The Country Gentleman Read online

  “Stop,” Paige said, giving him a hearty arm punch. “I wanted a big diamond. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “In fact, I think you should get one for the other hand. It’s not fair if just your left arm gets a workout lifting that thing all day.”

  “Beast!” she said, but this time he ducked her punch.

  Kenzie loved the sweet playfulness. That was the kind of relationship she wanted someday, if she ever met a man who interested her. If she ever got married, she promised herself it would be to someone who could be her best friend, someone she could talk with and enjoy silly things with. But she would want her husband to wear a wedding band. Peter didn’t wear one, and that always made Kenzie feel a little worried for the relationship when she saw that.

  Paige approached Kenzie. “Thanks for helping him. I know he plays it down, but if Peter shows he’s hurting, it has to be a lot.”

  “No problem. I usually have plenty of this stuff with me.” Kenzie pointed to the ring again. “Married, or engaged?”

  “Married. Almost two years.”

  “That’s wonderful. Congratulations.” Ahead of them, Burt was already starting to hike, and Kenzie wanted to keep her place with him in front of the group. As she hurried to catch up, she called over her shoulder to Paige, “You guys are adorable together. Peter seems like a sweet guy. It looks like you got one of the good ones.”

  “She thinks we’re married.”

  “Who?” Peter scooped up the rest of his gear and fell into step with Paige. They took up the rear of the hiking club.

  “You know who,” Paige said. “The hottie you can’t stop staring at.”

  “Mackenzie?” Peter scoffed. “I wasn’t staring. Why would she think we were married?”

  “She goes by Kenzie, remember? And she said we’re adorable together.”

  Peter grimaced, and he pretended to stick his finger down his throat.

  “Seriously,” she said in agreement.

  “I mean, sure, I’m adorable by myself, but you?”

  “You wish.”

  A flood of warmth rushed through Peter to think the gorgeous girl with the great legs thought he was adorable. To Paige, he said, “Mom and Dad and I are just glad Josh accepted our bribe and married you. Took you off our hands.”

  “Har, har.” Getting back into the hiking mode after their break took all their concentration for a few minutes, especially where the trail led up into some switchbacks. When things evened out a bit, Paige said, “I think you should tell her.”

  “Tell who what?”

  “Knock it off, you dweeb!” Paige stepped ahead of Peter to navigate a narrow part of the trail. “I know you think she’s attractive.”

  “So? A lot of women are attractive.” But there is something about this Kenzie.

  “I don’t know a lot that you can’t take your eyes off.”

  “Yeah, she’s not bad to look at.” Peter wrinkled his nose. “Was it weird I let her touch my feet?”

  Paige laughed. “Kind of, but she offered. And she didn’t seem to mind. It was like she was a nurse, and you were her patient. Who knows, maybe she is a nurse. Or a doctor. She kind of has that in-charge vibe.”

  Was that a good thing? Probably not. She might not be attracted to him if she looked at him as a patient. He suddenly couldn’t remember if his feet were particularly stinky when he took his socks off. He suspected they were.

  “How about it?” Paige interrupted his thoughts.

  “Hm? Oh, telling her you’re my sister? I think you must have misunderstood her. If she noticed your ring, she must have noticed I don’t wear one.”

  “Maybe she thinks you lost it or thinks that you’re a player.”

  “A player?”

  “Play-a,” Paige said, very gangster. “If you don’t tell her and then you hit on her, she might literally hit you back. Scoundrel.”

  “Like I’m not already used to getting hit.” He didn’t try too hard to dodge her playful swing at him. He was distracted thinking about Mackenzie. Kenzie Vega. He did think she was cute. And friendly, and confident. And definitely fit. He liked all those qualities in a woman.

  But he did wonder what story went along with the ring she wore on her necklace. It was a simple band, and now that he thought about it, it could have been a man’s ring or a woman’s. Was Kenzie widowed? Divorced? There was sadness in her face when she touched it.

