Unmasking the Maverick

by Teresa Southwick

  “About that having a reservation remark—” Fiona started. “I was afraid you were going to take my mom up on the invitation to go inside.”

  “No.” He couldn’t imagine the seventh level of hell being more uncomfortable than that. “Hope that’s okay.”

  “Very much okay.”

  “Good.” That meant he’d interpreted her look correctly. His instincts in a combat situation had saved lives more than once, but understanding a woman’s expression was a thousand times more complex. He often read women’s signals wrong but tonight wasn’t one of those times.

  “Ironically,” he said, “I did make a reservation.”

  “That’s good.”

  “No big deal. I did it online.”

  “I meant the part where I wasn’t actually lying to my mother. That’s never good.”

  “I guess not.”

  Probably he’d told his mother whoppers but he couldn’t remember because he’d been five when she left. And growing up watching his dad be sad without her was pretty bad. No one had ever come right out and said it was Brendan’s fault, but he figured a case could be made.

  “I’m sorry about that.” Fiona’s voice broke into his dark thoughts.

  For a couple of beats he was afraid he’d spoken out loud, then realized he hadn’t. So he was forced to ask, “About what?”

  “You specifically said no family. Most of the time mine is scattered. Everyone doing their own thing. Sadly, this wasn’t one of those nights. If they made you uncomfortable, I apologize.”

  “That’s not necessary. I’m tough. And they obviously love you.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “But I’m not a teenager and this isn’t my first rodeo.”

  “You’re lucky to have them.” Said the man who had no one.

  “Agreed.” She blew out a small breath and looked out the passenger window, but it was too dark to see anything. “So, where are we going?”

  “That’s a surprise.”

  “Am I overdressed?”

  Yes, he thought, glancing at her in the passenger seat, then returning his eyes to the road. He would give almost anything to see her without that sexy green dress. But that’s not what she meant. And from the online intel he’d gathered, what she had on was perfect for the restaurant. He’d added a navy sport coat to his long-sleeved light blue dress shirt that was tucked into his newest jeans.

  “You’re fine,” he said. “You look really nice, by the way. I should have said so earlier but the welcoming party kind of threw me off my game.”

  “And I should have thanked you earlier for the rose. But my family circled the wagons and sucked all the oxygen from the air.” She let out a sigh. “And you look very handsome.”

  “Shucks, ma’am—”

  She laughed and the sound was like sunshine. It was warm and bright and made him grin. Smiling wasn’t natural but there was no holding it back even if he wanted to.

  The light moment dissolved his tension and he felt relaxed for the first time in longer than he could remember. Between military deployments and watching his father waste away from cancer, there hadn’t been much to smile about. But he’d had a clear understanding of his mission in each case. Sunshine Farm had caught his attention because it was a place where someone could find a fresh start. So far he didn’t feel the objective was coming together. So he continued his plan to get back in shape and reenlist.

  “It’s awfully quiet over there,” Fiona said. “Except for the part where I can hear you thinking.”

  “Oh? How?”

  “There’s a strange sort of whirring, clunking sound.”

  “That’s just me concentrating on the road.” He chuckled again, feeling his connection to her strengthen.

  “Hmm,” she said thoughtfully. “I could help you watch the road if I knew where we were going. Although it has to be Kalispell. There aren’t many places in Rust Creek Falls that require a reservation.”

  She was right about their general destination, but he wasn’t going to confirm. “Good try, but I’m not going to reveal anything.”

  About thirty minutes later the lights of the city glowed and twinkled in the distance. From browsing the internet he knew Kalispell was a city of about twenty-two thousand. It was definitely bigger than Rust Creek Falls, which had a nice restaurant at Maverick Manor. He just figured the two of them would draw attention there, which he didn’t want. This would be better. Just dinner; no expectations. Always best not to have any.

  Enough with the dark thoughts. As best he could, for the rest of the night he was turning them off. It was just a couple of hours. Surely he could manage that.

  A short time later he pulled into the restaurant parking lot and turned off the truck engine. “Surprise.”

  “North Bay Grill. This looks nice. How did you find it?”

  “How does anyone find anything these days?”

  “Internet,” they both said together.

  Brendan did a quick scan of the outside and surrounding area. An old habit from deployment days. The wood siding was light blue with white painted shutters bracketing the windows. There were neatly trimmed shrubs and flowers around the perimeter.

  “It looks like a New England fishing village.” Fiona glanced over at him and smiled.

  There it was again. That look as if he’d done just the right thing.

  He stared at her for several moments, soaking it in. Then he forced himself to mobilize and open the door. It was either get moving or kiss her, and he couldn’t do that.

  “Let’s go in,” he said.

  He went around to the passenger side to open her door but she was already sliding to the ground. Shame. He would have liked an excuse to put his hands at her waist and lift her down. Side by side—he was careful not to touch her—they walked to the entrance and he opened the door for her. It was a weeknight and the place wasn’t busy. Apparently a reservation wasn’t necessary. The hostess showed them to a table for two by the dual-sided rock fireplace in the center of the room.

