“You want to grab a drink?” Troy asked her.

  “I’d love to, but there’s nowhere to do that here, and it’s snowing too hard to go elsewhere.”

  “What do you guys do for fun in situations like that?”

  “Uh, well… You want to come back to my brother’s house for a drink? I can’t promise there won’t be random Colemans underfoot there, though.”

  “Sure, lead the way.”

  “We have to go slow. Even though I grew up in this, driving in the snow still freaks me out, especially after Izzy’s accident.”

  “No worries. I’m not looking to drive off any mountains tonight either.”

  “Yeah, let’s not do that.”

  As she got into her car, she had to tell herself to calm the hell down and stop acting the fool over a handsome man who was paying attention to her. It wasn’t as if that’d never happened before, but she liked this one. He was smart and funny and obviously well loved by people she liked and respected.

  That Cameron, Lucy and Emma considered him such a good friend helped to cut out a lot of the uncertainty that came from meeting a new guy and trying to discover the truth about him. So many of them were self-absorbed jerks, and usually by the time she saw their true colors, she’d started to get hopeful that this one might be different.

  They were all the same.

  Except, she thought, some of the men in her family, such as Grayson and Noah, who was now happily in love with Brianna, and thank goodness for that. They’d sort of lost Noah for a few years when he went off the grid after the split from his ex-wife. Having him back, laughing and smiling, was such a relief.

  Vanessa drove more slowly than she had in years, inching her way across town to Noah’s, aware of Troy following her in a Mercedes SUV. Izzy’s accident had scared the crap out of her and the rest of their family and had given them all new respect for the dangers of driving in the mountains this time of year. It was easy to become complacent about the risks of ice and snow, but Izzy’s near miss had been a reminder to all of them to proceed with caution.

  She pulled up outside of Noah’s and parked to make room for Troy behind her. Nervous butterflies flittered about in her belly as she met up with him outside the cars and led the way into her brother’s house, where only a light on the second floor was illuminated. She hoped that meant everyone else had gone to bed already.

  Ally was working from home at Noah’s for a marketing firm in Boston, and Henry had been talking about going back to Boston, so they might have already left in a car they’d planned to rent to get back to the city. Noah and Brianna spent most nights at her place since they had it to themselves.

  Vanessa turned on a light in the mudroom.

  Troy came in behind her, removing boots and hanging his coat next to hers. “I can’t believe how much colder it is up here than it is in the city.”

  “You’d think I’d be used to it by now. You’d be wrong. I’ve always hated being cold.”

  “That must’ve been tough growing up with such long winters.”

  “It was.” Keeping the woodstove going at home had been a constant thing from October to May every year, with everyone involved in the splitting and hauling of wood. She hadn’t thought about that in a long time. She opened the cabinet where Noah and others had stashed various kinds of alcohol in recent weeks. “We have vodka, bourbon and red wine,” she said.

  “I’ll do a little bit of bourbon.”

  “That sounds good to me, too.” She poured them each a cocktail glass and led the way into Noah’s living room, where someone had stoked the woodstove. “Ah, warmth.”

  “Feels good.” He sat next to her on the sofa in front of the stove. “So your brother lives here?”

  “He keeps his clothes here mostly these days. He’s all but living with Brianna in a house she rents in town. They’re working together to rebuild the Butler Inn. That’s how they met.”

  “I was checking that out earlier when I stopped by the store to see Cam and Lucy. It looks great.”

  “It’s coming along. I know he’s relieved to have gotten the exterior finished before the serious cold set in. They’re working on the inside now—with heat.”

  “I’m too much of a flatlander, as the girls call me, to work outside in the winter, especially up here.”

  “I couldn’t do it. No way. I’m not sure how I ended up with such thin blood growing up in the mountains, but there you have it.”

  “Is that why you don’t ski? You hate the cold?”

  “That’s one reason. I also just suck at that and ice skating. I have crappy balance—and I hate the cold.”

  His low chuckle sent a tingle of sensation down her spine, which was odd because most of the time, men didn’t affect her that way. Or any way, for that matter. She’d yet to meet one who wasn’t like all the others, just looking to get laid and willing to do the minimal amount of work to reach that goal.

  “Let me ask you something, Troy Kennedy.”

  “Yes, Vanessa Coleman?”

  “What’s your game? What’re you looking for? What do you see happening here?”

  “Uh, well, that’s direct,” he said with a nervous-sounding laugh.

  “I’m thirty-two years old. There’s nothing I haven’t seen when it comes to guys and dating and all the bullshit that goes along with it. So I guess I believe in cutting to the chase to save us both a lot of time.”

  “It’s an interesting approach.” He put his glass on the coffee table and turned to face her. “Do you want to know the first thing I thought when I saw you at Izzy’s?”

  “Um, well, I guess so.”

  Smiling, he said, “My very first thought was, ‘She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.’”

  “Oh, shut up. That is not true.”

