Her Charming Heartbreaker

by Sonia Parin

  Had it boosted his ego?

  She’d tried to put the pieces together and had come up with a head full of conjecture. Theo had come to Eden looking for Claire. She had no idea how they’d met. And somehow, he’d managed to win Claire over, getting her to trust him with her son while she went overseas.

  She could almost live with the idea that he’d kissed her when he’d thought he couldn’t find a way to win Claire over. That should have been her Sleeping Beauty moment and the first step toward some sort of happy experience. But instead, he’d found his solution to whatever problem had been keeping him apart from Claire.

  Bottom line. She’d had a hand in pushing him back on track.

  She could live that. Put it down as her Good Samaritan deed for the day. As for spending so much time thinking about the kiss…

  She had to get it sorted out, at least in her head.

  And as for thinking how good it had felt to lock lips with him...

  She drew in a deep breath.

  It actually felt good to think about it.

  But did it make her a bad person? Claire Muldoon was a friend. Not a close girlfriend like Joyce and the Wright sisters, but a friend nonetheless. Seen from that context, she knew her wayward daydreaming risked being construed as—

  Stop it, Eddie.

  “I suppose you’ll be having dinner at the pub.”

  “Unless you have another suggestion—”

  “I’m working tonight, so you’ll have to sort something out yourself.” And tomorrow she’d have to come up with another excuse to avoid spending more time with him. The next time they met, their conversation would be shorter. Then Claire would return and he’d be busy with her...

  * * *

  Over the last couple of days, Eddie had become accustomed to seeing Theo and Ben together. However, the start of the week meant Ben would spend his days at school, leaving Theo to roam around town, taunting her with his unavailability—

  “I don’t want to ask what you’re thinking about because I’m afraid the answer will make me green with envy,” Joyce said as she strode around the café counter and headed for the door.

  “Eye candy,” Eddie said.

  “Not fair. I didn’t ask.”

  “Hey, where are you off to? I’ve got an hour before the lunchtime crowd descends on the pub and I can’t face it without some caffeine in my system. Start pouring.”

  “Susan will help you out. I’m trotting down to Brilliant Baubles. They’ve got new stock in.”

  “What’s the hurry? That stuff is not going anywhere. No one around here shops for antiques except you.” Eddie forgot about her need for coffee and followed her friend out the door. “Is there something I don’t know about? Like a new owner?”

  “I wish. Bradford might have taken over from his uncle, but he doesn’t have the same passion.”

  “He doesn’t need it. He’s got good looks.”

  “And a snarly attitude,” Joyce said. “He hates it here. And he hates people going into his shop and rummaging.”

  “You mean window shopping.”

  “Nope. He called me a bull in a china shop and all I did was pick up a vase to look at the bottom. Anyway, I found out he’s expecting a new consignment of crockery and I want some new tea cups.”

  “I’m definitely tagging along for this.”

  “Do you think I need a bodyguard?” Joyce asked.

  “Not you. But he might.”

  They reached the antique store at the end of the street and peered inside the window. “What did you mean by being green with envy?” Eddie asked.

  Joyce pressed her nose to the window. “You’ve gone from annoyed because everyone was talking about you and Adam to his eyes are the color of the ocean. You’re daydreaming about Theo. Sure, he’s taken but it’s nice to have someone to dream about.”

  “Does that make me a bad person?”

  “You’re feeling guilty.”

  “Wouldn’t you?”

  “There’s no harm in it.” Joyce shook her head. “It’s like craving something you know you can’t have. It goes away eventually. Meanwhile, no one gets hurt.” Joyce growled under her breath. “There’s a crate and he hasn’t unpacked it. He’s doing it to taunt me.”

  “Maybe Bradford has a thing for you.”

  “Bradford? Have you ever had a conversation with him?”

  “Not that I recall.”

