dave, she sensed an agenda. She’d bet that chain-saw sculpture wasn’t his creative outlet so much as his claim to being different and slightly superior.

“Well, thanks again for getting us out of here,” Mitchell said. “We’d better head around to the front of the Loose Moose and get that door freed up.”

“It’s done.”

“Done?” Ally stared at him.

“Yeah, no big deal. I finished at the Top Hat, and noticed the Loose Moose was still socked in, so I got Betsy all squared away. Then I rang the doorbell, to let her know, and she said you two might be stuck somewhere, so I came looking for you.”

“Uh, then I guess we owe you a drink,” Mitchell said, “Thanks for taking care of all that.”

“Not a problem. If you stick around a while, you’ll get the hang of things before you know it.”

Ally glanced at Mitchell and noticed a muscle twitching in his jaw. If this were a cartoon instead of real life, steam would be coming out of his ears, too. He obviously didn’t appreciate being patronized by the resident chain-saw sculptor.

She turned back to Dave, determined to be polite, even though she’d been looking forward to tunneling into the Loose Moose’s front door with Mitchell. It would have been fun. “Yes, thank you very much, Dave. The drinks are definitely on us.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t drink.”

“Oh.”

“But maybe you’ll give me a photography lesson sometime, Ally. I’m always up for learning new things.” He winked at her.

“That would be fine, except I’m not good enough to be giving lessons,” she said.

“Oh, I doubt that.” He oozed gallantry.

“No, she’s telling you the truth,” Mitchell said.

“Hey!” She turned to him. “Since when have you seen my pictures?”

He looked like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Uh… okay, I haven’t actually seen your pictures. I was going on what you said, that you still had a lot to learn.”

“Which I do.” She understood that he was grabbing any excuse to get rid of Dave, even if it meant trashing her photography skills, so she kind of forgave him. “Anyway, Dave, I guess you’ll have to accept our gratitude, because there doesn’t seem to be anything else we can do for you.”

“You could come out and take a look at my sculptures sometime.” He directed that comment straight at Ally, not even bothering to include Mitchell in the laser beam of his gaze.

“Thanks,” Mitchell said. “We’ll certainly do that.” He took a deep breath. “Well! If we’re all done here, I’m in favor of heading back inside. How about you, Ally?”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll lead the way.” Dave climbed effortlessly out of the hole. Then he turned back and held out a hand to help Ally up the snow ramp he’d created.

To refuse his help would have seemed ungracious, and she’d been raised to be gracious. She put her hand in his. He was strong, she’d give him that. He had her up on top of the snow in no time. Then he gave her hand an extra squeeze before releasing it.

Next he held out his hand to Mitchell.

“Got it, thanks.” Mitchell ignored Dave’s outstretched hand and scrambled out by himself. “See you around, Dave. You coming, Ally?”

“Yep, sure am.” So maybe Mitchell’s manners only went so far. Ally hid a smile as Mitchell headed out.

“Ally, hang on a sec,” Dave said.

She saw Mitchell hesitate. She didn’t want to hang back and talk to Dave, but the guy had dug them out of a snowbank, after all. “What’s up?” she said, and watched Mitchell’s shoulders drop. Then he continued on.

He probably thought she was entranced by Dave, when nothing could be further from the truth. Mitchell might be used to playing second fiddle to the likes of Dave. He had no way of knowing that wouldn’t happen this time.

“You mentioned going inside to get warm.” Dave came alongside her, his smile flashing brighter than the snow at their feet.

If he was going to make a pass, she didn’t want to be caught standing still. She started walking. “That’s the plan.”

He fell into step beside her as they navigated the alleyway. Mitchell had reached the street and hopped down to the sidewalk Dave had recently shoveled. Ally moved faster, wanting to catch up. Dave was giving her the heebie-jeebies.

“I was thinking you might as well come on into the Top Hat.” Dave lengthened his strides. “Clyde’s over there getting ready for lunch, and I’m sure we could round up a cup of coffee or hot chocolate for you. I think he has some doughnuts, too.”

“Thanks, but I have a few things I need to do.” She watched Mitchell disappear around the front of the Loose Moose.

“Anything I can help with?”

“No, not really. But I appreciate the offer.” She figured that if she gave him an inch, he’d take about twenty miles.

“All righty, then. If you’re sure there’s nothing I can do to make you feel more welcome in Porcupine.” He sounded slightly baffled because she was resisting his manly charms.

“I feel very welcome.”

“That’s good. That’s very good. So I guess I’ll go visit Ernie and see if he’ll let me use his plow. We won’t even get mail delivery today if the road into town isn’t cleared in the next couple of hours.”

She got the message. Dave was off to do more good deeds and she was supposed to be mightily impressed. “Good luck with that. ‘Bye, now.” She hopped down to the sidewalk.

“See you at the Top Hat tonight!” Dave called after her.

She waved again, not willing to give him a definite answer on that. Dave was not her type. Neither was Mitch, really, so it was very unsettling that she wanted so desperately to get naked and jump him.

M
itch had never resented playing the nerd more than he did right now. He was already at a disadvantage against guys like Dave simply because Dave knew the territory and Mitch didn’t. But add in Mitch’s supposed geekiness, and he was completely outgunned.

Childish though it was, he wanted to put on his snug black T-shirt, his black leather jacket, his black chaps, and his motorcycle boots. Then he wanted to ride into town on his Harley as Mitch Carruthers, PI/bodyguard, and see how Chain-saw Dave liked them apples. But that wasn’t happening, so his mood was not good as he walked in the front door of the Loose Moose.

Betsy was behind the registration counter getting money out of an antique cash register, most likely in preparation for her proposed shopping trip. She glanced up and grinned. “Fell through, did you?”

“Yeah, we both fell through, but Dave the wonder boy got us out.” Mitch unzipped the parka Betsy had loaned him. “This coat worked great, though. Thank you.”

“Keep it. My closets are stuffed with all the clothes my husbands left behind. I wish they’d left some money in the pockets, too, but no such luck. That coat doesn’t fit me and it would swim on Clyde, so you might as well have it.”

Mitch hung the parka on one of the many hooks by the front door. “That’s a generous offer, but I won’t need a heavy coat like that once I leave here, so it would be a waste to give it to me.” He sat down on the bench under the row of hooks and started taking off his boots.

“And how soon would you be thinking of heading out?”

He looked over at her. “That depends.”

“On Ally?”

He blew out a breath, not wanting to take that line of questioning any further. “What do you know about this guy Dave?”

“Why, are you jealous?”

“Of course I’m not jealous. I just wondered if his overgrown Boy Scout act is for real.”