by Candis Terry
Kate closed her eyes, letting her mother’s “I love you” settle into her soul. She let it curl around her heart. When she opened her eyes to respond, her mother had disappeared.
Kate snapped the last clothes rack into place and grumbled to the pup stretched out on his side, watching every move she made.
“Other than Hollywood, you name one other place I could have had all those opportunities.” She crossed the room to fluff the creamy satin curtains that framed the front window. “I’ve been living the life I always dreamed of. I make tons of money. I have friends in high places and . . .”
The dog sat up and cocked his head.
“What?”
He whined.
She propped her hands on her hips. “You don’t believe me?”
He sneezed.
“Fine. Jump on the bandwagon.”
He gave a little bark as if clarifying he already had one paw onboard.
“Excuse me. Kate?”
Kate turned. In the doorway stood the pretty blond who’d been with Matt at her mother’s funeral. Her straight hair had been pulled back into a ponytail. The gray overcoat she wore looked two sizes too big for her. “Can I help you?”
The blond smiled, extended her hand, and stepped forward. “I’m Emma Hart. I’m sure you don’t remember me since we’ve never really met . . . properly. I was in the same grade as your sister. I just wanted to say I’m so sorry about your mother. She was such a wonderful woman.”
“Thank you.” Kate shook her hand and returned to her curtain fluffing, if only as a distraction from the pity in Emma’s eyes.
“Cute puppy,” Emma said, kneeling to the ground. Obviously she didn’t care if her gray slacks became a dog hair disposal. “Is he yours?”
Kate shook her head, gave the curtains a final tug, and turned. “I found him out by Ma—” Not knowing the extent of Matt and Emma’s relationship, Kate quickly corrected herself. “By the lake. I’ve been trying to find his parents.”
Emma scratched him beneath his chin and his hind leg twitched. “He’s adorable.”
“He likes you. Maybe you’d like to give him a home.”
“I’m afraid he wouldn’t get along with my cat, Oscar. He’s old and cranky and a little possessive.”
Kate moved behind the front counter and began to sort through the inventory photos she’d taken of each gown after they arrived that afternoon. “What can I do for you, Emma? I’m sure you didn’t come in here just to talk about my stray dog.”
“You’re very perceptive.” Emma bit her bottom lip, approached the front counter warily, and set her black vinyl purse on top. Her hands shook. “Actually I can’t believe I even got up the nerve to come here in the first place.”
The way Emma rushed her words, Kate realized she was making the woman uneasy. And that she was probably coming off as a bit bitchy. Even if it didn’t matter to Kate who this woman was or her involvement with Matt, she had no right to be rude. Kate gave her a comforting smile. “Take your time. No need to be nervous. The dog doesn’t bite and neither do I.”
“I’m glad.” Emma laughed, then her smile faded. “Okay. Here goes . . . I’m a schoolteacher and I’m totally fashion blind. The only sense of style I have is enough common sense not to wear the hideous teacher sweaters my colleagues give me for Christmas. You know, the patchwork kind with mice and rabbits and ABCs on them?” She shuddered. “I don’t want to hurt their feelings, but those sweaters are dumpy and frumpy. For heaven’s sake, I’m only thirty-two, not sixty-five and ready to retire.”
Kate laughed.
“At work I do need to dress appropriately. And since my work is the biggest part of my life, well . . . in my off hours I’m afraid of venturing beyond jeans and sweatshirts.”
“And that gets a little boring, right?” Kate said, wondering where this conversation was headed.
“Yes.” Emma’s eyes widened and she nodded. “And as much as I hate to ask for help, I’m desperate. I admire your work—your style, so much. Kate Winslet looked absolutely stunning at the Golden Globes this year.”
The compliment flowed over Kate and made her smile. Too bad all she’d really done was to match a vintage Valentino with the right chandelier earrings to accomplish the look. The actress really didn’t need any help when it came to adding the gorgeous factor. “Thank you.”