  He’d have to think about whether or not to make a point of telling her that Paige was his sister. Because the only reason he’d bother to do that was if he were planning to ask her out. And Peter Olson wasn’t sure if he was ready to ask anyone out on a date at this point, especially a woman who kept drawing his attention toward the head of the hiking pack like a buck to a doe.

  Chapter Three

  Hiking to Lower Lena proved as spectacular as Kenzie remembered. The weather held, and nothing could compare to the serene blue lake on a sunny Pacific Northwest day. When they’d returned back to their trailhead, she thanked stoically silent Burt and pushed her heavy hiking boots into a jog to reach her car faster. Three o’clock. Time to drive home—still an hour’s drive ahead—take a shower, and get ready for her Bosom Buddies planning dinner in town.

  As usual, Kenzie listened to a course on tape while she drove. She was learning how to speak Spanish, since she often ran into native speakers in her work. After half an hour practicing yo hablo, tu hablas, nosotros hablamos, she’d had enough for one day. The exercise and long drive had worn her out, so she started the playlist she called Evening Energy. The lively music did help to wake her up, and it got her thinking about that nice-looking Peter from hiking club.

  Kenzie had caught him staring at her more than once during the afternoon, and it bothered her. She didn’t want a married man flirting with her, especially a nice one with a nice wife. She wanted to believe that every couple was happy, faithful, and based on true love and romance. Peter and Paige struck her as being very devoted to each other, and yet he did keep staring.

  Awkward, and confusing.

  About five miles from home, Kenzie’s Cherokee engine suddenly went quiet, and slowly rolled to a stop. The rural area housed only woods and the occasional driveway, though it did lead to Settler’s Point, a new development going in. She happened to be passing a narrow gravel turnout when it happened, so she just let the car glide off the road close to the thick tree line. Part of her vehicle was still in the road, but it was at least off a little.

  While Kenzie wasn’t much of a car expert, she couldn’t imagine that there was something really wrong. No funny noises, no smoke, or lights flashing; nothing to indicate that a problem was coming. And yet, when she tried the starter, nothing happened.

  She looked at her watch and knew she didn’t have time for car problems. She never had time for those, but who did?

  Cars and computers, she regularly said. Neither should ever break down. Ever. And yet, here she sat. She pulled out her phone, resigned that she’d have to call a service, when a truck pulled up behind her. She got out to tell the newcomer he’d have to drive around her.

  But he’d gotten out of his truck, apparently wanting to help. She didn’t recognize her would-be rescuer at first, although she did recognize his Seattle Mariners baseball cap.

  Paige’s Peter had one of those. He also had on the same dark green shorts and grey shirt Peter wore hiking, but she still didn’t recognize that the man actually was Peter until his expression grew incredulous.

  “Kenzie? From hiking club?”

  Kenzie froze, her mouth gaping open. She had no reason to suspect Peter of sinister motives, but how was it possible that he came to be driving on the road behind her? Normally only residents drove these old logging roads. She couldn’t imagine why Paige’s nice, cute husband would be following her on the road. Maybe he was one of those serial killers with boy-next-door charm.

  “Kenzie?” he asked again. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m wondering
the same about you.” She let him hear the suspicion in her voice, but not the fear. She was good at hiding fear.

  He still stared at her like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. She folded her arms and gave him a withering look. He chuckled. “Sorry, I guess I’m the one who should explain first, since it appears I was following you.”

  “I’d say so.”

  “I’m heading down to Settler’s Point. I’m working on a construction project, and I forgot a toolbox there.”

  “You happen to be working in my neighborhood?”

  His eyebrows both went up, and his forehead wrinkled. “This is where you live?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Whereabouts?”

  She shook her head. No way was she answering that. Basic self-preservation: don’t tell a stranger where you live. How quickly could she reach the pepper spray in her glove compartment?

  “Right,” he said. “Anyway, do you need some help? If you just pulled over to make a phone call or something, I’ll be on my way.”

