“I’d never impose.”
“Believe me, Rob owns more properties than he knows what to do with. And didn’t you advise me last evening to fly back to Miami? Well, I’m following your advice, except that I want you to join me.”
Chapter Eight
The next two weeks flew by in a pleasant flurry for Candee, as she and Teddy viewed prospective houses and stopped daily at the Victorian house. He’d offered advice on cost-effective strategies to modernize, while staying true to the house’s character. Though they’d viewed numerous modest properties more in sync with her nonexistent budget, none came close to matching the Victorian’s architectural design, aesthetics, or sheer grandeur.
Together, she and Teddy researched adding a horse farm to the property; and she’d discovered that horses, with their unique nature, were considered mirrors of a person and an excellent choice for therapy. Furthermore, being around horses bolstered a person’s self-confidence, as horses were believed to relieve stress.
“You have the acreage,” Teddy had encouraged her after they’d exhausted her property search.
On the last afternoon before their departure to Miami, they volunteered at the shelter. When they were about to leave, a pregnant whimpering beagle was brought in. After the veterinarian examination, it was determined the dog was approximately fifty days pregnant and due to give birth to six puppies within the week.
“Where was the dog found?” Teddy asked.
“This poor beagle was left on the side of the road.” Candee gazed at the hound-dog look the beagle gave her, and her heart melted. “I may not be able to travel to Miami with you, Teddy, considering how large the beagle’s stomach is. I want to be here with her when she gives birth.”
He’d assured her they’d technically be gone for one day—traveling to Miami on Friday and returning to Roses on Sunday.
As he knelt beside her, she whispered, “After the beagle has her puppies, I want to keep her.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Do you mean her or the puppies?”
“Both. A dog with puppies is costly for a shelter.” Lightly, she caressed the dog’s black and tan coat, and the dog didn’t try to bite. “I’ll be a foster mom until the pups can be adopted. All they need is a warm home.”
“And food and nursing and a loving caregiver,” he murmured, recovering admirably from his shock.
He carefully carried the compact hound dog to her own enclosure with food and water, and Candee placed a worn blanket beneath the dog.
“Try to eat, girl.” She offered the beagle a piece of fruit. The dog sniffed and slowly inched toward Candee’s outstretched hand.
“Beagles are known to be loving, gentle, and extremely sociable,” Candee told Teddy.
Seeing his expression as he brushed a sprinkling of dog hair, which resembled black pepper, from his vest, she assured, “And beagles don’t shed, except in the spring when they’re ridding themselves of their winter coats.”
“You know a lot about these dogs.” At the sound of Teddy’s deep voice, the dog keenly watched him and wagged her tail. “Why do you love beagles so much?”
“We owned a dog once, a sweet beagle, and Desiree and I were forced to leave her behind.” She hesitated, not trusting her voice to continue. “We called her ‘Kisses.’
The pregnant dog stared up at them with wide-set pleading hazel eyes.
“‘Kisses.’ Your dog’s name was Kisses.” Apparently weighing his words, Teddy carefully replied, “You’re taking on a tremendous amount of work with a monstrous house filled with rubble and weeds and all these dogs.”
“I cannot abandon her. And in eight weeks her pups will be adoptable. And yes, I’m naming the beagle Kisses.”
She’d been ready to puff up with indignation if he’d tried to discourage her. He didn’t. Instead, he smiled and offered his assistance, agreeing that Kisses was a perfect name for a beagle. Stating he wanted to “seal the Kisses decision,” he pulled her close, his arms cradling her body as his lips passionately explored hers.
Hours later, Desiree joined them for a festive dinner at a new farm-to-table restaurant in downtown Roses. Although their table had ample room to accommodate the threesome comfortably, his muscled leg had touched Candee’s throughout the meal. It seemed like he always made a point to keep her close to him.
Teddy had laughingly concurred with Desiree as she waved a forkful of miniature crab cake and declared, “No one in their right mind places a bid on a property that looks like a tumbledown haunted house. And now my sister is stepping up to take on a pregnant beagle about to give birth to a bunch of puppies?”
