“My dream is to own my own successful business. I’ve got a financial plan. In three years, I’ll have enough money saved to lease a property with a commercial kitchen.”
Dylan pulled his cell phone out. “Sounds like you’re organized.”
“I have to be. Life doesn’t just happen. You have to make it happen.”
“On that positive note, I’m calling Polly. Do you want to come and have another look at the first house?”
“I shouldn’t,” she muttered. “I feel like I’m supporting your addiction to spending money.”
He scrolled through his contact list. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Annie sat quietly beside him while he arranged to meet Polly in twenty minutes.
With the appointment made, he disconnected the call and stretched his legs out in front of him. “She wasn’t surprised.”
“I bet she’s working out her commission as we speak.”
“There are worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.”
Annie glanced down at her watch. “I need to be home by four-thirty at the latest.”
“Who are you bowling against?”
“My coach. He thinks he can beat me. What time are you meeting your friends?”
“Five thirty. We’re having dinner together. A couple of the guys had family things to go to this afternoon.”
“How did you meet them?”
A white ball rolled toward Dylan. He stood up and kicked it back to the group of boys. “I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. My counselor told me about the support group Pastor Steven set up. It’s a small group, but it means a lot.”
“I overheard Logan telling Tess about it. It sounds like a good group to be part of.”
Dylan nodded. The transition to civilian life had been hard enough without having to deal with what had brought him here. The friendship of the guys in the group had made everything much easier to deal with.
He checked his watch. “We’d better get going or we’re going to be late.”
Annie sighed as she stood up. “And we wouldn’t want that. Someone else might have their pen in their hand, ready to sign their life away.”
“But what a life.”
“Think mortgage.”
Dylan laughed. “You worry too much. I might not like the house as much this time around.”
Annie snorted. “I don’t think so. I could see you figuring out where you’d stack your unopened boxes.”
He stood beside the passenger door of his truck. “This could be the home that inspires me to unpack everything for the first time. And then there’s the kitchen. You could practice your bulk cooking skills in there.”
Annie growled at him. “Blackmail won’t make me change my mind.”
A heat he hadn’t felt in a long time spread through his body. He could think of more creative ways of changing Annie’s mind, and buying a house didn’t even come close.
He opened her door and waited for her to get inside his truck. “You know, there is another way of looking at this,” he said.
Annie looked up from her seat. “There is?”
“It could be a move in the right direction. I’m putting down roots, finding something more permanent than what I’ve got.”
“I’m not sure your motives are quite so virtuous.” Annie had a wicked gleam in her eyes. “I think you like the house because you want females falling at your feet. A single, handsome bodyguard with a big house is a real turn on for some women. A woman with a kind heart, long legs, and unlimited patience would love to be part of that.”
“You weren’t exaggerating, were you?” Dylan enjoyed watching the confusion on Annie’s face. “You remembered all of the important things I’m looking for. But you forgot one thing.”
“A sports car?”
“Nice try, Ms. O’Leary. You told me I had the nesting bug. Most of the women I’ve met want everything except the nest.”
“You must have been looking in the wrong places.” Annie sighed. “They do things a little differently in Montana. If you’re ready to settle down, you’ll have twice as many women banging on your door.”
Dylan smiled. “We’d better make sure there’s a doorbell, then. I wouldn’t want them chipping their nail polish.” He closed her door and headed toward his side of the truck.
The frown on Annie’s face didn’t worry him at all. And neither did her bright pink nails, especially if the house they were going back to had a doorbell.
Chapter Four
Dylan looked at the men sitting in Pastor Steven’s living room. Everyone except Logan seemed tired. Out of all of them, Logan had the most reason to look a little rough around the edges. Planning a wedding couldn’t be the easiest thing to do, especially with his mom keeping tabs on what they were doing.
Everyone except Todd had managed to make the meeting. No one talked about why he regularly left Montana, but they knew it had something to do with his life back in New York.
What most of the group didn’t know was that Todd was determined to track down the men responsible for killing his wife and son. Dylan had known Todd for eight months. During that time, Todd had thrown himself into more dangerous situations than most people found in their lifetimes. And each time he came home, it took longer to get back to where he’d been before he left.
“So what have you been up to, Logan?” Pastor Steven asked.
Logan choked on the coffee he’d been drinking. “Don’t do that to me,” he groaned. “I’ve just had a week of my mother asking exactly the same thing. Our wedding reception’s turning into the party from hell.”
“Serves yourself right for getting married.” Jeremy smirked from the other side of the room. He wouldn’t have said that if he’d been sitting next to Logan.
“Been there, done that,” William sighed. “You just got to go with it, man. Some women like to take control. It doesn’t matter what you say or do, it won’t be good enough.”
Dylan paid close attention to William. He knew William’s marriage had taken a turn for the worst not long after he’d arrived in Bozeman.
“How’s Patsy doing?” Pastor Steven asked William.
Patsy was William’s wife. They’d had a baby six months ago and they were still struggling with sleepless nights.
