Love is Lovelier

by Donna Simonetta

  She smiled as she saw the house Cisco and Bethanne had built on the Retreat grounds. It was nestled in the woods, away from the guest cabins, with a view of the Potomac, and their architect had designed a more family-sized version of the main house.

  The Retreat was lovely, but the Cardoso’s house was a home—warm and welcoming. Her eyes widened a fraction, because it was a home with Mick’s rental car parked in front of it.

  Wonderful, apparently even on her day off she couldn’t get a break from the man.

  “Mick is here?” Heather asked.

  Jeff pulled up next to Mick’s sedan and stopped the truck. His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, he had dinner here. Is that a problem?”

  Maggie, bless her, unbuckled her seat belt and answered for Heather as she threw open the door of Jeff’s behemoth of a pick-up truck. “Of course, it’s not a problem! Now be a gentleman and come around to help your very short girlfriend out of your very tall monster truck.”

  As Jeff loped around the front of the truck, Heather murmured, “Thanks.”

  Maggie flashed her a smile. “What are friends for, if they can’t be counted on to provide a diversionary tactic every now and then?”

  ****

  Mick waited in the cozy family room with the baby, while Bethanne and Cisco answered the door. He made a funny face at the tiny bundle in his arms and was rewarded with a gummy smile.

  As soon as Bethanne heard he was the oldest of five kids and pretty experienced in the care and minding of babies, little Cisco’s proud mama passed the infant off like a quarterback handing off the football.

  He looked at the wall of windows in the back of the room to the amazing view of the river below, and sighed with satisfaction. It felt good to be back in this part of the country, with his two oldest friends and their families…and with Heather.

  He really didn’t want to think about the ramifications of those feelings, especially since she ran from him like a deer from a hunter last night after their amazing, world-shaking kiss.

  “Where’s my favorite godson?”

  He smiled when he heard Magda in the front hall, but the voice he heard answering her made the smile fade from his face.

  “He’s your only godson,” Heather teased.

  She froze in the doorway at the sight of him, and her gaze darted around like she was looking for an escape route. At least he wasn’t alone in his confusion about the emotions whirling around the two of them.

  Jeff gave Heather a brotherly shove into the room. “Just for future reference, the entrance is not the best place to stop. You make a better door than a window.”

  “Jeez, Jeff, what are you—ten years old?” Heather rolled her eyes.

  Jeff laughed without concern as he leaned over to chuck the baby under his chin. “Hey, Mick. Hey, little man.”

  Magda was hot on his heels, and bent down to kiss the baby’s soft, chubby cheek. “Hi little godson. Don’t let mean, ole Heather spoil it. You are my favorite godson.” She turned her warm smile to Mick. “You’re a man of hidden talents, Mick Evans. I never would’ve guessed you’d be this comfortable holding a baby.”

  “I’m the oldest of five kids. I’ve had some experience with rug rats.”

  “Wow!” Magda’s eyes grew round. “That’s a big family. Do they all still live in West Virginia?”

  “Yep.”

  Mick knew his answer was clipped, but his family was not a topic he wanted to discuss, unfortunately Maggie didn’t know it, and being short on family herself, she didn’t seem to realize Mick might have issues with his own.

  Maggie pressed on with her questions, “When are you going to visit them, now that you’re back in their neck of the woods?”

  Mick frowned. “I don’t know.”

  He glanced at Heather, who knew he wanted to be part of his family again, but his father and one of his brothers wouldn’t welcome him, and saw sadness and sympathy in her eyes. Damn it all to hell! He hated being the one to make her feel sad. Heather was sunshine: bright sparkling, witty. He didn’t want his gloomy past to infect her good nature. He grew up watching his cheerful mother wilt under his father’s bad temper, and he didn’t want history to repeat itself in his personal life. Mick wasn’t at all sure he was any better than his nasty old man—yet another reason to stay the hell away from Heather. She deserved better than a bad-tempered man in her life.

  ****

  After an interminable dessert, spent watching happy couples, babies, and Heather, the evening was finally winding down.

  “Whaddya say, Heather, ready for Maggie and me to give you a lift home?”

  “I’ll take her home.”

  Mick wasn’t sure whose face looked the most surprised by his blunt offer. Probably his own, although Heather’s wide eyes and dropped jaw left her running a close second. “I’ve got to go into town to pick up some groceries, so I’ll be driving right by her place.”

  His explanation was accepted, and before he knew it, Heather was buckled into his rental car driving into town.

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  He gripped the wheel and kept his eyes on the road. “I wanted the chance to talk to you about last night before our work week begins tomorrow.”

  Heather glanced at him, and then looked out the side window. “About what happened, I may not quite have my Management degree yet, but I know making out with your boss is frowned upon in most business situations.”

  Mick grinned, in spite of himself. “Most?”

  She shrugged. “There have to be some situations where it’s acceptable. Like a mom n’ pop market, where a married couple owns it together, or a brothel.”

  Mick laughed. “Two good possibilities, but we don’t work in either one of those businesses.” One corner of his mouth quirked up. “Unless there’s something about the Retreat’s mission statement I’ve missed.”