“‘Kisses needs a home,” Candee said staunchly. “And the children at the daycare can teach her and the puppies how to sit and stay and fetch.”
“And you’ll need to hire a full-time staff,” Teddy said while aiming a subtle nod at Desiree. “Although knowing you, Candee, you’ll attempt to juggle everything yourself.”
“You’ve offered to help, right?”
He studied her face and replied, “Yes, and I never go back on my word.”
She stared up at him, his smiling features, the firm line of his jaw, enveloped by his commanding presence. His gaze locked with hers. Both of them completely disregarded her sister’s presence as he lowered his head, his lips hovering close before he kissed her lightly. Her breath caught as his bracing outdoor scent tingled her senses.
When she returned to her apartment that night, she fell into bed, pleasantly exhausted. As she did every night before retiring, she checked the bidding on the Victorian, relieved her twenty-thousand-dollar offer remained the highest.
She courted sleep, although it didn’t come. She was too excited, her thoughts humming with elated expectation. Soon she would own her dream house, and she’d be building that dream with Teddy. Yes, he lived in Miami and she lived in Roses, but with internet and phone calls and airplane travel, their relationship could continue to grow.
Her mood had lightened with each hour she’d spent with him, and life was definitely taking a turn she’d never expected. Perhaps Desiree was right and Cupid’s arrow had been aimed directly at Candee and Teddy.
Sighing contentedly, she rolled onto her stomach and drifted to sleep.
Chapter Nine
The following afternoon, Candee made sure every employee at the shelter knew to call her if Kisses went into labor. Then she and Teddy boarded the plane from Asheville, North Carolina, to Miami, Florida. The trip to the airport took less than an hour, and Teddy did the driving. Their flight was under two hours, and sudden air pockets and strong winds prompted gasps from the passengers in the cabin.
Candee was still recovering from the rough flight when an impish boy, echoing Teddy’s good looks, raced to greet her and Teddy while they were retrieving their luggage at baggage claim.
“Uncle Teddy!” the boy called.
“Hey, Joseph!” Teddy squatted, fiercely hugging the boy. As he stood, he hoisted his nephew onto his shoulders.
Pivoting, he motioned to Candee. “Joseph, meet my new friend, Miss Candee Contando.”
She extended her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Joseph.”
“Hi.” The boy leaned over Teddy’s head. “Mr. Rob said Uncle Teddy mentions you every time he calls.”
“And I’m Mr. Rob.” A short, heavy-set, balding man bent at the waist in an exaggerated bow. Along with a good-natured smile, his blue-eyed gaze was welcoming. He stole Candee’s luggage from her and thoughtfully cocked his head. “You’re too ravishing to be anyone else. Welcome to Miami, Candee.”
Teddy swung Joseph back down to the floor as he offered introductions. He kept one hand possessively around her waist, and as she glanced up at him, he was staring down at her with heartfelt pride.
“No wonder she was one of your main topics when we spoke,” Rob said, clapping Teddy on the back. “Everything’s certainly coming up Roses, eh?”
The group dissolved into good-natured chuckling.
As the
y stepped out of the airport, the air of the Miami evening was balmy and inviting. Candee pulled off her paisley scarf and tucked it into her carry-on bag. Teddy walked between her and Joseph, holding their hands. As they walked to Rob’s car, they passed an outdoor kiosk brimming with Valentine candy.
“No candy for me,” Rob said. “I’m on a diet.”
“Again?” Teddy teased.
“I haven’t cheated in twenty-four hours. I’m on a roll.” He kept his gaze fixed on the sidewalk and whistled an out-of-tune melody.
“We’re not dieting.” Teddy turned to Candee. “Carmel dark chocolate sound good?”
“I can’t. My stomach is reeling from the turbulent airplane ride.”
“Dark chocolate helps.” He picked up two decorative gold boxes filled with candy, along with a red-foil rose and a jumbo heart swirl lollipop for Joseph.
