“Really? You do recall I was there for the hayride and the private bonfire, right?”
Where they’d been completely circumspect, just a host showing a guest around the town.
“And that I’m married to his best friend?”
Caila dropped her head and chuckled softly.
Busted!
“I’ve watched him watch you tonight, and he doesn’t look at you like a man getting ready to say good-bye in two days.”
Caila’s heart twisted. She wasn’t prepared to say good-bye to him, either. “It’s complicated.”
“If I were you, I’d brace myself. It can get uncomplicated pretty damn quick when a man goes after what he wants.” She took a sip of her drink and promptly started coughing.
“Are you okay?” Caila asked, looking around and grabbing a napkin from the closest table.
“No!” Laura took the napkin and handed Caila her drink. “There’s Charlotte Edgerton. She’s been trying to talk me into adding a Himalayan salt grotto to the yoga studio. I need to disappear for a second. I’ll be back.”
Laura hurried away and Caila laughed, totally convinced that was something Lacey would do. She took Laura’s abandoned drink over to the bar and placed it on the tray with the other empty, discarded glasses. She was wiping her fingers on a napkin when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see the redhead from the bake sale.
Caila searched her memory. “Blair, right?”
“Hi. I just wanted to come over and apologize for what happened at the bake sale. I felt so bad after you left.”
“Thanks.” Caila shook her head slightly. “But you didn’t do anything.”
Blair’s chin trembled and her fair skin burned. “I know. And that’s the problem. I should’ve spoken up. Holly’s been bad-talking you because the mayor has been spending time with you. I tried to tell her it’s his job, but she wouldn’t listen.”
Holly might’ve been hostile, but the woman wasn’t stupid.
Caila placed a hand on the other woman’s arm. “I appreciate you coming over to say hello. Your apology wasn’t necessary.”
Blair’s relief was evident in her smile. “Enjoy your evening.” She walked away, then turned back and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but don’t let Holly, or any other bad seeds, cloud your opinion of Bradleton. It’s a great town. My husband and I are among those who didn’t grow up here. We moved to town about ten years ago and we love it. People care about each other here. They work hard, and there’s a sense of community that’s truly wonderful. I hope you take that into consideration.”
She waved and headed off to join a group of people seated at a table.
Caila stared after her, dazed. When she’d first come to Bradleton, she hadn’t been excited about her assignment or what it would require her to do, but she’d planned to do it in her typical efficient and exemplary manner. It was the only way she’d keep her job and get the promotion she deserved.
But now, looking around her and seeing all of the people here, knowing they’d all be affected by what she’d been asked to do . . .
The enormity of that burden weighed heavily on her shoulders.
“The band finally took a break,” Wyatt said, sidling up behind her, his voice low in her ear. “If they played one more song, I don’t think I’d be able to refuse Mrs. Martinez. She may be in her seventies, but she’s grabby.”
She inhaled his clean male scent. Her lashes fluttered and her mouth watered. He smelled divine.
“Do you think they take requests? How about Beyoncé? Drake?”
He laughed as he came around to face her. His hazel eyes warmed as they scanned her from the top of her updo to the tips of her Manolo Blahniks.
“You’re the most beautiful woman in this room.”
Pleasure at his words darted through her.
“I have to keep up with you,” she said.
He would’ve fit in at any Hollywood event in his navy slim-cut suit, white shirt, and brown belt and shoes. He was undeniably gorgeous. Did the man ever look bad? Was it even possible?
“You’ve never had an issue keeping up with me,” he said, his accent sexy and pronounced. “I want to lift that pretty skirt up to your waist, unzip my pants, and slide my cock into your wet pussy.”
Said pussy quivered, and that familiar thick, liquid heat pooled between her thighs. Her lids lowered. “That wouldn’t go over too well.”
She knew they were already garnering quite a bit of attention. Some people pretended to be involved in their own conversations, while others stared outright. She’d convinced him it would be better if they arrived separately and she’d done her best to keep her distance. He hadn’t made it easy, always appearing just within her periphery.
“That’s okay. I’ll just think about it until I can do it later.” He moved closer to her, and she felt his hand brush hers where it hung at her side. His pinkie clasped hers. “I can’t believe you’re leaving in two days.”
“I know. It’s going to be hard to say good-bye.”
Wanting to hold her hand, knowing that they couldn’t be seen doing it? Wyatt Bradley wasn’t just a woodworker, he was a demolition expert, too. Because he was single-handedly wrecking the walls she’d built around her heart.
“I was thinking: Do we have to?”
Her mouth fell open. “What do you mean?”
“I certainly didn’t expect this when you first arrived, but I don’t want to say good-bye to you.”
Could he see the sudden spike in her pulse? “I live in Chicago. You live here. You’re going to be governor of Virginia. This can’t work.”
“We don’t know if we never try,” he said, his tone urgent, his gaze determined. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. Ever. But it’s not just about how I feel. Do you want to walk away from me?”
Every fiber of her being rejected that notion in one unanimous urge to heave.
