“If there is any way that we could help you with this, all you have to do is ask,” Delinda said.
She means that.
She wants to be part of this.
Over coffee that she poured for them, Nicolette told her grandmother and Tadeas about how the community was like one big family. “I didn’t come here for the right reasons, but I’m staying because I want good things to happen for this town.” She told Delinda about Paisley, Bruce, Tera, the Nelsons, and Lily. “Being here is changing the way I look at myself. Lily says happiness is a point of view, and that’s what I’m discovering here.”
“Lily sounds like a wise woman,” Delinda said.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Lily said from inside the kitchen. “But I make the best ice cream you’ll ever taste.”
Tadeas rose to introduce himself, as did Delinda. “I would love to try it.”
“Help yourself,” Lily said to the king. “The bowls are over there. The spoons are near the freezer. I don’t have any waitstaff, so if you want some, you just go get some.”
Delinda and Tadeas exchanged a look. Tadeas said, “It would be my pleasure.”
After he’d walked away, Lily winked at Delinda. “Now that’s a keeper.”
Delinda smiled. “Yes, he is. Would you care to join us?”
Lily fixed her hair. “Oh, I don’t know. I’d hate to intrude.”
“No intrusion at all,” Delinda said graciously. “My granddaughter speaks highly of you.”
“Maybe just for a moment.”
Tadeas returned with two bowls of ice cream and came back with two more. He didn’t look at all bothered to be serving the ladies. When he took his first bite, though, he lit up. “This—this is heaven. I have traveled the world, and I have never had any ice cream compare.”
Nicolette snapped a photo of the wonder on his face as he took a second spoonful. Ice cream so good, it’s fit for a king. Not a bad tagline.
He held out another spoonful to Delinda. She blushed and ate it from his spoon. “Absolutely delicious.”
Seeing them together like that—not formal at all, just a loving couple—warmed Nicolette’s heart. She remembered how natural it had felt with Bryant. “I’m so glad you found each other. Makes me think love is really possible,” Nicolette blurted out.
“You’ll find someone, Nicolette,” Delinda said.
A group of schoolchildren walked in. Lily excused herself to go greet them.
“I have met someone.” She was just now starting to believe it herself. “His name is—”
“Bryant Taunton,” Delinda and Tadeas said in unison.
Delinda didn’t look bothered by the name. “Yes.” Not wanting to ruin the mood, Nicolette chose her words carefully. “I heard you spoke to him.” There had to be a gentle way to tell her grandmother to leave him alone.
“More like he spoke to me,” Delinda said and shared another smile with Tadeas. “I like him.”
“You do?” Okay, who is this, and where is my grandmother?
“I do.”
“Has your father met him?” Delinda asked.
Nicolette blushed straight down to her shoes. “Briefly.”
Delinda gave Nicolette’s hand another pat. “I heard Dereck is staying at the same bed-and-breakfast as you. Is there room for us as well?”
Since when does she ask?
Nicolette looked down at her messages. “I never answered Paisley. She said Bryant was asking if there’s a room available for him.”
Delinda’s chin rose, but her tone sounded kind as she said, “If there isn’t enough room for all of us, Tadeas and I will find other lodging.”
In that moment, Nicolette glimpsed something in her grandmother that reminded her of herself. She’s afraid I don’t want her, and like me, when she gets scared, she pulls away. OMG, I am like her. “No, Grandmother, I want you to stay at Paisley’s. Both of you.”
Delinda frowned. “Then what’s the problem?”
“What do I tell her about Bryant? I do want to see him again, but having him and Dad and you all in the same house might be—complicated.”
“If you’re not sharing a room, I’m sure it would be fine.”
That wasn’t sarcastic. She’s actually being nice. “Wait, did you just say you’d be okay with it?”
Delinda’s smile was strained, but it was there. “I would make myself okay with it, because I love you and want to be part of your life.”
“I want that, too.” Nicolette rose to her feet, crossed over, and hugged Delinda again. “I don’t know about Dad, though.”
“If Bryant is important to you, he’ll deal with it,” Delinda said.
Nicolette looked down at her phone. She could tell Bryant that now wasn’t a good time, but she’d already pushed him away. How many times could she do that before he listened and stayed away? Her life was already littered with casualties of that exact cycle.
Bryant knew her father was staying at Paisley’s, and he still wanted to go there.
I can second-guess his reasons, or I can believe in him . . . and me.
She texted Paisley that not only was Bryant welcome to stay at the house, but that her grandmother and King Tadeas would also like—“One room or two?”
Delinda’s cheeks flushed.
King Tadeas smiled.
Talk about awkward. Her father would have a stroke for sure.
This is not okay—yet.
An idea came to Nicolette, and she texted Paisley: Do you have adjoining rooms?
Paisley: Yes, I do.
And just like that, the impossible felt very, very possible.
Chapter Thirteen
Waiting for Paisley to text back was slowly killing Bryant. He’d expected a quick yes. Instead, he’d had time to drive Lon to the factory site. It probably was a good idea to take a second look with someone who wasn’t emotionally involved in the outcome.