“Chocolate and more chocolate?” she joked as he handed her the rose and boxed candy.
“Sugar and chocolate is the cure for most maladies.”
“Yeah,” Rob interjected. “That’s been my bakery mantra for years.”
She chuckled and eyed the lollipop. “You realize, Teddy, that your nephew will be on a sugar high tonight and you’ll only have yourself to blame?”
“Guilty as charged.” Teddy held up a hand, then swept a kiss on her lips. “I’ll pick you up at Rob’s apartment tomorrow at eleven.”
He was so wonderfully generous, and when he kissed her, she heartily kissed him back. At least until Rob’s raucous throat-clearing broke her and Teddy apart.
Following a leisurely shower in Rob’s high-end penthouse Saturday morning, Candee checked her appearance in the bedroom’s full-length mirror. The weather was a comfortable seventy degrees, and she was pleased she’d brought a soft royal-blue crepe dress accented by gathered cropped sleeves. She rubbed a drop of her favorite rose fragrance to her wrists, and pulled on black leather ballet flats for walking ease.
She had just knotted the gold tie belt around her waist when she heard a light rap on the penthouse door. Teddy had arrived exactly at eleven a.m.
She smiled as she opened the door. Yes, he was devastatingly handsome, standing in the doorway wearing cotton khaki pants and a slim-fitting gray polo shirt that accented his strong physique. However, it was the little things that drew her to him—his kind actions, how he was true to his word, and the way his eyes lit with boyish enthusiasm whenever he described the Victorian’s renovations.
“Good morning.” He took her hands in his and gazed at her with bold dark eyes. “Your beauty lights up this place.”
Self-consciously, she laughed. “You must be focusing on the view behind me. You know, the sixteen-foot floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto Miami beach and ‘millionaire’s row.’”
He drew her to him. “No, it’s you,” he whispered. “Only you.” His mouth came down on hers for a long passionate kiss, and her heart thumped hard in her chest.
She placed her cell phone in her handbag and slung the bag over her shoulder. Down in the lobby, they encountered a pacing Rob and an exuberant Joseph demonstrating a cartwheel across the marbled floor.
“About time, you two.” Rob pointedly stared at his watch. “What normally takes me five minutes took you ten.”
“We were detained,” Teddy said, reclaiming Candee’s hand. “Shall we all walk to your bakery?”
“Absolutely.” Rob patted his round stomach. “Some of us can use the exercise.”
In the glittering daylight of the promising morning, Candee tucked her fingers in the crook of Teddy’s strong arm. A welcoming breeze lifted her loose hair from her shoulders like a whirlpool.
As the foursome approached Sixty-Fifth Street, Rob’s body language punctuated his proud tone. “What’s not to like about America’s favorite vacation city?” He gestured to the glass skyscrapers on both sides of the street. “Miami boasts a trendy nightlife, boat shows, auto racing, golf, tennis, cruises and deep-sea fishing.”
“And we’ve never done any of those activities,” Teddy said dryly.
“We had a lively time on the two-night party cruise a few years back, remember?”
“Lively time?” A knowing grin crossed Teddy’s face. “You were seasick the entire forty-eight hours.”
They crossed an intersection, and the enticing scent from Rob’s bakery beckoned them into the store like a warm embrace. Glazed donuts, masterfully iced rainbow-colored cupcakes, and towering, three-tiered layer cakes masterfully frosted with buttercream sat proudly in a row of glass cases.
“I saved your Valentine cupcake for you, Uncle Teddy,” Joseph said. And I made one for Miss Candee too. We froze them, and Mr. Rob took them out of the freezer yesterday.” Joseph tugged on Teddy’s hand. “They’re in the kitchen. Come on, I’ll show you.”
“Save us a table,” Teddy said to Candee. “We’ll be back shortly.”
When half of their group had disbanded, Rob examined a display case for fingerprints while a white-aproned employee boxed an order of cinnamon buns.
Candee hung back, standing behind a parade of customers.
When Rob returned carrying two mugs of coffee and a bag of donuts, he guided her to an inviting seating area adjoining the bakery.
