“Everything okay in Diamond Creek?”

  “Always. Just had a minute, so I thought I’d check in. You heard from Derek?”

  The lightness I felt inside disappeared swiftly. “Not in the past week or so. I’ll let you know if I hear from him.”

  “Please do. I tried calling the other day and haven’t heard back.” Gage’s voice was somber.

  “I’ll keep you posted if I hear any updates. I promise.” We ended the call, and I took a swallow of my coffee, stopping on the sidewalk to take a steadying breath.

  My heart felt scraped whenever I thought about my brother right now. After another breath, I began walking again, taking in the town. The town was beautiful in the winter, nestled at the base of the mountains with snow-capped peaks rising in a circle around the harbor. A glacier glittered blue under the sun, striking sparks off the icy surface. The water was calm today, with ice floes drifting along the edges of the shoreline.

  I turned toward the docks. A high-pitched eagle screech stood out amid the seagull calls. I followed the sound to see the eagle sweeping low, its talons out to scoop a fish out of the water. I watched as it landed on the shore and immediately tore into the fish.

  I shook the gloom settling inside my thoughts away. I had to compartmentalize. Because there was literally nothing I could do about my brother.

  Chapter Six

  McKenna

  “Excuse me?”

  “Call for you. Something about a rental,” Tish said through the phone speaker.

  My sister-in-law Haven and I were working on some graphics for an upcoming event for the winery. Haven was deep into adjusting the graphics on her laptop as she sat across from me at the conference table.

  “Is Sandy available?” I eyed the conference phone as if Tish could see me.

  “No, she’s out today. Remember? She has a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I’ll take it. Did you happen to get a name?”

  “Of course I did,” Tish said, her tone affronted.

  Haven waggled her brows and grinned over at me. We liked teasing Rhys’s wildly efficient and organized receptionist. She was amazing, and we all loved her.

  “I didn’t mean to imply that you wouldn’t have,” I quipped with a grin.

  “It’s Jack Hamilton. He said you gave him Sandy’s number.”

  My cheeks heated. Haven’s eyes widened when she happened to glance back up at that moment.

  “Okay,” I managed through a swallow. “Put him through.”

  “Just a sec,” Tish replied.

  I heard the click of that line just before the next call line began blinking. “Are you taking this one on speaker?” Haven teased.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “No.” Lifting the receiver, I answered, “McKenna Cannon here.”

  “McKenna,” Jack said, the low rumble of his voice sending a hot shiver down my spine. “I thought I was getting Sandy.”

  “Um, she happens to be out today. I’m guessing you’re calling about the rental I mentioned.”

  “That I am. Should I wait until Sandy’s back in the office?”

  My pulse revved its engine, but I tried to ignore it. “Uh, no. I can meet you.” Blessedly, Haven had looked back down at her computer screen. “Do you prefer a house or apartment?”

  My fluster level was an eleven on a scale that topped out at ten. It was a freaking call with a guy about a rental. OMG.

  I mustered every ounce of composure and willed my pulse to slow its galloping beat and the heat rising inside to dissipate.

  “I’m under contract to buy a house, but in the short term, I need a rental. It doesn’t really matter as long as it’s a month-to-month lease.”

  “Um, okay, that makes sense.” For fuck’s sake, how many times was I going to start a sentence with um? “Um, we’re pretty flexible. We have some small houses available month to month right downtown.”

  “Can I see one?”

  “Of course,” I practically chirped. I took a slow breath.

  “Tell me when and where.”

  I gazed at the clock on the wall above my office door. “How about in half an hour? It’s right off Main Street. Just go past Spill the Beans Café and take the next left toward the harbor. You will see four houses in a row that look the same on the outside. Park in front of them, and I’ll meet you there.”

  “Looking forward to seeing you in a half hour,” Jack said, his voice all gruff and rumbly.

  My hormones were convinced he was looking forward to seeing me for more than just a rental and went a little wild. My body felt like the inside of a pinball machine.

