by K. C. Crowne
“Short staffed today?” I asked.
“You bet we are. Our hostess and one of our waitresses called out sick,” she groaned, rushing past me to the counter. She dropped off three plates of pancakes and eggs to a few older patrons, and then ran back to the kitchen again.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets and waited in line like everyone else. The door to the diner opened, and a voice piped up from behind me.
“Two minutes, my ass,” the woman from the parking lot muttered. “Luckily someone else left, or I’d still be out in the sweltering heat waiting on you.”
“I didn’t know it’d be this busy,” I said, shrugging. “I just need to take care of some business with the owner.”
“You didn’t know the most popular diner in all of Liberty would be packed on a Sunday morning? Right before church?” the woman asked. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
I turned to face her, and even though she was easily a foot shorter than me, she stood tall and put on her best intimidating look. I had to admit, if I’d been a lesser man, it might have made me take a step or two back.
Her fierce sultry eyes met mine with a heat that was both terrifying and sexy as hell.
I knew I had to back off.
Not because I was afraid of the little lady, but because the more we bickered, the more attractive she became.
And shit, I had no intention of dating anyone in this town.
I had bigger concerns today. Getting into a petty little argument with a local was the last thing I needed. I needed to get in and out as quickly as possible. So I ignored the woman’s comment and flagged Felicity down as she made another run to the cash register.
“Hey, can I have a second? I need to get going,” I said.
The brunette rolled her eyes, getting hotter by the minute.
Felicity stopped and wiped her hands on her apron. “Sure thing, darling. But I literally only have a second. I’m also the damn chef today.”
Felicity took me to the side, and I explained I was heading out of town.
She thanked me for letting her know but didn’t seem too worried about it and was grateful for Grant stepping in for me.
I couldn’t blame her - there was a line out the door and pancakes that needed to be flipped.
I let her go and walked toward the exit. The brunette was still waiting to be seated.
Then I did something I knew was asking for trouble.
I winked at her and gave her a devilish grin as I walked past her and reached the door, all before she could roll her eyes once more.
I pushed the door open and left the diner.
A part of wished I’d gotten her number, but I quickly told that part to shut up. I wasn’t looking for a relationship.
Summer had come to Utah, and it was hotter than a cup of Felicity’s famous coffee.
Okay, so maybe I was a little bit of an ass, making her wait in her air-conditioned, electric-hybrid hippie car, but it wasn’t that serious.
Reaching Alice, on the other hand, was serious.
My insides twisted in knots as I climbed back into my truck and headed toward the airport.
Chapter 2
Leah
God, I need a drink.
“That was intense,” Felicity said as she slid into the booth across from me.
“If you need to reschedule, we can meet later,” I said.
“No, Allison came in to work the front, and John’s in back now. It’s all good,” she said, glancing around the diner, which was still packed with guests.
Smothered in Love Diner was Felicity’s baby. After studying at some of the top cooking schools in the country, it was hard to believe she’d wanted to return home to Liberty, Utah, but that’s exactly what she did. Her diner had even been talked about in major publications and featured on some Travel channel show once-upon-a-time. A hidden gem, as they called it, tucked away in the mountains in a small town in Utah. Her specialty wasn’t even breakfast, yet the place was packed from the moment the doors opened until late into the evening. Felicity was almost always there, working hard and making sure her guests felt like they were dining in a Michelin star restaurant. Maybe one day she’d get her own star, not that she needed it.
“Alright, so here’s the final count for the gala,” I said, passing my notes to her. “Is this something we can work with?”
“Of course,” Felicity said, not even flinching at the number on the paper. “I’ve trained a new chef, Marlena, and she’s ready to help out.”
This would be my biggest charity gala to date, and I knew Felicity was a wonder woman, but I didn’t want to put her under any stress. She was doing me a favor, donating her time, employees, and ingredients to the cause. Her family had always had money, so I knew it wasn’t a big deal for her, but it still felt huge to me.
Too huge, if you asked me.
“I’ll cover the cost of the food—”
“Like hell you are,” Felicity said, chuckling. “I’m donating my time and services. Everything comes with it. Deal with it, sweetie.”
I bit my lip. I knew it would be a very expensive endeavor, but Felicity was stubborn as an ox.
“I’ll find some way to repay you,” I said.
“Sugar, you don’t have to do that,” Felicity said. “This is charity. All your energy should go toward helping those kids.”
“You have no idea how much this means to me,” I said, a lump forming in my throat.
Felicity reached across and took my hands in hers. Her blue eyes were bright and full of life, and even though she was covered in sweat, she was still one of the prettiest women I’d known. With silky, natural blonde hair that never seemed to frizz, even on the most humid of days, she was one of those girls you wanted to hate so badly in high school but couldn’t because she was just too damn nice.
“I have an idea,” she said. “I loved Caroline too.”
Caroline was my baby sister, five years my junior. Even with the age difference, we had been very close. I always felt the need to look out for her because she was smaller and weaker than most kids her age. When she got sick, my big sister instincts had gone into high gear - and when she died, well, I was utterly devastated.
