“Miranda,” he growled.
Her mind zinged to find a way to redirect the conversation. “So what kind of after-school rec center did Bea have in mind?”
A muscle beside his eye twitched. “Stop changing the subject every time the night we spent together comes up.”
“Shhh!” she hissed, and the next table looked over with curious expressions.
He leaned in, his teeth clearly gritting together. “It’s time we get a few things straight about that night.”
“Not now.” She leaned in too and dropped her voice. “Not here.”
A muscle in his strong jaw tensed. “Fine. But we will talk about it later.”
Jamie walked up wearing an apron, grabbed an empty chair from the next table, and turned it around to straddle it. His arms propped on the chair back.
“What are you doing here, Jamie?” Miranda nearly choked at the sight of her intelligent little brother wearing one of the aprons that Joe gave to his dishwashers.
“Joe gave me a job here, thanks to your boyfriend.” Jamie gave Talmadge a knuckle bump.
Miranda’s blood started to sing like a boiling teakettle.
“He’s not my boyfriend, and you’re too smart to wash dishes.” She spoke to Jamie but stared at Talmadge.
“He wanted to work.” Talmadge shrugged. “It’s an admirable quality, so I helped him get a job.”
“Not as a dishwasher,” she said through gritted teeth. She’d worked too hard to give Jamie the opportunity she never had. She wasn’t about to see it wasted over a sink of soapy water.
“Joe’s renting me one of his apartments too.” Jamie pointed overhead to the three loft apartments located directly above the bar. “I already moved my clothes, so I’ll be out of your hair.”
“You’re not in my hair, Jamie. You need to stay with me. It’ll save money, and you won’t have to work.” How could he . . . how could they? Her anger rising, she leveled a hot glare at one and then the other. She wasn’t sure which one she was more pissed at.
Talmadge lowered his voice so only she and Jamie could hear. “Let him be a man and earn his way, Miranda. You know as well as anyone that Joe is a good person to work for.”
That was beside the point. She hadn’t just been a sister to Jamie. She’d been more like a mother. Jamie should have come to her before making a decision like getting a job washing dishes. Talmadge already had way too much control over Miranda’s future. Now he was usurping her authority to control Jamie’s too?
Over her dead, sexually frustrated body.
“You look pretty tonight, sis.” Jamie tried to lighten the mood by using his I’ve-screwed-up-so-now-I’m-going-to-suck-up tone.
“Okay, what do you want?” Miranda asked with a raised brow. “Just my approval to work a job so far below your IQ level that it doesn’t even register, or is there something else?”
“What? Can’t I pay my big sister a compliment?” He feigned insult.
“You’re just trying to get on my good side.”
“You have a good side?”
Talmadge snorted.
“You two make a cute couple,” Jamie said.
“We’re not a couple, Jamie, now get lost. We’ll talk about you working here in private.” She shot a searing glare at Talmadge.
“You look like a couple. Everybody in town thinks so.” Jamie drummed the chair back.
And this time, Talmadge didn’t try to correct Jamie’s misunderstanding of their relationship. Talmadge just crossed his arms over his chest, leaned back casually against the booth seat, and took in the freak show.
“Stop talking, Jamie, before I stab you with my fork,” Miranda ground out.
“Okay, okay.” Jamie held up both palms. “Jeez, loosen up. Good thing you have a boyfriend now. Maybe you can work off some of that tension and testiness.”
A smile slid onto Talmadge’s lips, and her ears started to ring.
Miranda picked up her fork and held it like a weapon.
Jamie scooted his chair closer to Talmadge. “I talked to Mom this morning. She mentioned your affair.”
Affair? The ringing got louder.
“I tried to do damage control, but Mom keeps wailing about how all your troubles are over now that you’ve found a rich guy.”
Miranda’s eyes slid shut. When her grip tightened around the fork, Jamie scooted all the way over to Talmadge’s side of the table. “Just thought I should warn you. You know how Mom is. Plus, I’m just sayin’ that her latest round of rants about you are an improvement.”
