Page 18 of Her Rugged Guardian

“Yeah, well, I don’t get out much.” The tourist trade? I wanted to laugh.

“Hey. Maybe Miss Coyote can bring you back to the land of the living.”

“Nope. I don’t need her kind of trouble.”

His face lit up even in the face of what he was dealing with. “You know what they say, don’t-cha, buddy?”

I didn’t say anything, glaring at him instead. He’d been trying to fix me up for almost two years.

“Enemies make the best lovers.”

“Says the man who married his high school sweetheart.”

“Jealous, buckaroo?”

“Very funny.” The truth was I’d always been jealous of what he had, a perfect life with a beautiful wife and three amazing kids. That wasn’t in the cards for me. I’d sworn off women a long time ago.

As he continued to laugh, I waved him off, taking long strides toward my truck, finishing the transactions then jumping into the cab. I’d known Riley was a damn good player, rivaling the accolades I’d gotten over the years, scouted by the best teams in the NHL. But why wouldn’t he tell me? Images of my first illustrious career flashed into my mind. He hadn’t told me because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Or maybe he knew what I’d say.

Huffing, I started the engine. Yeah, I’d gone from being the number one player in the NHL, sought after by just about every team to a has-been in the blink of an eye. As I pulled out of the station, I did what I could to put the past behind me.

I’d made a fresh start, my contracting firm doing well. As I headed for one of the big box contracting stores, I held the lie in the forefront of my mind. Who was I kidding? I’d lost two careers I’d loved, one to an accident and one to tragedy. Now life was about as good as it was going to be and nothing more.

Cassandra

The ocean view was spectacular. I’d taken dozens of photographs of the waves thumping against the rocky shore, the cove Tangerine Sunset was nestled in adding to the charm. Even if the day and building clouds became another reminder that Jake was due to return to the house later in the afternoon. I wanted to avoid seeing him, which was ridiculous, but my feelings about the man were mixed.

Plus, we were like oil and water.

While the grounds surrounding the main house needed some work, the grassy knoll leading to the cliff was in perfect condition, so green and lush that I envisioned the place being in Ireland instead. Moose had enjoyed every moment of being outside. We’d even played a little ball before I’d shooed him inside, determined to get some of the essentials out of the way.

Including purchasing a few half gallons of paint. The kitchen walls would be first on the agenda. The cabinets second. The curtains had already been yanked down. With a little lightening and brightening, the place would seem a lot more like home.

Before I’d left the B & B, I’d taken a walk around the estate, realizing that while I’d wanted to ignore everything Jake had said, I didn’t need to be a contractor to note all the problems that existed. And I’d seen evidence of repairs he’d made. Fortunately, the pumping and electrical system appeared to be in decent working order. However, the roof had been better days, several areas of siding rotten. It appeared Jake had tackled some ofthe windows, replacing them with updated vinyl ones, but there were a lot more to go.

Maybe the inspector the probate attorney had used was on the take, given a significant number of repairs hadn’t shown up on the list emailed to me. That had prompted another self-deprecating moment because if I’d visited my mother even every once in a while, I would have known the condition of the property.

The bad thing was that until my condominium sold in DC, there was no way I could afford a new roof and everything else to get the place up and running. Plus, while it was only September, colder weather was setting in. Although I doubted that would deter a man like Jake from doing any work.

I’d left Moose at the house while running errands, including picking up a few groceries. I’d been pleasantly surprised when seeing the winery. It was small but the vines looked healthy and the grapes still on the vines were plump and juicy, their taste spectacular. What bothered me was that the area was overgrown, another indication my mother had let go of her employees, no longer bottling any wines. While the wine-tasting room was actually gorgeous, it had the appearance of it being a long time since my mother had offered a wine tasting. Thankfully, I’d had the forethought of contacting a wine consultant, already setting up an appointment in a couple of days.

However, the nicest surprise of all had been the large wine cellar that hadn’t appeared on the list of amenities. There were several hundred bottles of various vintages, some dating back to before she’d bought the place. They had to be worth something. Maybe I could sell them so I could replace the roof.

Ugh. I didn’t really want to do that. I’d planned on restoring the entire location back to its original glory. I’d seen the pictures two decades before, the beautiful and lush grounds, the large gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean likely holding many a wedding.

My mother had gotten in over her head. Me too.

Groovy.

The one thing I had going for me was I’d been in marketing and advertising, including for a winery in Virginia. My work alone had helped them move to the number one winery in the state, their profits increasing by five times. I was certain I could do that for Tangerine Sunset and Winery, even if the name left a lot to be desired. Still, I could work with it, especially since I had a feeling the pictures were going to come out spectacularly.

However, the ugly truth was that I needed Jake’s help whether I liked it or not. After making a few calls to other handymen, I’d learned quickly everyone was booked solid, including the larger firms out of Portland.

After picking up a few items at a local hardware store, I headed to the grocery, filling the basket with way too many items. When I went down the aisle with the pet food and treats, I couldn’t help myself, tossing a few of their toys into the basket before yanking a couple different treats off the shelves as well. After being uprooted, and forced to deal with a crazy Mommy dog, he deserved a few treats.

It was time to check out and go home. I pushed the basket, another squeaky toy grabbing my attention. A hard thud as I ran into something sent groceries flying to the floor, the jolt enough to cause pain flying up both arms. I immediately teetered on my heels, the attire I’d chosen overkill.

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, honey.”

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