She shuddered. “No, but—”
“Wyatt, hi.” Holly Martin joined them, stunning in a tight black dress that showed off her figure and made her blond ringlets pop.
“Holly,” Wyatt said through clenched teeth, his irritation at the interruption clear.
Holly was either blind to all social cues save those she wanted to see, or she was incapable of deviating from a mission once set.
She wrapped her claws around Wyatt’s elbow. “When the band comes back, would you like to dance?”
Wyatt’s eyes narrowed. “Actually, you can—”
Caila interrupted him. “I’m really thirsty. Can you get me something to drink?”
He glanced at her, his brow furrowed, his aggression immediately melting. “Now?”
“Yes, I’m quite parched.” She smacked her tongue against the roof of her mouth to emphasize her point. “I’ll take a cup of their hot spiced wine.”
Arching a brow, he left to fulfill her request.
Holly curled her bright red lip. “If you think I’m going away, think again.”
Caila frowned at her. “What are you doing?”
“You may have Wyatt fooled, but I know—”
“Hol-ly,” she said, drawing out the syllables in her name, “what are you doing?”
Holly’s head snapped back, and she closed her mouth.
“Wyatt couldn’t have made it any clearer that he isn’t interested in you.”
“We went out—”
“When you first moved to town. I know. I also know that after that date, he never asked you out again.”
“Did he tell you that?” She sneered.
“No, you did. You said so at the football game.”
Holly’s face bloomed with color.
“And in the ten days that I’ve been here, he’s either been with me or Dan, or at work. Not with you.”
“You’re leaving soon.”
“True. And he’s a free agent,” Caila said, though the words nearly caught in her throat. “He can date whomever h
e pleases.”
“Then I’ll have my chance.”
Sympathy for Holly overrode any prior feelings of dislike. “But do you want it? You’re chasing after a man who isn’t interested in you. Even if I’m not here, that won’t change. Don’t you feel like you deserve better?”
Holly’s jaw tightened, but Caila didn’t know if it was in response to Caila’s words or some truths sinking in.
“It’s none of my business—well, it is right now because I’m trying to enjoy this event and you are interrupting us—but it seems to me you need to work some of this out. You should find someone who wants to be with you. Someone you don’t have to chase, but who’ll always be next to you.”
Caila firmed her lips and left before Holly could respond, running into Wyatt, who held her drink. He looked beyond her, then back to her.
“Is everything okay?”
She nodded. “It’s fine.”
“You know I’m not interested in her, right?”
“I know that and you know that, but maybe now Holly will accept it.” The music started and Caila smiled. “Would you dance with me?”
He put the glass of spiced wine on a nearby table. “I guess you weren’t that thirsty.”
“More like hungry,” she said, taking his hand and leading him onto the floor.
He pulled her into his arms, but they kept distance between them, though his hand was hot on the small of her back.
He stared deep into her eyes. “I want to finish our conversation.”
She knew what he wanted. She wanted it, too. But there was no way it could happen, not with this lie about Endurance and the contract between them.
Tell him the truth.
She started.
“Are you okay?” Wyatt asked.
Was that even a possibility? She’d told him about her upbringing. About how important her job was to her. If she explained about Kendra and the assignment, would he understand? Could he find a way to forgive her?
“Caila? What are you thinking?”
Her heart hammered so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. Had it been only ten days since they’d met? How had he become indispensable to her in such a short amount of time? He was the first thing she thought of in the morning and the last thing at night. Seeing him always made her feel better, and she loved being with him. So much so that the thought of walking away from him felt like losing a limb.
He’d become a part of her.
And he was going to hate her.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand before she stopped dancing. “I have to tell you something.”
“What?”
Nausea hovered in the back of her throat. She pulled her hand from his and wiped it on her skirt. She bit her lip and let her gaze flit over the room.
Shit, she should’ve pulled him to the side. Or waited to talk to him when they were alone.
“Caila, you’re scaring me.” He cupped her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
Fuck! Just say it. Right now, before she lost her nerve. She could do it. She had to. He’d gone out of his way to get her the information she’d need for the report. The report that might cripple his town’s economy. Even if he never forgave her, he needed to know what was going to happen. So he could find a way to prepare.
She clung to his forearm, wanting to strengthen their connection as much as possible. “Wyatt, I wasn’t honest—”
“Well, isn’t this cozy.”
A booming voice startled her and sent her heart hurtling into the depths of her stomach.
Caila glanced away from Wyatt and into the face of Gerald fucking Thorpe, the other regional manager in the running for the promotion at Endurance.
Chapter Nineteen
Caila stared at the other man, his mere presence anachronistic in this setting.
“Gerald? What the hell are you doing here?”
“Clearly not having as much fun as you are,” Gerald said, his smile tinged with nastiness. He looked at Wyatt. “And you are?”
Her stomach roiled but she made the introductions. “Gerald Thorpe, this is Wyatt Bradley, mayor of Bradleton.”
Gerald chortled, his face flushed. “Mayor? Well, it appears I underestimated how far you were willing to go for that promotion, Caila.”
