Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) (13 page)

“Looks like a fuse has blown,” he said.
“I’ll go get my flashlight.”

Sara leaned against the countertop, waiting
for him to return, and wondered if electrical updates were part of
his bid. Through the kitchen window she saw the beam of his
flashlight bobbing along as he made his way back to the house.

“Do you know where the fuse box is?” she
asked when he entered the kitchen.

“Follow me.” He led the way to the attic
stairs, holding the flashlight just in front of them so they could
both see where they were going.

Sara refrained from holding onto the back of
his shirt to steady herself when she stumbled. Halfway up the
stairs, Brian located a panel door, which opened to the fuse box.
He pulled out two blown fuses and looked down at Sara in the weak
beam of light.

“You don’t happen to know where Eli kept
extra fuses, do you?”

She shook her head and ventured a guess.
“Maybe he has a drawer for odds and ends in the kitchen. That’s
where I’d keep them.”

“Lead the way.”

They returned to the
kitchen and found a drawer, which seemed to contain
everything
but
fuses. Sara searched further through the drawers and cupboards
and found a box of a dozen emergency candles along with some
matches. She lit one and propped it in a coffee cup. While Brian
went through the rest of the house seeing if any other lights
worked, she fashioned candle stands from old jar lids by dropping
melted wax onto the lid to make the candles stick. When all twelve
candles were lit, she brought two out to the dining
room.

Brian discovered the lights in her bedroom
worked. Sara noticed he must’ve opened the door wide to let light
come out into the hallway. Very little reached the dining room.
Sara brought in the remaining candles and looked up expectantly
when he joined her.

“Should we go over to Hattie’s?”

He seemed to consider the suggestion. “Her
table is about the same size as mine at the cottage and they’re
both way too small. I really wanted to show you the drawings,
too.”

Sara remembered seeing the cardboard tube he
had when he’d first arrived. She glanced at the large oak farm
table. “Will this be enough light?”

“I think so,” he said slowly. “Unless you’d
prefer to wait until I can replace the fuses in the morning.”

She shrugged. “This is fine with me. You
have everything ready and we’re here.”

Brian seemed pleased by her decision. “Then
have a seat and I’ll get all my paperwork.”

While he rifled through his briefcase, Sara
arranged the candles to give the most illumination. But even so,
only a small pool of light shone against the dimness of the
surrounding rooms. They sat at opposite sides of the table and she
watched Brian slide the drawings out from the tube and spread them
on the tabletop.

Before he began, he gave her a quizzical
smile. “This is quite romantic.”

Sara flushed and looked down. She thought
the same thing.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“That’s all right.”

He cleared his throat and launched into
detailed explanations of the drawings, going over every aspect of
the bid to Sara’s satisfaction. She happily noted electrical
updates were indeed included. The final cost came well within
reason according to her research, perhaps even a bit low. Still, it
seemed a monstrous amount of money. But what Eli left her for the
purpose would cover it, in addition to the expense of decorating
and landscaping.

When he finished, she took a deep breath.
“Where do I sign?”

Brian looked up in surprise. “This isn’t a
contract. It’s just a bid telling you what I propose to do and how
much it will cost. Now you compare this with your other bids and
when you come to a decision, that person will then prepare a
contract for signing.”

She regarded him across the dimly lit table.
“I choose you.”

Brian studied her for a moment. “You didn’t
get any other bids, did you?”

She shook her head.

“I never saw anyone out here measuring up
the house, so I suspected as much.”

Sara fiddled with a pen. “It was petty of me
to ask for the names of other builders in the first place.”

“No, it really is best to get several
proposals.”

“Well, I only want yours. You have the job.”
She reached across the table and held out her hand.

Brian grinned and shook her hand. Before he
released her, he leaned over and placed a light kiss on the inside
of her wrist. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said when he sat
back down.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” she croaked.