“Which is why I need to ask for your help.”
“My help?”
“Yes. For the first time in my life I need to look fabulous.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place. The name of this shop is Cindi Rella’s Attic.”
“Perfect.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“I’ve been asked out for a very romantic date. Actually, it’s our first date and I’d love to look stunning. Maybe even a little bit . . . sexy.” She gave a nervous chuckle. “Nothing like my usual self.”
“Wow.” Kate could feel Emma’s anticipation all the way across the counter. “Sounds exciting. Who’s the lucky guy?”
Emma smiled. “Matt Ryan.”
Kate’s heart took a little sidestep.
Of course it was Matt.
Who else in the world did Kate think would ask Emma out?
The first date thing had thrown her. And now, what would she say? She couldn’t say no. Emma seemed like a really nice woman, someone she could picture as a friend.
But last night Matt had had his lips on hers.
So why did he keep kissing her if he wasn’t interested?
Was it some kind of perverse payback?
And why the hell had she enjoyed it so much?
The following Friday night, to keep her mind from speculating how Emma and Matt’s date was going, Kate threw herself into completing the final touches on the shop. Cindi’s Attic would soon open to the darlings of Deer Lick. She hung the last gown on the rack and adjusted the hangers until they were all separated by the exact same width. A lump of pride clogged her heart as she stood back and took it all in. The pink-and-white striped curtains that hung from a PVC pipe frame her father made to create two dressing rooms. The chandelier’s sparkling crystals that glittered across the ceiling. And the two wicker chairs and table that highlighted the front window.
Her girls had put some amazing details into the place that made it look more like a chic Manhattan boutique than a former craft supply shop.
Her young celebrities had really come through as well. Not only had they supplied her with a myriad of elegant creations, but the sparkly accessories to complete the look. Even a few tiaras.
Each dress had come with the name of the celebrity who donated the item as well as the background of where it had been worn. For these local girls to know that they were stepping into the same designs that had been displayed by the likes of Taylor Swift, Kristen Stewart, Selena Gomez, or a number of other popular celebs would only add to their overall experience.
Anxious to complete her To Do list, she stepped over the dozing pup to arrange the costume jewelry in the glass case. The bell above the glass door chimed and Kate looked up.
In the heart of Girly Central, looking as though he would fit in anywhere, stood Matt. Though Kate could tell the fabric wasn’t designer quality, the charcoal suit he wore fit him as though it had been tailored specifically for his broad shoulders and trim waist. The royal blue tie accented his piercing eyes.
A silent sigh pushed from her lungs.
GQ really didn’t know what they were missing. Deputy Matt Ryan was drop-dead spectacular. Aside from the scowl on his face, of course. Whatever he was pissed about this time, she really didn’t want any of that action. He ran more hot and cold than the natural springs that fed into the creek behind Shoreline Lodge.
“Go away.” She turned her back to him and resumed her work. The pup rushed for protection behind her legs and gave a little growl at their intruder.
“Not until I find out what the hell you’re up to.”
She waved a hand over the glass surface. �
��Clearly I’m arranging jewelry.”
“That’s not what I meant.” His strong jawline clenched and Kate had to admit she’d never seen him quite so tweaked. Well, except for the moment he’d discovered she’d come back to Deer Lick. And when Josh had called and interrupted their kiss. And, oh, about a hundred other times she could think of.
She exhaled a hard breath. “Then why don’t you tell me what you meant, Deputy Ryan.”
He closed the door behind him, stepped closer, and towered over her. The spicy scent of his cologne and his blatant masculinity stroked every drop of estrogen humming through her body.
“What the hell did you do to Emma?” he demanded.
Great. Just what she needed, a small-town critic. She stared at him. “You didn’t like what you saw?”
“I didn’t like that you took a nice girl and turned her into one of your Sin City harlots.”
