He’d have asked Ryder to help Emma, but his cane made it difficult for him to carry things. As Wyatt turned away, he noticed Andy come out from behind the building. When Emma cast a relieved smile at him, her whole face lit.
More proof that something warmer lived beneath her polite shell of a personality. For the second time, he wondered about Andy and Emma’s relationship. Body language proved they were closer than the average employer-employee relationship.
“Gentlemen?” Mari called from the inn’s front door, where she’d been waiting while Wyatt had been daydreaming. Great, he’d already become distracted. In the past, he’d liked having a casual affair during training and competitions because sex relieved stress. Most of the time he’d hooked up with one of the women on the tour, like boardercross champ Jessie Taylor. Together they’d relieved a lot of stress.
He’d texted Jessie a few weeks ago about his plans to be an hour from her hometown thinking maybe something, or someone, familiar might settle his mind.
Now he regretted the impulsive move. Maybe their schedules conflicted. He didn’t need to revisit that time of his life, and he had no real interest in any ongoing relationship with Jessie. Luckily she hadn’t committed to a visit. Tough as celibacy might be, this time he intended to find less gossip-worthy ways of relieving tension.
The echo of Emma’s laughter as she followed Andy through a back door tickled Wyatt’s subconscious even as he chose to shove aside his curiosity.
The straps of her recyclable grocery bags had practically gouged Emma’s forearms. Wyatt’s training diet called for bulky whole foods and specialty items, none of which were lightweight or cheap.
Andy whistled while helping her unload the mountain of food she’d just purchased. She watched him move around the kitchen in his loose-fitting jeans and flannel shirt. As usual, his wavy, sandy-colored hair hung around his pleasant face, brushing just above his puppy-dog, light brown eyes. Handsome in an unassuming way, looking a bit like the actor Alex Pettyfer.
Even before he’d come to work for her, Andy had been in the periphery of her life forever. Reliable, friendly, casually protective. Exactly the type of guy she should—did—want one day. A man who’d be content with the little things as opposed to the kind who always thought something better lay just around the corner. The kind who just waltzed in and grabbed a girl from behind without asking.
She hadn’t expected that, no sir, even if some little part of her had secretly loved eliciting it. Even if Wyatt’s nearness had made her deliciously lightheaded for two or three seconds. Of course, that carefree feeling was exactly the kind of thing that got people like her dad into trouble—that caused them to hurt and disappoint each other. Emma never ever wanted to hurt or disappoint anyone.
“Good God, Emma, there’s enough steel cut oatmeal here to feed the whole town.” Andy hefted another canister onto the pantry shelf.
“Wyatt’s nutritionist ordered an iron-rich diet, which is why I also bought all this spinach.” She held two containers of organic spinach in the air and glanced at the other two on the counter. This diet would go a long way to supporting the continued enhancement of Wyatt’s already lean, muscular build. Her mind latched onto the memory of the firmness of his washboard abs beneath her fingers and lips. A lovely prickling sensation swept along the backs of her arms and up her neck. She cleared her throat. “And high protein, so we have lots of beans, seeds, and nuts.”
Andy studied the array of foods as he continued helping Emma unpack. “Do me a favor and keep track of the meals you plan. I wouldn’t mind getting in shape.”
He frowned, pinching at his waist, which made her giggle because Andy already boasted a fit, rangy body.
“Planning on trying skiing competition now?” Emma cocked her head. She knew Andy missed being a ski instructor. He’d made a huge mistake last winter by driving drunk. Worse, he’d struck his sister’s boyfriend on his way home. Fortunately, Grey’s knee injury continued to be mending well. But Andy had lost his job because of the felony charge. A year from now, if he completed his probation period without incident, the felony charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor. At that point, he might be able to get his old job on the mountain back.
Unfortunately, judgments were harsh and memories long in small towns like Sterling Canyon. She’d hated watching Andy be ostracized last spring and gladly offered him her support. Truth be told, getting his help around the inn had made her days a little more fun. She’d miss him when he left at the end of his probation, although she’d be glad to see the stain of his mistake fade.