  “At one point, I thought he had a speech impediment but then I heard him on the phone and he sounded fine. Like I said, he only ever snarls at me. Fancy sharing a cup of coffee with someone like him? Think about it. At best, men are good for fifteen minutes foreplay and five minutes for the deed. What is one supposed to do with them the rest of the time?”

  “Something tells me I’m about to witness a crime.”

  They both turned and were met by a pair of disapproving eyes.

  “You,” Joyce said and pointed a finger at Theo. “You’re going to help me. Go in and ask to see…” Joyce looked inside the shop. “A fainting couch. Bradford has one in the back room. You get him to show it to you, and you keep him talking and away from the front of the shop.”

  “Sounds like I missed my chance to shuffle off,” Theo said.

  “Yes. Now just do as I say or risk losing your coffee privileges again,” Joyce warned.

  Theo chortled. “This reeks of fall guy. And why does it have to be a fainting couch? Doesn’t he have something… something more manly in the back room?”

  Chapter Ten

  “You’ve been initiated and you fell for it hook, line and one ton sinker. They own you now and they’ll make you do things…”

  Theo eyed the display of whiskey bottles. He rarely indulged, but the promise of temporary oblivion called to him. Remembering he’d be picking Ben up from school in a few of hours, he drained his glass of water and asked for another one. “They needed help. I could hardly turn my back on them.”

  Bradford laughed into his beer. “They blinked their big puppy eyes at you?”

  Not exactly. In fact, Joyce had snapped an order and he’d... Damn it, her coffee was good. “They’re not that bad. In fact, they’ve kept me entertained.”

  “Make sure they don’t turn you into their entertainment.”

  “What are they going to do? Use me as their lapdog?”

  “Worse. They’ll use you as their gopher. Oh, wait, they’ve already done that.”

  “You’ve lived in this town for a year. What did the girls make you do?”

  Bradford drained his glass of beer. “I’ve stayed out of their way and when Joyce comes into the store, I ignore her, she ignores me. We have a good understanding.”

  “Playing hard to get?”

  “It’s a small town and I’m attached to my privacy. Same as you.”

  Theo looked down at his glass and shook his head. “Holding on to my privacy has so far cost me a ban. But I’m currently in their good books. They needed you out of the way. You understand it was nothing personal. I depend on my shot of caffeine and Joyce’s coffee is beyond compare.”

  “I know what you mean. It’s my staple. Some people have type O blood. I have type C. As in C for caffeine. Besides, Joyce knows better than to try anything with me. Then again,” Bradford smiled, “I never tried to get inside her friend’s pants. Hell, Eddie Faydon, of all people? And yes, word reaches even those who don’t want to hear them.”

  Get inside her pants? It had only been a kiss. Yeah, and if he’d held her in his arms for one more second, it would have turned into a public display of raunchy affection, right then and there by the side of the road.

  “Her brothers must be on the warpath,” Bradford said, his voice lowered. “How are you holding up?”

  “How do you think? I’ve got three brawny guys eyeballing me all the time.”

  “You could take them on.”

  “I’d rather not. I hear their grandmother owns a double barrel shotgun. She might come after me.”

  “She’s a
sweet lady. But you’re probably right to play it safe.” Bradford checked his watch. “Joyce must be done ransacking my store.” He sighed and taking a deep breath, he pushed off his barstool.

  “Good to meet you,” Theo said.

  “Likewise, and stop by the store any time.”

  Theo considered giving the girls a heads up phone call, but he figured they could look after themselves. Besides, he didn’t have Eddie’s cell phone number and he wasn’t about to ask one of her brothers for it.

  With only a couple of hours to kill before he had to get behind the wheel and drive again, he ordered a late lunch and turned his attention to business, checking his messages and touching base with his virtual assistant. Now that the Claire situation had been sorted out, his mind felt less cluttered so he thought about reading a new play his mother was considering.

  His father was on track, and expected to make a full recovery. Thanks to Claire’s presence, his health and mood had improved by leaps and bounds. He was due to be released from hospital in a couple of days and was looking forward to finishing his recuperation at his Sierra Nevada ranch.