  As soon as I hung up, Haven’s eyes whipped up from her laptop. “Wow. I think you might like Jack Hamilton.”

  “Haven,” I warned.

  “What? You deserve to like someone. It’s fun.”

  I let out a small sigh. “I don’t date.”

  “I’ve noticed,” she said pointedly. “What’s that all about?”

  “Seriously? Anyone interested in me in this town wants a connection with my family. I don’t have many other reasons, but that’s enough.”

  Haven studied me briefly before she shrugged lightly and graciously let me off the hook. “I understand. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rhys. But there’s so much pressure in the world to find love. Maybe you have the hots for Jack Hamilton, and he sure is cute.” She waggled her brows. “But no pressure from me on dating.”

  “You try dating with older brothers,” I offered wryly. That was another easy excuse.

  There was more to this, but I didn’t want to discuss it. My brothers assumed I was cynical, but they didn’t even know the whole story. It was deeply personal. Even though we were tight as siblings and we all collectively adored our mother and missed our father, our father’s early death had led to a series of events that created lots of pain and damage in the family.

  “Where are we with these plans?” I asked Haven, eager to change the subject. “Let’s settle on this before I leave.”

  Haven shifted around the edge of the conference table, sliding her laptop closer to me.

  “What do you think?” Haven was a graphic designer and an artist. She did handmade invitations and the like, but she also handled all the graphics for our corporate events. It was such a relief to have someone truly creative who I trusted.

  I studied what she had on her screen. The cheerful and whimsical graphic had, of course, our telltale fireweed woven along the edges of the design.

  “It’s perfect.” I beamed at her.

  “I’ll polish it up and send the final version to you before tomorrow.” She paused, a sly gleam entering her gaze. “Now, go crush on Jack Hamilton for a little while.”

  I rolled my eyes as I stood up. “I can enjoy the view.”

  Chapter Seven

  McKenna

  I zipped up my coat as I walked down the sidewalk, careful to step around the few icy patches. February in Fireweed Harbor was usually the coldest time of winter. In another month, the cold weather would ease up. We couldn’t count on spring until April or May, but we got glimpses of warmer days. I loved the contrast of winter and enjoyed how pretty the landscape was.

  I breathed in the crisp, icy air. My pulse picked up when I turned onto the street where Jack was meeting me, and I mentally insisted it was only because of my brisk pace.

  A black truck was parked ahead, and I watched as Jack stepped out. I managed a shallow breath and ignored my racing pulse. He rounded his truck and waited on the sidewalk for me. My hormones stood and clapped, letting out a raucous cheer at the sight of Jack with his dark hair and impossibly blue eyes. Stopping before him, my gaze traced along his angled cheekbones and strong, square jaw.

  He dipped his chin. “Good afternoon.” His lips kicked up at one corner.

  My belly spun, executing a happy little flip. “Hi,” I squeaked.

  “Thanks for taking the time to show me the house. I feel like I’m asking you to do extra.”

  “Not at all,” I insisted. “I usually cover for Sandy when she’s out.”

  “The houses all look the same, like you said,” Jack said as he turned to face them.

  Our property management company owned properties all over Fireweed Harbor and other areas in Alaska. These homes were mini Cape-style homes. They each had one dormer upstairs and two windows downstairs, flanking a central door and cute front porches.

  Our property management business was a small part of the corporation. Fireweed Industries was initially just a winery, a little passion project of our grandmother’s. That had expanded into a brewery, a restaurant, and more. Once money began to flow, our earlier generation invested wisely, taking advantage of the oil boom in Alaska. Those investments had been the springboard for the business to become a multinational corporation, one of the largest hailed from Alaska. We had our headquarters in Seattle for years, but when my eldest brother Rhys took over fully as CEO, he decided to bring us back home to Fireweed Harbor. With the internet, we didn’t need to be in a major city anymore to run the business.