  Kenzie stuck her hands in her jacket pockets. She wasn’t happy about it, but she made a quick judgment call and decided that her need for help was greater than her apprehension. “My car died,” she said.

  “Really? Any funny noises first, or …?”

  “Nope.” She walked around the vehicle. “And no flat tire that I can see, although I don’t think one would have killed the engine, anyway.”

  “Are you out of gas?”

  Kenzie made a face. “No. It still has half a tank.”

  “Really? Because that would have been my first guess. How accurate is your gas gauge?”

  “Very acc—” She suddenly remembered a problem that she had temporarily a few years back, with that gas needle getting stuck. “Hold on.” She marched back to the old Cherokee and reached into the dashboard. The gauge was still sitting at half tank even with the engine off. Suspicious. She tapped on the plastic cover, and immediately the needle fell down below the empty mark. “Oh, shoot. That was it.”

  But when she got back out of the car, Peter wasn’t there anymore.

  “Huh.” She circled around to the back of his truck, just as he pulled out a heavy-looking gas container. “You have gas!”

  Peter’s eyes twinkled. “Now, if it was my sister saying that, she’d be making a joke.”

  It took Kenzie a moment to recognize that Peter was being funny. He has a goofy sense of humor. She liked that. Also, married. “Oh, very funny,” she said. “Very mature. Spend much time in junior high?”

  He smirked as he passed her. “Used to.” Peter opened the gas can and pointed to the fuel door. “Is there a …?”

  It took her a second to understand. “Oh! The latch. Hold on.”

  She scooched back to the dashboard and pushed the fuel door release button. When it popped open and Peter went to work, she studied him. For a married man who didn’t wear a ring, who stared at single women and possibly followed them home, he was sure a nice guy. And definitely cute. She could see how someone would fall for that, and stayed back at the door, determined not to give any encouragement.

  “Thank you for your help,” she said without too much sincerity in her voice.

  “No problem.”

  For a minute the only sounds were the glugging gasoline filling her empty tank and chattering birds in nearby trees. Becoming uncomfortable with the silence, Kenzie asked, “So, do you and Paige live nearby?”

  He raised an eyebrow at her.

  Oh, dear. I need to not spend time with him. I may even need to quit hiking club. He’s too cute.

  “Depends on what you mean. “ He tipped the can up to empty the last of the gas. “There you go. That should do you until the next time you’re in town.”

  “Perfect.” She opened her wallet. “That’s, what, five gallons? Here’s fifteen, that should cover it.”

  She held out the cash, but he just smiled at her. Uh oh.

  “Tell you what. How about if I take you to dinner sometime?”

  He said it in such a relaxed, easy way, she would have liked his manner of speaking if he weren’t married. Instead, her blood boiled that he really wasn’t faithful to his wife. She marched over to his truck and threw the money in his open window.

  “Why don’t you take your wife out to dinner sometime? Sheesh.” She stormed back over to her own car, ready to get in. “I appreciate you being nice, but clearly you aren’t all that nice, are you, Peter?”

  Before she got her door shut, she heard his laid-back reply. “Paige is my sister.”

  It kind of jolted her arm to stop the door mid-slam. “Ouch,” she muttered.

  Sister? If Paige was his sister, that meant he wasn’t married. Or at least that he’s probably single.

  Embarrassment mixed with a tinge of excitement circled her brain, before she opened the door again and got out. Oh, he is cute. “Your sister.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, I guess you do look a lot alike.”

  He shrugged. “I kind of thought it was obvious, but Paige thought that you thought—”

  “Right.” It was much more fun studying Peter now that he was single. She was staring maybe a bit too much, but then he was, too. “Are you and Paige … close?”

  “Close? Well, she’s my sister.”

  “But you’re not twins, or anything.”

  He chuckled. “Kind of. We’re Irish twins.”

  “Irish twins. Are twins different if they’re Irish?”

  His smile widened, but he turned to put his gas can away. Over his shoulder, he said, “It means we were born nine months apart. Or in our case eleven, so close enough.”