“Hard to believe she’d be twenty-one this year, huh?” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes. “Wonder what she’d be doing if she was still here.”
“Probably being a ballerina-doctor-animal rescuer, just as she always said she’d be,” Felicity added with a sweet smile. Her eyes were wet with tears as well. “Because God knows, she did whatever the hell she wanted.”
“You can say that again,” I laughed, wiping at my eyes. I hated crying in public, so I composed myself as quickly as possible, focusing on the task at hand. “I’ve also included food preferences and allergens in my list. Hopefully that helps you prepare the menu.”
Felicity nodded. “It’s perfect. I already have an idea what I’m going to do, I just need to make a few adjustments for those with restrictions, but that shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Great,” I said. “I should probably let you get back to work—”
“Hey, before you leave, I had a quick question,” Felicity said, her eyes falling to the table. From the looks of it, she wasn’t looking forward to whatever she was about to ask.
“Go for it,” I said.
Before she could open her mouth, my best friend, Piper, called out my name from the entrance to the diner. Both Felicity and I turned toward her, and Piper rushed over to us with a gleeful grin on her adorable face.
Piper and I had known each other longer than I had known Felicity. While Felicity’s family initially sent her to private school throughout elementary and middle school, Piper and I both attended the local public school since kindergarten. We’d known each other from the first day of kindergarten, and our friendship only grew stronger over the years.
Piper hugged both Felicity and me, and Felicity invited her to join us.
“Good thing you’re here, I wanted to tal
k to both of you about something,” she said. She looked at me with a strange look on her face. “Have either of you been approached by a developer looking to buy your property?”
I glanced at Piper, who was shaking her head. She’d recently gotten a haircut, a cute little pixie that was fitting for her petite features and delicate bone structure. Her hair, like mine, was brown, but where mine was almost black, hers was more red. Like autumn leaves, I used to say.
“No, not at all,” she said, her green eyes wide with disbelief. “Have you, Leah?”
“No, thankfully not. Hopefully they’re smart enough to not approach me,” I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “My family has owned that property for generations. There’s no way I’m selling.”
“Me neither,” Piper said softly. “I mean, my family hasn’t owned the property for as long as you have, but you know what I mean. Liberty is my home.”
Felicity nodded. “I agree. I told them I have no intention of selling.”
Not that I had any doubt, but it was a relief to hear that. Maybe the developer would take the hint and get lost.
“What does anyone want in Liberty anyway? Not like we’re a booming tourist trap or anything,” I said.
“I don’t know, probably some hipsters looking to move in and ruin this place too,” Felicity said dryly. “I just wanted to let you girls know what was happening.”
“I appreciate it,” I said.
“Me too,” Piper said. “It’s not like I’m making a killing with the daycare, but I couldn’t imagine closing down.”
Piper and I were similar in one regard - we both loved children. Caroline’s death impacted us in different ways, and it sent Piper into the world of Early Childhood Education, while I focused more heavily on taking over the family business and giving to organizations that would help find cures for childhood cancers, like the one that took my sister.
“My bed and breakfast ain’t raking in the dough either,” I said. “But there’s no way I’m closing. You can count on that.”
“I didn’t think either of you would, but us local businesswomen have to stick together,” Felicity said.
“Damn straight,” I said. Piper nodded in agreement.
“Speaking of sticking together, what’s your beef with the new guy in town?” Felicity asked, a coy smile playing on her lips. “I saw the two of you bickering earlier.”
Piper raised an eyebrow. “You? Bickering with someone? I can hardly believe it,” she said with a sarcastic chuckle.
“Hush,” I said, laughing along with her. “He’s just an asshole. He took up two parking spots in your lot when there’s hardly enough parking as it is.”
“I mean, the spots are kinda small,” Piper quipped.
There wasn’t really any room for a truck his size to park in the lot. Most of the men who drove pickup trucks walked to the diner or parked down the street. But this new guy probably didn’t know that just yet. He probably lived further out of town too, since hardly anyone saw him.
“Still, he was an ass about it,” I said, shrugging. “I needed to get in here to meet with Felicity and didn’t want to be late.”
“Even though I was late,” Felicity laughed.
“I didn’t know that at the time,” I said, chuckling. “But yeah, point taken.”
“Are you agreeing that maybe you were a bit too hasty?” Felicity asked.
“Not at all,” I said. “I don’t know the guy. Hell, no one really does.”
“Sadie said he killed someone,” Piper said, almost too casually.
I cocked my eyebrows and looked at Felicity. Owning a diner meant she usually knew the town gossip, especially since Sadie was often found in one of her booths. She was an older woman, long since retired and widowed. No family, no hobbies except putting her nose in everyone’s business. Most of the time her rumors had a grain of truth, even if they were grossly exaggerated.
“You hanging out with a murderer, Felicity?” I asked.
“We’re not hanging out,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “He’s doing some work for me, building some cabinets. That’s all.”
“Good. You better keep your distance,” I said. “Even if he’s not a killer, he’s still a dick.”