  Fiona sat down, then looked around at the pictures of ships on the walls and the antique fishing paraphernalia decorating a shelf near the ceiling. “Very cozy on a cold October night.”

  “Yeah.”

  A waiter in uniform black pants and a crisp white shirt walked over. “Good evening. My name is Jeremy. I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?”

  They ordered—chardonnay for Fiona, beer for Brendan—then perused the menu. By the time their drinks arrived, they’d both decided on salmon. Jeremy put a basket of freshly baked cheddar biscuits on the table, then discreetly withdrew. Fiona took one and buttered it before biting.

  “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and savored the taste.

  The look of ecstasy on her face was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. She looked like a woman who’d been well and thoroughly made love to and he badly wanted to be the man who was responsible for it. The knot in his gut tightened another notch.

  Fiona pushed the basket closer to him. “You have to try these.”

  Anything to take his mind off sex. He snagged one, buttered and bit into it. “Good.”

  “That’s the best you’ve got? It rocked my world.”

  Before he could answer, the salads arrived and they both dug in.

  Fiona wasn’t one of those women who ate two leaves and called it a night. She enjoyed her entire meal and he liked that about her.

  “Wow,” she said, setting her fork on the empty dinner plate a while later. “I was hungry.”

  “Me, too.” He took a swallow of beer and sat back. “So tell me, have you finished your article?”

  She nodded. “I’m working on another one now.”

  “Already?”

  “The extra money is nice.” She shrugged.

  “What is this one about?”

&nbs
p; “Holidays in a small town. ’Tis the season coming up and the best rule is to write what you know.” She toyed with the stem of her wineglass. “Halloween isn’t far off and next thing you know Thanksgiving will be here. Big cities have their professionally decorated store windows but the people of Rust Creek Falls are every bit as enthusiastic about our traditional ways of celebrating.”

  “So you’re going to write about it.”

  “Yes. I’ll give you a copy and you can let me know what you think.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  She glanced at the flames crackling nearby, then back at him. “What do you think about Rust Creek Falls so far?”

  “Nice town.”

  “That’s what you told my brother. I was hoping for a couple of details. I guess you’re meeting a lot of folks, what with fixing their stuff?” She picked up her glass and took a sip of wine.

  “Yes. And being busy is good.”

  “The fact that you are should tell you something.”

  “Like?” He watched her settle her hands in her lap.

  “There’s a real call for what you do. You’re providing a necessary service or you’d be twiddling your thumbs.”

  “Did Luke put you up to that?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “He said the same thing. I just wondered if he recruited you to talk me into his repair shop whim.”

  “Maybe it’s not just a whim. Maybe he’s onto something.” She held up her hands to stop him from interrupting. “And no, he didn’t enlist my help.”

  “Okay. Just crossed my mind. He’s not shy about sharing his ideas.”

  “What else is he talking up?”

  “We already talked about him doing a little matchmaking.”

  “Are you saying he’s responsible for you asking me to dinner?” Was there an edge to her voice?

  Brendan hated to admit it but the man had gotten into his head some. Luke had said he thought Fiona was interested. That thought had been rattling around when he’d fixed O’Reilly’s tractor then asked Fiona out to dinner. But no one had held a gun to his head; the words had come out of his own mouth.

  “Luke is absolutely not why I asked you to dinner. What he would call this is public relations. Your father will pass on to someone else the positive experience he had with me.” He shrugged.

  “Publicity through word of mouth,” she mused aloud. “A good marketing technique. Especially in Rust Creek Falls.”

  Brendan ignored the part of his rational mind that suggested Luke’s words had fallen on fertile ground and taken root. He wanted to ignore the connection he felt with Fiona. It was happening too fast. It was scary that he felt anything at all. He wanted her bad but that wasn’t going to happen. His certainty about it had nothing to do with her not being that kind of girl and everything to do with the fact that he had never felt this way about a woman. He wouldn’t let himself go there. He wouldn’t end up a sad man, brooding for the rest of his life about the woman who left him.

  For Pete’s sake, why hadn’t he just let Fiona pay him for fixing the damn tractor?

  * * *

  After dinner they left the restaurant and returned to the truck. Fiona climbed into the passenger seat while Brendan held the door for her. The gentlemanly gesture seemed as normal to him as breathing and she found it so darn appealing.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  “You’re welcome.” His tone was polite but cool all of a sudden.

  Why? What had changed now that there wasn’t a cloth-covered table between them?

  He got in and started the engine. After backing out of the parking space, he headed for the exit and the street beyond that that would take them back to Rust Creek Falls.

  In spite of the fact that Luke Stockton seemed to be playing Cupid, she had to admit she’d had a good time. There was no harm in one fun evening out and she wasn’t ready for it to end. Fiona wanted to keep it going as long as possible.

