by Linz, Cathie
Butch nodded. “Yeah, strange ideas like making that brussel-sprout-and-strawberry Jell-o mold for the Fourth of July town picnic.”
“If you think she’s weird then why are you working for her?” Cole demanded.
Butch shrugged sheepishly. “Money. She said she’d give me ten percent of whatever I could get for her.”
“What you got for her is a stern reprimand.”
“I don’t need ten percent of that,” Butch hurriedly said. “I’m outta here.”
Cole sighed as he watched his cousin leave before turning to Leena and Skye. “Welcome to my crazy family.”
“Take a number,” Skye said. “My family is much crazier than yours.”
Cole grinned. “True.”
“Mine’s no walk in the park either,” Leena said. “Sue Ellen leans toward the drama-queen end of the spectrum.”
“What about you?” Cole asked. “What end of the spectrum do you lean toward? The bossy end?”
“The organized end. Despite the craziness in here today, I managed to reorganize your accounts payable files to make them easier to work with.”
“Thanks.” Cole’s smile made Leena’s insides go all wobbly and wicked, reminding her of the touch of his mouth on hers.
“To quote your cousin, I’m outta here,” Skye announced, pushing off from the reception desk’s counter she’d been leaning against. “I just have one thing to say before I go. Get a room, you two.”
“I saw your sister’s picture in the paper today,” Russ told Sue Ellen after school that afternoon when he met her at the Dairy Queen.
She nodded proudly. “Wasn’t it great?”
Russ shrugged.
Sue Ellen was surprised as his response. “What? You didn’t like it?”
Another shrug.
“Why not?” A suspicious thought moved at warp speed through her mind, as most of her thoughts did. “Did my sister ask you to talk to me?”
“I hardly know her. Why would she ask me to speak to you? About what?”
“The photo.”
“It was a revealing photograph.” Russ’s disapproval was evident. “I realize you can’t control your sister’s actions, but it’s a shame she had to go and do something like that.”
“Like what?”
“Make a fool of herself that way.”
“You thought she made a fool of herself?”
“Don’t you?”
“I, uh . . .” Sue Ellen shoved away her Blizzard, unsure what to say next. “Leena wasn’t real pleased with the photo.”
“Wise woman,” Russ said.
His comment stung. No one ever described Sue Ellen as wise. Their baby sister Emma had the brains in the family and not Leena, but still . . .
Why did Russ have to put it that way? He made her feel like a dumb blonde. Nothing new for her, true. But still.
Was that destined to be the heading on the scrapbook of her relationship with Russ? But still.
Her still waiting for him to say how he felt about her. Her still waiting for them to have sex. Her still waiting, period.
“I’m sorry you didn’t like the photo,” she said. She wanted to add that she thought it was a great concept, but chickened out at the last minute.
That’s when it occurred to Sue Ellen that she rarely told Russ what she thought. Rarely as in never.
Why was that? Normally Sue Ellen told everyone on the planet what she thought. She was hardly the shy type.
Was she afraid Russ would disapprove of her thoughts?
Damn right!
Her friend Skye would shoot her if she knew that Sue Ellen was hiding her true self to please some guy.
But Russ wasn’t just some guy. He was the football coach. And the team had won last season. Which made him a big guy around town.
He was also a college graduate and people looked up to him.
So what if Skye would disapprove of Sue Ellen’s tactics. Skye already had a guy. Easy for her to editorialize from the sidelines.
Leena wouldn’t approve either. Too bad. Her sister wasn’t her keeper. Never had been, never would be. Which was just the way Sue Ellen liked it.
Instead of saying what she thought, Sue Ellen said, “You don’t like people making fools of themselves, do you?”
“Who does?”
Sue Ellen’s stomach sank through the floor clear down to China. Or whatever country was on the opposite side of the earth from Rock Creek. Geometry had never been her strong suit. Or was it geography? Either one.
The bottom line was that Russ didn’t suffer fools gladly or lightly or whatever “ly” word that was. Problem was, Sue Ellen had had more than her fair share of foolishness.
“I know what you’re thinking, Susie.” Russ reached out to pat her hand. “I know you’ve made mistakes in your past. But you’re beyond that now. You’ve turned over a new leaf.”
She perked up. “I have?”
“Yes. You’re on the verge of becoming a respectable realtor. A professional like me.”
Her stomach stopped its abrupt nosedive. Russ thought she was a professional. Like him. That she was respectable. Like him.
That was a good thing.
Basking in the glow of his approval, Sue Ellen reached for her Blizzard once more.
“Did you hear that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is looking for the sexiest bachelors in PA?” Mindy asked Leena.
“Hmm?” She was trying to figure out how to retrieve the page for tomorrow’s appointment schedule that had somehow disappeared off the computer screen.
“Sexiest bachelor in PA. The paper is running a contest. Well, I don’t know if it’s a contest, really, since they don’t have a prize or a winner. They are just listing the best bachelors in the state. You send in the guy’s photo and tell the readers about him. I thought of doing that for Cole, but I think it would embarrass him.”