  “I see.”

  When the container was back in the truck, he came back around, not stopping until he was a few feet from her. With every step, Kenzie’s awareness of him increased.

  “So, how ’bout it?” he asked.

  “How about what?”

  “Dinner.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “Just to be clear, you’re single?”

  The corner of his mouth inched up into an amused smirk. “I am indeed single.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll have dinner with you.”

  Something like relief crossed his face. Had he been nervous asking her out? “Tonight?” he asked.

  “I can’t tonight. I’m actually in a rush now. Monday, maybe?”

  He nodded. “Monday. Can we do it at five, or six? I work early.”

  “Five works.”

  “Could I have your number?” he asked, and she recited the digits for him. “So, five on Monday. I’ll text you about details.”

  “Perfect,” Kenzie said. A rush of excitement swept through her thinking she’d see him again soon. “Thanks again for the gas.”

  “You’re welcome.” He tipped his cap at her, which she might not have noticed if it didn’t send happy shivers through her. It wasn’t until she was pulling into her own driveway a few minutes later that she realized she’d moleskinned the feet of the nicest, best-looking guy she’d met in a long time, and he was on the market.

  “Shoot,” she said aloud to no one. “Way to make an impression, Kenzie.”

  Chapter Four

  Kenzie received her first text from Peter on Sunday afternoon. She’d spent the day doing quiet, at-home projects: planning logistics for her running team’s trip to the Appalachians in August, making a wish list of goodie bag items for a Seattle 10K in September, and sewing a flannel quilt for her assistant’s baby shower. In between, she visited social media to check on the warriors—people in her massively wide circle who were currently battling cancer. She also did some Pilates and gave her geriatric cat, Agatha Christie, a bath.

  Peter’s text sent her already occupied heart in a pitter-patter.

  Peter: How’s your Sunday been?

  Kenzie: Busy. I think my head’s going to explode. You?

  Peter: No exploding here. Sundays are church and family for me. My toughest challenge today has been beatin
g Paige at Speed.

  Kenzie: Speed?

  Peter: Card game. I did win, so now I’m basking in glory while she gets salad ready.

  Kenzie: Quite the gentleman, you are.

  Peter: Actually, Yoda, I marinated the chicken, made mac and cheese. About time Paige did a little work.

  Kenzie: Box, or homemade, made you? *smiley face

  Peter: What’s a box? Jk. Homemade. I like to cook.

  Kenzie: Sounds delicious. I also like to cook, but looking around at the time and at my kitchen, dinner will probably be of the frozen entre variety.

  Peter: Seriously? I thought frozen dinners were an urban legend.

  Kenzie: Adequate evidence in my freezer to prove otherwise.

  Kenzie suddenly realized that despite how often this handsome hiking club member had popped into her mind since she last saw him, she hadn’t yet stalked Peter on social media. While waiting for the next text, she looked him up on her laptop. It wasn’t hard to find him, even though he hadn’t shared his last name with her. The hiking club emails listed all the recipients, including a Peter Olson and Paige Default. She stalked Paige first, since that name was least common. Pictures of Paige and a good-looking dark-haired man decorated the page, including some in her wedding dress and his full-dress uniform.

  “Ah, military.”

  A picture of Peter and Paige smiled up at her, and he was tagged.

  “Bingo.” She clicked just as another text came in.

  Peter: Your dinner sounds cold. Would you like some hot food? We have more than enough here.

  Kenzie’s heart jumped. “Holy guacamole,” she said. “Would that mean two dates in two days? Do I want that? Would I even have time for that?”

  Agatha Christie meowed.

  “You’re right, I don’t have time.” She started to text a decline, when a second text came in.

  Peter: Paige says you should come, so you can help with the dishes after. She also made a chocolate cake that looks gourmet, if you like chocolate. No pressure.

  Kenzie, who hadn’t eaten since breakfast, actually started to salivate. She swallowed. “Cute Peter, and chocolate cake? Aggie, I can’t say no.”