Page 7
CHAPTER 7
DELANEY
It had been two weeks since I’d had dinner with Jace and his kids. Two weeks of watching him while he wasn’t looking and trying to tell myself there wasn’t anything between us. I’d felt it though. That night at the Hog & Hickory, there’d been a spark when we touched. And a whole lot of heat coursing through my veins when he’d let loose and smiled.
Since then, it was like something had worked its way free inside him. Though I hadn’t heard him laugh again, his gruff facade had softened. He actually smiled at me from time to time and more than once I’d caught him watching me. Not in a creepy way, either. More in an I-wonder-if-there’s-something-between-us way.
I needed to pull my head out of the clouds though. My stay in Big Wood was temporary. Just a steppingstone to a bigger, better rung on that ladder that would take me back to New York.
“Good morning, Delaney.” Jace stepped into the office with Wren and Eli right behind him. The edges of his mouth curled up in a soft smile.
“Hey.” My cheeks heated, caught in the act of thinking about him, even though he didn’t have a clue. I tried to distract myself by focusing on the kids. “Did you bring your journal pages to share today?”
“Sure did.” Wren stood up straighter. She’d been coming out of her shell over the past few weeks, and I was so happy for her. I knew what it was like to grow up in the shadow of my siblings. Even though she and Eli were so close they could practically read each other’s minds, they didn’t have the same interests. She gravitated more toward quiet observation while her brother couldn’t wait to get hands-on with all the activities.
“How about you, Eli?” I asked.
He scrunched up his nose, a dead giveaway that he didn’t have anything prepared. “I’m gonna finish them today.”
Wren shook her head. “He hasn’t even started them yet, Miss Delaney.”
“Don’t go tattling on your brother.” Jace put his hand on Wren’s shoulder. “He doesn’t have the same enthusiasm for art that you do, sweetie.”
I watched Wren disappear a little bit inside herself. “Come on, Eli. I’ll help you with them.”
The two of them sat down at a table in the back of the room. My heart ached for the little girl who so desperately wanted to be seen by her dad. It wasn’t my place to say anything, but I sure wanted to.
Jace lingered at the edge of my desk. “How’s camp been going?”
“Good. Wren’s been enjoying journaling and Eli’s been enjoying everything else.”
He nodded. “It’s hard to believe they’re twins since they’re so different.”
“Different but equally as talented in their own unique way,” I offered, hoping I wasn’t crossing a line.
Jace’s shoulders hitched, and he sighed. “Sometimes I don’t know how to connect with Wren. Eli is so much like me. He loves the outdoors and we’re into the same things. But Wren”—he shook his head—“I feel like I’m losing her.”
Without thinking, I set my hand on top of his where it rested on my desk. “She just wants to be seen.”
He looked up, his gaze locking on mine. “You seem to see her.”
“Maybe I recognize a little bit of myself in her.”
Janice poked her head through the doorway and Jace immediately pulled his hand away. “District Park Ranger Ramsey, there’s a hiker out front who wants to talk to you about the forecast.”
Any hint of softness disappeared as Jace nodded. “Be right there.”
My hand tingled from where we’d touched. I felt like I needed to say something else, something to set his mind at ease. “Just notice her,” I whispered. “Ask to see her art. Her drawings are really good.”
“Thanks.” He held my gaze for another beat, then lifted his head to check on his kids. “You two behave today. If I get a good report from Miss Delaney, we’ll pick up cupcakes to take tonight.”
“You’ve got big plans?” I teased.
“Just poker night with the guys. How about you?”
“I’m going to do some hiking and set some stuff out for the scavenger hunt we have starting on Monday.” Pretty exciting for a Friday night, but it beat hanging out in the cabin all alone like I’d been doing most weekends.
“Be careful. There’s a storm coming through later. Should pass us by, but there’s always a chance it might shift direction at the last minute.”
I was both touched and offended that he wanted to warn me. “You know, I can take care of myself.”
“I’ve no doubt about that.” He gave me a final smile then disappeared through the doorway, leaving me to wonder if I’d imagined the attraction between us again or if it was real. I wasn’t sure which option I wanted to be true.