That was when he felt his own heart crack. He had given Marco a bear for his fourth birthday, only it was much bigger, like an actual bear cub, and Marco had wanted it placed in a corner of his room, near his bookshelf. When Red had asked him to think of a name, Marco had scrunched up his face and tapped his chin, and suddenly, he had grinned from ear to ear. “Red!”
“Yes?” Red had replied and Marco had laughed. “No, I’m calling my bear ‘Red’! That way, you’ll always be with me, even when you’re not!” And then he had plopped himself down into the bear’s lap and asked Red to read him a story before bedtime.
Red had laughed at the time, but now the memory sent sharp spears into his chest.
How could he not foresee that Andy’s toys would trigger such memories?
He had to get himself out of there…
When Red had impulsively jumped at Ronnie’s offer, he had been thinking primarily about himself. And not just because he’d be ending up with a batch of her cookies. If he had to be completely honest with himself, the main reason was that he’d get to see Ronnie alone again. In her space.
Something was drawing him to her, and he was having a hard time resisting the magnetic pull. Now, immersed in memories activated by entering Andy’s room, Red felt regret washing over him. He looked down at the box that he had set down.
Just do it, his inner voice prompted.
He strode to the dresser and pulled open the top drawer. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat from handling each rolled-up little item. This was exactly why he should have heeded his common sense and stayed away.
He couldn’t handle this. At least not now.
Too many emotions were surfacing, feelings that he had convinced himself were resolved when it came to Marco…
He had to leave.
He would tell Ronnie that he had a very important meeting in Toronto with a client from Melbourne the day after tomorrow, and he needed to go over the files.
It was true. There was no way he could tell her the real reason…
Red returned to the living room with the empty box. He saw Ronnie perched on a chair by the fireplace, arranging some books on the mantel. His gaze fell on one chair leg, positioned unevenly on the raised edge around the porcelain tiles at the base of the fireplace. When he saw it start to wobble a moment later, he let the box drop and leaped to prevent Ronnie from falling. The chair tipped and fell over, but Ronnie was already in his arms.
She had let out a cry at his sudden intervention, and her arms had instinctively entwined themselves around his neck. For a timeless moment, their gazes locked and their bodies pressed against each other. He couldn’t tell if the wildly beating heart was his or hers. Her eyes were dark pools, their pupils expanded. He wished he could read their impenetrable depths…
And then he had no choice but to release his hold around her waist, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor.
“Sorry,” he said gruffly, righting the chair. “You could have fallen and hit your head on those tiles.” He pointed to the raised border around the tiles. “The chair leg wasn’t positioned on the flat part.”
“Thanks,” she said breathlessly. “I feel like such a klutz. I seem to lose my balance every time I’m around you,” she added accusingly.
“And fortunately for you, I’ve been successful in preventing you from falling,” he replied smoothly. “You might want to consider protecting yourself with bubble wrap as a preventative measure,” he said with a crooked smile, gesturing toward a pile of it in a box Ronnie had unpacked previously. “Especially since I can’t stick around to save you again.”
Her brow furrowed momentarily, and she took a step back. “No problem. I wouldn’t want to keep inconveniencing you,” she replied tersely. “I’m sure I can manage to save myself.”
“No inconven—”
“I’ll get your cookies.” She turned away sharply and returned with the tin, avoiding his gaze.
She had taken offence at his words. But what had he said that could have bothered her?
“Thanks, Ronnie. I have a very important meeting coming up in Toronto and—”
“You don’t need to explain. It’s none of my business.” She crossed in front of him to open the door, letting in a snowy gust of wind.
She was figuratively and literally giving him the cold shoulder. He brushed the snow off him and bent to put on his boots before reaching for his parka on the wall hook.
She obviously didn’t want him around…
“Thanks for your help,” she said stiffly, holding out the cookies.
“No problem,” he said, attempting to sound casual. “Good night, and thank you.” As he stepped up into his truck, he glanced back at the cottage. He waited a few moments, then turned on the ignition and drove away. What had he expected? That Ronnie would rush to the window and wave him off?
Don’t be a fool, he scoffed inwardly. And why would he expect or want Ronnie to do such a thing?
On the way home, his thoughts vaulted between his reaction in Andy’s room to what it felt like holding Ronnie in his arms. He tried to divert his thoughts to what he hoped would be accomplished at his upcoming meeting in Toronto with the Australian tycoon. If all went as planned, he’d be approving a billion-dollar account, toasting the success of the project, and then driving back to Parry Sound for the rest of his holiday.
With one important event on the agenda at the end of the month: the grand opening of Franklin’s Resort.
* * *
The thought of the resort made his thoughts return to
