by Annie Seaton
“So spill.” Sienna looked at her over the top of her glass. “I want to hear all about it. And then you can tell me what’s got you so unsettled, if it’s not the sexy author up the hill.”
Georgie swallowed. It was time to be honest with herself and with Sienna. Past time.
“Okay. There are a few things bugging me.” Georgie looked over at Sienna, who narrowed her eyes.
“A few?”
“One. When my mother…when Marietta…dropped the news on us a few weeks ago, it explained a lot of things to me.”
“What sort of things?” Sienna’s eyes were still fixed firmly on her.
“I’ve never had much luck in love, apparently because it’s in my genes.” Georgie swallowed. “I just don’t have what it takes to commit to a relationship, no matter how much I think I want it. Look how many partners Marietta had in her life, and I haven’t even told you about the fiasco with Brent.”
“Oh, that’s such a load of rubbish and you know it. And who’s Brent?”
Georgie waved her hand. “No matter. He’s gone now. How many guys have I gone out with over the past ten years? And what’s happened with every one of them? They’ve taken off before we ever got serious.”
“It’s not about the relationship. It’s about the man. Finding the right one. How many of those guys did you really want to get serious with? How many times was it that you called it quits?” Sienna put her wineglass down and reached over and took Georgie’s hand between hers. “Come on, sis. Be honest here. It might sound clichéd but were any of them really Mr. Right?”
“No.” Georgie thought back to all the dates she’d had over the past few years. She’d met some great guys, but not one of them had ever lit a spark within her. “None of them, I suppose.”
“You and Ana and I were pretty happy working together with our little business. We were all content with our lives, and then Blake came along and you saw what happened there. Wham. Ana was lost.” Sienna’s lips curved in a smile. “If you’d asked me six months ago whether I believed in love and happily ever after, you know what I would have said, don’t you? I would have said that what Blake and Ana had is very rare.”
Georgie nodded. Sienna had vowed she would never depend on a man.
“And then Jack came along and I fell hard. He was the man for me. And I’ve never been so happy.” Sienna let go of Georgie’s hand and cupped her chin in her hand as she rested her elbow on the table. She stared at Georgie. “How can I convince you that you’ve been trying too hard to find that happiness? You can’t search it out. It will happen when the time…and the man…is right.”
Georgie shook her head and grinned. “Where’s cynical Sienna gone?” She looked around the room. “There’s an imposter in her place. Help me find her!”
“Okay, I’ll forgive you for that.” Sienna grinned back at her. “So that’s one reason why you’ve been mooning around. What else is wrong?”
Georgie sighed. She’d been feeling a little happier for a moment, but she knew she had to be honest. “This trip I’m taking.”
“What about it?”
“I don’t know what to do. The thought of going away scares me, and being scared scares me, if that makes sense. I’m so settled and secure here in Half Moon Bay.”
“It will do you good. You spend way too much time worrying about everyone else and solving their problems. You need to get away and take some time for yourself…for the first time in your life.” Sienna leaned back in the chair and waved at the view. “This is a beautiful place, but it will be great for you to get away and spread your wings. Let everyone here take care of themselves for a change.”
Sienna was right; Georgie thought of her faux pas the other afternoon when she’d offered to be there for Liam. It obviously hadn’t scared him away, even though she’d taken off out of his house like a madwoman. For the life of her, she still couldn’t understand why he would want to kiss her. Not that there was anything wrong with the kisses. She put her fingers to her lips again.
“Okay, what else? How much does the gorgeous Liam have to do with how flustered you are?” Sienna’s voice interrupted her daydreaming.
“Just a little. I’ve made a fool of myself in front of him a couple of times.”
“So, is that the end of the world? It sure hasn’t scared him away, if that’s what you were trying to do. It’s obvious that he likes you. A lot. Are you going to sleep with him?”
Georgie choked on the wine she was sipping and Sienna leaned forward.
“Well?”
The noise of a car turning into the driveway saved her from answering Sienna’s gleeful question. She jumped up and put her glass on the table as she went to take delivery of their Indian food.
Georgie turned to Sienna before she opened the door.
“Promise me one thing? You’ll behave while we’re working over at Liam’s house tomorrow?”
“Of course I’ll behave.” The wide-eyed innocence on Sienna’s face did nothing to reassure Georgie. Why did Thelma and Mitzi and their matchmaking spring to her mind?
Chapter Eleven
Liam’s front door was open the next morning when they arrived at the house up on the hill. Georgie had extracted three promises from Sienna while they’d eaten breakfast. One, okay, she wouldn’t tease Georgie about Liam. Two, she wouldn’t hound him about his books, and three, yes, she would remember that this was a job for a client and not a social visit.
Despite Sienna’s reassurances, Georgie’s nerves were jumping. Anticipation at seeing Liam curled through her. She’d been tempted for a while to tell Sienna to sleep in, and come up to the house later so she could see Liam alone. But Sienna had bounded out of bed at first light and by the time Georgie had stumbled out of her own bedroom, Sienna was dressed in her work clothes and had their coffee brewing.
“Have you seen my boots, sis?” Sienna was dressed in her work pants but was barefoot.