“Freshly baked donuts!” He exclaimed. “Twenty-four hours on a diet is long enough.” He set a white bakery bag emblazoned with his Rob’s Marvelous Muffins logo and the two mugs on the small round table. “Black coffee, right?”
“Thank you.” She inhaled the mouth-watering scent of chocolate iced donuts rolled in sprinkles and the aroma of rich dark coffee. “Your hospitality is generous, and both your places—the penthouse and this bakery—are amazing.”
“I don’t have any complaints about flattery.” He took a large swallow of his coffee. “Keep it coming.”
“I’d gain ten pounds in a week if I worked here.” She grinned. “A bakery like yours in my hometown would be well-received.”
He flashed a smile. “I own a half dozen bakeries in Miami. I haven’t considered opening out-of-state, although you never know.”
Rob went on to describe the process of running a bakery, embroidering his account of the time he’d changed a hit recipe and used confectioners’ sugar instead of granulated, which had resulted in a string of complaints.
Her turquoise and silver bracelets cheerfully clinked against her coffee mug as she drank and listened. He was such a genial man and so talkative, she could imagine him having a conversation without her, chatting non-stop to an empty chair.
“Enough about me.” His telescope gaze gave her a measured look. “Let’s talk about your grand plans for the Victorian, Candee.”
“Hasn’t Teddy told you?”
He nodded confirmation. “Now I want to hear it from you.”
She blew out an audible breath. “To begin with, every bathroom requires a complete gut job, and the carpeting in each room needs to be pulled up.” She paused. “The wood floors are trashed, and Teddy recommended restoring them using four-inch red-oak planks.”
“Do you have funds to pay for all these renovations?” Rob flatly asked.
His tone didn’t intimidate her in the least. “No. I’ll take out loans.”
“And how do you intend to pay back these loans? All these restorations will take endless capital.”
She let the reality of his words hang in the air between them. She’d learned to stay quiet when she wasn’t certain how to answer, and she needed to think before replying. Her foster background, dealing with different people’s expectations, had taught her that.
“I’ll work extra hours at the hardware store,” she said. “And I can wield tools and ladders. There’s nothing like carpentry to test a person’s patience.”
Mentally, she thanked her “forever” foster father for permitting her to work with him in his woodshop.
She met Rob’s piercing blue gaze and waved a dismissive hand at herself. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll even sell a house or two in the meantime
.”
“Teddy said your perseverance and goals are admirable.”
“I’m going to be the type of caregiver who attends every child’s basketball game, every concert …” She forced herself to keep her tone calm and unemotional. “These disadvantaged kids need support.”
“I’ve invested in Teddy’s ventures for years, and he’s never let me down. He approves of your project and he oversees numerous home-improvement crews.”
“We’ll give it our best shot.”
“The hallmark of a successful baker is self-discipline, and the same goes for real estate.” Rob gave a big throaty laugh. “At first, Teddy wanted to raze the house and build low-income housing on the five-acre lot. Our business ethos is to give to those less fortunate.”
In the space of seconds, Teddy’s ideas collided with hers, and she could see the merit in his plans for the property.
“He never told me,” she softly replied.
“You’re the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time. Has he mentioned his childhood to you?”
She swallowed a deep drink of the exquisitely brewed coffee. “Hardly anything.”
“I encouraged him to show you his old homestead,” Rob said. “He said he’s too embarrassed.”
“It can’t be any worse than my childhood homes.”
Instantly, she was ambushed by scenes from her adolescence. Whenever her birthday had come around, she had waited, hoping for a birthday cake. The cake never came. Neither did the candles, or the balloons, or the birthday gifts.
“Teddy came from nothing,” Rob said, “and he and his brother were constantly beaten by his drunken father. When life gets punched out of you, only the outstanding persevere. Unfortunately, after a hard childhood, a person’s trust no longer comes easy.”
She confirmed his words with a sad smile. Despite his outward bravado, Rob had an astute understanding of people.
“And what about your foster families?” he asked.
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