by Becca Dale
“I have no idea.” Savannah rose to her toes to see over the crowd. She'd allowed the ideal guy to walk away without even asking his name. If I ran, could I still catch him? Would that be too pathetic?
The teenager who had been helping him stepped closer with an invoice in her hand and pity in her eyes. “His name's Marcus Braddock.”
“And?” Savannah held her breath for the rest.
“He's getting married at five o'clock this afternoon.”
“Of course, he is.” She shrugged as if it didn't matter, as if everything remained ordinary and fate was on her side instead of laughing at her from across the room. “A man that hot had to be taken or gay. No way around it.” She rubbed at the pain gathering behind her breastbone and pretended it didn't matter. I don't know him from Adam. Of course, it doesn't matter.
Then why did her heart feel ripped in half?
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Chapter Two
“When are you going to get married, buddy?”
Gavin Ferguson glanced at his new brother-in-law as the other man joined him on the Westwood Plaza's grand deck and held out a cold beer. “Never.” Gavin took the micro-brewed ale but didn't drink it. The frosty bottle chilled his hand. “Not unless I find what Grandpa and Grandma Wallace had.”
“So go get it.”
A vision of the beautiful girl in Hallman's filled his head. For someone like her, he might consider risking the impossible, but the flaws inherent in that kind of thinking quickly restored his usual skepticism. “It doesn't exist, or if it does, I missed it.”
“Your opinion's skewed by that wonderful mother of yours.”
The mention of his father's wife sent a haze of red across his thoughts and all the reasons he didn't believe in love swept over him. “Stepmother.”
“Exactly. Your own was more like Darcy, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then what's your problem? Find someone like her.”
Gavin snorted and leaned against the rail. “In case you haven't noticed, my sister's one of a kind. Long-term relationships are destined to fail in today's world.”
Marc chuckled. “That's not what a man wants to hear on his wedding day.”
“Ignore my cynical brother, Marc.” Darcy floated across the open balcony with a blinding smile as she joined them. Her wedding dress accentuated the curves Marc loved so much and clarified what a stunner his sister really was, but the joy in her face as she snuggled against her new husband's side revealed her true beauty. “Marriages often fail because people refuse to communicate or they aren't committed enough.”
Gavin looked away from the happy bride and groom to stare through the French doors to the ballroom. “Marriage doesn't work—period.”
She smiled as she laid her hand over his. “Sometimes it does.”
He stared at the beer bottle rather than meet his sister's love-clouded gaze. “Not in my experience. Most people don't find what you two have. Look at Dad.”
“Dad had it once. He just screwed up the second time.”
He studied the woman his little sister had become, and his heart ached at the innocence he still saw in her, unsure how it had survived the hostile environment created by their father's poor decisions. “You two are blessed.” When Darcy and Marc exchanged mushy looks, Gavin groaned. “Could you quit that when I'm around, please? Nausea rises in my throat every time I see those puppy dog eyes.”
“We aren't that bad.” Darcy giggled as Marc cuddled her close and nuzzled her neck. “Besides, you would love to have someone to gush over. You're not fooling anyone. We all know you're a big teddy bear underneath that tough guy image.” She left Marc's embrace and dropped a quick kiss on Gavin's cheek and a longer one on her husband's mouth. “I'm going inside to check on our guests. Talk some sense into my brother please, Marc.”
“Is that even possible?” Marc grinned and swatted at her butt as she turned to hurry away.
Gavin studied his friend and brother-in-law. The other man's gaze followed Darcy to the door. The connection between the two of them was almost painful to witness, despite how much it pleased him to see his sister happy. He took a long pull on his beer and settled against the railing with a sigh. “You two suck.”
Marc sprawled on a nearby bench and stretched his legs. “Jealous?”
He hesitated to reveal his thoughts even to Marc. “To the core.”
“So you weren't serious about never getting married?”
“Actually, I am. I found a girl I could fall for, but she's engaged. It wouldn't matter anyway. I'm not up for the heartache of the long term. Even if I could have her, I wouldn't take more than a few days in her bed. In fact, I've contemplated hunting her down for that very reason.”
“Yeah, yeah, Casanova. Are you positive she's engaged? Some women wear rings to ward off unwanted attention.”
“She was buying a wedding dress.” Gavin took a long swig of his beer and tried not to remember how she fit in his arms or the seductive lure of her smile.
His brother-in-law sat up straighter and shook his head. “No misunderstanding that one, I guess. What are you going to do about it?”
“Not a damned thing. No matter how much I'd like to. I don't believe in happily ever after, but I sure as hell don't intend to screw up some other poor bastard's chance at it.” Gavin clinked his beer bottle against Marc's and took another drink. “Here's to the lucky couple.”
Kate practically bounced into Savannah's office at Jensen Landscaping on Monday morning. “Guess what!”
“What?” Savannah turned her chair expecting Kate to have some spectacular find to add to the strange collection of knick-knacks that cluttered her home. Instead, she carried a Western Valley Tribune.
“The guy at Hallman's. It's fate.”
“I'm fated to be a lonely idiot with a spectacular wedding dress hanging in my closet?”