Despite having spent a restless night, Georgie managed a chuckle and spread her arms innocently. “You’ve only been here five minutes and you’ve misplaced your shoes already?”
“Okay, smarty-pants. Where did you hide them?” Sienna punched Georgie lightly on the shoulder as she walked toward the door.
“Me? Do I look like someone who’d steal your shoes?”
Sienna pursed her lips. “The longer it takes me to find them, the longer it will be before we get to lover boy’s place.”
Georgie grinned and pointed to the door. “You’re getting warmer.”
“Thank you.” Sienna shot her a grin. “It’s good to see the old Georgie is still in there somewhere.”
Talking to Sienna about her worries had allayed a lot of Georgie’s uncertainty, but as the night had gone on, she’d remained firm in her decision that she was not going to get tangled up with Liam. It was only because he was so good-looking and had that vulnerable air about him that she was interested.
Just someone else for me to look after. That’s all the appeal was. Nothing else.
Come Tuesday, she would go up to San Francisco as she’d planned and organize the rest of her trip. She’d finish the job, stay well out of Liam’s way, and remain professional. No more chatting or socializing…or kissing.
She headed through the open door with Sienna close behind, but there was no sign of Liam.
“Shame we didn’t get our hands on this place when we were restoring houses.” Sienna’s voice followed her up the stairs.
“Ssh. Liam might be asleep still.” Georgie put her fingers to her lips. “He might have stayed up writing till all hours.”
Sienna grinned and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Coward. You just don’t want him to know we’re here.”
Georgie glared at her and scurried up the steps, taking care not to tread on the creaking stair. She’d memorized that one the other day. “We may not even see him. Last week, he stayed in his study and I didn’t lay eyes on him for days.”
Okay, Sienna was right. The warmth pooling in her
stomach, the shaking legs, and the increased heartbeat were new to her. Until she got a hold on how she was feeling, and restored her composure, she didn’t want to come face-to-face with Liam.
One look at those sexy blue eyes, the shadowed planes of his face, and all her resolve would go out the window. She just knew it. At least Sienna’s being here would protect her from any silly behavior that she was sure to regret.
They worked all morning and Georgie’s jangled nerves finally relaxed as they settled into a familiar routine.
“All we need is Ana back here and it would be like old times,” Sienna said. Georgie nodded with a smile and went back to marking the lumber for the next cut. She wanted to get as much of the heavy work done while Sienna was here with her today. Then the next time she needed help, she’d call the store and have one of the workers come over to help her lift the shelves into place. Then she wouldn’t have to interrupt Liam.
The house was quiet apart from the noise they made hammering and sawing. They were just about to take a break and head back down the hill to Ana’s cottage for lunch when the door pushed open.
“Morning.” Liam poked his head around the door and Georgie’s heart gave a little blip. She dropped the hammer she was holding and went to speak, forgetting she had two nails between her lips.
“M…m…morning.” Georgie spat the nails out of her mouth and the usual heat crept up her neck.
Great, red cheeks with a blush staining my skin and he’s not even in the room yet.
“I just put a couple of pizzas in the oven. I thought you might like to share lunch with me?” Relief filled Georgie as Liam looked from her to Sienna. She picked the nails up and busied herself with the hammer, willing the color to leave her face, as Sienna answered for them,
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.” She turned to Liam with a smile. “Great timing. We were just about to head down the hill for a break.”
Georgie hesitated. “I really need to check on Mutt first. Make sure he hasn’t gotten out again.”
“I have to go down and get my cell phone. I’ll check on him for you.” Sienna winked at her and Georgie frowned. Where had the sister—or rather cousin—gone who didn’t believe in love and who’d loathed matchmaking when it had impacted her life?
Liam waited while they finished up, and then held the door open as they walked past him into the corridor.
“Thanks, Liam.” Sienna followed Georgie toward the steps. Georgie focused on her breathing and tried to keep the heat from her cheeks. She was pleased when Sienna chatted to Liam and kept the conversation going as they walked down to the kitchen. Liam gestured to the table, which was set for three, and they sat down as he pulled some plates from the cupboard.
“I was going to bring my books up for you to sign, but Georgie wouldn’t let me.” Liam and Georgie laughed at Sienna as she pouted. Their eyes met and held, and their laughter died away. Georgie pushed her chair back to fill the sudden, awkward silence. “I really need to wash my hands. I’ve got glue stuck on my fingers.”
Sienna’s chatter to Liam followed Georgie as she went into the small utility room next to the kitchen. She ran the cold water and patted her cheeks with her wet fingers before she scrubbed her hands. Liam was uncomfortable around her, too. It was obvious. Embarrassment flooded her as she realized he probably regretted kissing her.
Professional and cool. Keep my wits about me and I’ll get through this.
She was actually looking forward to getting on that plane and flying to Honolulu on Christmas Eve.
…
Liam tried hard not to look at Georgie as she slipped out to the utility room. Sienna’s cool and assessing gaze was fixed firmly on him, and he sensed that beneath the light banter was a mother hen who was looking out for Georgie. He’d spent a restless night trying to figure out what was so fascinating about her, and he regretted kissing her. In the end, he’d gotten out of bed in the early hours and written many new words of the book the publisher was waiting for. The muse had returned in fits and starts. He needed to capture it and hold it.