  She glanced over at Brendan, and in the lights from the dashboard she could see that his features had settled into what she thought of as brood mode.

  Unacceptable.

  Since he didn’t seem inclined to break the silence, she would. The question was, how? She needed a conversation starter and the idea gods were with her when she came up with something that just might engage him.

  “So, that was a nice place,” she started.

  “Yeah.”

  “I would definitely recommend it.”

  “Affirmative.”

  She wasn’t discouraged by the one-word responses. This was leading him right where she wanted to go. “Kalispell is a nice town.”

  “Yup.”

  “Okay, look. It’s a bit of a drive back and it will be more entertaining if we chat. Don’t you think?”

  “Sure. About?”

  She was ready. “Tell me something about yourself that would surprise me.”

  Frowning, he glanced over at her, then returned his gaze to the road. “Is that a trick question?”

  “Not when it got five words out of you as opposed to one.” She was pleased to have his attention. “It’s a conversation starter.”

  “I’m just not sure what you mean by surprise you.”

  “Well...” She thought for a moment. “I know you were in the Marines and that you’re good at fixing things. And tools are your friends. You’re a man’s man.” Be still my heart, she thought. “So I’d like to know something about your softer side. Maybe you knit body armor. Use lavender vanilla motor oil. Prefer salad to rare steak. Maybe quiche.”

  There was a half-smile on his face for a moment before it disappeared. “I left the Marine Corps to help my father when he got sick. The military taught me to fight, but cancer is a battle he and I couldn’t win. That’s a tough reality for a warrior.”

  “I can imagine. But I already knew that.”

  “It was more than that, though. I realized soon enough that the mission changed. I appreciated spending time with him and I nursed him.”

  “You mean taking him to doctor appointments?”

  “That, too. But I handled his meds. Made him as comfortable as possible.” There was sadness in his voice. “At the end I fed him when he was too weak to pick up a fork. I made sure his final wishes were attended to.”

  “He was lucky to have you.”

  “There wasn’t anyone else,” he said.

  Why? she wanted to ask. What happened that he had to grow up without a mother? It seemed too forward to ask, so she didn’t.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss. I know that doesn’t help, but it’s all I’ve got. I have no frame of reference to understand how you feel except that it must suck to lose a parent. If there’s any comfort to be had, it’s that he was lucky to have you.”

  “Leon, my dad, said as much, but I’m not sure I believe him. Fathers have to say that.”

  “Not mine. Paddy O’Reilly doesn’t hesitate to say if any of his children are not living up to his high standards.” She toyed with the rose he’d given her earlier, which she’d taken with her. “He also would tell you that he loves you unconditionally in front of the whole town at the top of his lungs. The good stuff carries a lot of weight when you know that he won’t hold back on the bad.”

  “I can see how that would be the case.” Brendan had one hand on the steering wheel, easily controlling the truck on the straightaway road.

  “So, you never knew your mother?” The words popped out of her mouth and hung in the air between them. She glanced at his profile and noted that he wasn’t frowning any more than usual. Neither had he responded to the question.

  When he did say something, it was clear he didn’t intend to answer. “Your turn. Tell me something about you that would surprise me.”

  She figured it would take a lot to surprise him and just went with the bi
ggest shock she’d ever gotten. “My boyfriend got a girl pregnant and married her. In that order. I found out at a baby shower. Not for the trollop in Thunder Canyon that he dumped me for. A friend of mine in Rust Creek Falls was having a baby.”

  Brendan was quiet for a moment then he said, “So, he’s not your boyfriend anymore, right?”

  That surprised a laugh out of her. The cheating and the public way she’d found out about it had left deep, painful scars. Never in a bazillion years would she have expected to laugh about it.

  “No, we are no longer together. He was a stranger in town that I thought I knew. We got close pretty fast and everyone in Rust Creek Falls expected me to flash an engagement ring any second.” Surprisingly the painful memory didn’t cut as deeply as it once had. “Instead he left. I suppose I should have suspected something when phone calls became infrequent texts that suddenly stopped. But obviously he worked fast and I didn’t want to see it, I guess. Then I went to Paige’s baby shower and friends from Thunder Canyon who didn’t know about my relationship with him shared the ‘good’ news.”

  “That falls into the ‘really sucks’ column.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me.” She sighed. “I have more than one regret about the whole awful mess, but the biggest one is that I never got to tell him off.”

  “Now, that surprises me. You don’t strike me as the kind of woman who holds back.”

  “I’m not. And I thought a lot about what I’d say. Maybe I was waiting for him to do me the courtesy of a phone call to end it.” She glanced over at Brendan. “For the record, there are worse things than a breakup text. Radio silence means you were too insignificant to even waste a couple of seconds composing a message.”

  “And you didn’t call him.”

  It wasn’t a question. “I didn’t want him to think he was important enough to spend that much emotional energy on.”

  “I’m pretty sure guys don’t contemplate the meaning of emotional energy. If nothing else it would have made you feel better.”