“She’s okay. I help where I can, but I’m gone for most of the day. The meals Logan brought around the other day were appreciated.”
Logan relaxed in his chair. “Tess thought they might help. Delivering them to you got me away from mom.”
Pastor Steven’s gaze turned to Dylan. “What have you been doing, Dylan?”
Dylan had been dreading what he’d say today. There were only two rules in their support group. Be honest with yourself and be honest with everyone else. He hadn’t even told Logan what he’d been doing. “Work has been busy.”
“And…” Jeremy looked at him expectantly. The kid could be a right royal pain in the ass sometimes.
“And nothing. We’re looking at expanding our warehouse; providing secure storage without all the bells and whistles our current building has.”
“Are you going to build something from scratch or buy an existing building?” William asked.
Dylan hesitated before answering. Logan had a frown on his face. It was almost as if he knew Dylan was keeping something back, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. Dylan kept on eye on him. When he did work it out, he’d have more questions than anyone in the room.
“My boss has seen a property not far from where we are at the moment. We’re going to look at it tomorrow.” Dylan cleared his throat. “As well as warehouses, I’ve been looking at residential property. I’m deciding whether to buy a house or keep renting.”
“Don’t do it,” Jeremy said. “If you buy a house, you’ll want to fill it with a wife and kids. Tell him what married life is really like, William.”
“I’m not the world’s best example of married life,” William said dryly. “Half the time I’m sure Patsy wishes she was single. It’
s hard work.”
“Nothing worth much is ever easy,” Logan muttered. “You’ve got to look past what’s on the surface and take care of what’s underneath.”
Jeremy groaned. “You’re going philosophical on us again.”
Logan grinned. “That was a big word. I bet you can’t spell it.”
“I don’t need to. I’m not a reporter.”
Pastor Steven reached for his coffee mug. “Have you seen a house you like, Dylan?”
He nodded cautiously. This was where things could get tricky, especially if he told them about Annie’s help. “It’s on Morning Sun Drive.”
“Nice area,” William said.
“Isn’t that on the outskirts of town?” Logan asked. “I thought you wanted to be closer to town?”
Dylan shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a big property. I couldn’t get the same sized lot or house in town.”
“How big are we talking?” Jeremy walked back to his chair after putting a few sandwiches on his plate. “Do you need someone to come and stay to help pay your mortgage?”
“There are five bedrooms, an office, and enough living areas to get lost in. And no, I don’t want a roommate.”
Logan gave Dylan another sharp stare. “Who else has seen the house?”
Damn. Dylan ignored the blush hitting his face. No one else ignored it.
Jeremy’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve got a girlfriend and you didn’t tell us?”
“No girlfriend,” Dylan said firmly.
A compassionate look crossed William’s face. It was almost as if he felt sorry for him. Dylan made a mental note to catch up with William after the meeting. Not that he knew much about married life, but sometimes all you needed was someone to listen.
Jeremy sat on the edge of his seat. “There’s a woman in there somewhere, isn’t there? You wouldn’t be getting all hot and bothered if your mom was helping you look for a house.”
Sometimes Dylan wished Jeremy wasn’t quite so…he couldn’t even think of a word to describe him. Some days he was a cross between the Easter bunny and Einstein. One minute he was all bouncy and happy, and in the next breath he was coming up with over-the-top theories about life and the universe.
Dylan ground his teeth together, waiting for someone else to land in the spotlight. He looked around the room. Even Pastor Steven had a concerned frown on his face. And then it hit him. It wasn’t the fact that a woman might be viewing houses with him. It was what might come after the house hunting that worried them. “You don’t think I can handle a girlfriend?”
Silence filled the room.
“It’s not a matter of handling anyone…” Pastor Steven was using his counselor’s voice. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Ready for what?”
“For what a relationship means.” Jeremy had his Einstein brain switched on. “It wasn’t that long ago that you didn’t like being touched.”
“I’m working on it. And just in case you didn’t hear it the first time - I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Pastor Steven stood up. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
William and Jeremy didn’t need to be asked twice. Both of them stood up and walked toward the dining table.
Logan hung back. “You never told us who’s looking at houses with you.”
Dylan waited until Pastor Steven was standing beside William and Jeremy. “You mean Tess hasn’t told you?”
“Tess doesn’t tell me everything. I know for sure you’re not taking her anywhere, so it must be one of her friends.” Logan frowned. “It’s not Annie is it?”
Dylan nodded.
Logan shook his head. “She’s too young. She can’t be more than twenty-four years old.”
“What difference does that make?”
“You’ve lived through things that most people never experience.”
For the first time in a long while, Dylan started to get annoyed. He took a deep breath, determined to hold onto the anger bubbling inside of him. “You think I’m not allowed to fall in love and have a normal life?”
“I’m not saying that.” Logan’s voice was low and urgent. “I’m saying you should be careful. Annie’s your typical girl-next-door. I doubt she’s ever had to deal with anything major in her life.”
“You think I need special handling? I’m not going to break into pieces if someone touches me.”
