“Lita.” Cal stood up and gave Ty a quick slap on the back of the head for him to do the same. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I’ve been watching you boys work up quite a sweat and I was baking them anyway. If I ate them all myself, I wouldn’t fit into any of my clothes.”
She barely fit into any of them now, he thought as he watched her t-shirt rise to expose an inch of very taut belly. He could tell by the look on Ty’s face that he’d noticed too. “Lita, this is my grandson, Ty. Ty, this is Ms. Barros. She’s renting the cabin for a few weeks.”
Lita set the tray of cookies on the small table that sat between the rockers and held out a hand for Ty to shake. “Please, call me Lita. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ty. Your grandfather speaks very highly of you.”
“Thanks.” Ty pulled his hand away and reached up to snatch the dirty ball cap from his head. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Well, I’ll leave you men to your work.” She turned to leave.
Cal stepped toward the stairs and called her name. “Won’t you stay and have some with us?”
She smiled and waved the thought away with her hand. “I’ve had plenty, believe me. Besides, my creative juices are flowing and I’m knee deep in designs right now. I’d better get back to it.”
Cal gave Ty another quick swat to the head, prompting the boy to speak. “Thanks for the cookies, Lita.”
She smiled over her shoulder and the two of them watched her retreat.
“Wow,” Ty whistled through his teeth. “Dad’s right. She is hot.”
“She’s too old for you, son…and unfortunately, too young for me.” Whoops, did he actually say that out loud?
Ty laughed like a hyena and fell back into the rocker. “Jeez, Granddad. Wait ‘til I tell Dad. He’ll flip.”
Cal sat back down and grabbed a cookie from the tray. “I may be old, but I’m not dead.”
“Well,” Ty said around a big bite of cookie, “if she’s too old for me and too young for you, that should make her just right for Dad, huh?”
“Son, a lady like that is no match for your father. And frankly, I don’t think he’d even know what to do with someone like her.”
Ty laughed. “I’ll bet he does, Granddad. I’ll just bet he does.”
***
Lita flipped the sketchpad closed and lightly strummed her fingers over the top. She’d spent all morning and half the afternoon working on the fall line and couldn’t have been more pleased with the results. She didn’t know if it was the mountain air or the fact that no one was breathing down her neck for her to produce, produce, produce, but she hadn’t been this productive in months.
She couldn’t wait to show Sophie the designs and get her input on some of the materials she’d suggested using, particularly for the boots. Sophie had taken over completely since Lita had basically dropped off the face of the earth. Each time they talked, Lita could tell Sophie was under a lot of stress, handling the press, the customers, their vendors, not to mention sidestepping questions from Lita’s father. Thank God she hadn’t given him her cell number. Presenting Sophie with a dozen designs would ease some of her pressure and Lita’s guilt at the same time.
Now she needed to find a scanner so she could scan her drawings and then e-mail them to Sophie. She fished her car keys out of the bowl by the door, shooed away one of the cats that lingered near the entrance waiting for any chance to break into the cabin, and jogged down the steps to her waiting SUV.
She’d just rounded the bumper when she looked down and saw that the left back tire was flat. “What in the world?” She crouched down to get a look, hoping to spot something that could have caused a brand new tire to deflate. She didn’t see anything, couldn’t go anywhere, and didn’t have the slightest idea how to change a tire. She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and let out an exasperated breath. That’s when she heard the rumble of an engine charging up the drive.
Lita didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed that Jesse, with a cloud of dust in his wake, came to an abrupt halt not five feet from where she stood.
“Uh-oh, looks like somebody’s got a flat.” He jumped out of his Scout, not hard to do considering it didn’t have doors, and sauntered over to where she stood.
“You’re a master of the obvious.” She quickly changed the sarcastic tone of her voice. If she wanted his help, and she sure couldn’t fix the tire without it, she’d better watch her mouth. “Have you ever changed a tire?”
Jesse laughed and, since it appeared to once again be at her expense, she felt miffed. “About a million of them.” He leaned on the bumper and crossed his arms. “Would you like me to walk you through it, Angelita, or would you like me to change it for you?”
He was mocking her and enjoying the hell out of himself. “I know theoretically ƒhow to change a tire, but I’ve never actually done it myself.” She let her arms fall and pursed her lips. “I guess, if you have the time, I’d appreciate your help.”
His grin grew slowly across his impossibly handsome face and, for a moment, she nearly smiled at him in return. “Why do I get the feeling that if anybody else was here, anybody at all, you’d accept their help over mine?”
