Sweet Texas Kiss (Sweet Texas Secrets)

by Monica Tillery

  Her blue eyes became steely. “If it’s the house, then I’m sorry. Like I’ve said, I have no idea why your dad left it to me. Whatever his reasons, though, they’re his alone, and I didn’t take it from you. It’s not like I called him up and asked if he had any real estate he wanted to give me. I was just as surprised as you.”

  Damn it, she was right, about the house at least. She had weaseled her way to valedictorian, though. When they’d been vying for the top spot in their graduating class, she had figured out how to slip through the cracks and edge around him, not only overtaking him in the rankings, but also making him look like an idiot in the process. Her stunt had branded him as someone who couldn’t quite close the deal, so close yet too far away, and it was a long time before he got his confidence back. Veterinary school was competitive, from getting in to staying at the top of his class, and he needed that edge to succeed. The edge she’d dulled with her dirty trick.

  But owning a house in a town she never even visited wasn’t something she’d likely even want, much less work out an elaborate plan to get. There was no reason to think she’d somehow schemed to steal his father’s house out from under him. So accusing her of treachery wouldn’t do him any good; even if he managed to get her to concede, the satisfaction would be short-lived. It wouldn’t change a thing. Best to concentrate on figuring out how to get the house back, rather than dwell on how it came to be. If he could ferret out the reasoning behind his dad’s change of heart, he’d be closer to figuring out how to work around it.

  “If you didn’t somehow convince him to do it, that means my dad gave it to you freely. And that makes no sense to me. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out why he would do such a thing. I mean, as far as I knew, you two didn’t have a close relationship or anything after you moved away.”

  “I don’t know why he picked me, but just because we didn’t keep in touch after graduation doesn’t mean we were complete strangers.” She gave Merle a tiny smile. “My mom still worked for him for several years after I left, so we were kind of connected even though I was gone.”

  “It still doesn’t make sense. A lot of moms worked for my dad, and he didn’t will any of their children my birthright.”

  “You know, I spent a lot of school nights studying in an empty conference room or office while my mom worked at Guac Olé, and more often than not, your dad stopped in to do a little extra work while you and your brothers were at work or extracurricular activities, and he always took the time to talk to me. Sometimes he was even still at work when my mom and I got there, sitting at his desk. We talked about school, whatever was going on around town, and believe it or not, you. A lot.”

  “Why would you talk about me with my dad?” His father had never mentioned seeing Macy at his office, nor had he ever really talked about her any more than he did about any of their other friends. Dad knew about his little crush on her but he never interfered, at least not that he knew of. Surely he wasn’t trying to get them together during those evening chats.

  She smiled, like she relished being able to deliver her answer. “He was thrilled that we were so closely matched when it came to academics. He thought it pushed you to succeed, and he loved that it humbled you.”

  “What? He never said one word to me about talking with you. He was always so supportive.” Until the end of senior year, when Macy changed the rules from friendly to ferocious, his dad had been right; the competition kept Gavin sharp and ensured that he never became complacent.

  “Oh, he was proud of you, and he wanted you to succeed. He just knew it wasn’t healthy for a good-looking kid from a wealthy family to have things any easier than you already did. He knew you needed a challenge. He came in the night after Mr. Procter told me about the competition that gave me the chance to become valedictorian, and we talked about it then. Jack encouraged me to go for it.”

  “He let me go on thinking that it was within reach, that you were able to snap it up at the last minute. Why would he let that happen? If I had known, maybe I could’ve figured something out.”

  “He probably knew that although it would be disappointing to you, coming in second for once in your life wouldn’t be the end of the world. Trust me, he was always thinking of what was best for you and your brothers. He never would’ve let it happen like that otherwise. You weren’t the one who needed the scholarships and opportunities. Your life is one big opportunity.”

  “And you didn’t even go to college. How ironic.” Okay, he could understand why his dad had kept quiet about Macy’s plan to pull ahead in the rankings. Jack Cooper was a big believer in hard work and perseverance, convinced that anyone willing to put in the effort should have a fair shot at success. He also knew that college didn’t pay for itself, though, so it made sense that he’d be happy to see Macy get the opportunities she deserved. He was well-known for helping promising young people achieve their goals through scholarships or internships, and letting his own son fall short of a goal was a bit extreme but not completely out of character. Unlike most of the good ol’ boys living in Sweet Ridge at the time, Dad understood how privilege worked and he didn’t want his boys to get ahead if it wasn’t earned. “If you were going to go to so much trouble to make sure you graduated first in our class, you could’ve at least gone to college.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re right, Gavin. I knew I’d get the recording contract the whole time and decided to keep it a secret. I never planned on going to college, I just loved ruining your life so much.” The sarcasm was thick enough to choke on. “Come on, you’ve made it crystal clear you don’t think I’m anything special, but maybe your dad saw something in me.” She looked off across the empty cemetery, her eyes briefly welling with tears before she quickly got herself back under control with a tiny shake of her head. “He might be the only one these days.”

  “I might actually feel sorry for you if you weren’t the star of a huge TV show and hadn’t toured the country playing to sold-out crowds. I know you’ve had some serious stuff happen in your life, but you seem to have landed on your feet.”