That got Leena’s attention. The words embarrass Cole were not ones she often heard. Nothing seemed to rattle the guy. Not kissing her. Not hearing her and Skye talk about him. Not being told they needed to get a room.
As if she’d have sex with her boss. That was tacky. And very risky for job security.
Not that she planned on keeping this gig for very long. Just the summer. Then she was out of here, heading back to Chicago. Or maybe New York this time.
Why couldn’t Cole make things easy on her instead of kissing her and trying to steal her frozen yogurt? After all, she was still trying to recover from the humiliation Johnny had caused with his drunken thunder-thighs comment back in Chicago. She didn’t need this kind of aggravation from a sexy charmer who looked good with stubble.
If Cole thought having her photo in the paper was such a positive experience, maybe he should feel for himself what it was like not to control a situation. Sure, she was a model and used to having her photo taken. And yeah, she hadn’t liked every shot taken of her. But none had left her feeling as pathetic as this one had, despite the town’s unexpected response to the picture. She still wished it hadn’t been taken.
So let’s just see how Cole would feel in the same situation, Leena thought. “Do you have a picture of him?” she asked Mindy.
“He had a professional photo taken for the clinic business cards and website.”
“What, the guy couldn’t use a cute photo of a little kitten or puppy instead?”
“You didn’t let me finish. He did end up going with the kitten and puppy stuff on the business cards.” Mindy held one up for her to see.
“Yeah, I forgot.”
“Forgot? But you’ve been handing them out all day with future appointments marked on the back.”
“It’s been a busy day, okay? So Cole’s photo is on the clinic website?”
Mindy nodded. “But he wouldn’t like us doing anything with it unless we had his permission.”
“Of course not.” Leena had no intention of involving Mindy in her plot. Or asking Cole for permission. The whole point was to surprise him.
“So yo
u won’t do anything?”
Leena patted Mindy’s hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”
Mindy sighed. “T-Bone tells me that I worry too much. And he’s right. I can’t seem to help it.”
“What do you worry about?”
“I worry about everything. If I’m being a good wife. What to make for dinner. If I can get the washing done tonight or if I have to wait until tomorrow night. I worry about all the stray animals out there that aren’t being cared for. About the pets left in disaster areas and war zones. I worry that I’m not doing enough to make a difference. Did you know that Cole volunteered at the Best Friends Sanctuary in Utah a while back? He claimed he was going hiking in canyon country on vacation, but he spent most of his time helping out with the animals. He also headed down right after Hurricane Katrina to assist with the rescue effort down there. That’s where he got his dog Elf. And his three-legged cat Tripod. Plus he kept two spooked black cats abandoned in a box left at our clinic’s front door.”
“The guy sounds like a saint,” Leena muttered. She was beginning to feel guilty about her plans for him. Not that being listed as one of the state’s sexiest bachelors was an insult or anything.
“You girls talking about me again?” Cole asked.
How did the man manage to sneak up from behind her so easily? Twice in one day.
“Leena seems obsessed with finding out everything about me,” Cole said.
“Wrong.” He made her sound like a groupie or something. “People keep telling me all about you.”
“Why would they do that?”
“I have no idea.”
“Did you tell them that you think anyone who stays in Rock Creek is a loser?” Cole said.
Mindy turned hurt puppy-dog eyes toward Leena. “Is that true?”
“No, of course not.”
Cole refused to allow her to get away with the fib. “Yes it is. You told me this morning that you had no intention of settling for Rock Creek or for anyone who stayed here.”
“I only said that because you kissed me.”
Mindy’s eyes bounced to Cole. “You kissed her?”
“In a moment of insanity, yes.”
“Total insanity,” Leena said. “It was nothing.”
Cole nodded. “Absolutely nothing.”
“I already said that.”
He gave her a pseudoinnocent look. “I was just agreeing with you.”
“Well, don’t.”
“She’s been in a bad mood all day,” Cole told Mindy. “I’ve tried to stay away from her—”
“By sneaking up on me?”
“But each time I walk by, she’s talking about me. You can understand my confusion,” Cole said. “She tells me I’m a loser and yet she can’t stop talking about me.”
Leena felt the anger shooting through her. Cole was mocking her again. The man was no saint. He was a demon. A lean, mean, sexy demon. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. “It’s six o’clock. I’m leaving for the day,” she said.
Cole just grinned. “Bye. Have a nice night.”
“I plan to.” Leena also planned on getting that photo of him and e-mailing it the newspaper ASAP. Then she’d see who had the last laugh.
Chapter Eight
The next week was a busy one, with Cole handling more cases than usual. Spring was a busy time with annual checkups and vaccines. Thanks to Leena’s impromptu supporters who’d witnessed him reprimanding Edie, he’d gotten a half dozen new clients. He liked being busy.
Which is why he was working on his house on his day off. He had three doors to sand and refinish. The Sunday morning sun was warm on his shoulders. May was starting out hotter than usual.
He’d worked up a sweat and was thinking of going inside for something cold to drink when Nathan showed up. “Hey, buddy. Seen today’s paper?”
“Not yet. Why?” Cole asked suspiciously. “What are you looking so happy about?”
“Can’t a man be glad it’s a beautiful day?”