“No. Read this.” Kate slapped the paper down on Savannah's desk and pointed to a society listing. “He's not married.”
Savannah sat up straighter and reached for the paper. “How is that possible?”
“Look at the picture. Marcus Braddock and Darcy Ferguson. The groom's a hunk but not your hunk.”
“I don't have a hunk.”
“But you want one.”
Weird joy zipped through Savannah's chest as she studied the photo. The handsome, dark-haired man looked nothing like the guy who'd danced with her. “The girl at Hallman's said—”
“She was wrong. He must have been in the wedding party.”
Shaking the paper out straight, Savannah read the article aloud. “Darcy Ferguson, daughter of Hank and Kayla Ferguson and First Lieutenant Marcus Braddock were united in marriage at the First Reformed Church of Christ. Yadda yadda. Here—the bride's brother, Gavin Ferguson and the groom's sister, Julie Braddock stood up for the couple.”
Kate leaned over her shoulder. “Suppose that's him?”
“How would I know?”
“Don't get snippy with me. It's not my fault you didn't ask his name.”
Savannah studied the photo. The bride and groom fit well together despite his superior height. Maybe because of the way they looked at one another. The same way the stranger had studied her. She should have asked his name. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap.”
“So what are you going to do about this?”
“Nothing. I can't very well hunt the man down.”
“Why not?” Kate flopped in the chair beside Savannah's desk and played with a pen. “He could be the love of your life.”
“He could be married.”
“You'll never know if you don't try.”
The phone rang as Savannah tried to digest that information. Kate automatically answered it as if she were at her own desk. “Jensen Landscaping. Can I help you?”
“I hope so. I'm Gavin Ferguson, with F&B construction.”
The distinct timber of his voice carried across the desk as he introduced himself, an
d Savannah's heart jumped.
“I'm looking for Savannah Jensen.”
Kate did a wide-eyed dance and mouthed a single word. Fate. “One moment please, I'll transfer you.”
With a finger to her lips, Savannah hit the speaker button. “This is Savannah.”
“Ms. Jensen, or is it Mrs.?”
“Savannah works fine. What can I do for you, Mr. Ferguson?”
“Gavin. I have a project in front of me that calls for extensive gardens. I wondered if your firm would be interested in drawing something up for my client.”
“That depends. We're a pretty small operation. What would you need?”
Kate glared and dove for a notepad. Have you lost your mind? Tell him you'll take a look.
Savannah shook her head no as Gavin continued his explanation.
Tell him or I will!
She waved her crazy friend away. “Who did you say you work for?”
“F & B Construction. My partner and I recently bought the company from my dad.”
His partner? Gay. Of course, he is. She fought the strange compulsion to cry. How had she missed it? Did straight men even dance like that anymore? “How soon would you need a layout?”
“Not for a few weeks, but the sooner you could offer an estimate the better.”
Clicking on the calendar icon on her computer screen, Savannah did a quick inventory of the jobs slotted for the upcoming weeks. “When could you send me the plans?”
“I hoped you could pick them up. Or I could drop them off. That way we can discuss the customer's needs.”
He sounds anxious to meet you.
Savannah grabbed the pen and paper. Stop it. He doesn't know who I am.
Gavin's deep voice broke through her thoughts. “I could bring the blueprints by your office if that would work?”
God, she didn't want to see him. He sucked her effortlessly under a seductive spell like no man had ever done before. Would he be able to tell how attractive she found him or the way her heart sped up when he touched her? She couldn't answer him. Make him go away.
“Savannah? Are you there?”
Kate clicked the speaker off and picked up the handset. “I'm sorry, Mr. Ferguson. A customer demanded her attention. What was it you needed?”
The rumble of his voice still teased Savannah's senses, but she couldn't understand his words. She couldn't hear much beyond the odd beating of her heart.
“That's fine then. She'll see you there.”
Kate's end of the conversation jerked Savannah back to reality. “Why did that sound like you agreed I would meet the man somewhere?”
“Because we need the business, but more important, I saw the way you looked at him.”
“You have lost your mind.”
“That's what you said about the dress, but I was right then.”
Savannah flopped back in her chair with a disgusted snort. “The jury's still out on that.”
Kate laughed. “Come on. The man's sexy as hell.”
“The man has a ‘partner.'”
“Maybe it's simply a business arrangement.”
“Or maybe he's in a committed relationship with another guy.”
“If that's the case, you'll do the job and walk away. No harm done. What have you got to lose?”
“Besides my dignity?” And my heart?
“You have more to gain. I've never seen a guy put you so on edge before.”
“Exactly. He makes me jumpy for some reason.”
“That's not necessarily a bad thing. How are you ever going to find the right one if you walk away simply because a man unsettles you?”
“Couldn't you go instead?”
“No, you need to talk to him about the project.” Kate bit at her fingernail as she toyed with the notepad.
Savannah knew that nervous move too well. She sat up with a sigh. “What did you commit me to?”
“You're meeting him and his partner tonight and maybe going out to dinner if it doesn't get too late.”
Damn it. “I'm not going. Call and cancel.”
“I can't. I promised you'd be there.”