  Sure, losing her best friend and musical partner was more than most people had to endure, but Macy had become her own worst enemy. Opportunities were always there for her, but she never did anything to further her career anymore. She’d ruined her own reputation, and he wasn’t going to pity her, even if her full pout made him want to, a little.

  “Well, you don’t know anything about me. Not anymore.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her feet. Her tough exterior was a thin veneer, perhaps thin enough for him to chip away at with a little effort.

  “That’s true. But I want to.” Surprise flashed in her sapphire eyes, much bluer than he remembered. But he couldn’t let his old attraction to her flare up and make him do something he’d regret. “I want to know what you’re even doing here. Surely you don’t want a house in Sweet Ridge when your life and career is in Nashville.”

  “My life? You mean the part where I work until I can finally go back to my empty house and collapse into bed? Or the part where everyone either looks at me like my best friend died, which she did, or like they simply can’t bring themselves to actually look me in the eye?” She stopped herself and released a soft breath while rolling her shoulders back. After a moment she seemed to set her train of thought back on track. “Listen, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the house, but I thought I’d at least show your dad the respect of coming to see the place before I make my decision.”

  “That’s decent of you,” he admitted grudgingly. Typical Macy, opening up and letting her guard down, making him the asshole if he did anything but apologize. And that wasn’t going to happen. “He deserves that much.”

  “For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry about your dad. He was an amazing man.” Macy touched his hand, and he hated the frisson of heat that shot up his arm.

  He stepped back before the spark ignited, and swallowed hard.

  “Thank you. We all miss him.”
/>
  “All right, I’ll let you visit your dad in peace. I’m sure I’ll see you around before I go home.” She gave Merle a quick pet as she brushed past, and her fresh perfume made him step back without even thinking. As long as she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with the house, he still had a chance to get it back. Letting her get into his head with her sexy perfume and shiny hair would dull his edge. The sooner she left, the better.

  Chapter Four

  Visiting Jack’s grave hadn’t provided the clarity she’d hoped for, but Macy felt more peaceful about walking into the empty house. She might never feel like she belonged here, but at least she felt less like an intruder. Gavin obviously thought she was a conniving manipulator who’d schemed her way to valedictorian, a heartless loser who got her best friend killed, and a scheming scoundrel who’d somehow managed to steal his childhood home to boot. Apparently nothing was going to change his mind, and it didn’t matter. She wasn’t in town to change minds, only to figure out her next step. The only person she could control was herself.

  The mental molasses that had weighed her down and slowed her ascent earlier was gone, propelling her to the front door on the lightness of a clear conscience. Fresh, lavender and lemon-scented air greeted her when she stepped into the foyer instead of the stale, stagnant air she’d anticipated. No blanket of dust covered the furniture, and mail was piled neatly on a side table. The family must have a service coming in regularly to keep the house looking lived-in.

  The house was much the same as she remembered: elaborate artistry evident in the home’s small design details and updated furnishings mixing beautifully with original features. Ornate oriental rugs graced the spotless hand-scraped hardwood floors, perfectly clear picture windows offered glimpses of the lush gardens outside, and the original wood banister begged her to walk upstairs. Jack Cooper had taken pride in his home, had obviously taken pains to preserve the original beauty of the house, yet the place was warm and luxurious but still inviting, the kind of house she’d always wanted to live in. One that her mother would have never been able to afford, and one that Macy would never be able to maintain with her schedule.

  And one way too big for one person.

  The place was meant for a family, not a washed-up singer barely hanging on to her career. Not someone who didn’t have so much as a goldfish, much less a husband and a passel of kids. She dropped her bags on the floor by the couch and took in the space that felt both alien and so much like home already. It wasn’t quite her home, but it was her house, so she’d stay. Spending her visit here might help her make a decision, and it was a hundred times nicer than her room at the Sweet Ridge Inn.

  The front door opened, and Macy jumped. A big black Lab barreled into the living room, demanding attention before she had time to be alarmed that someone was walking into her house. Gavin followed, calling Merle and hanging his leash on a hook by the front door like he owned her place.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I live here.” Gavin closed the door behind him and tossed a few envelopes and catalogs onto the stack of mail. “Sorry if I frightened you.”

  Merle trotted off into the kitchen, and soon she could hear him slurping water from his dish. What was going on? She’d thought that Gavin would probably still have a key, might have some things at the house he needed to pick up, but he couldn’t live here.

  “Yeah, well, when you walk into someone’s house without knocking, it can be a surprise. You can’t live here.” She knew she sounded flustered instead of confident, and she tried to rein in her irritation enough to confront the situation calmly.

  “And yet, I do live here. I moved in to help my dad when he was sick.” He casually sorted through the stack of mail. “Monday is garbage day, so we need to get the recycling ready.”

  He left her standing there, mouth hanging open, alone in the spotless living room, and ambled to the kitchen. Merle trotted back in and circled the fluffy plaid dog bed in front of the fireplace three times before lying down and winding his tail around his body. This wasn’t happening, couldn’t be happening. Sure, she didn’t know what she was going to do with the house and probably wasn’t going to live there herself, but Gavin had no right to be here. She confronted him in the kitchen, where he was casually sipping a glass of ice water.