“A harlot?” she sputtered. “Are you kidding me? Who even uses that word?” She studied him—the glare speared in her direction, the twitch in his jawline, the stiffness to his broad shoulders, the clenched fists hanging at his sides. What was all this animosity really about? Emma? Her? Or him?
“Emma was very excited you were taking her somewhere romantic. She wanted to impress you.” She folded her arms. “Not that you deserve it.”
“She didn’t need to do anything to impress me,” he said. “I like her just the way she is. Or was.”
“So does that make her number one on your potential wife list?”
His eyes widened. “How do you know about that?”
“Evidence.” She smiled at his obvious surprise. “I found the list in your jacket pocket. When I gave it to James to return to you, I mentioned I’d found your hit list. He enlightened me.”
“And you think that’s funny?”
“Not at all. But I do think it’s shocking that a man like you thinks he needs to make a list for something like that. I never thought of you as so cold and calculated.” Especially when his smokin’ hot body had been pressed against hers. “Why don’t you just fall in love the old-fashioned way?”
“Because I don’t have time.”
“Are you kidding? Nobody’s got anything but time in this town. What’s the rush?”
He shoved his hands in his pants pockets, looked down at the ground then back up to her. “I told you I’m running for sheriff.”
Missing the connection she lifted her eyebrows, walked toward him, and said, “And?”
“There’s never been a bachelor sheriff in the history of Deer Lick,” he said as though he hated to spill the obviously important information.
“Ah. And you don’t want to lessen your chances.”
“There’s too much at stake.”
Kate’s heart pinched when she pictured this gorgeous man walking down the aisle with a woman he didn’t love. She pictured him waking every day to a bleak existence just because he thought he had to be married to be elected sheriff. He deserved that position. He cared more about their town than anyone she’d ever known. All anybody had to do was watch him. His commitment to the community was as obvious as the big red nose on Ronald McDonald’s face.
She thought back to the boy he’d been. The way he’d held her in his strong arms. The way he’d made her feel cherished and secure. The encouragement he’d given her when she told him of her desire to learn fashion. She knew him now as a man who’d do anything to protect what he loved. And he loved Deer Lick. Enough to marry a woman he might not love.
Personally, he drove her crazy—sent her sanity pinging right up the Dope-O-Meter. But she’d never wish for him to live a life of misery. He deserved more.
She reached out and touched the sleeve of his suit. “What about love, Matt? How are you going to live with someone if you’re not in love with them? How can you build a family if there’s no love?”
Anger rolled off in him waves. His eyes narrowed. His scowl turned stormy as a thunder cloud. But that didn’t stop him from grabbing her with both hands and pulling her hard against his chest. It didn’t stop him from lowering his head and pressing his tantalizing lips against hers. It didn’t stop his slick tongue from entering her mouth and kissing her with an out-of-control cyclone of need and lust and hot, hot passion.
Equally, that dark look didn’t stop her from wanting to glue herself to him, or stop her from pressing herself against him, or wanting to tear his clothes off so she could get her greedy mouth and hands on all that warm, sexy skin.
When he sucked her tongue lightly into his mouth, her nipples peaked against her soft cotton sweater. He tasted like peppermint and a long denied pleasure grabbed hold of her deep inside. It spread like a firestorm across a dry forest.
She wanted this man. Needed to wrap herself around him. Needed him to slide his erection into the liquid heat that pooled between her thighs. Her own unfulfilled need threatened to overpower her. And while the idea should scare the hell out of her, she just didn’t give a damn. In his arms, she was lost. Completely, irrevocably lost.
His grasp on her tightened a fraction just before he stepped back and untangled her fingers from his hair. “Damn it.” His arms dropped to his sides. “How long are you going to stay in town and keep messing with me, Kate?”
Kate licked her lips to keep from biting away the humiliation of once again falling under his spell. Of being rejected. Again. “Hey, I was in here minding my own business until you walked in.”
His dark brows lowered. “Then do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Stay the hell away from me.” He yanked open the door. “Because it’s obvious I can’t stay away from you.”