But he should keep his distance from Georgie. The last thing he needed was to get involved with someone. Someone who would take much-needed focus from his work. He’d come here intending to keep his life private. He hadn’t minded being alone before, and there was a big difference between being alone and being lonely. But when he’d been writing in the early hours before dawn, his thoughts had kept going back to a beautiful face surrounded by golden copper-colored hair, and he could have sworn he could smell that orange blossom fragrance. He’d wondered what it would be like to watch her sleep. Her bottom lip was full and lush, and even when she wasn’t smiling he couldn’t keep his eyes from her mouth.
At least he’d made a start on the contracted book, and the words were flowing more than they had since he’d come home from Nepal. They were coming in slowly, but at least the story was shaping up. If he spent most of the time writing, apart from this garden party thing tomorrow, he should have a decent number of chapters done to take with him to meet with his new editor on Tuesday. Thinking about the meeting reminded him he still had to find a way of getting up to San Francisco. It was the last thing he wanted to do.
As Georgie sat back down, Liam walked across from the oven and placed a tray of pizza slices in the middle of the table. “Is there somewhere in Nebbiton where I can rent a car?”
Georgie shook her head. “No. The closest car rental place is up at Half Moon Bay. At the Ritz-Carlton hotel.”
“What about a taxi service? Is there one of those?” Liam frowned. He’d spent all night convincing himself he wasn’t going to let her get under his skin, but even in her work clothes with her hair pulled back, she was beautiful, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.
“Aldo, one of the retired locals, runs a service in Nebbiton,” Georgie said.
“I have to get up to San Francisco on Tuesday to meet with my editor.”
“Aldo will be at the party tomorrow. I’ll introduce you—”
Sienna interrupted her before she’d finished speaking. “You won’t have to do that. Georgie’s going up to the city on Tuesday to organize—”
Georgie cut her off. “Yes, I’d forgotten I have to go up to the city. I can drop you off at the car rental place.”
“Thanks. I’d appreciate the ride.” Liam’s gaze stayed on Georgie and she held it steadily. Her expression was closed and he wondered whether she really wanted to run him up the coast. “But if it’s a problem for you, I can see the taxi man tomorrow. Aldo?”
“No, no. I’d be happy to take you.” She shook her head with a smile and his chest clenched. All he wanted to do was reach over and slip his hand through her hair, cup the back of her neck, and breathe in her sweet scent.
God, he had it bad. He reached for a slice of pizza to occupy his hands. Georgie had the same idea, and their fingers brushed as they both reached for the same slice.
She pulled her hand back as though she’d been burned. “I’d appreciate the company. So long as you can put up with the rattle of Ana’s old truck.”
“Thanks. I’m going to owe you for ferrying me around. I’d forgotten how far this house was from town.” He put a slice of pizza on his plate before lifting the tray and holding it out to Georgie. “I’m going to buy a car after I meet with my editor on Tuesday.”
…
Sienna looked at him with interest and he turned to her. “You knew the area around here before you bought the house, then?”
“Yes, I used to visit here with my grandmother when I was a child. I always loved the house, and when Uncle Joe died, I decided to buy it.”
“Uncle Joe?” Georgie’s voice was almost a squawk as her head flew up and her eyes locked with his. “Joe Humphries was your uncle?”
“A sort of uncle. He was my grandmother’s cousin, and we came out to visit a couple of times when I was a kid. I don’t know what it was, but something had happened in his life. Gran and I stayed with him one summer when
I was about twelve.”
Sienna laughed. “God, wait till Mitzi and Thelma hear that. You’ll make their day.”
“You know what?” Liam frowned. “Now that I think about it, I’m sure I remember that pink DeSoto parked in the garage when I was a kid.”
Sienna frowned. “I wonder why he left it to Mitzi and not to your family?” Georgie took the opportunity to study Liam’s face as he turned away from her to face Sienna. He must have shaved last night, as only a hint of stubble shadowed his chin today. His eyes were alight with curiosity, and she took a deep breath as that hollow pang, the same one that had been there all night, came back and lodged in her stomach.
“He was in the war in Vietnam. His will stipulated that he wanted the house sold and the proceeds to go to a returned soldier’s home. I was looking for somewhere to buy at the time, and it was perfect for what I wanted.” Liam frowned. “I remembered that the car was to go to someone in town. I didn’t make the connection till the two dears turned up here in the DeSoto, but I didn’t like to mention I was related, in case they thought I should have it.”
“Ooh, I do love a mystery. We’ll have to dig, hey, Georgie?” Sienna elbowed her and Georgie glanced at her watch.
“What we have to do is get back to work.” Georgie lightened her words with a smile. “I want you to get on to those fancy edges this afternoon and teach me how to do it so I can finish the rest when you’re gone.” She stood and pushed her chair back and began to clear the table. “I’ll go home and check on Mutt.”
“Leave the dishes. I’ll clean up. Why don’t you bring Mutt back up here, if it’s easier? He was fine the other day.” Liam took the dishes from her and she was careful not to touch his fingers.