  She smiled back at him. “Nope. No hidden house o’ pleasure.”

  He pulled the car into an available parking space on the street in front of the Nosh Pit. “Which is why I think we need to clear the air.”

  She fumbled with her seat belt as she pushed her door open. “I suppose we do, but this is my stop.” She hopped out of the car.

  Damn it, Mick didn’t want to talk either, but they had to, otherwise work would be unbearable. He turned the car off and followed her to the sidewalk, where he lightly caught her by the upper arm to slow down her forward progress. “Heather, hold up.”

  “Evening, folks. Heather, do you need some help here?” The deep voice, with its pleasant southern drawl, was polite, but there was a clear implied warning.

  Mick turned and saw a man approaching them on the sidewalk. His skin was a slightly darker shade than his tan sheriff’s uniform, and his smile held a hint of warning.

  Heather smiled at the newcomer. “Hey, Dan. Thanks, but I’m fine.”

  Not convinced the sheriff narrowed his eyes and asked, “Who’s your friend?”

  She followed the sheriff’s eyes to Mick’s hand on her arm, and they both spoke at once to clear up any misunderstanding.

  “This is Mick Evans, my new boss at the Retreat.”

  “I’m Mick Evan, an old friend of Heather’s from Portland.”

  The sheriff frowned; evidently their conflicting versions of their relationship did not set the sheriff’s mind at ease. “Which one is it?”

  Mick removed his hand from Heather’s arm, which caused the other man to relax his stance a smidgeon, and Mick extended his hand to the sheriff. “Both, actually. I used to play on the Pintos with Jeff and Cisco, now I work at the Retreat.”

  “He’s our new CEO,” Heather added. “Mick, this is Rivers Bend’s sheriff, Dan Monroe.”

  Dan shook Mick’s hand, and flashed bright, white teeth in a grin. “I used to play ball with Jeff too, at Rivers Bend High.” He winked before continuing, “Not quite the same league.”

  “A teammate’s a teammate, no matter where you play,” Mick disagreed with a
smile.

  “If all is well here?” Dan paused, and at Heather’s almost imperceptible nod, he continued, “Then I’ll be on my way.”

  He tipped his broad-brimmed sheriff’s hat at them. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  “Night, Dan.”

  “Good night, Sheriff, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

  Heather rolled her eyes. “You’re so stiff and formal most of the time. Loosen up! We’re on the street in Rivers Bend, not at the spring cotillion.”

  “I’m sorry I like to present myself as a professional and a gentleman.”

  “Mick, you’ve got nothing to prove here. This is the kind of small town where people value loyalty, good friends, honesty. All of which you have in spades. No one here is going to think you’re a rube or a redneck.” She paused and cocked her head. “And even if they do, it’s not necessarily an insult.”

  Mick felt his cheeks burn. Leave it to Heather to remember his youthful confidences, and cut right to the chase.

  This time, she was the one to reach out to grasp his arm, and the reaction in his body was so electric, she might as well be grabbing another body part, which was beginning to stand up in interest to her touch.

  “I’m sorry, Mick; I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just want you to feel at home here, and not worry about how people perceive you.”

  “You know a lot about me, Heather,” his voice was rough. “More than anybody else.”

  “And your secrets are safe with me.”

  He reached up and laid his hand over hers on his arm. “I know, and it’s one of the reasons I value your friendship so much. It’s why I can’t risk it, or my job, for the…well, hell. I don’t even know what to call it. Whatever is going on between us.”

  Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Why don’t we go with calling it ‘attraction’?”

  He would have gone with inferno, wildfire, or atomic blast of lust, but there was no need to scare the woman. “Attraction sounds reasonable. Can we agree for the sake of our friendship, and our work at the Retreat, we’ll ignore our attraction?”

  He wasn’t sure he could ignore the attraction any more than he could ignore a cattle stampede, but it sounded good, and he knew they had to try something.

  Heather pursed her lips, as she considered his suggestion. “We can try. I love my job, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it. And, God help me, Mick Evans, I value your friendship too, and I don’t want to lose it again.”

  They shook on it, and Mick tried to ignore the wave of pleasure even such an innocent touch sent through his body.

  Friends, he reminded himself. They were friends. And friends didn’t get to see each other naked. No matter how much they might want to.

  Chapter 7

  Friends! Why had Heather ever agreed to Mick’s proposal to be friends? They weren’t lovers, and they were more than boss and employee, but they sure as hell weren’t just friends!

  But it was her stupid promise to be friends, which had her tooling down Route 15 with Mick on this lovely spring Saturday, to help him shop for a car, so he could turn in the rental they were currently driving.

  She pointed ahead. “There’s the dealership Jeff recommended. The one where he bought his truck.”

  When they parked and stepped out of the rental car, a salesman who was helping a young family called out to them. “Someone will be with you folks shortly.”

  Mick raised his hand in acknowledgment. “Thanks, we’ll just look around while we wait.”

  Heather put her hands on her hips and looked around. “What were you thinking of getting?”

  Mick stared at a vehicle like it was the Lombardy trophy. “An SUV or a sedan would be sensible.”