“Some men, maybe. Not you. What’s up?”
“I should ask you the same thing. Any news you care to share?”
“I did my first pet-rat castration this week.”
“I meant news about you.”
“Look, whatever it is, just spit it out. I don’t have all day to stand around and figure out your cryptic remarks. I’ve got sanding to do. Unless you’re here to help?”
“No, I just dropped by to say congratulations.”
“For what? The rat castration?”
“No, for being named one of the state’s sexiest bachelors.”
“Yeah, right. Very funny.”
“I’m serious. It’s right here in the Lifestyles section.” Nathan whisked it out and showed it to Cole. “See?”
Cole grabbed it out of his hands. “I don’t believe this.”
“I find it hard to believe too, frankly. There must be plenty of guys sexier than you out there. What made you throw your hat into the ring?”
“I didn’t. I don’t know anything about this.”
“Then someone else must have nominated you. Maybe one of your ex-girlfriends?”
“No, they wouldn’t do that without asking me for permission first, and I sure as hell wouldn’t give it.”
“Why not? What’s wrong with being one of PA’s sexiest bachelors?”
They were interrupted by the sound of the phone ringing. Cole let the answering machine pick it up. He could hear it through the open kitchen window a few feet away. “It’s Cole, leave a message.” Beep.
“Hi, my name is Tiffany, and I saw your picture in the paper this morning and wondered if you wanted to go out. Give me a call. You can find my picture at myspace.com.”
The unknown Tiffany rattled off her site address and her cell phone number.
That call was barely finished when the phone rang again. “Hi, my name is Bambi, and I work at the Sugar Shack as a dancer. Anyway, I saw your pic in the paper and thought we would make a great couple. Call me.” Another phone number left.
“Looks like you’re gonna be a busy man,” Nathan noted with a grin.
“How can the paper put my name and picture in there without getting my permission?”
“Did you sign anything without reading it lately?”
“No, only time sheets and office stuff for Leena . . .” Cole paused. “Leena! She’s behind this.”
“So now you know who to thank.”
“Or to blame.”
“What do you have to complain about? Your phone is ringing off the hook.”
“This is payback.”
“Payback? For what?”
“Because I liked her photo in the local paper.”
“That ad for the mobile home sales?”
Cole nodded. “She was not a happy camper about it.”
“And you rubbed her nose in it?”
“I did no such thing. All I said was that she looked great.”
“You dog.”
“Exactly. The woman is totally irrational.”
“Well, she is Sue Ellen’s sister.”
“Yeah, but that’s no excuse. Leena is not a scatterbrain or eccentric. She’s very good at organizational stuff. The office has never been so streamlined. But when she deals with me, she’s totally off the map.”
“You have that kind of effect on her, huh? Not able to sweep her off her feet? What is the world coming to?”
“I never said I couldn’t sweep her off her feet if I tried.” Cole recalled the bet he’d placed with Algee last week. He hadn’t done anything about it since then. He’d been too busy. But now that Leena had launched the first attack, it was up to him to think about mounting a counteroffensive. The sooner, the better.
Cupcakes. Sue Ellen was obsessed with cupcakes. She’d been feeling like a failure ever since she’d made that wild ride out to Wal-Mart to get the Tastykake cupcakes. Russ hadn’t said anything, but she’d seen the way he’d looked at her offering compared to the gorgeously iced homemade creations by
the other contributors to the bake sale.
Russ was too much of a gentleman to say anything, but she knew what he must be thinking. Trailer-park trash.
Sue Ellen was determined to prove him wrong. She was driven to create the most divine cupcakes ever seen by mankind. Cupcakes that would make Martha Stewart step back in awe. She just had to stop burning them first. Or undercooking them so that the middles were still raw.
Maybe it was her oven. She needed a new one.
She’d just pulled out another batch of defective cupcakes when there was a knock at her door. It was Donny.
“Do you know how to fix ovens?” she demanded, hauling him inside and shoving him toward the appliance in question.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“I don’t know. It won’t make cupcakes. It either burns them or leaves them raw.”
“Are you testing them with a toothpick?”
“You test the oven with a toothpick?”
“No, the cupcakes. You stick a toothpick in and if it comes out dry then the cupcakes are ready.”
“I never heard of that. Are you kidding me?”
“No. My mom likes to bake.”
“Will she teach me?”
“I can teach you.”
Sue Ellen had her doubts about that.
“What?” Donny said. “You don’t think a guy can make good cupcakes? Stand aside, woman.”
He was wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants today instead of his Smiley’s Septic uniform. It was one of the few times she’d seen him in regular clothes. She was a little surprised at how good he looked.
“I heard about your cupcake run to Wal-Mart last week.” At her startled look, Donny added, “My mom works there. She said you weren’t in her checkout lane, but she saw you.”
“I didn’t know she worked there.”
“She’s worked all her life. Being a single mom with three kids was a rough job. She won’t let me help her. Stubborn like you.”
“Me? I’m not stubborn.”
Donny laughed as he spooned her cake batter into the paper-lined cups in the muffin pan.
“What’s so funny? I’m not stubborn. Not compared to some people.”
“If you say so.”