  “Swear to God. No bullshit, no lines, no lies. That was my very first thought.”

  “If you say so,” Vanessa replied, her heart racing at the intense way he looked at her.

  “I say so.”

  “So what does that mean?”

  “I don’t know yet. Do you?”

  “No! I just met you today!”

  “Would you maybe be interested in getting to know me better?”

  As she eyed his ridiculously handsome face, Vanessa wanted things she hadn’t allowed herself to want in a very long time. “Maybe.”

  “Hmmm, that’s not a definitive yes.”

  “No, it isn’t. I’ve learned to be skeptical when things seem too good to be true.”

  “Ouch,” he said, laughing.

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to wound your fragile ego.”

  “It’s okay,” he said, his eyes alight with amusement. “I can take it. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

  “Hold that thought.” Vanessa got up, went into the kitchen, wrote down the phone number at Noah’s and returned to the sofa. She handed him the slip of paper. “Call me tomorrow around two, and I’ll let you know.”

  Troy took the paper, folded it in half and stashed it in his shirt pocket. “Hopefully, it’ll be safe there,” he said, patting his chest over the pocket. “I’d hate to lose that.”

  Vanessa rolled her eyes at him. “I’m sure you could hunt down Noah Coleman’s phone number if you were dumb enough to lose that.”

  “I see I have my work cut out to convince you I’m not full of bullshit.”

  “Yes, you do, and I’m sorry. It’s not your fault that I need to be convinced, but alas, here we are.”

  “I get it. I’ve been on the receiving end of some bullshit myself. It gets old after a while.”

  “It does. I’m sick of it. So sick of it that the idea of remaining single for the rest of my life is looking really good to me at this point.”

  “That’d be a crying shame—and that’s not a line. I swear.”

  “You’re very charming. I’ll give you that. And you have good references as the friend of people I like and respect.”

  “I love those girls like they’re my sisters, and Simone is my niece.”

  “Do you have sisters of your own?”

  He shook his head. “Two brothers, but the three of them are my sisters. I miss them all so much since they left the city.”

  “That must’ve sucked.”

  “It really did, even though I was super happy for each of them. Will, Colton and Grayson are all good guys, and they’ve become my friends, too.”

  “They’re the best. Any woman would be lucky to be with any of my brothers and cousins.”

  “So it seems. I joke that there’s something in the water up here. First Cam comes to build a website for the store and meets Will after she crashed into Fred the moose.”

  Vanessa laughed, remembering Cam’s auspicious arrival in Butler. “She will forever be known as the girl who hit Fred.”

  “I’d been on the phone with her right before it happened. Scared me so bad when I heard about the accident.”

  “Luckily, Fred forgave her, and they’re great friends now.”

  “Very true, and we talk about her friendship with a full-grown bull moose as if that’s not the weirdest thing ever.”

  “You have to know Fred to get why it’s not weird.”

  “So I’m told. He came strolling into Cam and Will’s wedding reception like an invited guest.”

  “That was epic.”

  “How did I miss seeing you there?”

  “Not sure.”

  “Are you sure you were there? I would’ve remembered you.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Huh, well, I must’ve been busy dancing with Simone and missed you.”

  That sparked a memory for Vanessa. “I remember you dancing with her. I remember thinking you two were very cute together.”

  “I love her so much. True confession?”

  “Sure.”

  “For a while, I sort of entertained the idea of something with Emma, and part of the reason why that was so appealing to me was because I’d get to be with Simone every day, too.”

  “That puts some extra points in your column.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yep. That’s the kind of honesty I find refreshing. Most guys never would’ve admitted to liking someone else, because they’d think that would hurt their chances with the flavor of the month.”

  He raised a brow, which only made him sexier. “Did you just refer to yourself as the flavor of the month?”

  “Metaphorically speaking, of course.”

  “Of course. You’re very witty, Vanessa Coleman.”

  “That comes from holding my own with seven siblings and ten close first cousins. It was a madhouse around here.”

  “That sounds kinda fun, actually.”

  “It was, for the most part. After my dad left, it was rough for the Colemans. My aunt, uncle and grandparents stepped up for us where they could, but nothing was ever really the same after that.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Almost twelve.”

  “Old enough to remember before and after.”

  “Yes.” She glanced at him, uncertain of how much she wanted to share. But what the hell? She might never see him again after this week. “I started having a significant challenge with anxiety after he left. It’s something I still grapple with, although medication helps.”

  “I’m really sorry you went through that and are still dealing with it to this day.”

  “That which doesn’t kill you, right?”

  “Yeah, but some things… They just shouldn’t happen.”

  “No, they shouldn’t. So, what’s your baggage, other than your best friends falling in love with Vermonters and leaving you to fend for yourself in the big city?”

  “That’s not enough?”

  “Nope.”

  “I lost one of my brothers to a drug overdose eight years ago. That was rough.”

