Her Charming Heartbreaker

by Sonia Parin

  “That’s not scary,” Ben complained. “It’s a comedy.”

  “Bug eyed aliens with huge heads that ooze green gunk when they explode isn’t scary?”

  “Tell me again why Eddie gets to choose the film?” Theo asked.

  “Because she’s cooking dinner and because she’s a girl. Don’t you know anything? Girls get first pick,” Ben explained.

  “She hit the speed dial on the phone and called the pizza place. And she brought dessert from the pub. I hardly call that cooking.” Theo stood with his arms crossed and his feet apart and glared at her, but Eddie could see him making an effort to keep his amusement under control.

  “In my defense, I never said anything about actually cooking food.”

  “I’m sure there was an underlying intention implied.” Theo gave her a stern, no-nonsense look.

  Ben shook his head. “You shouldn’t read too much into what girls say because it’ll do your head in.”

  “Where did you hear that?” Theo asked.

  “Her brother, Mitch. He’s always saying stuff like that.”

  “Okay, guys. We need to make a serious decision here. Do we eat our pizza at the dinner table or on the lumpy couch while watching the movie?”

  “Cushions on the floor in front of the TV,” Ben suggested.

  “That sounds like a fair compromise. I’m game. It can’t be worse than the couch,” Eddie said.

  Theo groaned under his breath. “I can guarantee nothing is worse than that couch.”

  Ben whooped with joy and rushed off to organize the cushions.

  “Did we actually reach a decision about the movie?”

  Eddie chuckled. “Yes. You’re a man who’s easily pleased.”

  “And you’re suggesting I’m not.”

  “Shall I quote your complaints? You know, the ones about me not actually peeling and cutting things and putting them in a pot and slaving over a hot stove and then getting to have final say over the movie we watch?”

  “I was only contributing to the conversation. I didn’t intend for any of it to be taken as a personal affront on your character.”

  “Nice backpedaling, Mr. Kendrick. Did you just remember I’m standing between you and the prospect of having to wade your way through an evening entertaining a young boy who could talk you under the table?”

  “More or less. I’ll admit I feel my head is bobbing on the surface but at risk of sinking. Your presence here is appreciated. I’ll try to be on my best behavior for the rest of the evening. And to show how grateful I am, I’ll wash the dishes and dispose of the empty pizza box. You won’t even have to remind me to do it.”

  “Tonight promises to be more interesting than I ever anticipated.”

  Chapter Nine

  “Can we go in now?”

  Theo looked at his watch and frowned. “Eddie said she’d be here at ten. Let’s give her a few more minutes.”

  “I have a voracious appetite,” Ben complained.

  “You have a what?”

  Ben rolled his eyes. “It’s my mom’s doing. She insists I try using a different word every day to expand my vocabulary. This week we’re doing the letter v. Today, it’s voracious. Well, it was actually Monday’s word but I didn’t...” Ben kicked the ground with the tip of his snicker, “I didn’t get the chance to use it then because I had breakfast, a packed lunch and dinner at the same time as every other day.” He gave him a pointed look loaded with accusations of child mistreatment.

  “Why don’t you put on your valiant veneer and go in and find a vacant table.”

  Ben didn’t wait to be told twice and took off at a trot.

  “And get a table by the bookcases,” Theo called out. “That way you can work on being a voracious reader.”

  Theo would have followed Ben in to the café, if only to keep him company. No doubt the ban still stood. But he actually wanted to see Eddie walk toward him. There was something incredibly tantalizing about her walk. Casual. Easy. Sexy, in a confident sort of way. He’d bet anything she wasn’t even aware of it. The thought kept him entertained until he saw her coming out of the pub.

  She skipped across the street, her lips stretched into a smile as if she’d just thought of something amusing. Theo slipped his hands inside his pockets. He’d give anything to know what she was thinking about.

  If he drew up a timeline of his life, the day he’d arrived in Eden and met Eddie would be highlighted, signaling a turning point.

  “That’s a head scratching thought if ever I heard one,” he said under his breath. But he couldn’t argue with it. He smiled and shook his head. The smile spread through him, filling him right up to the brim with satisfaction.

  She wore—

  “Hey, there. Look at you, wearing jeans,” Eddie said as she approached him. “What happened? Did you run out of tailored clothes and raid a local store?” She shook her head sending her curls on a playful dance across her shoulders. “On second thought, those jeans have the wear and tear of an expensive price tag.”

  “Are you done judging?”

  “Are you afraid to go into the café?”

  Theo drew in a breath and tried to pull himself together. “Joyce threatened me with serious repercussions. I didn’t want to push my luck and risk Ben getting kicked out because he’s associating with the wrong sorts before he’d had a chance to refuel. Speaking of which, I’m starved, so if we could go in now, test the waters…” The words stopped flowing and his appreciation took over.

  She wore a dress with tiny flowers printed on it. Cinched at the waist, it showed off her lovely curves and legs, which were bare except for the ankle boots she wore. She looked softer, and inviting... Theo knew he was teetering close to a dangerous ledge. He’d made a promise to Eddie’s brothers. No more kissing Eddie...