  We were all glad to be back in Fireweed Harbor. Recently, we’d invested heavily in shifting from fossil fuel projects to renewable energy resources. Our long-term plan was already beginning to pay off, thanks to the vision of Rhys and our cousin Archer.

  I ran public relations for the entire corporation. I loved my job.

  “Do I get my pick?” Jack quipped as his gaze scanned the houses.

  I pointed at the one on the very end. “That’s the only one available.” It happened to be where Rhys and Haven lived for a while before they finished building their new home. With a toddler, they definitely needed more space than these small houses offered.

  Jack glanced down, his eyes crinkling with his smile. Tingles radiated outward through me.

  “Follow me.” We walked up the steps, and I punched in the code on the keypad.

  Jack held the door for me, and I told myself I didn’t need to swoon over him being polite. We stepped inside, and I ordered my hormones to chill out. They weren’t listening, but I tried. I swung an arm around the space. “Here it is.”

  I gestured around the living room area downstairs with light-colored hardwood flooring and tall windows. “There’s even a fireplace.” Jack’s low laughter sent a sizzle of heat zipping up my spine. “There’s the kitchen. No table but a counter with stools. That staircase takes you to a small loft area. There’s a single bedroom with a nice en suite bathroom upstairs.” He nodded along as my words tumbled out in a nervous rush. “There’s a half bath and laundry through there.” I paused to take a breath. I was just ridiculous, getting all worked up over showing a rental. “Go ahead and walk around.”

  He strolled around the downstairs while I refused to look at him. My hormones were going insane. They were raising a ruckus and making me hot all over.

  I rested my hips against the counter and checked my email on my phone. I needed something to distract me. A few minutes later, I heard Jack come downstairs. He walked into the downstairs bathroom. I was pointlessly trying to read a spreadsheet on my phone and didn’t hear him come out.

  I jumped when he said, “I’m in.”

  My hand flew to my chest, an unwelcome sense of fear racing through me. I turned quickly.

  Jack’s brows arched up. “Definitely didn’t mean to startle you.”

  I nodded, my heart pounding in an unsteady beat as my brain tried to convince my body there was nothing to freak out about. “Uh, what do you think?”

  “I think I’ll take it,” he said dryly. “That was a foregone conclusion, honestly. I need a place, and this is perfect.”

  “Are you sure? Do you need to know the rent or anything?”

  “You’re not gonna rip me off, are you?” he teased.

  My cheeks felt hot as I shook my head.

  “I just have one request.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Can I see the back porch?”

  Chapter Eight

  Jack

  McKenna’s gray eyes blinked up at me. “The porch?” Before I could even reply, she shook her head as if to herself. “Of course.”

  She slipped past me, her arm brushing mine. That glancing touch sent a little jolt of electricity radiating outward. McKenna had an unsettling effect on me, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  Of course, she was beautiful. I still recalled the first time I’d seen her. Stepping out of my room on the ferry, I’d unintentionally opened the door right into her face. Even in the jumble of that moment, she’d been stunning. Just as she was now.

  “There!” She swung the door open, and the crisp winter air gusted inside in a little swirl.

  Reflexively, I reached above her, opening the door wider and gesturing her through. “Go ahead.”

  After a beat of hesitation, she sidled past me. She carried a sweet scent, barely there with a hint of vanilla. I wanted to step closer and breathe her in. I followed her out onto the back deck. Just like the rest of the house, it was cute.

  The small covered porch offered a view of the mountains and the harbor. There were two matching chairs and snow-covered flower boxes.

  McKenna wrapped her arms around her waist, looking out toward the harbor. I wanted to step closer and slide my arms around her. My reaction to her was unexpected. Rather than dissipating, it was like an engine revving louder and faster.

  “It sure is pretty here,” I offered.

  Her eyes slid to mine. Her cheeks were a little pink from the cold. “It is.”

  “Do you ever get tired of the view?”

  She shook her head quickly. “Never.”