A merry look in his eyes was at odds with
his serious expression. “I shall behave henceforth with all decorum
and professionalism.”

“I should hope so,” Sara replied primly.

“It’s the candlelight,” he explained. “It
makes your eyes look black and your skin translucent— like a
heroine in a Gothic romance. I couldn’t contain myself.”

“And what do you know about Gothic
romances?” she asked, wondering if he could hear her hammering
heartbeat.

“Enough. I’ll be good from now on,
Sara.”

She tore her gaze away from his. “When do
you start work?” she asked with a lightness she didn’t feel.

“After I draw up the contract and get your
signature. Say, in a couple of days?”

She nodded and abruptly stood up. Brian
followed suit, rolling up the drawings and organizing his
paperwork. When he had everything ready, she picked up a candle and
walked with him to the back door.

When she opened the door, the flame streamed
sideways and went out, plunging the room in darkness. Gradually,
the light from the rising moon brought a slight outline to the
planes of Brian’s face. Sara stood close enough to feel the warmth
emanating from his body. She held her breath when he didn’t
immediately go out the door. She sensed, rather than saw, his head
coming toward her.

“Just one last indiscretion, Sara,” he
whispered. Then his lips moved across hers in an achingly sweet
kiss he ended way too soon. She tried to see the expression in his
eyes, but his face remained bathed in shadow. In the next instant,
he slipped out the door and was gone.

Sara leaned against the door jamb for
support, silently berating him. If she wasn’t careful, she could be
in danger of falling in love with him all over again.

Chapter Twelve

Sara sat at the roll top desk in her room
and stared through the lacy sheers at the cottage. She was supposed
to be going through magazines Brian had given her, but she couldn’t
seem to focus on the task. Instead, she hid out in her room while
the noise of construction came muffled through her bedroom
door.

It had been two weeks since the remodel
officially began and a lot more than the house had changed. She
remembered shaking Brian’s hand after signing the contract. Before
releasing her hand, he surprised her by bowing his head and praying
for a safe and successful project. Afterward his expression had
become inscrutable and his behavior, cool and distant.

Sara wondered if she
dreamed the whole evening spent together by candlelight. Either
that or he was living up to his word to treat her in a professional
manner—because he was doing so with a vengeance. She knew she had
no right to assume he'd pick up where they left off in California.
Despite her deep attraction to him, Sara wasn't even sure
what
she
wanted.
And yet each day when she awoke, a suffocating excitement filled
her at seeing him again. And each day she ended up disappointed at
his detached behavior while he went about setting the renovation in
motion.

Brian had hired a crew, which consisted of
three men from the community, all in their early twenties. Peter,
Jeff, and Todd proved to be hard workers and started the kitchen
demolition along with Brian. After the demolition, they framed in a
kitchen bump-out to accommodate restaurant sized appliances and
extra workspace.

Brian had all but ignored her except to
discuss the progress, and she had to admit it hurt a little. He
acted the way she wanted him to behave a few weeks ago, but now, in
her heart, things were as messed up as her house. She began to make
snacks for him and the crew with the obscure hope Brian might look
on her with warmth again. Despite her efforts, he remained as
distantly polite as ever. She’d wanted a professional relationship,
right? So why couldn’t she be satisfied?

Disgusted with her ambivalent behavior, Sara
went into the kitchen, ostensibly to check the progress. Jeff,
Peter, and Todd looked up at her entry, and she smiled absently in
their direction. Her gaze sought out Brian’s tall form. She saw him
talking to the electrician.

Brian looked in her direction and ended his
conversation. Her breath lodged in her throat when he strode toward
her with obvious purpose. She tried not to squeak when he casually
placed his arm around her shoulders in full view of the crew.

Sara knew she had a sickening, doting
expression on her face when she looked up at him. Brian gazed into
her eyes, squeezed her shoulders and led her out of the kitchen. In
the living room he suddenly dropped his arm. Sara felt a distinct
chill, whether from the break in bodily contact or the cool gaze he
was sending her way, she wasn’t sure.

