the snowmobiles before he climbed on in front of him. The snow kicked up in a swirl behind them when Garrett drove off behind Gage.
***
“Hand me that wrench,” Garrett said.
Garrett felt the cool metal of the wrench in his outstretched palm. He glanced up at Nick whose bright blue eyes, so similar to Delia’s, were watching avidly. They were seated against the wall on opposite sides of the propane heater they were installing. Garrett handed the wrench Gage had just put in his hand to Nick. “Okay, now we need to tighten the fittings.” He pointed to the two fittings. “Hold the wrench like this,” he paused and put it in place in Nick’s hands. “Let it do the work for you.” He watched while Nick started to turn the wrench. He lost his grip for a moment, but tightened his hand and gradually circled the wrench.
When the wrench stopped turning, Nick looked up, a question in his eyes. Garrett reached over and gave the wrench a firm push. “Perfect. Now do the same thing on the next one.”
While Nick carefully finished, Garrett thought back to what Marley had shared about Nick’s absent father—namely that he’d never been involved in Nick’s life in any way. Cold anger knotted in his chest whenever he thought about what that meant for Delia and Nick. She’d gotten by on her own. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if she didn’t have the support of her father. Delia stood out in so many ways for him, but the fact she was a parent was yet another factor that should have given him pause. But it didn’t. The only answer to the puzzle of why was because it was Delia. In the usual course of events, he kept his life emotionally uncluttered. But then, he’d yet to encounter a woman who pulled so strong and hard on his emotions that he could hardly think straight.
He found his heart softening in every interaction with Nick and his mind envisioning how he could provide the support to Delia that she’d never had. He’d like to tell himself it was just money, but that was the least of it. For crying out loud, he pictured himself teaching Nick everything from how to install a heater to practicing his pitches with him. Dude, you don’t even know if he plays baseball. So what? I’m sure he plays some sport. Did you forget you don’t even live here? You have a whole life in another state.
Garrett caught himself about to shake his head at his internal dialogue and sighed. He knew he had to deal with his life soon, but he was finding it harder and harder to think about being too far away from Delia. Without an ounce of guile, she’d slipped through the cracks in his defenses when he hadn’t even known he had them. He forced his attention to the moment when Nick said his name.
“Yup, looks good. Let me check it.” Garrett reached over and gave the wrench a good turn and handed it back to Nick. “Usually Gage does the honors, but why don’t you turn it on and give it a test run?”
Gage caught Garrett’s eyes and grinned. He’d busied himself replacing the caulk around the two small windows in the hut. By the end of the month, all of these warming huts would have brand new highly efficient propane heaters and would be snug and comfy for skiers who got too cold or injured and needed to wait for the emergency team.
Nick scrambled out from behind the heater. Garrett pushed himself up and stepped over to the bench to sit down. Nick stood stock still in front of the heater, his eyes darting back and forth. He finally looked over at Garrett. “Which button do I push?”
“The big green one.”
Nick turned back to the heater and slowly pushed his finger against the green button. “It works!” he exclaimed as the heater started to hum. He held his hands in front of the vent. “It’s warm!”
Gage chuckled and stepped away from the window to kneel beside Nick. “You helped make it work. Good job.” He held his hand up for a high five. Nick slapped Gage’s hand enthusiastically and
***
“Hand me that wrench,” Garrett said.
Garrett felt the cool metal of the wrench in his outstretched palm. He glanced up at Nick whose bright blue eyes, so similar to Delia’s, were watching avidly. They were seated against the wall on opposite sides of the propane heater they were installing. Garrett handed the wrench Gage had just put in his hand to Nick. “Okay, now we need to tighten the fittings.” He pointed to the two fittings. “Hold the wrench like this,” he paused and put it in place in Nick’s hands. “Let it do the work for you.” He watched while Nick started to turn the wrench. He lost his grip for a moment, but tightened his hand and gradually circled the wrench.
When the wrench stopped turning, Nick looked up, a question in his eyes. Garrett reached over and gave the wrench a firm push. “Perfect. Now do the same thing on the next one.”
While Nick carefully finished, Garrett thought back to what Marley had shared about Nick’s absent father—namely that he’d never been involved in Nick’s life in any way. Cold anger knotted in his chest whenever he thought about what that meant for Delia and Nick. She’d gotten by on her own. He couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if she didn’t have the support of her father. Delia stood out in so many ways for him, but the fact she was a parent was yet another factor that should have given him pause. But it didn’t. The only answer to the puzzle of why was because it was Delia. In the usual course of events, he kept his life emotionally uncluttered. But then, he’d yet to encounter a woman who pulled so strong and hard on his emotions that he could hardly think straight.
He found his heart softening in every interaction with Nick and his mind envisioning how he could provide the support to Delia that she’d never had. He’d like to tell himself it was just money, but that was the least of it. For crying out loud, he pictured himself teaching Nick everything from how to install a heater to practicing his pitches with him. Dude, you don’t even know if he plays baseball. So what? I’m sure he plays some sport. Did you forget you don’t even live here? You have a whole life in another state.
Garrett caught himself about to shake his head at his internal dialogue and sighed. He knew he had to deal with his life soon, but he was finding it harder and harder to think about being too far away from Delia. Without an ounce of guile, she’d slipped through the cracks in his defenses when he hadn’t even known he had them. He forced his attention to the moment when Nick said his name.
“Yup, looks good. Let me check it.” Garrett reached over and gave the wrench a good turn and handed it back to Nick. “Usually Gage does the honors, but why don’t you turn it on and give it a test run?”
Gage caught Garrett’s eyes and grinned. He’d busied himself replacing the caulk around the two small windows in the hut. By the end of the month, all of these warming huts would have brand new highly efficient propane heaters and would be snug and comfy for skiers who got too cold or injured and needed to wait for the emergency team.
Nick scrambled out from behind the heater. Garrett pushed himself up and stepped over to the bench to sit down. Nick stood stock still in front of the heater, his eyes darting back and forth. He finally looked over at Garrett. “Which button do I push?”
“The big green one.”
Nick turned back to the heater and slowly pushed his finger against the green button. “It works!” he exclaimed as the heater started to hum. He held his hands in front of the vent. “It’s warm!”
Gage chuckled and stepped away from the window to kneel beside Nick. “You helped make it work. Good job.” He held his hand up for a high five. Nick slapped Gage’s hand enthusiastically and
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