the women are going to go wild to bid on him. What if they’re not all eighty? My gut tightens, but it shouldn’t bother me to see Nate on a date with a younger woman, especially when it’s to help save Gram’s place. I tuck that jealousy away, push it to the darkest corner of my mind. It’s not wise to have feelings for this man, and both my head and heart know it.
I push off the wall. “Are you sure I can’t help?” I ask and yawn.
Nate eyes me. “I’m sure you have work that needs your attention.”
“I do, but I feel bad—”
“Don’t feel bad, Miss Palmer. We shouldn’t have egged the house, and we want to make it up to you.”
I glance at Nate, who’s looking at the boys with pride. Honest to God, that man needs sons of his own. Sam and Jason finish their meal and grab their coats.
“Thanks, Kira. See you guys later,” they say and head out the kitchen door.
As three sets of eyes stare at me, I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, I’ll go work. If you need me, you know where to find me.” I head into my office, and within seconds, nothing exists but my work. I spend the next few hours going over computations and only look up when Nate pokes his head in.
“How’s it going?” he asks.
“It’s going.” I squeeze my eyes shut, sure I haven’t blinked in the last couple of hours.
“Bridgette is here, so I’m going to take her, and the boys, home. They did a good job.”
I stand and stretch out my arms. “I want to thank them and say good night.” I follow Nate into the kitchen, and the boys are tugging on their winter gear.
“Great job tonight, guys,” I say. “I really appreciate the help.”
“Nate said if the snow is thick enough tomorrow, we can go tobogganing with you guys,” Brett announces, his changing voice a little high pitched as he bubbles with excitement.
I angle my head and take in Nate’s sheepish look. “What’s this about tobogganing?” I ask. This is the first I’ve heard of it happening tomorrow, and Nate knows it.
“The crew all wanted to take you, remember?”
“I had plans tomorrow.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize,” he says, a line deepening in his forehead as he frowns.
“But if we go early, I can still keep my plans.”
Nate smiles. “Perfect.” He opens his mouth again like he wants to ask what my plans are, but even if he does ask, I’m not about to tell him. He won’t take money for my coat, but what I have planned is even better than that.
“I can’t believe you never played in the snow before,” Liam says, and tugs on his toque.
“It’s true. I admit it.”
Brett’s eyes go wide. “Granddad says we’re getting a good ten inches.”
“Oh, wow,” I say, and the boys open the door and head out.
Nate leans into me, his mouth near my ear, his words for me only. “If you play your cards right tonight, you’ll be getting a good eight inches.”
He’s grinning when he steps out the door, and despite the cold breeze rushing in, heat races through me. “Oh my God, Nate,” I manage to get out.
He pushes the door open, and the hinges squeal from the cold. “I’ll put the back door on my list of things to fix.”
“What did you just say?” I ask, my mind buzzing from working all night.
His brow furrows. “I said I’ll put the back door—”
“That’s it,” I say. “That’s it, Nate.” I go up on my toes to kiss him. “You’re brilliant.”
“You’re just now figuring that out,” he says teasingly. He glances over his shoulder. “How about we pick up here when I come back?”
“Meet me in my room.” I open the junk door, grab the cards, and dash to my office to make a note. A back door is exactly what I need for my computations. I jot down