by Sandra Owens
Besides, Connor probably wouldn’t miss me. I was sure he had all the booty calls he could possibly want stored away in his contact list.
40
~ Connor ~
Autumn was nowhere to be found. I’d strong-armed Adam into going back by her house, but she was still gone. Then I’d talked him into driving by the Humphrey building to see if there was anyone there to give us a clue who’d bought the place. That was a ruse to get him to drive through town so I could see if I could spot Autumn’s car anywhere.
Those flowers and the accompanying message were driving me batshit nuts. Her words and her ignoring my voice mails and texts couldn’t have sent a clearer message. She was breaking up with me. But why? And doing it without even talking to me? I wanted answers, and one way or the other I was going to get them, even if I had to camp out on her doorstep.
“So explain something to me,” Adam said.
“What’s that?” I scanned the parking lot of Fusions as we drove by but didn’t see her car.
“You and Autumn. Just friends having some fun, isn’t that what you said?”
“Yeah.” Where the hell are you, Autumn?
“If that’s true, why are we trying to stalk her?”
“Say what?” I glared at my brother. “I’m not stalking her.”
“You so are, dude.”
Was I? Wanting answers wasn’t stalking. “Let’s go to Vincennes for a pizza.” Maybe Jenn would know where Autumn was.
“Yeah, if anyone knows where Autumn is, it will be Jenn.”
There were times when I wished I didn’t have a twin who could read my mind. “I just want a pizza. Any crime in that?”
He snorted. “Either you’re trying to fool yourself or me.” He turned his car into Vincennes’s lot. “For the record, it’s okay if you need answers. Just stop pretending you don’t care for her.”
Christ, I did care for her. That wasn’t supposed to happen. I unbuckled my seat belt. “Maybe I do, but that’s a problem. I don’t want to be you.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wanted to snatch them back.
“Excuse me?”
When he didn’t make a move to get out of the car, I said, “You haven’t been the same since Savannah left you.” I looked at my twin. “When she broke up with you, I felt like I lost my brother. You stopped being you. After that, I swore no woman would hurt me the way she did you.”
“Meaning you’d never let yourself fall in love?”
“Yeah, that,” I miserably said. “But Autumn . . . I don’t know how to explain it. I need her.”
“You’re in love with her.”
“I’m not. I just want her in my life. For now, anyway.”
“You’re an idiot, Connor.”
“Thanks for understanding,” I said, letting the sarcasm drip in my voice.
“Oh, I understand all right.” He opened his door, and after he got out, he poked his head back in. “What you’re refusing to grasp is that Autumn’s afraid you’ll hurt her. Get out and let’s go find your girl.”
“So you’ve been in her mind now?” He was wrong. I didn’t mean enough to Autumn to hurt her.
He slammed the door as if he were fed up with me. I couldn’t blame him. I was fed up with myself because of a stubborn girl. The very reason I didn’t do love. Adam opened the passenger-side door, handed me my crutches, then stalked off, leaving me to struggle out of the car.
“What’s your damn problem?” I called after him. And he was full of it. No way was I in love with Autumn.
He strode back to me. “My problem is you. You’re going to screw things up with her just like I did Savannah.”
I frowned. “What are you talking about? You weren’t the one that screwed up with Savannah.”
“The point is, you’re in love with Autumn, but you’re treating her like one of your booty calls.”
“Where the hell are you coming up with this stuff? I am not in love with Autumn. Get that through your head. I like her a lot, but that’s all.”
“Maybe you’re not there yet, but you’re well on the way. And unless you want to lose her, you need to admit that so you can be what she needs. She’s running scared, Connor, and you want to know why?”
“Fine, I’ll play along. Why?” Autumn and I had an understanding. We were in it for the fun, no more, no less. Well, we were. Apparently she was done having fun.
“Because she’s falling for you just as fast.”
“And you know all this how?”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Because I see the way you look at each other. You’ve never looked at another woman the way you do her, and then there’s the way she looks at you. Like a woman in love. The problem is both of you have blinders on. I get both of your reasons for lying to yourselves about how you feel toward each other, but you’re still an idiot, brother.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said and then crutch-walked myself into Vincennes. There were only two seats left at the bar, and I slid onto one of them, then leaned the crutches against the back of the stool. I hated the damn things and couldn’t wait to be rid of them.
“Connor!”
I glanced toward the voice yelling from the other end of the bar. Mary’s hair was fire-engine red tonight, her eye shadow a matching red. I waved at her. I liked Mary, and usually she amused me, but right now I wanted to be left alone with my thoughts.
Mary hopped off her bar stool with amazing grace for someone her age wearing four-inch heels. She danced her way to me with her arms outstretched. Since it would be futile to resist, I leaned down for her hug.
“Connor Hunter, if you keep on saving people, we’ll have to build a monument in your honor.”
Her eyes brightened, and I groaned. The minute she got an idea in her head, there was no stopping her. “Don’t even think it, Mary. There will be no monument. Besides, you’re too busy getting Beau’s movie made. How’s that going?”