Bastard.
Wyatt took a menacing step forward.
“Don’t do it, Wyatt. Ignore him,” she said, grabbing his arm. She tugged on the band of steel until she gained his attention. “Can you give us a second, please?”
“Who is this clown?” Wyatt asked, the muscle in his jaw ticking like a time bomb.
Nausea threatened and she fought to keep the panic at bay. “He’s from Endurance. Someone I work with. I just need to talk to him. I’ll be back.”
Wyatt nodded, but his expression showcased his reluctance to let her walk away.
Caila took a deep breath, then turned and gestured for Gerald to follow her. She located a small alcove away from the ballroom.
“How did you find me?”
“Easy. I went to the place you were staying and the boy told me you and most of the town would be at this event,” he said, glancing around with a sneer on his lips.
“What do you want?”
“Are you serious? You’ve been leading Kendra on for a week. The other executives got tired of her excuses and they sent me to fix the situation.”
“You son of a bitch! You’re the one who got the board to move up the date of the vote!”
Gerald’s smile was too wide, too bright, and way too self-congratulatory. “It didn’t take much to convince them that you being here longer than a few days was a waste of money.”
“I talked to Kendra and she knows what’s going on. I just found out the key person I’ve been waiting for will be here tomorrow.”
“You are losing it.” Gerald shook his head. “I never thought I’d see the day when the great Caila Harris would be played.”
Gerald was extremely annoying and a black belt brown-noser, but he was good at his job and he wasn’t prone to flights of fancy. He knew something.
Her chest tightened. “What are you talking about?”
“I can’t wait to tell all of the executives, but especially Kendra. She’s been singing your praises for years now. Acts like you practically walk on water.”
Caila’s hands curled into fists at her sides. “Fucking spit it out, Gerald!”
“The guy you’ve been waiting for?”
“Joe Keslar. Like I said, he’s been away on vacation in Wisconsin. But he’ll be back tomorrow and I’m meeting with him then.”
Gerald shook his head. “He’s here.”
“Okay. Then he just got back.”
“No, I mean he’s here in Virginia. At a campground with his family several hours away.”
She frowned. “What is he doing there?”
“That’s where his family vacations. Every year.”
But Wyatt said . . . “You’re making no sense.”
“I’m the first bit of sense you’ve had since you got to this town. It wasn’t hard to track the guy down. It was all part of their plan. He was supposed to get back the weekend after you got here, but the mayor paid him off to stay away.”
A buzzing saturated her ears. She stumbled backward and held up her hands, palms out. “No.”
“Yes. You came here looking for information to shut them down and the entire time, your mayor had his own plan. He was keeping the one person you needed away. Like I said, I never thought I’d see the day when you got played.” His eyes flicked over her shoulder before settling back on her. He laughed. “You can kiss that promotion good-bye. How are the executives supposed to trust you with the national rollout of a product?”
Gerald couldn’t have been happier if he’d also been granted the privilege of firing her.
It all flooded back to her. The plant being in turnaround. No one available to talk to her. Wyatt taking her to events and showing her arou
nd town. Random people telling her how essential the plant was to Bradleton. Joe’s sudden willingness to end his vacation and come back.
Gerald was telling the truth.
Motherfucker!
How much of the truth, she didn’t know. But the important part about Wyatt keeping her here unnecessarily to benefit his own plan, she believed wholeheartedly.
Caila’s body wanted to cave in on itself in despair. She’d trusted him, depended on him to help her, and he’d destroyed her chance for her promotion, and probably cost her job. She’d told him: That job was the most important thing in the world to her.
It took every ounce of willpower she possessed, but she pulled it all back from the void. She held it together. She wouldn’t let any of them defeat her or make her look like a fool. There was a lot she needed to do, but first, she had to call Kendra and immediately do damage control.
Gerald shoved his hands in his pants pocket and rolled up on the balls of his feet. “For years, you’ve walked around like—”
“Gerald, if you say one more fucking word to me, I’m going to bury my stiletto heel in someplace fleshy on your body.”
Anger burning through her insides, she turned and bumped into Wyatt.
“Caila—”
“No.” She pointed at him. “Not now. Not after what you did. I’ve got to call my boss and try to make her understand—”
She brushed past him, but he stopped her with a firm grip on her arm.
His face was carved from a slab of granite. “You came here to shut us down.”
“You knew that.”
“I thought you came here to evaluate the factory. According to your coworker, you came here with a hidden agenda.”
Was he seriously going to stand there and lecture her about having a “hidden agenda”?
She jerked her arm from his grasp. “Let’s talk about ulterior motives. You lied to me. Joe Keslar would’ve been here a week ago! You paid him to stay away.”
“It’s a good thing I did!” Wyatt raised his voice, his anger appearing to match hers. “You were never going to give us a fair shake, were you? The evaluation was already done. You just needed evidence to back up your conclusion!”
Her pulse raced, there was a pounding in her ears, and her muscles tensed with a continuous source of anger.
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