Page 35 of Axel

He jumped reflexively when he heard the voice at his elbow.

“Bert.” Tearing his eyes away from the couple, he turned to greet the owner of the hardware store and the man his mother was friendly with. “How are you?”

Bert cleared his throat and gazed across Axel’s shoulder, his stance undeniably nervous. “Your mother said she told you- uhm- I just want you to know that I would never do anything to hurt her…”

“Oh, I believe you won’t.” There was just enough steel in Axel’s voice to have Bert’s eyes flying to his. “Or you have me to answer to.”

“Of course.” Bert bobbed his head quickly. “Your mom is a beautiful woman and a kind one too. I would rather cut my arm off than do anything to cause her pain.”

“Which one?”

“What?” Bert blinked at him in confusion.

“Which arm?” Axel kept his face straight even though he was amused at the intensity on the man’s angular face. He liked the owner of the hardware and had known him since he was a boy.

“Uhm…,” the older man shifted from one foot to the next and tugged at his thick brown sweater. “That’s a joke, right?”

“Is it?”

“I…”

“Stop giving the man such a hard time.” Cathy chided, sliding a hand through her brother’s arm. “Of course he is joking.” She smiled at a very relieved Bert. “Mom sent me over to rescue you and she also said you should join her on the dance floor.”

Bert’s eyes darted to Axel as if seeking his permission. With a nod of his head, he sent the man on his way.

“Is it any wonder, we are reluctant to introduce you to anyone?”

“I was just messing with him.”

“You were doing it deliberately.” Lifting her head, she studied his handsome face. If her mother had not dispatched her posthaste to intervene on Bert’s behalf, she would have come over anyway. She had noticed the way he was watching Ellie and how the girl was avoiding him, which told her without a doubt that there was something there.

“Tom seems to be taken with our visitor.”

Trying to keep his face expressionless, he shrugged as if he was unconcerned. “He should not get too attached. A woman like her would never settle for someone living in a small town.”

“You know her that well?”

“I know the type.” He was trying his best to contain himself and not to look as if he wanted to march over there and tear her from the man’s arms. They were on the dance floor and making a spectacle of themselves.

Damn her! They had spent the night and morning together and now she was pretending as if she wanted nothing to do with him. And why the hell did he care anyway? She was free to do whatever she pleased.

“Why don’t you ask her to dance?”

Jerking his head towards his sister, he frowned at her as if just realizing that she was there.

“I would rather ask you to dance.” His careless smile came as he guided her towards where the other couples were gyrating to the lively music.

“I am your sister,” she pointed out. “And Gregory is waiting in the shadows for me.” She shot him an accusatory look as they swayed to the music. “He is afraid of you.”

“The way you are behaving, it’s as if I am sprouting horns.” He chided her mildly. “Relax, I like your guy. He seems like a decent type. Hardworking and sincere.”

“And yet within minutes of meeting him, you told him that if he hurt a hair on my head, you would break his arms and then his legs.” She glowered at him, and he returned the look mildly.

“Just looking out for you.”

“For a man who tends to keep his personal life to himself, you have no qualms about dabbling in ours.”

“I am an open book.”