“I guess you’re just insecure.” She moved to open the back. The new car had less than three hundred miles on it and she didn’t even know where to find the spare. “Well, the extra tire has to be here somewhere?”
Jesse gently guided her to the steps. “You just have a seat right here, darlin’, and watch the master at work.”
He ignored her snort, walked back to the SUV, and dropped to his knees. It didn’t take but a moment for him to locate the spare, mounted under the vehicle, and crank it down like magic. Considering the age of his own car, it was a wonder he had any idea where to look for a spare on her new one, but he’d found it in less than twenty seconds and was soon rolling it to a rest against the garage. He set up the jack, had the bumper raised, and the flat tire off in less time than it would take for Lita to use the bathroom. Though she desperately didn’t want to be, Lita was impressed. And once he had the spare on, she felt both impressed and grateful.
She’d actually enjoyed watching him change the tire. Besides the obvious entertainment of watching Jesse’s muscles bunch beneath his shirt, it wasn’t very often the men in her world performed manual labor tasks. They were too busy picking out clothes and drowning themselves in cologne. Not one of her male friends from home could have changed her tire and done so without getting sweaty or dirty, as Jesse had. He had the most amazing ability to look rumpled—and simultaneously gorgeous, yet smell freshly showered and incredibly male. She suspected he had his own arsenal of sweet smelling shampoos and soaps at home.
“Thank you, Jesse.”
He stopped rolling the injured tire and stood upright to look at her. “That actually sounded genuine.”
“It was. I’m grateful.”
“I like the sound of that.” He continued rolling the tire to the back of his Scout.
“What are you doing with the tire?”
“It’s got a nail.” He hoisted it into the back and clapped the dirt off his hands. “I’ll run it into town and get it fixed. Your spare is full-sized, so I’d suggest using this as the spare from now on.”
“Well…” She didn’t know what to think about his very generous offer, especially after he’d already changed her tire in record time. “That’s very nice of you, but I can take care of it. I was heading into town anyway.”
“So was I. As soon as I figure out where the old man has Ty. I’ll drop it by the body shop and have Bobby Joe fix her up.” He moved to stand in front of her and she got the first glimpse of sweat gathering in a v beneath his collarbone. It made her stomach clench. “Barring any off-road accidents, you shouldn’t need it before later tonight. I’ll run it back up after dinner.”
Lita was floored and more than a little wary. Why would he change her tire and run the spare into town for a fix? “Jesse, I can’t ask you to do all
that. If you’ll just load it in the back of my car, I’ll find the body shop and take care of it myself.”
“You didn’t ask and it’d be easier for me to do it than give you directions to the shop. Plus, Bobby Joe would probably spend an hour ogling you instead of fishing out the nail, so it’ll save us both time. I need to see him about a part anyway.”
Well, she hadn’t seen this coming. “Okay, I’d really appreciate it. But instead of bringing it back after dinner, why don’t you bring it back before and I’ll make you dinner?”
He eyed her suspiciously and she couldn’t blame him. He had to wonder what her motive was when she wasn’t quite sure of it herself. “You want to make me dinner?”
“As a way to say thank you, yes.”
He cocked his head, considered. “Can you cook?”
“Do you want dinner or not?”
“I try to eat three squares a day.”
“Seven okay?” She wondered why she felt so hurt that he’d had to think about it.
“Seven’s good.” He hopped back in his truck thing and called over the engine, “Any idea where the chain gang’s gone?”
“I saw them head up past the storage shed about an hour ago.”
He winked, slammed the car into gear, and took off up the steep incline, leaving Lita with a mouthful of dust and head full of worries. What the hell had she just gotten herself into?
***
Bryce pushed himself away from his cluttered desk and began to pace around his office. He’d turned on the radio, inching the volume up every few minutes when the sound of birds fluttering through the open windows mocked his attempts to ignore the picture perfect day outside his office. Misty had opened the windows, to air the place out she’d said, but the only thing she seemed to have aired out was his brain.
The smell of wild onion and fresh cut grass, air alive with budding flowers and temperatures that felt near seventy had already caused him to shed his suit coat and tie. He itched to lose his button-down and spend what was left of the afternoon in his undershirt. It was days like today, when the wind gently blew down from the mountains and the sprouting leaves from the trees danced in delight, that Bryce found himself questioning his choice of career.