  “Have you always lived here?”

  “I was born and grew up here, but then I went away for college. Until about two years ago, we had our headquarters in Seattle.”

  Our conversation was mundane, with nothing remarkable about it at all. Yet the entire time I looked at her, it felt as if sparks shimmered in the air. Chemistry sparked like a live wire between us.

  In spite of that, I could also feel her reaction to it. She might as well have been waving a stop sign. I understood that all too well. She shivered, tightening her arms around her waist. That galvanized me.

  “Let’s go back inside.” I reached for the doorknob, and it didn’t move. “It’s locked.”

  McKenna let out a huff. “It has an automatic lock. I always forget.” She reached into her pocket before rolling her eyes. “I left the keys inside in my purse. The front door has a keypad. I’ll go around front.”

  I glanced at the snow piled up around the edges of the porch. Just as I was about to offer to go around front myself, McKenna jumped off the steps into the snow.

  I immediately followed. She glanced over her shoulder. “Are you worried about me in the snow? I can handle some snow. I grew up here.” She threw one arm in an arc. “I love snow! I can totally deal with it.”

  “Okay, Miss I-can-totally-deal-with-it, I can too. But I can’t wait on the porch while you walk through the snow by yourself.”

  With another glance back, she rolled her eyes. “It’s barely above my knees.” Her voice drifted over her shoulder as she turned forward again.

  I chuckled. “Barely above your knees,” I muttered as I eyed the snow that was easily halfway up her thighs.

  Her throaty laughter sizzled like a bolt of lightning in my system. Fuck me. This woman had tapped deep into a vein of need.

  When she rounded the front corner of the house, her footsteps faltered, and she stumbled, letting out what sounded like a painful yelp.

  I clambered through the snow to her side. “Are you okay?” I reflexively reached to steady her.

  She drew in a breath through her teeth. “There’s a stupid boulder here. It’s decorative.” She looked up at me. “I forgot it was here.”

  I glanced down to see that her jeans were torn where she scraped her knee, enough that a little blood was in the snow.

  I wasn’t even thinking when I stepped closer and lifted her into my arms.

  “What are you doing?” Her eyes were wide when I glanced down.

  “You’re bleeding.” As if that explained everything.

  “I can walk,” she insisted.

  “Your jeans are torn, your knee is bleeding, and we’re almost to the front of the house.”

  “Well, don’t you—” She began just when my knee collided with the very boulder in question that had already left its mark on her.

  “Fuck!” I stepped around it, ignoring the sharp pain.

  I started to take another step when McKenna began with, “There’s another —”

  My other leg ran into a hard rock, and we fell together. I cushioned her fall by rolling quickly. Seconds later, she sat on my lap in the snow. Her surprise shifted from giggling to full-on belly laughs.

  McKenna’s laugh was infectious. Moments later, we stared at each other as we tried to catch our breaths. Her laughter petered out, punctuated by a hiccup.

  “Wow,” she finally said. “That’s what you get for trying to be chivalrous.”

  “I’d do it all over.” I was completely serious. McKenna laughing in my arms as we sat after falling in the snow felt incredibly good.

  We were both dusted with snow. I finally noticed the cold underneath me. McKenna was warm in contrast. My body revved its engine at the feel of her soft curves. She looked at me again. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips parted, and her tongue darted out to swipe across her bottom lip.

  The urge to kiss her was fierce. As we stared at each other, I had no idea how much time passed. For that moment, it was just McKenna and me on a crisp, snowy day, tangled up in the snow. Her gaze sobered, and her lashes swept down.

  “I want to kiss you, McKenna.” My voice was a gruff whisper.

  The soft curves of her breasts pressed against me with the motion of her breath. Her eyes closed again. I didn’t know much about her, just a sketch of the outlines of her life, but I sensed a deep cynicism, almost as if a door was closed in a shadowy space. When she opened her eyes again, all the lingering laughter had disappeared.