  Heather grinned when she saw the car his gaze was riveted on, and teased him. “Yeah, but they wouldn’t be nearly as sweet a ride as that convertible.”

  His answering grin was rueful. “Definitely not sensible, but, oh man it’s a nice ride!” He whistled between his teeth.

  “It’s a beauty.”

  “Yeah, but if I was driving it, everyone would think I was having a midlife crisis. She’s a young man’s car.”

  “She?”

  “Cars are always ‘she.’ ”

  Heather laughed. “I’ll have to take your word for it. What I can tell you, is no one will think you’re having a midlife crisis if you were driving her. Your only crisis might be caused by your view being blocked by the panties getting thrown at you from women in passing cars.”

  “Why, Miss Braden, are you trying to tell me you think I’d look hot driving this car?”

  “Smoking hot,” Heather replied honestly, without thinking, and could’ve bit her tongue off as the words left her mouth.

  “You folks see something you like?”

  Mick’s intense stare incinerated Heather, as he answered the salesman without looking away from her face. “I sure do. But for now, I’d settle for taking this convertible out for a test drive.”

  ****

  Within a couple of hours, the deal on the sports car had been made, the rental car had been returned, and they thundered down Main Street on the way back to the Nosh Pit. The convertible top was down, and Heather looked like she could care less her hair was whipping around in the wind. She tilted her head back to let the sun wash over her face, and hung her hand out of the window, as if it were surfing on a wave of air.

  He grinned at her as he parked in front of her place and cut off the engine.

  She smiled back. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t let me drive Lola.”

  “Lola?”

  She nodded. “I decided it’s her name. Lola was a showgirl in that old song, and this vehicle is flashy enough to headline a show in Las Vegas. But you’re distracting me from my original point. Let me drive Lola, please!”

  He turned to her, and his heart pounded like a boy’s about to ask a girl to his first school dance. “If you agree to do me a favor, I’ll let you drive Lola next weekend.”

  Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Favor? What kind of favor?”

  He cleared his throat. “You know one of the reasons I wanted to come back East was because my baby sister is getting married.”

  “And how does this completely unrelated piece of information lead to me driving Lola?”

  “My sister’s wedding is next weekend.”

  “That’s nice, but I’m still not seeing the connection.”

  For a smart woman, she was being kind of dense; he shifted on his seat. “I was wondering if you’d do me a favor, as a friend,and come with me to West Virginia for the wedding. We’d leave Friday and come back on Sunday, so you wouldn’t have to miss any work or school.” He smiled at her and added as an enticement, “I’d let you drive Lola part of the way.”

  She shook her head once, and he noticed what a snarled mess her hair was; why it was such a turn-on, he didn’t know, maybe because it put a man in mind of how she’d look rolling out of his bed the morning after a night of good loving.

  “I don’t know, Mick, a family wedding seems way more date-like than friend-like.”

  “But it wouldn’t be a date. It will be the first time I’ve seen them since I’ve been back. Hell, Dad and Danny don’t even know I’ve moved, as far as I know, and I could use the support of a friend, and you’re the only one who I can ask.”

  “Now that’s mighty flattering.” She scowled.

  He held up his hands. “That’s not what I meant! There are other women I could get as a date.”

  “That is absolutely not any better. I know you and your dad aren’t close, but didn’t he ever teach you when you’re in a hole, you stop digging? Why don’t you bring Gloria Peterson?”

  He thought of snooty Gloria in his parents’ humble ranch in coal-mining country, and couldn’t hold back the start of a smile.

  Bad idea, based on Heather’s narrowed eyes and frown.

  “If the thought of it makes you so happy, why don’t you take Glo and leave me out of it?�
�

  “I was just smiling at the idea of Gloria in West Virginia. I can’t imagine she even knows mining exists, let alone a family who makes their living working in one. Look I don’t want to go with anyone else. You’re the only woman who knows about my effed up family dynamic, so I just meant you know what you’d be walking into, and I’d like to have you at my back. There’s no one else I want with me.”

  “Knowing about your family situation is precisely why I’m not sure this is a good idea. I mean, how long has it been since you’ve seen them?”

  “My mom, Susan, Billy, and Dave have come out to Portland at least once a year.”

  She raised her eyebrows and prompted, “But…”

  “But I haven’t seen my dad or Danny in years.” He hung his head at the admission.

  “And now you’re suggesting going to a major family function after all this time…with me. Your family will definitely not think we’re just friends.”

  Then they can join the club, because I’m not altogether convinced of it either. “Who cares? Let them think what they want. I told you already. I could really use your support—the support of a friend—this weekend, and no one else knows anything about my family.”

  “No one? Not even Jeff or Cisco?” Her eyes were wide.

  “No, you’re the only one, Heather..”

  She faced forward and flopped back against the leather seat. “Wow. I always thought you meant I was the only woman you talked about them with, not the only person. I’d always assumed the guys knew too. Why me?”

  He also turned to face forward. “I trusted you, and I still do.”

  She snorted, and he was surprised by her derision.

  “You certainly didn’t trust me enough to discuss why you were dumping me back in Portland.”