“Do you know why I did that?” he asked.

Sara studied his solemn features, hoping to
detect a spark of warmth, but found none. She shook her head.

“I don’t want the guys to start bothering
you so I thought it might be a good idea if they thought you
were...spoken for.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say. The
rush from the heights to the depths made her feel decidedly
cranky.

“They’re great guys and good workers, but
they’re very young, and I think they’ve become somewhat distracted
by your presence.”

Sara rolled her eyes, not
believing any 'distraction' nonsense. If anything, they only saw
her as a plate of cookies or purveyor of soda pop. Brian barely
noticed her anymore and he was the only one who mattered.
“Besides,” she added sweetly, “they’re nice, and not
so
young. I’d say they’re
about the same age as me.”

Brian watched Sara’s expressive face,
intensely aware of her proximity as they stood together in the
living room. He felt he acted unwisely with her the night the light
fuses had blown. He hoped, by distancing himself emotionally, or at
least appearing to do so, he might regain some of the ground he
feared he’d lost by pressing his attentions upon her.

Though more difficult than he imagined,
Brian was determined to treat Sara respectfully—as he should’ve
from the very beginning. But now, he found it especially hard to
pretend his arm around her had no effect on him. Her form had
pressed against his side and the subtle perfume of her hair
lingered even now.

But he’d picked up sly
looks and bits of conversation from the crew members. While he
trusted their abilities at their job, he didn’t trust them at all
when it came to flirting with Sara. The realization they
were
the same age as her
rankled, making him feel ancient by comparison. They
could
probably be
considered good-looking as well, which didn’t improve his mood. He
had to be careful in case one of them tried to ask her out when he
wasn’t paying attention. Brian scowled at the thought.

“Why are you looking at me that way?”

Brian’s focused his gaze on Sara. “What
way?”

“With that scary expression on your face.
I’m trying to decided if I should be afraid.”

“No more cookies for the guys, okay?”

She shrugged noncommittally as if unwilling
to be bossed around. He stared hard at her for a moment before
going back to work.

***

Although Sara felt puzzled and disappointed
by the change in Brian’s behavior, she had plenty to do and that
should’ve kept her from dwelling on her quandary. But as her body
mechanically performed the tasks at hand, her mind ran at full
tilt.

While the first floor of the house was
turned into a construction zone, she worked upstairs, cleaning the
walls and floors, prepping for painting and refinishing. Outside
dismal, blustery weather lashed against the windows, making them
rattle in their frames.

Sara thought about how Brian acted the
affectionate suitor over the past few days, moments that were part
bliss and part agony. He played his part quite well and Sara was
tempted to return the affection in such a way as to leave no doubt
of her true feelings for him. But she was a coward. If he were to
respond with distaste, she knew she couldn’t bear it. After her
hands-off attitude toward him, she felt uncomfortable by these new
emotions raging within her. It seemed the tables had turned.

Sara glanced at her watch. Noon. Her
unsettled feelings dulled her appetite so she decided to keep
working until she felt hungry. She knew of a few nail heads in the
fir flooring that needed to be removed in one of the bedrooms.
Grumbling about people who hammered in nails to stop a floor from
squeaking which really only marred the wood, Sara went in search of
a hammer.

Downstairs all was silent. Apparently
everyone had left for lunch. Sara spied Brian’s tool belt lying on
the counter near the back door in the kitchen. From time to time,
she needed a hammer, screwdriver, or tape measure, and she borrowed
Brian’s tools—only when he wasn’t looking. Otherwise she risked
having a run-in with him. Either he acted grumpy, mumbling about
her lifting his tools or, if the crew was in sight, he got all
pretend mushy on her. Sara grimaced at the thought. She went to the
tool belt, deftly slid out the hammer from the leather loop, and
zipped back upstairs.