Her stomach fluttered with nervous energy. She wanted to know if it was him, if the way she'd felt in his arms had been an illusion or something more. What if he didn't remember? “You agreed to this, you go.”
“I'm just the secretary.”
“Cut the crap, Kate. You know almost as much about landscaping as I do.”
“He sounded excited to meet you.”
Savannah groaned. The whole thing reeked of impractical choices and rash decisions. It reeked of Kate, not fate. “I hate you so much.”
“No, you don't. You love me.”
That was a given, but the knot in her gut did not loosen. “I don't want to do this.”
Kate cast a worried glance over her shoulder as she headed toward the front desk. “But you will, won't you?”
“I'll be there. Don't you have plants to order or something?” Kate hurried out of sight as Savannah picked up the society page to study the picture again. “I have officially lost my freaking mind.”
Five o'clock rolled around, feeling like doomsday rather than the end of the workday. Kate had gone home early to meet the air conditioner repairman, which left Savannah to work on her own projects while answering the phone. Thank heaven for the shower she had installed at the office for days she worked in the field. The hot water beat on her shoulders, easing the day's tension, but did nothing for the riot going on in her head.
Kate had called it fate. The dress, the announcement, his call. What if she was right? What if meeting him again started something? Memories of his compelling brown eyes and the feel of his full lips on hers sent a shiver down her back. What would it be like to have such a man kiss her more intimately? “More likely to be a waste of time.”
Savannah stepped onto a mat and quickly dried off, squeezing the majority of moisture from her hair. She wrapped the towel over her breasts and ran her fingers through her shoulder length curls. They sprang into their usual wild disarray. A knock on the bathroom door made her jump. “Who is it?”
“It's me, Kate. Who were you expecting?”
She wrapped the towel tighter around her breasts and opened the door. “I wasn't expecting anyone. That's why I asked.”
“I stopped by your place and grabbed a change of clothes and your sexy boots.” Kate held up a stuffed tote like a prize.
Taking in her friend's black micro-mini skirt and bright orange, low-cut top, Savannah hesitated to look in the bag. “My jeans and polo would have been fine.”
“On a first date? Are you crazy?”
“This is not a date. It's a business interview.”
“If you get married and have a passel of kids, this is the night you'll tell them about as your first official time together, so it's a date.” She shoved the tote at Savannah with a smile. “Get dressed.”
Savannah opened the bag carefully. “Please tell me you brought something more conservative than your outfit.”
Kate crossed her arms and leaned on the narrow vanity with a snort. “Like you own anything this sexy.”
Not really trusting Kate's flamboyant taste, Savannah pulled out a lump of silky fabric. “A dress?”
“Why not?”
“Because this particular one you made me buy so you could borrow it, remember? It barely covers my butt.”
“Then you'll stand out.”
She shook the silky fabric and held it to her. “Or hang out, however you want to say it.”
“Just get dressed. You're going to be late.”
“Okay, I'm dressing.” She pushed Kate out the door and hurried to throw on her clothes. She dug in the vanity for the clean underwear she kept at work for such situations and pulled them on. Thankfully, she had a bra with changeable straps so she could accommodate the dress's Egyptian collar. The rich gold silk complemented her light tan and made her nearly black hair look richer. Unfortunately, the hem only dropped a couple inches below he
r butt. “I am not wearing this in public. Forget it.”
Kate popped her head around the door. “Wow, it is short. I don't remember it being that bad.”
“That's because when you wear it, it's not. I'm the one with freakishly long legs, remember.”
“Yeah, yeah, poor baby. I'd kill for a few more inches.”
Savannah smirked. “That's what he said.”
“You're sick.” Kate wrinkled her nose and pointed at the too-high hemline. “What are we going to do about this? You can't wear your Jensen Landscaping shirt.”
“Why not? It shows that I'm a professional and that I take life seriously. He did call the business after all.”
“You have to play some time. Stop hiding the fact that you're a beautiful woman.”
Savannah tugged at the dress again. Why couldn't she be a petite little thing like Kate instead of a beanpole? “What if I wear my jeans with it?” She grabbed her fitted jeans and wiggled them up her legs.
“Oh, my God, Vanny. What do you have on?”
“What?” Savannah looked down and laughed as she realized the problem. Her white cotton underwear had tiny pink and green flowers and stopped an inch above her belly button. “They're the only ones I had here at work.”
“Why the hell would you buy such things?”
“My mother gave them to me a long time ago. I don't use them so they don't wear out.” She tugged her jeans a little higher and pulled her top down.
“You aren't actually going out in those, are you?”
“I don't have anything else except the underwear I had on earlier, and I am not putting them back on. I've showered.”
“Then go commando.”
“No one will see them.”
“Fine, but I don't know how you can flirt with your future husband when you know what you have on under there.”
“I'll suffer through. I'm doing this for the business, remember?”
Kate picked up the woven leather belt Savannah had pulled from the jeans and held it out. “Wrap this around your waist. That way even if the hem gets lifted for some reason, he won't realize you have on granny panties.”
“Oh, for crying out loud.” Savannah buckled the belt around her waist and let it drape to her hips. It actually made the dress look more like a top and kind of cute. “Satisfied?”