Logan raised his eyebrows.
Dylan crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Nothing has happened. She looked at a few houses with me.” He glanced at the dining table and lowered his voice. “She’s helping me with my touching issues.” Dylan wasn’t prepared for the stunned horror that crossed Logan’s face.
“Are you crazy?”
If Dylan had been angry before he was doubly pissed off now. “It’s my life. Butt out.”
Logan took a step forward, straight into Dylan’s face. “Annie’s a baker and a receptionist for Pete’s sake. You couldn’t get more average if you tried. You’d better be sure about what you’re doing or Tess will be after me, and I’ll come looking for you.”
“Pizza anyone?” Pastor Steven shoved a slice of pizza between them. “You’d better get something to eat or Jeremy will devour the lot.”
Dylan growled low in his throat. “I’m not hungry. And just for the record, Annie isn’t your average person. She didn’t write me off as beyond help, she doesn’t judge me or tell me I’m a misfit. People like that are hard to find. I’ll see you later.” For better or worse he picked up his jacket and left.
He needed to get some fresh air, go for a run and deal with the bitter disappointment weighing him down. If his best friend thought he was making the biggest mistake of his life, then maybe he should do everyone a favor and walk away from Annie.
But if Logan was wrong, if there was something worth holding onto, then surely it was worth the risk of losing everything?
***
Two days after viewing the house that was too much of everything, Annie sat in Dylan’s truck, staring at the brown siding on the building in front of her. Dylan and his boss, John Fletcher, were standing beside a big metal door, talking with a local realtor.
From what Dylan had said, Fletcher Security was considering buying the property as another secure storage facility. Annie couldn’t see how the building would ever be as secure as the other fortress they had at the moment, but Dylan seemed to think it could work.
After they’d looked through the building, Annie was taking Dylan to the bowling alley. He’d seen her bowl a couple of months back. This time it was all about him. If they were going to conquer his touching issue, they needed to build his confidence around groups of people. And unless they wanted to hang out at bars, the bowling alley was the best place Annie could think of.
Dylan glanced back at the truck, then ran toward her. “The realtor’s left the keys with us. Do you want to come inside and have a look?”
Annie gazed uncertainly at the building.
“You don’t need to do anything except look.”
She grabbed her bag and got out of Dylan’s truck. “Okay, but I’m scared of rats. If any big, hairy, beasts scuttle out from the walls, I’m jumping on your back.”
Dylan’s mouth didn’t move, but his eyes laughed at her. “Then you’ll get me running for cover.” He locked his truck and started walking toward his boss. “What do you think of the building from the outside?”
“It’s brown.”
He huffed out the beginning of a laugh. “At least you’re honest.”
Annie grinned. “That’s why you like me so much.” Dylan didn’t say anything and Annie’s smile dimmed.
“Hi, Annie. I’m John.”
Annie stared at the man in front of her. He was as tall as Dylan, but any other resemblance ended there. John Fletcher was polished, sophisticated and oozed confidence. His firm handshake and direct stare told her he was a man who knew what he wanted and was getting there.
J
ohn glanced at Dylan. “The realtor’s gone inside to turn the alarm off.” He turned to Annie and smiled. “Has Dylan told you anything about what we want to do here?”
“You’d like an extra storage facility.”
“That about covers it. We won’t have the same level of security in this building. What we’re looking for is a facility we can alter to meet our needs going forward.”
Annie followed Dylan into the building. “And you think this is it?”
John took his sunglasses off. “Could be.”
As they walked through the empty warehouse, Annie listened to John explain how they’d create individual storage units within the big cavernous space. She didn’t want to think about how much money it would take to complete the project.
Dylan opened a door on one side of the room and waved her through. “I thought you might be interested in seeing this.”
Annie poked her head around the doorframe, half expecting to see an office draped in cobwebs. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the bright fluorescent lights her mouth dropped open.
“Wow…” She walked into the commercial kitchen, running her hand along the stainless steel counter. She stopped in front of two ovens that were as tall as she was. “I can’t believe it. These are top of the range combi ovens.” She opened one door and looked closely at the steel trays waiting for a lucky chef to fill them.
“I take it you’re impressed?”
Annie looked across at Dylan. He was leaning against a set of cabinets, watching her move around the kitchen. “These ovens are one of the best on the market. You can have multiple cooking options happening at the same time and they even clean themselves. Who used this building before it went on the market?”
“No one’s been in here for at least ten months,” John said from behind Annie. He opened an oven door and peered inside. “It used to be owned by a local catering company. They went into receivership and now the bank’s selling the building.”
“Do the ovens come with the sale?” Annie asked.
John opened a cupboard and frowned at what he found. “Everything you see is part of the deal, including two dead mice.”
Annie stepped away from John, but not too far that she couldn’t continue to admire the ovens. She was nowhere near ready to start her own business, but if she had been, she would have been tempted to ask John what plans he had for the kitchen.
Loving You (The Bridesmaids Club Book 2) Page 7