  She balled her fists, careful to keep from shouting. “Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but your dad left me this house. You have to leave.”

  He put the glass down onto the countertop, still casual and unconcerned in the face of her demand. “No.”

  She resisted the urge to stomp her feet. “Yes! This is not your house. I am staying here until I have to go back to Nashville, and I’m sure as hell not going to be with you.”

  “This is where I live, so I’m not leaving.” He was so calm, almost pleasant. It was infuriating.

  “Pack a bag and go bunk with your brother, stay in a hotel, or sleep at your office. I don’t care, as long as you are out of here before dinner.” She pointed to the front door, then dropped her arm.

  He wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Speaking of dinner, I was planning on grilling steaks tonight. I have more than enough to share, and you can help with the sides.” He leaned against the counter, looking right at home and quite handsome for a big jerk who wasn’t playing fair.

  “I’m not cooking any sides, and I’m not eating dinner with you tonight. Get out!” Her anger seemed to have no effect on him other than to make him even calmer, which was utterly infuriating.

  He put his hands up. “There’s no need to yell. Obviously we have a situation here, and believe me, it’ll be easier to talk it out over some great food.” He turned bottles over on an ornate iron wine rack, perusing the labels, and pulled one out. “We’ll open this bottle of red, have some dinner, and figure everything out. It’s really the only solution.”

  “You’re trespassing. I’ll call the cops.” She put her hands on her hips, hating the uncertainty in her tone.

  “You will? Be my guest.” He edged around her to reach the pantry and emerged with a couple of potatoes. “Would you mind getting these in the oven before you call Sweet Ridge’s finest?”

  Crap. Would she really have him arrested? With her luck, the responding officer would be someone they went to high school with, or someone who knew and loved his dad. Defeated, she realized that she would, in fact, be spending the night in the house with Gavin unless she went back to the hotel. If he wasn’t going to leave, she couldn’t make him. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of going back to the hotel.

  “All right, fine. You can stay. But I don’t cook. I’m going to go take a shower and check my e-mail. Call me when it’s ready.” His amused laugh as she stormed out of the kitchen did not help.

  He called after her, “Oh, and can you pick up those bags? Someone could trip.”

  With a huff, she scooped up her bags, but only because she needed her clothes and toiletries. Otherwise she would leave them anywhere she damn well pleased. Nobody would tell her what to do in her own house. She pointed to a closed door. “Is this the master bedroom?”

  “Yes, but you’ll need to stay in a guest room upstairs.” Gavin walked toward the stairs and waited for her, his casual demeanor gone.

  “Well, this is my house, like I said, so I want to stay in the master bedroom.” She took a few steps toward the door, not sure if she should force the issue or relent and go upstairs.

  Anger flashed briefly in his eyes, but he kept his voice soft and even. “That was my father’s room. I don’t even sleep in that bedroom yet, so you’re sure as hell not welcome to it. It’s completely empty, anyway.”

  In pushing for her rights, she’d forgotten to be sensitive about the room’s former occupant. For all she knew, there could be a hospital bed and all sorts of equipment littering the room, yet she would have barreled through simply to make a point. It sounded like Gavin was waiting to make it his own. He’d probabl
y been thrown for a loop when, instead of redecorating, he found out he didn’t own his house after all.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.” She kept her eyes trained on the stairs and walked up ahead of him, hauling her luggage and hoping he wouldn’t notice her struggle. She didn’t want his help, not that he offered.

  He directed her to an empty guest room and continued walking past her, his footsteps heavy and swift against the gleaming hardwood floors. Cooper family pictures lined the walls in ornate frames, some of them obviously of relatives from many generations past. That was why Jack’s leaving it to her, possibly opening it up to being sold to strangers, made no sense. Gavin disappeared into the room at the end of the hallway and slammed the door behind him.

  Macy stood motionless, still unsure whether she should unpack her things or return to the hotel. Things had gotten a little too real for her liking. It was one thing to snipe back and forth over his perceived slights, quite another for her to essentially disrespect his father’s memory. Staying in the house seemed like a good idea, the best way to get a feel for the place so she could decide what to do. But that was before she knew that Gavin would be here, as well.

  Was she so determined to show Gavin he couldn’t push her around that she was willing to endure his angry presence until she went home? And what about when she left? Would she demand that he move out or leave him to occupy the house she owned? Not wanting to be caught standing in the doorway staring at his room if he came out, she closed the door behind her and dropped her bags on the queen-sized bed.

  The plush comforter, ornate and meticulously clean tables and dresser, and tasteful window treatments were everything the Cooper family represented: wealth, style, and comfort. Though spotless hardwood floors dominated most of the house, this bedroom was carpeted in thick, ivory shag. Macy kicked off her shoes and let her feet sink into the luxurious carpet, relishing the temporary bliss. She heard him leave his room and pass her door as he headed downstairs. Dinner with Gavin could be torturous, or it could give them an opportunity to call a cease-fire, at least for the duration of her visit.