  Theo settled in front of the fireplace and looked around the bar. This was as good a place as any to kill some time and try to keep his thoughts away from whatever Eddie was getting up to.

  He hadn’t minded being dragged into their cat and mouse game. Unlike Bradford who appeared to remain an outsider, Theo had found it easy to adjust to the rhythm of life in Eden.

  Glancing around the pub, he made eye contact with a few people, nodding and smiling. He’d only been here a short while and already the place was starting to feel familiar. He was no stranger to making himself at home in foreign cities. But once his business was completed he always moved on, like the proverbial rolling stone, his life always in transit, splitting his time between L.A., New York and London and whatever other place he needed to be in.

  He’d never felt the need for a fixed address and he could work around his own schedule. Most of his business could be carried out on the phone. A couple of years before he’d turned his attention to film production as a sideline business. In the short time he’d been involved in the business he’d had a few low budge films turn into box office successes, so his projects were never short of financial backing. Now he could afford the luxury of being selective as well as setting his own pace.

  In fact, the previous year he’d slowed down, spending quite a lot of time in New York cultivating a relationship, which had eventually run its course when the woman he’d been involved with had called it off saying she’d met someone else. At the time, Theo had wondered if that had been her way of trying to push the relationship to the next level, but she really had been trying to get rid of him because she’d reconnected with an old flame. Last he’d heard, they’d married and had a baby on the way...

  Was that the same fate awaiting his father? Claire had been his old flame. His father wasn’t giving anything away, but his tone was enough to suggest Claire had been the tonic he’d needed. She’d been keeping in touch with Ben via Skype and despite missing her son, she’d looked… vibrant. Glowing. In love?

  Claire had told him she’d had feelings for Jon Kendrick—loose ends of her own. What if this all went a step further? What was he thinking? Of course, it would. The moment Jon found out about Ben...

  Theo straightened. He had a nine-year-old brother. He’d have to make a few significant adjustments to his life like widening his circle to include Ben. He’d also have to learn to engage with him without succumbing to the generation gap. It would be a steep learning curve and he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. So far, he’d actually enjoyed hanging out with Ben. He was easygoing and surprisingly entertaining.

  Theo brushed his fingers along the edge of his chin. From now on, he’d be building a relationship with him and that meant staying in close touch. He was used to traveling from country to country, allocating his time between his parents. Spending more time with Ben meant he’d have to add Eden to his itinerary. And that meant he’d be seeing Eddie regularly.

  Then again, once his father found out about Ben, he’d want to meet him and push for something more permanent. In fact, Theo had been expecting an all hands on deck call from his father to organize it.

  Theo hadn’t questioned Claire’s decision to keep her son’s existence a secret. He’d seen no point. He only hoped Jon didn’t fly off the handle and do something stupid like resenting her.

  Whatever happened, Theo knew Ben would be welcomed and loved...

  * * *

  “Burning question coming up,” Joyce said.

  Eddie abandoned her lookout post by the front door of Brilliant Baubles and stepped back inside the antique store. “Go for it.”

  “I swear Bradford is hiding the tea cups from me on purpose.” Joyce wiped some dust off her hands and straightened.

  “You were going to ask...”

  “Oh, yes. Ben and Theo. They seem to be getting along nicely.”

  “No surprise there. Otherwise Claire wouldn’t have left Ben in his care.”

  “Have you noticed something about them? Does anything significant scream out at you?”

  Eddie pretended to study a small bronze statue. Wincing, she nodded. Of course, she’d noticed. The same hair and eye coloring, the same shaped face with the strong jaw and firm chin, although with Ben it was something he’d yet to grow into, but the makings of it were there.

  “Do you think it’s safe to assume?” Joyce asked.

  “They look... related. It could be a coincidence.” And she had no business talking about it.