Her smile dropped. “I was sure by now that I’d be able to announce we had a deal. I don’t understand it. It would be such a wonderful movie, and you would think a producer would snap at the project. Look how popular Lassie and Rin Tin Tin were. People love dog movies.”
The diversionary tactic apparently worked as she seemed to forget about monuments. Adam slid onto the stool next to me. While he and Mary greeted each other, I scanned the room, looking for Jenn.
“I need to return to my date,” Mary said, “but I’m glad you boys came in so I can give you your assignments.”
“Assignments?” Adam said. We exchanged an alarmed glance. With Mary that could be anything from wearing sandwich-board signs promoting some event or other to cleaning the festival grounds’ toilets.
“Yes, for the June Bug Dance next month.”
Ah, that. I’d forgotten that was coming up. It was an annual dance to raise money for the high school football team’s traveling expenses. It was a worthy cause as some of the parents couldn’t afford the overnight trips.
“And our assignments are?” I said even though I probably didn’t want to know.
“You’re going to love it. We’re doing a June Bug hot guy calendar this year.” She grinned, very pleased with herself.
“No,” I said.
“No,” Adam said.
“It will be a heroes calendar, featuring some of our firemen, police officers, and the rescue team,” she continued, ignoring our refusals. “You boys are the June pinups. Gemini. Twins. Get it?” She bounced on her feet, delighted by her cleverness.
Adam and I let out identical groans, both of us knowing that saying no to Mary was useless.
“I’ll be in touch with the details.” She stepped away, then stopped, coming back. “I almost forgot. You’ll need to make an appointment to have your chests waxed before the photo shoot. Renee at Hair for All Seasons is expecting your call.”
And with that bomb dropped, she was off.
Jenn walked up, a huge grin on her face. “I see Mary gave you the new
s.”
“So not happening,” Adam and I said in unison.
She laughed. “Those were Dylan’s exact words. He’s Mr. February.”
“I am not getting my chest waxed,” I said. “No way. No how.”
Adam nodded. “Goes for me, too.”
“I wouldn’t make bets on that. Mary always wins,” Jenn cheerfully said. She called the bartender over. “Diane, I think these boys need a strong drink. Make them each a Cape Cod, heavy on the vodka.”
As the former bartender Jenn probably knew what every resident of Blue Ridge Valley’s drink preferences were.
“Where’s Autumn?” Adam said. “We stopped by her house earlier, but she wasn’t home.”
“Oh, she went to Asheville to visit Taren Blanton.”
She went without me? And was the senator there? Was she moving on to him for some fun? Hurt and angry with how she was ignoring me and that she’d hauled herself off to see the Blantons without a word to me, I fired off a text.
Flowers and a lame message? That’s how you end things? Have a great life.
It didn’t take the passing of three seconds to regret the text, but I didn’t send an apology.
41
~ Autumn ~
I frowned at the dark circles under my eyes. Connor’s fault that I’d tossed and turned all night. His text had hurt, but he was right. Sending him flowers and that stupid message really had been lame. It was better this way, though. Neither one of us wanted our relationship to turn serious, which made it puzzling why there was a big hurt in my heart.
The generous amount of eye cream I applied helped a little. Since I’d be touring an abandoned building with Lucas, I dressed in jeans and a blouse instead of my customary business attire.
“No, you can’t go today,” I told Beau when he stood at the door with his leash in his mouth. I was beginning to be sorry I’d taught him to get it whenever we were going out. He looked up at me with the saddest eyes. Poor guy. He’d been left at home all day yesterday. What would it hurt to take him?
“Fine, have it your way. In the car, Beauregard.” He bounded out when I opened the door, and I shook my head. When I had kids, I was going to be an awful mom, letting them do whatever they wanted because I wasn’t going to be able to say no.
I paused on my porch. What was I saying? There would not be any kids for me since I never intended to have another husband. Weird that I hadn’t considered that when I’d made that decision since I’d always wanted kids. Three or four of them. That had been my dream. A happy marriage and a home filled with the laughter of children. As opposite of the home I’d grown up in as I could get. I’d thought I found that with Brian, but by cheating on me, he’d stolen my dream.
Beau dropped the leash and barked, and I blinked, then pushed my thoughts out of my mind. Maybe I should get another dog or three. I could be a crazy lady, but instead of cats I’d collect dogs.
“Let’s get this show on the road, Beau my man.”
His tail sweeping the air, he picked up his leash and jumped onto the passenger seat when I opened the door.
It only took fifteen minutes to reach the property, and Lucas’s car was already there. “You be a good boy,” I said when I clipped the leash onto Beau’s collar. He barked twice, making me smile.
“Good morning, Autumn,” Lucas said when we walked inside. He handed me one of the two cups he held.
I sniffed it. “Mocha hazelnut. How’d you know?”
“I stopped by Mary’s place. She knew what you liked.”
“Well, thank you.”
“Welcome. And how is Beau today?” He bent down and scratched Beau’s head.
Beau loved the attention, of course. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing him.”
“Not at all. He’s an honorary member of our family now.”