  “Oh God, Troy. I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks. It was an awful thing from start to finish, and I felt guilty after he died because at least I didn’t have to dread him overdosing anymore, you know?”

  “I understand what you mean. That dread must’ve been so hard to live with.”

  “It was awful. Debilitating at times. I almost flunked out of my third year of law school after my brother died, but a professor I’d gotten to know went to bat for me. Only because of him was I able to get through that year.”

  “What was his name? Your brother?”

  “Michael.”

  “And he was older than you?”

  “Yeah, three years older.”

  “Were you close?”

  “Growing up, the three of us were inseparable. Our other brother, Logan, was between us in age.”

  “And you’re still close to him?”

  “More than ever after we lost Michael.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He lives in Seattle and works for Microsoft. He’s a computer whiz kid. Has been for as long as I can remember.”

  “Where did you guys grow up?”

  “Stamford, Connecticut.”

  “That’s Yankees territory, right?”

  “Damned straight.”

  “Ew. I knew you were too good to be true.”

  “Spoken like a Red Sox fan.”

  “You know it.”

  “Well, even the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen can still have significant flaws. That’s good to know.”

  Vanessa used a couch pillow to smack him in the chest.

  He dodged the pillow, which caused her to lose her balance. Troy steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. For an endless moment, they stared at each other, during which something electric zinged between them, an attraction she’d rarely experienced for any man.

  He released her. “I, ah, should probably go.”

  Oddly disappointed that he was leaving, Vanessa got up to walk him out. At the door to the mudroom, he stopped her. “Stay in here. It’s cold out there.” He kissed her forehead. “Tonight was fun.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow. Two o’clock, right?”

  “Yep.” She stayed in the kitchen while he put on his coat and boots. “Hey, Troy?”

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Drive carefully in the snow.”

  “I will.” He left her with a smile and a wave.

  After he drove off, she locked the doors and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Noah had told her and Ally and their brothers to hang out for as long as they wanted to. Since she had no good reason to get back to Boston, Vanessa had decided to enjoy some time at home and help out where needed with Izzy.

  Cabot was taking good care of her sister, and now Troy had entered the scene.

  She didn’t recall Butler being this exciting when she used to live there. That made her giggle to herself as she brushed her teeth. Calling Butler “exciting” was an oxymoron.

  In bed, she pulled two down comforters over herself and shivered until her body heat kicked in. Thinking about Troy Kennedy helped to warm her. The man was too handsome and too nice and too everything to be believed.

  She really hoped he was as great as he seemed, because she already couldn’t wait to see him again.

  Chapter Eleven

  “If you have made mistakes… there is always another chance for you… you may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘Failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

  —Mary Pickford

  Izzy dreamed of driving off a mountain, sliding into a dark abyss and crashing into some unseen object. The imaginary crash caused her to jolt, which set off a wave of pain that woke her. There was nothing imaginary about the pain, that was for sure. She gritted her teeth, hoping it would subside, but everything hurt.

  She sat up slowly and painfully, taking a minute to catch her breath before putting on a robe and making her way to the kitchen for a painkiller. She’d asked Cabot to keep them there so she’d have to make the effort to take one. The thought of getting addicted to the drugs scared the hell out of her, so she was being very conservative about taking the prescription stuff.

  She poured herself a glass of water and took half a pill, hoping it would be enough to take the edge off so she could get back to sleep. Standing before the kitchen window, she watched the snow come down and estimated at least a foot had already fallen.

  “Hey,” Cabot said when he joined her in the kitchen. “Are you okay?”

  “I had a dream about driving a car off a mountain and woke up in pain.”

  “Normally, I’d tell you that couldn’t happen, but…”

  She turned to smile at him. “Want to know something?”

  He came to her, put his arms around her and drew her carefully into his warm embrace. “I want to know everything.”

  “I never thought a T-shirt and flannel pajama pants were sexy on a man until I saw them on you.”

  His low rumble of laughter filled her with a feeling of happiness and contentment. “I never knew bruises could be so sexy until I saw them on you.”

  “That might be a reach.”

  “I wish you knew how many nights I lay awake wishing I could be with you like this.”

  She held on tighter to him. “Oh, Cabot, why didn’t you call me?”

  “I just couldn’t make myself do it. I was afraid I’d end up hurting you. I still am.”

  “There’ll be times when you’ll hurt me and I’ll hurt you, but I’ll never be cruel to you the way she was. I promise you that.”

  “And I will never be cruel to you either. If she taught me anything, it was what not to do.” He pulled back from her, tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and gave her a gentle kiss.

  She couldn’t wait for her damned lip to heal so there could be more kissing.

  “Let’s get you back to bed.”

  “Will you come with me?”

  “Um, sure, if you want me to.”

  “I do.” She kept ahold of his hand as she walked slowly back to her room, releasing him only when she was seated on the mattress to catch her breath before she made her way into bed. “God, this sucks. When am I going to feel better?”