Lon admitted the building was in better condition than he’d thought it would be. The price was definitely attractive. The incentives Pat described as they toured had Lon at least seriously considering the possibility.
She left them alone on the site to discuss it on their own after warning that a serious offer had been put in that morning. “We know,” Bryant had wanted to say, but didn’t.
“I don’t hate it,” Lon concluded when they returned to the parking lot. “The proximity to universities is promising as far as a potential workforce. There’s definitely enough land for sale in this area if we decide to expand. I see the lure of the place.”
“I knew it. I know you don’t believe in fate, Lon, but I came here for a reason.”
Another car pulled into the parking lot. Lon looked from it to Bryant. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“What are you talking about?”
When the driver stepped out of the car, Bryant had his answer. Jordan Cohen still looked like someone had poured Shaggy from Scooby-Doo into a suit.
No way he’s Nicolette’s type.
The confident bastard walked right up to where Lon and Bryant were standing and held out his hand. “Jordan Cohen. The office said no agent was available to come out again today, but I’m glad you’re here. I took a preliminary tour, but I want to take a second look at some things. I love the isolation of the area—it’d be perfect for some of our classified projects.”
Lon shook his hand. “Lonsdale Carver. I was hoping to meet you while we’re here.”
“Okay,” Jordan said, looking a little confused. “Why does that name sound familiar to me?”
“We’re not real estate agents.” Bryant shook Jordan’s hand with enough pressure to make the other man wince. “Bryant Taunton.”
Jordan pulled his hand free and shook it. “Bryant? Are you the guy who said he was interested in the factory but really wasn’t? Paisley said something about you. I should thank you. If not for that, I wouldn’t have even thought to look around at what was available in this area.”
“What brought you to Mac
Auley, then?” Bryant asked in a low tone.
Lon said, “Bryant, we should head out.”
“No, I’ve heard a lot about Cohen. I’d like to hear his plans from him.”
Jordan looked back and forth between the two men. “Am I missing something? Am I supposed to know you?”
“I’m a friend of Nicolette’s,” Bryant said coldly.
“Well, then, it’s nice to meet you, friend of Nicolette,” Jordan said, scratching his head. “I’m also a friend of hers. We go back a long way. Her brother Spencer is my best friend.”
“Is that why you’re here? For Nicolette?” Bryant stepped closer.
“That’s why I came,” Jordan said with a shrug; then a funny, goofy smile spread across his face. “I was not expecting to want to stay. I’m making some impulsive decisions right now, but they all feel right, you know what I mean? I don’t even care. For the first time in my life, I think I’m in love—”
Something in Bryant snapped, and his fist connected with Jordan’s nose. Talk about something feeling right . . .
Blood instantly spurted onto Jordan’s upper lip. “What the fuck was that for?” Jordan growled, taking a defensive posture.
Lon intervened and said, “You’re going to have to excuse my friend. He doesn’t usually go around punching people. Don’t press charges. I’m bringing him in for a psych eval as soon as I get him back to New York. There’s definitely something in the water here that is messing with his brain.”
“Stay out of this, Lon. Sometimes a man has to fight for what he wants. You’re too late, Jordan. If you’ve known Nicolette as long as you say you have, you’ve had your chance. You’re not swooping in last-minute, buying this factory, saving this town, winning her heart.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jordan pulled out a tissue from his pocket and wiped the blood from his face. “Nicolette is like a sister to me. Always has been.”
“Then why did you just say you’re in love with her?” Bryant snarled.
“You do need help. I never said that. It’s Paisley I’m interested in. She’s incredible. The only reason I decided to stick around.” He sniffed and pocketed his tissue. “But now I see I might also be here to keep Nicolette safe from crazies.”
Bryant’s anger dissolved. “You’re interested in Paisley?”
Lon shook his head and sighed audibly. “Bryant, I told you this woman was trouble from the first time you mentioned her. You’re one of the most careful people I know. You’re not impulsive. You don’t brawl. I want you to take a hard look at yourself and tell me that this woman is good for you.”
“You’re really not into Nicolette?” Bryant asked.
“Why would I lie?” Jordan threw up his hands. “Okay, because there’s two of you, and you both look like you spend more time in the gym than I do, but I know some ninjitsu shit, and I could take at least one of you.”
Lon ran a hand through his hair. “No one is fighting anyone. This is literally the stupidest thing I’ve ever witnessed. Maybe the two of you could have a dance or . . . type-off . . . or some nerd shit that you guys learned in prep school.”
“You’re right. This is not me,” Bryant admitted. “I shouldn’t have punched you, Jordan.”
“I should have punched you back. If I were writing the scenario into a game, I totally would’ve coded for a punch back.”
“Yeah, just standing there holding your nose is pretty lame. Best counter would have been a roundoff kick.”
“Or an uppercut to the chin and a power boost.” Jordan touched the bridge of his nose gingerly. “You’re big in the robotics field, aren’t you? That’s where I know your name from.”
Bryant nodded. “Everyone has heard of your AI programs. They’re genius. Way ahead of what anyone else in the field is doing.”