  “I’m thinking… if Ben’s nine years old, then Theo must have met Claire when he was twenty… twenty-two, or thereabouts. Don’t get me wrong, she looks great for forty-five and I remember her looking absolutely fantastic at thirty-five. Well… good on her.”

  “That’s a lot of jumping to conclusions but, yeah, good on her.”

  “Do you think he’ll stay?” Joyce asked. “I’m assuming he didn’t know about Ben. Maybe he’s trying to decide what role he’ll play. He must have a life somewhere. You know, a job. Also, his father’s a famous movie star. Wouldn’t it be great if Theo stayed and then Jon Kendrick came to visit?”

  Stay? “You’re jumping the gun. Not every man takes full responsibility for their....” she couldn’t bring herself to say it, or even think it.

  “What if he decides to hang around, do the right thing by Claire and marry her? How do you feel about that?”

  Her stomach tensed. “I’ll get used to the idea. He’s not a bad sort and he brightens up the place.”

  “Yes, but how will you feel?” Joyce insisted.

  Eddie threw her hands up in the air. “It’s not as if we actually had sex.” And just as well. She didn’t think the experience would be something she’d easily forget. That one taste of his mouth had stirred her body to attention so quickly she could still feel the little aftershocks. Granted, she had been alone for a long while, but even before he’d kissed her, she’d felt something unfastening inside her, like a knot loosening up in readiness for...

  “Pity.”

  “Hey, he’s only been here a short while. What sort of desperate sex maniac would that make me?”

  “It happens. Right time, right place. Right man. Next thing you know, clothes are being ripped off and—”

  “If you ladies are done browsing, I’d like to have my shop back.”

  They both turned to find Bradford leaning against the front door, one foot over the other, his arms crossed, his face expressionless. How long had he been standing there listening?

  Joyce slammed her fisted hands against her hips and glared at him. “Did you ever think of announcing your presence?”

  “Um… I’m done. Joyce, are you coming?”

  Joyce made a point of firming her lips and lifting her chin. “I suppose you’ll let me know when the tea cups finally arrive,” she threw over her shoulder as she strode out of the store.

&nbs
p; “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to lock horns with Bradford,” Eddie warned when they were outside.

  “I’ve been too lenient with him. He has no idea how close he’s coming to being served an inferior blend of coffee. I might have to pilfer some from your place…”

  Eddie listened with only half an ear while her eyes dashed from one end of the street to the other looking for Theo. It was time to classify her interest as bordering on obsession, she thought. “I’m going to give the coffee a miss. If I don’t get back to work, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  Theo’s car was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to kick herself for checking and worse, figuring out school would be out soon so he’d probably made his way over to pick Ben up, although it was still too early for that...

  The sooner Theo went on his way, the sooner she could resume her regular, uneventful life. It couldn’t happen quickly enough.

  She’d experienced being left behind, first by Derek, and then by Roy. They’d both played significant roles in her life and she’d survived. She knew all about heartbreak and disappointment and betrayal. She’d wished Derek well and, to this day, they remained friends. It had been easy to wave good riddance to Roy after he’d made another woman pregnant. With Theo, she suspected his parting would leave a hollow space inside her with a burning question mark. What might have been if she’d met him first…

  She would survive. In fact, she’d already had a trial run, spending a couple of days with her grandmother. When Theo left for real, she had several common behavioral reactions to fall back on. For starters, her personal woes could be treated with the healing power of ice cream. And if that didn’t work, she could… she could adopt a pet. A dog she could walk. A cute puppy to demand all her time and attention.

  Yes, but... What if Theo decided to make Eden his home?

  Striding into The Gloriana, she caught sight of him moving from the chair by the fireplace and heading toward a table. Matthew and Mitch were behind the bar and Markus had just disappeared into the kitchen, probably to pick up a lunch order. She was half tempted to do an about turn and leave. Like it or not, this would be her life from now on. Wherever she turned, he’d be there. If he stayed.