Sleigh Bells in the Snow (O'Neil Brothers 1)

Walter hesitated. “Because a man shouldn’t throw away his whole life doing something that doesn’t feel right, just to please others.”

Kayla thought about her father. About the years he’d been married to her mother before he’d finally got out and gone to the woman he loved.

“Maybe this feels right to Jackson. But you’re right—he needs all the help he can get. So let me help.”

Walter wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “You seriously want to chop logs?”

“Yes.” She pushed up the sleeves of her fleece. “I’ve been known to use the gym when I can’t think of an excuse not to. I’m sure I can lift an ax.”

Walter handed it to her. “Don’t chop your foot off or that grandson of mine will take the next ax to my head. According to him, you’re valuable.”

Kayla felt the weight of it in her hands. “So I just swing it, right?” She laughed as Walter took a rapid step backward. Then she raised the ax and brought it down hard, as she’d seen him do. The log split. “Wow. I did that!” She grinned with delight and Walter grinned back, his weathered face creasing.

“That’s a hell of a move you’ve got there.” He nodded at the splintered wood. “If I’d known you could chop like that, I would have been more polite the other night. You mad at someone?”

“No, not mad.” She brought the ax down again and then toed the log she’d chopped with a rush of pride. “Maybe a little, with myself.”

Walter picked up the pieces and tossed them on the pile. “For falling in love when you didn’t want to?”

Kayla froze. “I can absolutely assure you that—”

“Don’t blame yourself. First time Elizabeth set eyes on Snow Crystal, she was gone. Same for my mother.”

He meant the place, Kayla thought, not the person. Snow Crystal, not Jackson. “It’s certainly special.”

“Glad you think so—” The deep male voice came from behind her, and when she turned, Jackson was standing there, arms folded, broad shoulders resting against the tree as he watched her with the same blue eyes that had seen her lose control the night before. “I’ve been looking for you. Didn’t realize you had a date with another man.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SHE LOOKED GOOD for a woman who’d had less than four hours sleep, but nowhere near as good as she’d looked lying naked on the rug in the firelight. He wished she were back there now. This was the last place he would have picked for a morning-after encounter. He’d come looking for her, but now he had more immediate concerns.

Jackson eyed the ax and the pile of logs. “I thought we agreed you were going to leave the wood chopping to me, Gramps.”

Walter glared at him. “You’re

already running my business. Got to leave a man something to do.”

“There’s plenty to do.” He was treading a delicate path between ensuring his grandfather felt involved and not giving him anything too strenuous.

“Then go and do it and leave me to talk to Kayla about Snow Crystal.”

Lack of sleep added weight to the responsibilities already pressing down on his shoulders.

“I need to talk to you about the restaurant, Gramps.”

“If you’re here to tell me Darren has gone, I already know.”

Jackson cursed himself for not speaking to his grandfather immediately. “He came to you?” Anger flared at the thought of Darren bringing an eighty-year-old man in on the problem.

“Two minutes after he walked out. Came straight over here, ranting about that ‘French bitch.’ Excuse me.” Walter sent a look of apology to Kayla, who tightened her grip on the ax as if she was contemplating bringing it down on someone’s head.

“Don’t worry. But I might just need to chop another log soon.”

“Me, too. I’m steaming mad. Some folks don’t know when they’re well off—that’s the problem.” He glared at Jackson, who prepared to do something he never did. Explain his decision.

“I know you took him on, Gramps—”

“Yes, I did. And I reminded him of that when I sent him on his way.”