He’d always wanted to be an attorney and he’d proved himself worthy once again when the jury in the Barber Roofing case delivered a fair verdict and a hefty special damages award to Mr. Freeman. Of course, that case could’ve been called a slam-dunk, but it still gave him a measure of pride to serve his fellow citizens and bring a sense of justice to his sleepy hometown. That didn’t stop him from leaning down against the low windowsill, closing his eyes, and breathing in the scents of spring…and remembering.
Memories of sneaking out of church to fish and swim in the river with Jesse and Kerri Ann, ice cream cones shared on the town square, and hours spent daydreaming about the future. In all of his daydreams, every one, there was Kerri Ann. Late March was when the basketball finals were going strong and she’d bounce around school in her short cheerleading skirt, taunting not only him, but every boy in school with her tanned and toned legs. She still had the best pair of legs east of the Mississippi—thanks to her daily runs. Did she have any idea he’d been coming into the office early for years to catch a glimpse of her as she bounced past his window with the grace and strength of a gazelle?
Every day thoughts of her crept into his mind, but today, with the sun shining and the season so full of promise, he was overwhelmed by the need he had for her. The need she stirred, the need he’d never quenched. Would he ever? he wondered as he opened his eyes and watched a bluebird fly into the crabapple tree outside his window.
He jerked upright in surprise at a sharp knock at his door. “Come in,” he called.
When the beautiful shoe designer stepped into his office, he thought she was just the distraction he needed on an afternoon when his thoughts had led him down a very depressing memory lane. “Well, Lita. To what do I owe the surprise?” To his genuine shock, she blushed. Surely a woman like her was used to attention from men.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you at work, Bryce, but your secretary said to come on back. I hope you’re not in the middle of something important.”
“No, nothing at all. What can I do for you?”
She inched into the room, her dark eyes taking stock of his office filled with mementos from school and his collection of legal books. “Let me start by saying I’ve tried everyplace else I can think of.” She pulled a thick pad of what looked like drawing paper out of her messenger bag and held it in front of her like a shield. “I’ve been designing, a lot, and I need to e-mail these to my business partner back in Atlanta. It never occurred to me there wouldn’t be a print or copy shop in the area with a scanner.”
“You’ve come to the right place.” He drew her behind his desk to the credenza where his scanner and printer sat side by side. “Just got this puppy a year or so ago. Have to say I haven’t used it all that much, so you’d be doing me a favor by taking her for a spin.”
“It’s not too much to ask?”
“Not at all. As a matter of fact, you probably know more about how to use it than I do, so I’ll just leave you to scan away.” He moved from behind the desk, but not before noticing how good she smelled. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Water would be great—but only if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Headed that way myself. Be right back.”
When he returned a few minutes later, the scanner was chugging away and Lita was standing next to the wall gazing at his diplomas.
“Here you go.” He handed her a bottle of water he’d retrieved from the house’s small kitchen.
“Oh, thanks.” She took the bottle and smiled at him. “I’m really impressed. UNC undergrad and Emory Law. You’re breaking stereotypes left and right.”
“I don’t know if I should be proud or offended.”
“Proud, definitely proud.” She tucked an errant curl behind her ear and moved back to look at the progress the scanner had made. “I just never imagined someone with an Emory Law degree practicing in Sequoyah Falls.”
He’d gone away to college, unable to stay close to home and watch his best friend marry the woman of his dreams and raise a family together. He’d stayed away during law school for the very same reason. “It was a good experience, but there are things here I can’t live without.”
“I can understand that, I’m just surprised.” She moved to the scanner and placed a new sheet on the screen, pushed start. “So you’re familiar with Atlanta?”
“I guess, when I wasn’t knee deep in the library, I did manage to get around the city every now and again. It’s a great place. Lots of good restaurants, great music, beautiful women.”
“And yet you chose to set up shop here.”
Bryce took a deep breath. He’d thought, early on in his quest for both knowledge and the peace separation and time can bring, he’d meet someone during those years who would make him forget about Kerri Ann and the pull she had on him. And there were women, many more than he’d expected, especially after he’d filled out the body that had always seemed two sizes too big growing up. But none of them doused the embers of desire for a woman who, after a bitter divorce, was single once again. “I’m tied here, to the area, the people. I considered living somewhere else, anywhere else, for awhile. But this place pulled at me while I was gone. College was, for me, my chance to explore other areas, other options.”
“No, I get it. Every day I spend here I wonder how much longer I’ll be able to hide away. I’m going back, eventually, but I can see how it gets in your system. It’s solid.” The last of her scans went through. “Would you mind e-mailing these files to me?” she asked.
Shoe Strings Page 7