Miranda pinched the bridge of her nose.
He spoke to Talmadge. “Mom decided Miranda must be a lesbian when she turned twenty-eight and still hadn’t shown an interest in any of the men around here.”
Something shifted in Talmadge’s eyes and they turned a darker shade of blue-gray. Then they caressed over her face.
“I’m going to kill you in your sleep.” She gave her little brother a sweet smile.
Jamie returned it with a mischievous look. “Now see, you’re proving Mom right. This kind of attitude is why she thinks you can’t find a boyfriend.” His gaze shifted to Talmadge. “Until now.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She tried to keep her voice low and her anger in check. “And I do not need nor do I want a man.” Her hand gripped the fork so tight her knuckles turned white.
Jamie nodded toward Miranda but still spoke to Talmadge. “Precisely the reason Mom thought she was a lesbian.”
“Go. Away.”
Jamie stood. “That’s the thanks I get for giving you the heads-up about Mom?”
“I haven’t stabbed you yet. That’s thanks enough.” Then her smile softened at her kid brother and she tugged him down to ruffle his hair. “Okay, now go away.”
“Hey!” Jamie complained. “I’m not eight.”
“See ya around, buddy.” Talmadge held up his fists again for another fist bump.
The waitress delivered their drinks. Miranda’s was wrong. Before she could ask for water instead of beer, the waitress was flagged by another table that wanted to complain about their food order.
“Jamie’s a good kid,” Talmadge said.
“Jamie should’ve come to me. I could’ve helped him decide what kind of job to get.”
“He’s old enough to make his own decisions.” Talmadge wasn’t backing down. “And sometimes a young guy wants advice from another guy.” His voice softened and slid over her like the damned butterscotch she loved so much. “That’s a good thing, Miranda. It means he’s trying to stand on his own two feet, like his big sister. If you keep clipping his wings, he’ll never fly.”
Well. Dang. Her throat grew all thick as she thought about how good Jamie had turned out in spite of their upbringing. And now he didn’t need her much anymore. He wanted guidance from someone else. A man. A strong, successful man like Talmadge.
A man who had swooped into town and managed to strip just about everything from her that mattered. Her independence as a business owner, her independence as a woman, her independence as a mother figure to Jamie.
She fought off the sting in her eyes. Because Talmadge wasn’t doing any of those things to hurt her. He was doing them to help. It would be so much easier if she had a reason to hate him. Instead, everything he did stole another piece of her heart until she was afraid there would be none left by the time he left Red River.
“He’s a hard worker.” Talmadge hesitated, studied her for a second. “Like you.”
Her cheeks heated. “When you grow up poor you have two choices. You can either stay poor, or try to work your way out of it.”
Talmadge took a pull from his frosty mug. “How come you didn’t go to college? You were smart enough. You skipped a grade, right? And you were always on the honor roll.”
Miranda blinked. “You remember that?”
“I do.”
Talmadge had acted as though she didn’t exist in high school. She didn’t think he even knew her name back then.
“I did take some business classes.” She stopped. Didn’t know if she should continue. A scar on the lacquered table became incredibly fascinating.
“So what happened?”
“I quit because I wanted to finish raising Jamie. He needed me.”
Talmadge frowned, and Miranda understood why. The pride Bea had carried for her grandson’s accomplishments glowed in her aging voice every time she and Miranda spoke. His grandparents probably would’ve moved heaven and earth to see him finish college.
At that moment, overwhelming loss nearly suffocated Miranda. Her old friend was gone, Talmadge would soon leave, and Jamie was on his way out too.
“Is that why you stayed in Red River?” Talmadge asked.
She nodded, drawing in a weighted breath. “As soon as I could move out on my own I did. No way was I leaving Jamie behind. He was just a kid.”
Talmadge’s expression blanked.
Miranda doubted he could understand the world she grew up in. Even though his grandparents hadn’t been wealthy, they’d done well enough to keep food in the pantry. And Miranda would bet the lights always worked when Talmadge flipped a switch.