Felicity chuckled. “I don’t think you have to worry about me. He had eyes for you, Leah.”
“No way,” I argued.
“I mean, he is pretty handsome. You could do worse,” Felicity added. “And it has been a whole year since—”
I covered my ears and made a sound, playfully blocking out Felicity’s words. I knew she would bring Jason up eventually. Jason was my ex; we’d been together for about two years before I found him in bed with another woman. I hadn’t had the desire to date since we’d split up.
“Fine, ignore me all you want,” Felicity said once I uncovered my ears. “But let’s face it, the handsome new stranger was totally checking you out, and you could do worse, you know.”
“Worse than a potential murderer? Jeez, thanks, Felicity,” I teased.
She shook her head and looked at Piper, “Is she always this stubborn?”
“Oh yeah,” Piper said. “And you haven’t even seen the worst of it yet.”
The two of them laughed, and I couldn’t help it - I giggled a bit too. I mean, they were right. I was hard-headed, but there was a reason for that. It was easier that way. Besides, I didn’t have a lot of time to date with keeping the hotel in tip-top shape. Maybe one day, I told myself. One day when I’d find a man who wasn’t a complete piece of shit.
Allison, the young waitress Felicity had called in the cover the front of the restaurant, called out, “Felicity, they need you in the back.”
“Alright, back to work,” Felicity said with a groan. She was still smiling though, and we all knew she loved her job. She got up from the booth and headed for the back.
My mind wandered back to the handsome stranger.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Piper said cheerfully.
“Oh, I was just thinking about—” I couldn’t think of a proper lie, so my cheeks flushed and I stared down at my hands.
“That handsome, mysterious new guy in town?” Piper giggled.
“No,” I stammered. I could tell my best friend didn’t believe me. “Fine, yes, he’s kind of attractive. A little scruffier than I like ‘em, but—”
“Well, he’s a true mountain man. What do you expect?”
It was hard to imagine the new guy as a true mountain man because he wasn’t from around here, but Piper was right. Wherever he was from must have been similar. He just had that vibe about him and his physique surely fit the bill. He was nearly six-and-a-half feet tall and his broad chest was a wall of solid muscle that tapered down to a slim waist before continuing on to deliciously thick thighs. His dark blonde hair and scruffy beard were what I called “practiced shaggy” and his keen blue eyes took in everything around him with a hint of suspicion.
“Did Sadie mention where he’s from?” I asked. “I’m just curious.”
Piper shrugged. “No, but I can ask.” She gave me a coy smile. “Or maybe you should ask him yourself.”
“No, that’s not necessary,” I grumbled, my cheeks burning bright red.
What was it about him that drove me wild? There were plenty attractive men in Liberty. Okay, maybe not plenty, but there were a few. Local men too. Men whose families had known mine and who I could trust. I didn’t know the first thing about this guy - I didn’t even know his name. I could ask Felicity or Piper, but I resisted. I didn’t want them thinking I was interested in him.
Was it his shaggy, dark blonde hair and baby blue eyes? Oh, those eyes… I thought about the way he looked at me when we were outside. It had been hard to stay composed, but I managed. I’d meant it when I said he was scruffier than I usually liked them. He needed to shave. The beard made him look homeless. Even if he kept it, he needed to clean it up a bit, allow me to see his face - not that I needed to see more of him, I told myself. Because he wa
s a dick.
“You’re still thinking about him, aren’t ya?” Piper giggled.
“Just thinking about what an ass he is,” I lied. Truth be told, I’d already forgiven him for that little bit. Not that I’d admit it to myself, and especially not to anyone else.
After being cheated on, you learned to put your guard up - to not trust just any good-looking man who came your way. I didn’t know the first thing about this man, and from the looks of it, he wanted it to stay that way. He had his secrets, and secrets rarely made good bed partners.
I looked at my watch and made up an excuse about needing to get back to work. I was the boss and didn’t have to get back to the hotel at any specific time - especially since I’d allocated an hour for the meeting and it was much easier and shorter than I’d expected. Still, Piper didn’t know that.
“I’ll see you later, sweetie,” she said giving me a firm hug. “Stay out of trouble.”
The last part was a joke. I always stayed out of trouble, because I did everything by the book. While Piper had the sweet, innocent girl act down, out of all of us, I was the most straight-edged of the bunch. Rarely went out. Didn’t really party much, besides the occasional charity event. Didn’t drink much. I threw myself into my work and my causes, trying to make my baby sister proud of me.
And, of course, my parents too. But they were proud of me no matter what I did, since I took over the family business. My dad had run the place for decades, but he had no clue what he was doing and nearly ran the place into the ground. They left it to me and my brother, Grant, to clean up the mess. I was doing all I could, and mostly succeeding. At least we were getting by.
Most of the time.
Chapter 3
Kellen
I had no idea what her name was. We’d barely said two words to one another, yet here she was, pressed against the side of my truck with my mouth pressed against hers. Her breasts fit perfectly into my hands, and I squeezed them gently as she fumbled for my belt.