  If he could only stop looking at her, then he’d have a chance of keeping his word. But going by the way his body reacted he didn’t have a hope in hell of keeping his thoughts under a tight rein. To hell with it. He’d enjoy looking at her now and regroup later. With Ben’s constant chatter to interrupt the flow of thoughts and ideas taking seed in his mind, he’d be able to make it through the rest of the day.

  “Come on. I’m starting to feel light-headed here.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she said. “We don’t know if this will work.”

  He watched her try to hold on to her straight face but he could see her eyes crinkling at the edges. Then she relaxed and gave in to the laughter he’d seen swimming in her eyes.

  “Honestly, I don’t understand how you ever took Joyce seriously,” she said. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

  “I couldn’t even hazard a guess. You know her better than anyone else. What do you think she’s capable of?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing I wouldn’t do. We’re sort of like two peas in a pod. You know, great minds and all that jazz but with a pinch of pepper. Think superheroes with evil alter egos. It’s a balancing act, but we manage to pull it off.”

  “Am I actually supposed to take comfort from that?” he asked.

  “Take it easy. Don’t break into a sweat. Deep down, she really likes you.”

  “She has a strange way of showing it. And saying you’re alike has my second thoughts kicking in here. Remember, I’ve seen what you can do. Joyce only threatens, but if she’s like you... Well, you take action,” he said, the near miss with the dart still fresh in his mind.

  “And don’t you forget it,” she said wagging her finger in warning. “Now, are we going to do this, or not?”

  The lifted eyebrow look she gave him had his ego all riled up.

  “All right. Let’s at least talk strategy. I think we should walk in holding hands. Either that, or I’ll make an obvious gesture like putting my arm around your shoulder. Something to let Joyce know you’re on my side.”

  “Hang on.” She bit the edge of her lip and threw her gaze up and down the street. “There’s something I need to get off my chest first
.” She looked around again as if to confirm no one else could hear her. “This is about the other day.”

  She could only be referring to the day they’d stopped by the side of the road. A part of him wanted to interrupt and offer an explanation or even an apology but she held her hand up.

  “I understand how spur of the moment, unexpected things can sometimes happen,” she said, “Especially if you’re feeling frustrated the way you seemed to be a few of days ago. I’ve been there. Confused and not quite myself.”

  It sounded like she’d been doing a lot of mulling over.

  “I need to confirm that kiss was all about you being a bit muddled and…”

  He shook his head.

  “No? Yes?”

  He wished he could go back and…

  Do it differently.

  He’d been caught off guard. If he’d ever planned on kissing Eddie, he would have worked up to it after a dinner date, definitely not out in the middle of a dusty road…

  “I’m sorry about that. You’re right. I wasn’t exactly myself that day. Do you think we can put it behind us?” For the time being, at least. Once he got his mind back in working order, and his body responding to his mind...

  The lumpy couch had gone a long way toward keeping his attraction at bay. Pain could be an effective lust killer. Also, now that he’d sorted out the business with Claire, he needed to stay focused on Ben. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy Eddie’s company, and take it one step at a time while he figured out a way to find some joy without breaking hearts or leaving wounds that took forever to heal. Some facts were inevitable. When Claire Muldoon returned from her trip, he’d be on the next plane out of the country.

  He shook his head again. The kiss had been impulsive. Selfish. Even reckless.

  He had rules, yet with Eddie…

  He wanted to break them all. To plunge headlong into a steamy night of indulgence and satisfaction. And not because he wanted to work Eddie out of his system.

  When Claire returned, he insisted…

  He had no idea what he’d do. For the first time in his life, he could feel doubt creeping in and making a mess of his golden rules. He knew and understood himself inside and out. And because of that, he knew he couldn’t do something he’d live to regret. When he looked back on his life, he wanted to reflect on fond memories. Not regrets. And the only way to achieve that was to make sure his actions triggered positive consequences.

  “I know it sounds lame, but for now, can we not talk about it?”

  She held his gaze for a long moment. Eventually she nodded and said, “I’ll put it down as an aberration. We can move on from there without any awkwardness or misunderstandings.”

  He wanted to argue, to explain, but he stopped himself. She seemed okay with the idea. If he thought for a moment that he’d hurt her…

  She gave him a brisk nod and they strode inside the café, making a beeline for the table Ben had settled into.

  “I started without you,” Ben said around a mouthful of pancakes. “And I told Joyce to keep the food coming.”

  * * *

  Eddie wondered if Theo was the type of man who spent hours on end shopping or if he made haphazard choices when selecting his clothes. Everything she’d seen him wearing looked tailor made for him. She tugged at the hem of her dress, which had seen better days. It was one of two dresses she owned and had no trouble finding in her minute wardrobe. He probably had a walk-in wardrobe the size of a bedroom and a personal shopper to keep it stocked and up to date with the latest trends.

  How did she feel about a man who had more clothes than she did? Inadequate came to mind and she didn’t want to think she’d had a lucky escape, because that meant she had to own up to feeling she’d missed out on the opportunity...