“At least here in Red River I had a steady job and an inexpensive apartment over Lorenda’s garage. I didn’t have legal custody or the money to hire an attorney to try to get it. Staying here was easier. By the time he started college, I’d become friends with Bea and she kept bringing up the inn.” Miranda followed a deep scar in the table with her thumbnail. “I figured I had Joe and Lorenda and Lorenda’s entire family as friends, so staying in Red River was my best option.”
“My father was difficult too.” Talmadge’s eyes dulled with sadness. “I was lucky to have my grandparents after my parents were killed.”
He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. The warmth spread up her arm and wrapped around her heart because it felt so . . . safe.
“I’m sorry you didn’t have the same.” He caressed the top of her hand with a callused thumb, and the contrast of his roughened fingers against hers made her skin prickle. “But I’m glad you and Bea had each other the last few years. Every week when I called her she’d talk about you. Your friendship meant a lot to her.”
Miranda swallowed. Stared down at his large, rugged hand engulfing hers. “She was like a mom to me. Encouraged me to do the things I never thought I could do, like becoming my own boss. Becoming a business owner. I owed her a lot.”
“I owe you, Miranda. For watching out for Bea the last few years.” He stared down at their hands, too. “I should’ve come home more after my grandfather died. I regret it.”
Ah, guilt was a strong motivator. No doubt it was the reason he was still here in Red River helping Miranda. God knew he had more important things to do than stay in this little town that must seem like a joke after the life he’d lived.
He hesitated. “I have other regrets too.” His lips parted like he wanted to say something. His expression was troubled. But nothing came out and he kept staring at their hands, caressing the back of hers with his thumb. His muscled thighs slid against hers. His strokes made a quiver start right where they were touching and travel up both legs to settle in between. Finally he nodded. “I want to give something back to Red River that would make Bea proud. Both the inn and the gazebo would’ve made her happy, I think.”
He said it like he meant it from the depths of his soul. But the look on his face wasn’t all that convincing. That private pain was back, like he was harboring a Pandora’s box of secrets, and no one would ever know why.
Chapter Fourteen
At the far end of Joe’s long bar, Talmadge stood behind Felix Daniels, the reporter from the Red River Record, while Miranda fielded questions. Joe’s was still packed, but Talmadge and Joe didn’t let anyone close enough to hear so Miranda wouldn’t feel so scrutinized. The interview was for her sake.
He’d cost his family something precious once, and the memory would haunt him forever. And he’d taken something precious from Miranda seven years ago because he didn’t know it was her first time until it was too late, and he’d felt guilty over it for years. He could never repair the damage he’d caused his family. God knows he’d tried through his career. But he could give this small gift to Miranda, have her back while she came into her own as a business owner and a respected leader in the community.
But afterward he had to get her alone and find out why the hell she’d lied to him about drinking all those years ago, and he had to do it without kissing the sense out of her.
He wasn’t entirely sure he had enough willpower left to accomplish that, because every time she’d wrapped her lips around her fork, or laughed that deep, sexy laugh when someone stopped by their table to say hi, he’d pictured her naked with nothing on but a dimpled smile. A hole had formed in his chest, because he wondered what it would be like to wake up with her tangled in his sheets every morning. The hole had formed into a crater by the end of their meal because of the warmth and friendliness between her and Joe’s patrons—people she’d served since she was fifteen.
Felix, a jovial man with a white Santa Claus beard, pink cheeks, and curly white hair that was stark against a black beret, leaned an elbow against the bar and faced Miranda. He recorded the interview with a thumb hooked underneath one side of his black suspenders.
At first, Miranda’s uncertain gaze darted over Felix’s shoulder to Talmadge before she answered, and he gave her a subtle nod and warm smile each time. Before the interview started, he’d told her to speak from the heart. He’d learned early in his career that if he spoke about the reasons his environmentally friendly designs meant so much to him, how they would affect a community, the nation, and eventually the world, that true passion would shine through and win the audience. Precisely why he’d gotten quasi-famous. The camera loved him because he was sincere and believed in what he did for a living.
