Page 32 of Timber Ridge

“It’s been my pleasure. It’s nice to be needed.”

“We definitely need you.” His gaze lingers on me in a way that seems like he’s peering straight into my soul. “What did you think when you arrived? Was it less than what you expected?”

“Less? Oh, heavens, no. It was more than I could have hoped for.” From the moment I arrived, I had a purpose, and each day brings new moments of connection and understanding. In Kane's company, I find myself more at ease than I’ve been in a long time, as if I've finally found a place where I belong.

“We are a bit much here. I think the term is extra.”

“Speaking of extra, should I be concerned about Old Grizzletoe?”

“No more than you should be concerned about other wild beasts. I bet the fire drew his attention, and he came to check things out. If you run into him, make a lot of noise, and try to make yourself look as big as possible.” He waves his arms through the air. “Does having him around scare you?”

“Scare?” I imagine myself jumping up and down, waving my hands in the air.

Kane nods, his eyes never leaving mine, as if he already knows the answer but wants to hear it from me.

I take a deep breath, gathering my courage before admitting, “Yes, I’m scared, especially when the kids are with me. But I learned early on that fear is temporary, but regret lives with you forever. And I don’t want to regret anything, so I’ll continue to walk through the woods, gather herbs, look for rocks, and explore, but I’ll be more aware while I’m doing it.”

“I'd rather not have any regrets either.” Kane's gaze seems to linger on my lips. He leans in, and for a moment, I'm certain he's about to kiss me.

Do I want that? My brain screams yes! But just as I'm about to meet him halfway, he pulls back, stands, and stretches his arms out with a groan. I chastise myself. First for daring to want it, and second for entertaining the thought that someone like Kane could ever be interested in someone like me. He's made it clear he's been burned before, and I can't shake the feeling that he's guarding himself against getting hurt again. After all, why would a man like Kane risk anything when he could easily stay unencumbered to avoid the pain?

“I should get to sleep. Four in the morning comes early.” He walks to the kitchen to place his glass in the sink. “Help yourself to anything you need or want.” He stares at me again, and I can see some kind of debate in his eyes, and somewhere deep inside, I hope that he’ll come back and kiss me, but as soon as he looks away, he says, “Good night, Timber. Sweet dreams.”

After Kane leaves, I sit in his living room and finish my wine. I’m usually good at reading the signs, but I was way off tonight. He wasn’t staring at my lips because they looked plump and appetizing. I probably had wine dripping down my chin because I drool over this man whenever I find myself alone with him. That lean forward wasn’t the prelude to a kiss. It was merely forward momentum to get him to his feet so he could go to bed.

Silly me. I take my glass to the kitchen and wash up, so we aren’t faced with a mess in the morning. But as I rinse off the soap suds, a wave of relief floods through me. That almost kiss? Phew. Dodged a bullet there. Sure, it might have been nice in the moment, but let’s face it—it would’ve turned my life into a mess of complications. After all, he’s not just any guy. He’s the father of one of my students. And here I am, staying in his house. Yeah, it’s definitely not a good idea.

With a sigh, I mentally brace myself for bedtime rituals. Theresa’s toothpaste and toothbrush await—a reminder of her kindness. Pulling on another one of Eliza’s quirky T-shirts, I smirk at the slogan emblazoned across it: “solvem probler.” Well, ain’t that the truth? Could it be I’m conjuring problems where there are none, letting my imagination run wild? Tomorrow’s a fresh start, a chance to shake off the nonsense and tackle whatever comes my way. Bring it on.

Chapter Twelve

KANE

I pace the bedroom, thinking about the colossal mistake I nearly made.

“Unbelievable,” I grumble to the empty room. I was so close to kissing Timber I almost tasted the wine on her lips. Truth is, I wasn’t that close, but I imagined it. I stared at those lips for seconds—long enough to know she has a freckle above the upper, and when she purses them, they are shaped like a heart.

Discussing regrets got me pondering—would kissing her have been one more for the list? Pulling back made sense. “What was I thinking?” She’s Hailey’s teacher, for crying out loud, and a guest in my house. “All I need is another one-night stand and, three months later, an unexpected visit telling me she’s pregnant.”

I freeze when I realize what I said. There would be no knock on the door because Timber can’t have kids. Watching her with Hailey, I know she’d make an excellent mother. She’s completely in tune with those around her and does sweet things Amanda would never consider, like holding back when the conversation isn’t for Hailey’s ears or ensuring Hailey is included by asking her questions. She knows when to listen and when to steer a kid right.

Her ex is blind to so many things. The way I see it, you don’t need to father a kid to leave your mark. It’s like tracking a path in the woods. It’s the staying, the walking through it day by day, that matters. When I called him an idiot, I’m not just spitting words against the wind. If she was mine, I’d stick it out. Fertility be damned.

Those vows state things like sickness and health and richer or poorer. I’ve never seen or heard vows that say, I’ll stay until you can’t give me kids. Marriage is a partnership where sacrifice is a given, but unconditional love is as well. They could have adopted. Hell, they could have raised mini goats and called them family. My house is big enough for many children, but I’m content to have Hailey. I don’t need a half-dozen children to make me a man. The love of a good woman does that on its own.

My dad’s leaving makes sense. It's sad, yeah, but I get it. The place he calls home reminds him of her every single day. And without her, it just isn't home anymore. I imagine leaving is his way of looking for some peace. I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same.

I had a long talk with my mother before she passed. She worried I’d never know the kind of love she and my father shared. I told her not to worry because I have Dad, Hailey, and my siblings. “It’s not the same thing,” she said. She explained that Hailey would grow up and build her own life. My brothers would eventually marry. Eliza had a family with Matt. Two days before she died, she held my hand and made me vow to let my guard down and let someone in.

“You can’t give up on love because of Amanda. Open up to people and let them in if you want them to stay,” she said. It's only been a few months. I'm not there yet, but I'm trying. Changes of that magnitude don't happen fast.

I consider Timber. Would I want her to stay? Yes. She’s not what I’m used to, but she may be exactly what I need. She’s the type of woman I could fall hard for, but I'd rather not start something I can’t continue, and I don’t want to get to the end of summer and force her to decide between me and that new job that pays more. But boy, do I want to kiss her.

Thinking about Dad, I wonder about love, the kind that knots two lives so tight it's near impossible to tell where one starts and the other ends. Is it wise to lean on someone like that, to need them so much? But then again, isn't that the point of it all? To risk the fall for the chance to fly? Dad did, and even if he lost his balance when she was gone, for a while, he soared higher than anyone I've known.

Questions swirl as I shed the day’s clothes and climb into bed. Would she have come closer if I hadn’t stepped back? And that look she gave me. Was it just a trick of the light, or did she want that kiss as much as I did?

I’m not usually one to dwell on what could have been. It’s not like when Sarah Blakely said yes to being my date at that dance and then left with someone else because he had a better ATV. That’s kids’ stuff.

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