  She gave the hem of her dress another tug. She always wore one of her dresses on Sundays. Today, however, she’d known she’d be joining Theo and Ben for breakfast at Joyce’s Café and had hesitated, scrunching it up in her hands, calling herself all types of fool for entertaining a barrage of thoughts that led nowhere. She’d been afraid Theo would think she’d worn a dress for him. Her back teeth gritted together. Why had she asked him about that blasted kiss?

  Shaking her head, she fished around for another thought. Something. Anything to take her mind off the fact she’d tackled the subject she’d been avoiding all these days. At least she’d brought it out into the open. Although, she wished she hadn’t needed to clear the air. Now he knew she’d been obsessing and making too big a deal out of… a kiss. Just because he’d made her feel all tingly and—

  It had been the first time she’d touched him...

  “Should I assume it’s worked?” Theo asked, “I don’t want to get my hopes up and start imagining sinking my teeth into a stack of pancakes and then be told to take a hike.”

  “If it comes down to that,” Ben said, “It’s every man for himself. You can leave, but I’m staying until I have to undo the top button of my jeans.”

  “Tell me you’d at least smuggle out a chocolate chip cookie for me.”

  “I might. What’s it worth to you?” Ben asked.

  Eddie tuned out of the conversation. In every other respect, Theo sounded as regular and singular-minded as any guy she knew. Then again, last night he’d been true to his word and had cleaned up their dinner plates without being reminded. A small gesture, she knew, but she couldn’t help being impressed.

  How had Claire met him? It couldn’t have been recently. The relationship had to go back a long way. More than nine years...

  “Mitch says you have to watch out for the quiet ones,” Ben said.

  “She looks like she’s switched off.”

  Ben grinned. “She’s on sleep mode. Like computers…”

  “I haven’t seen her do that before.”

  Eddie snapped out of her dead-end mental conversation. “Please stop talking about me. I’m right here,” she said as Joyce approached their table.

  “Another stack of blueberry pancakes for you,” Joyce said smiling at Ben. “The usual, Eddie?”

  “Sure. Thanks.” They held a quiet dialogue, communicating with their eyes, stretching the moment to the maximum.

  Then Joyce nodded and looked at Theo. “You’re on probation. But that could be revoked at a moment’s notice. So be on your best behavior,” Joyce said.

  “In that case, I’ll have a full English breakfast, followed by pancakes, and a couple of muffins to go. Thank you and I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

  They all waited for Joyce to move on to the next table.

  “Laying it on a bit thick,” Eddie said.

  “I feel like I should kiss your ring finger, or pay some sort of homage. But… um, what was that silent exchange all about?”

  “Would you ever reveal your secret handshake or break your male code of honor?” She smiled at the cautious shake of his head. “What makes you think I would betray my own sisterhood?”

  “You’re right. I hang my head in shame. And thank you again. I need all the energy I can get to keep up with Ben. He has a busy social schedule today.”

  Eddie tried to avoid thinking about the unfairness of finding someone she liked, someone she could respond to and engage with, only to have to keep him at arms’ length because he belonged to someone else. She really tried, but she could already sense her mind engaging in a little fantasy.

  It was wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

  How would she feel if another woman had fantasies about her man?

  It wouldn’t be so bad, so long as it remained a fantasy, she reasoned.

  Are you done justifying, Eddie?

  Argh!

  He had to have some fatal flaw, something that would put her off him. Although for Claire’s sake, she hoped he didn’t have any major failings. He and Ben got along so well, it would be great to finally see Claire settle down with a decent guy.

  Eden was a small town. If Theo extended his stay, she’d have to sort herself out. Both for her sake as
well as Claire’s.

  The kiss had been a mistake. And it hadn’t been one-sided. She couldn’t play down her own part in it. At least it had happened before he’d come to an understanding with Claire. She could live with that. And it looked like he could live with it too. Otherwise, he’d be doing his best to avoid her. Any other guy might have crossed the street at the sight of her, but he’d been grown up about it. She had to remember he’d been driving away from Claire’s place, all hope lost, so in his mind, he hadn’t done anything wrong…

  Just great. Now she was justifying his actions.

  Eddie looked down at her hands and realized she’d shredded her paper napkin into tiny pieces, a sign of her increasing frustration. Surely he had to have some sort of shortcoming she could grab hold of.

  Finding a gap in the conversation, she asked, “So what’s on for the rest of the day?”

  “Ben has a couple of friends to catch up with. Then, we’re having a game of pool with your brothers,” Theo said.

  Well, she’d wanted to find a flaw and there it was. “You’re going to expose Ben to Mitch’s unique brand of philosophy?”

  “The boy has to learn. Maybe I can pick up a few useful hints too.”

  Now the flaw was festering. “Such as?”

  His eyes dropped to her mouth. “How to avoid getting blacklisted in this town. There has to be a trick to walking the straight and narrow line,” he shrugged.

  Her wayward thoughts took over again. Eddie tried to stay calm, but her body rebelled, tap dancing across her best intentions with a happy jig. He’d been clean-shaven when he’d kissed her but she could see a light bristle around his mouth and she couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like...

  That kiss had a lot to answer for.

  The man was taken.

  He belonged to someone else. And she was a grown-up, not a teenager dwelling...

  So why did he kiss me?