The taillights of Matt’s SUV had barely disappeared before Kate locked the shop door and headed home. The pup lay on the seat by her side, his head propped on her thigh.
Her chest ached.
She could blame it on heartburn, but the cause of her discomfort had nothing to do with eating and everything to do with a big gorgeous man who made her head spin in so many ways she’d lost count. She wanted to go home, put on her flannel PJs, crawl in her little twin bed, and snuggle with her no-name dog. She wanted to not think about Matt or the way he made her feel or the things he made her crave. She certainly didn’t want to think about what was going on in that gorgeous head of his. Or why he felt compelled to kiss her socks off every time he came within an arm’s length. Or why he kept pushing her away.
As she turned the corner onto Reindeer Avenue her cell rang.
“Hey girlfriend, how are things in Deer Snout?”
Josh’s humor was lost on her. “Fine. The shop is ready to open.”
“So who’s going to man, or should I say woman the place if you’re busy at the bakery or when you come home?”
Home. Why was it she really didn’t think of Hollywood as home anymore? “I’ve got several high school girls lined up.” She sighed. “It’ll only be open three hours a day, three days a week.”
“Aw, why the gloom and doom ‘tude, sweetie? You’ve accomplished quite a feat. Look at you providing fairy tale frocks for all those teen girls. You should be crowing from a dirty old mountaintop.”
“I’m too tired to crow.”
“What you need is a trip to a day spa. Want me to look one up in your area and make an appointment?”
“Josh, get real. I barely have time to blow my nose, let alone lay down for an hour while someone massages my sore muscles. Right now, I’d settle for a bottle of Cuervo, a lime, and some salt.”
“Ooooh, craving the hard stuff. Not a good sign.”
“Did you call for a specific reason, Josh? Or did you just feel the need to exert your snarkiness?”
“I wanted to give you an update on Inara.”
“Good or bad?”
“We’re talking about Inara here,” Josh said.
Kate sighed again. “Okay, hit me.”
“Her agent rang me when she couldn’t get hold of you. She’s decided to send Inara to rehab.”
“Exactly.”
“So why would she need to go to rehab?”
“This is a different kind. Something Peggy kind of . . . invented. On the spot. Off the top of her heavily lacquered head.”
“Josh?” Kate rubbed her eyes. “I’m too tired to play word games.”
“Peggy is putting you in charge of rehabilitating her top client.”
“What?”
“She wants you to take Inara under your wing and educate her the way they used to in those glamour schools.”
“Wait a minute. I’m a stylist, not Emily Post.”
“Peggy said Inara’s career depends on it. And there’s a six figure bonus if you can pull it off.”
“Geez, no pressure.” Stopped at a red light, Kate rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She was tired. She didn’t want to deal with a bad mannered superstar. She didn’t care about a six figure bonus. All she wanted was to make her baked goods and live life in this modest town. Her head popped up. And wow, wasn’t that something she never thought she’d hear herself say. Maybe she really was just a small-town girl at heart. “Exactly when am I supposed to take on this ginormous feat?”
“She’s sending Inara on a chaperoned vacation in the Bahamas until you come home,” Josh said. “The most time I can buy you is a few weeks.”
“A few weeks? Seriously?”
“Is that a problem?” Josh asked. “Do I sense the Silver Steamer hitting a titanic iceberg?”
Yes. Crash and burn Kate at your service. “I can’t do it, Josh. Tell Peggy I’m sorry but I just can’t.” Kate punched end call and glanced down at the pup who groaned in his sleep. She slid her hand over the top of his silky head.
“We are in doo-doo, my friend. Deep, deep doo-doo.”
The pup lifted his leg on a forsythia bush as Kate opened the front door. As soon as the path was clear, he trotted in the house like he owned the place. Her father, perched in his recliner, sat up and scratched the pup behind his ears as he passed on his way to the food bowl.