“This is so wrong.” Lon looked at the two of them like they were insane. “You’d both be dead where I grew up.”
When his phone beeped with a message from Paisley, Bryant smiled. “Looks like there’s room for me at the bed-and-breakfast, after all.” He looked at Jordan’s swollen nose. “Hope this doesn’t make things awkward.”
“After this, you still think it’s a good idea to stay there?” Lon snorted.
Bryant shrugged. “I like her. What would you both do if you thought you’d met the one?”
“I’d offer to buy a factory to save her town.” Jordan nodded toward the factory behind them.
“Me too,” Bryant said. “I’m in the process of putting in a bid higher than yours.”
“No shit.” Jordan’s smile widened. “Because you thought I was doing it to impress Nicolette?”
“I have more business sense than that,” Bryant countered.
“He was totally trying to one-up you,” Lon interjected.
Jordan scratched at his head. “I really like the property.”
“So do I.”
Jordan glanced around. “It’d be perfect for some of the interactive programs I’m designing.”
“Moving a percentage of our robotics assembly here would provide a large number of jobs for locals.” Bryant wasn’t ready to give up on the idea of investing in the area.
“I would be providing skills that could increase their employability tenfold.”
As I would be. “I would bring stable income to many in the area.”
“Do you want me to get a ruler so you can whip them out and compare?” Lon asked dryly. “Nothing would surprise me anymore. Any moment, I’m expecting the two of you to announce a joint venture. Hug. Buy homes side by side. Carpool your kids to school. Or for me to wake up and realize shit like this doesn’t happen and I’m still in New York in some kind of coma after being slipped something in a drink.”
Bryant and Jordan looked at each other. Bryant said, “AI has a place in the medical field.”
“Oh my fucking God,” Lon said.
Bryant looked down at his phone and texted Paisley that he’d be staying for an extended period of time and wanted to make sure that was okay. Then he nodded to Jordan. “You’ve known Nicolette a long time?”
“Yep,” Jordan said cautiously. Bryant couldn’t blame him; last time, answering with honesty had gotten him punched.
“So you know her father?”
“We’ve recently become more acquainted.”
“Does he come across as an easygoing man or someone who holds a grudge?”
Jordan grimaced.
Before Bryant had much time to reflect on that, his phone beeped with incoming texts. He read both and punched at the sky in victory. “Paisley says she sees no reason why I can’t stay there, and Nicolette wants to meet up before I go to the house.”
“That could be good or bad,” Jordan said.
“It’s good,” Bryant answered. “Things are aligning. That only happens when something is meant to be.”
Lon turned to Jordan. “I’m staying in a hotel in McGregor, but I might switch over as well. I can’t miss how this shit turns out.”
Jordan balanced his hands like scales in the air. “It could go either way. Nicolette’s grandmother is supposed to be arriving today. I might need the address of that hotel you’re considering leaving.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” Bryant gave Lon a shove. “Nicolette is the one for me. You’ll feel the same once you see us together.”
“Is he always that optimistic?” Jordan asked.
“Yes. The pisser is,” Lon said, “things tend to work out for him when he gets like this.”
A dark memory butted in, nipping at Bryant’s confidence. “No one wins every time, but you can’t let your losses define you.”
“I like that,” Jordan said with a nod of approval.
“You would,” Lon said while shaking his head in wonder.
Chapter Fourteen
Nicolette started to feel a little foolish as she waited on a bench in a park about thirty minutes from MacAuley. She’d read about the place while researching the area, and the name had seeme
d fitting.
Determination Park.
Now she saw that there was nothing particularly special about the place. The swings were of the old-fashioned metal-frame type. There was a playground and a plaque dedicating it to a local man who had made the park possible. An article about the man and the park described them both as a testament to how the collective determination of people can overcome hardships.
Its name matched her new philosophy. She and Bryant would work things out, because she finally believed in him, in herself, and that great things happen when a person doesn’t give up.
Lost in her thoughts, Nicolette jumped when Bryant sat down beside her on the bench.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Their gazes met, held, and the air sizzled.
“Thanks for coming all the way out here. I thought it was best for us to meet away from everyone else first.” His gaze slid down her. She was dressed in her normal jeans and T-shirt, but when he looked at her that way, she felt sexy and exposed. Nothing she concealed was still a secret to him. He had kissed every inch of her. Those hands knew her curves. His tongue knew her taste. She swallowed hard.
He looked as if he would kiss her, then held back. “I asked Paisley if I could stay at her bed-and-breakfast.” He watched her reaction closely.
“I know. She told me.”
He leaned closer.
As did she.
“And you’re okay with me there?” His hand rose to caress her cheek.
She closed her eyes briefly, savoring the feel of his touch. It took that little for her body to come alive for him. When she looked at him again, there was a similar fire reflected in his eyes. “I am. There’s something I want to say first, though.”
He traced a thumb over her lips. “Whatever it is, we’ll work it out.”
“How do you know it’s a problem?” she asked barely above a whisper as she fell further under the spell of his touch. The park was flanked by private homes. Children were playing in the distance. What she was imagining doing with him definitely required a different location.
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