That was a sweet thing for him to say. I turned in a circle, checking out the building. I’d been inside when it had still been a grocery store, but that had been years ago. “It’s going to need some structural repairs.”
Lucas straightened, his gaze following mine. “I know. I’m meeting with a contractor later this morning. I’m hoping it has good bones. So what do you think?”
“Plenty of room for a dinner theater.” I gestured with my coffee cup. “I’d say you’d want the stage located at the middle of the long wall. Then you can place tables all around it.”
“Agree.”
“I’ll get to your Charlotte location this coming week to see it, but I pulled up the website. I love the Victorian theme. You said you wanted something different, so what would you think if we made this one look like the inside of a castle?”
He made a full circle, his gaze taking in the interior of the building. “I like that idea. My Charlotte location is geared toward adults. Blue Ridge Valley is a tourists’ destination, and I’d like this one to be kid-friendly. Kids would love a castle, don’t you think?”
“I do, and I think a family-oriented destination will be great for you and our town. This is going to be so much fun.” I couldn’t wait to get started. “When do you close on the property?”
“In two weeks. Then I’ll get whatever repairs done that are needed. After that, it’s all yours.”
“Okay, I’ll start working on some designs to show you. Are you coming back for the closing or doing it by mail?” I still had trouble believing he’d chosen me to do this, considering I had no experience with what he envisioned. But that would only make me work harder to prove myself.
“I’ll be back. I’ve already scheduled a meeting with the contractor for right after closing to get things started.”
“I’ll have a portfolio ready to show you then, but I’m going to need to be able to get back in for a few hours to take measurements and check out some things.”
His smile was smug. “I thought you’d say that.” He pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to me. “I got Mr. Humphrey to give me two.”
“Great. I really appreciate the opport—”
His phone buzzed, and he held up a hand. After looking at the screen, he said, “I have to take this. Give me a minute.”
He walked to the far end of the building, then disappeared into what I remembered was the store’s office. While he was on the phone, I took mine out and started snapping pictures. When I returned to take measurements, I’d bring my work camera and get better ones, but these would give me a start.
I always got excited about starting a new project. The design creation was what I loved the most, and when I’d told him this was going to be fun, I’d meant it. It was also going to be a challenge, but I knew I could pull it off.
Beau’s ears perked up, and he wagged his tail, his gaze focused on the door we’d come in. I glanced over to see Connor on crutches, struggling to enter. My heart took a hard bounce in my chest. This was the first time I’d seen him since leaving his hospital room. I raced over to hold the door for him. What was he doing here?
Beau barked a greeting, getting Connor’s attention. “Hello, Beauregard, my friend. What are you doing here?”
“Are you talking to me or the dog?”
Connor’s eyes lifted to mine, and there was something in the way he looked at me that had me sucking in a breath. So not good. I did not want to need air pumped back into my lungs because of any man.
His expression blanked. “Either one of you can answer. I was driving by and saw your car.”
“Just checking out the building.” Although true, I couldn’t tell him the real reason since I’d signed a nondisclosure agreement, but I hadn’t thought ahead when I’d done that. I hadn’t considered how much I would hate keeping secrets from him. I wanted to ask him if he’d really meant what he’d said in his text, but of course he had or he wouldn’t have sent it.
“Sorry, Autumn,” Lucas said, walking toward me. “Had to take care of some senate business.”
Connor glanced at Lucas, then at me, and his face and eyes turned downright cold. “I see.”
What did he think he saw? “Connor?”
He ignored me, his attention back on Lucas as he came toward us.
“Connor, it’s good to see you, man,” Lucas said, coming to a stop and putting his hand on Connor’s shoulder. “I heard about you and Adam saving that boy. You sure have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Taren was sorry you couldn’t come with Autumn for a visit.”
“Sorry I missed seeing her. I would have come if someone had told me,” Connor said with an accusing gaze on me. What the hell had I done wrong? “Why are you both in this building?” he said, still looking at me.
What was his problem? He was being embarrassingly rude. Lucas glanced at me, and if Connor’s attitude was bothering him, he didn’t let it show. Connor was staring at me, waiting for me to explain, but it wasn’t my business to share.
“I guess it’s not a secret any longer,” Lucas said. “I bought the building.”
Connor’s gaze swung to Lucas. “You? You’re the other offer?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What the hell do you want with this building?”
“What’s going on, Connor?”
He ignored me, keeping his gaze on Lucas.
Lucas shrugged. “I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to divulge that yet.”
“Obviously she knows.”
The way he said she sounded like he had a sour taste in his mouth. Gazing up at Connor, Beau whined, not liking the tension in the air.
Lucas nodded. “She does. I hired her to work with me on my plans.”
“What did you mean by other offer?” I asked.
Still refusing to acknowledge me, Connor said, “Adam and I made Humphrey an offer. We were outbid.” He gathered his crutches under him and turned away, heading for the door.
“Connor?” He ignored me. “I’ll be right back,” I said to Lucas. I caught up with Connor at the door. “What’s your problem, Connor?”
He lifted one of the crutches and pushed the door open with the end. “There’s nothing to say.”
“Really? You were rude to Lucas for no reason.”