So after the first few questions, she’d sat a little taller, spoke with more confidence, and instead of giving Talmadge an uncertain look like she wanted his approval or encouragement, she’d glanced at him with pride.
“Talmadge, can you join Miranda and tell us about your plans for the gazebo?” Felix asked over his shoulder.
“No, sir.” Talmadge crossed his arms over his chest. “The chairperson can answer all of your questions.”
She threw an appreciative glance at him, but their gazes locked. He loved the glint of determination that made the amber flecks in her eyes dance every time she looked at him. Every time she smiled his pants grew a little tighter, and his breaths became more labored.
Spending all evening with her in that short skirt, her nice legs and silky leggings brushing against him, and the soft sweater that dipped just enough in front to hint at what he was missing—and the boots. They weren’t high-heeled boots that said, “Take me with nothing else on except the boots.” The heels were low, and the leather was a little scuffed and worn, but in a way that made them look richer with age, simple and elegant, just like her.
Yeah, spending all evening with her dressed like that might have been a tad too ambitious.
Felix asked her another question, and her dimpled smile stole Talmadge’s breath as she did exactly what he’d told her to do—she spoke from the heart, became the heart of Red River and all that it stood for. She spoke of community, friendship, hardworking folks that a person could count on.
All the things Talmadge had tried to forget. Had left behind. All the things missing in his life.
When the interview was done, Felix clicked off a few pictures of Miranda and Joe together. “This will run in Monday’s paper.”
“Could you run a story on each fundraiser as they happen?” asked Miranda. “I’ll send you our schedule, and I’ll be at every one.”
Smart. Talmadge smiled. Free public relations and advertising for the project, and it would probably prompt more donations.
Felix scratched his beard and adjusted his beret. “Will do, Miss Miranda.”
&
nbsp; “Thanks, Felix. You’ll be by the inn next week with the camera crew to start filming the renovations?” Talmadge asked.
“Will do that too.” They shook hands. Felix gathered up his recorder and camera and lumbered off to find a table.
With the dinner hour over, Joe cranked the C-and-W music and the dance floor filled.
Miranda grabbed her purse and slung it over a shoulder.
Talmadge eased onto the barstool that Felix had just vacated. “You did great. You’re a natural.”
Her hair was up in one of those knots with just enough messiness to look sexy. Loose pieces framed her face and hung in soft ringlets around her neck. She gave him a smile that slayed him on the spot.
“Thanks. You were right. I thought of what the inn means to me, and Bea, and . . .”
She pulled her lip between her teeth, her gaze gliding over his face. For a second he hoped she was going to say that she thought of what he meant to her. The thought surprised him, and he tried to control his quickening breaths.
“And well, I just thought of how lucky I am to have a chance to do something with my life. Not everybody gets a chance like that.” Her eyes still wandered over him, landing on his mouth. “Thank you.”
He tried not to notice how the weight of the purse made her winter-white sweater dip even further in front. Tried not to notice how sweet the swell of her breasts looked. He’d seen them once, seven years ago. They were spectacular, and he wanted to see them again. Touch them. Taste them.
And for a moment, they just stared at each other. Her plump lips parted. Her cheeks pinked.
His pants got tighter.
“Hey.” Cooper Wells and Doc Holloway, Red River’s chiropractor and medical doctor, interrupted the moment. “You’re looking pretty comfortable with that shoulder,” Coop said.
Talmadge nodded. “It’s much better. I’m doing the exercises several times a day. Thanks, Coop.”
“Great fundraiser,” Doc Holloway said to Miranda, then turned to Talmadge. “We’re heading over to my place for a guys’ poker night while our wives are having a girls’ night out.” He pointed to a booth against the right wall of Joe’s where Angelique, Ella Wells, and Lorenda occupied a booth. “Want to join in?”
It's In His Smile (A Red River Valley Novel Book 3) Page 17
