Harlequin Superromance January 2014 - Bundle 1 of 2: Everywhere She GoesA Promise for the BabyThat Summer at the Shore

by Janice Kay Johnson

  Setting her jaw, she collected the scattered chunks of wood that had formed the foundation of her display trays and put them in a pile. She might not be an expert carpenter, but she could probably reconstruct them.

  She was glad she’d gotten the canopy’s spiteful message hidden immediately, because Burt Friesen arrived as she was raking up the rotten fruit.

  “What happened?” he demanded.

  “Oh.” She tried to shrug as though it wasn’t a big deal. “Some teenagers must have gone wild last night. I should have put the chain on. They were probably drunk and out joyriding.”

  “Let me help.”

  “Thanks, but I can handle it. Besides, you have more deliveries to make.”

  The other farmers came soon after, requiring the same dance around the truth. Corey Tappen brought the last loganberries of the season, then insisted on retrieving her chairs from the beach. While Jamie had been determined to take care of it herself, she couldn’t help being grateful. The chairs might be made of plastic, but they were solid and awkward to move.

  But she wouldn’t let anyone do anything else and tried to sound brave and cheery as she sent them on their way. Next she sorted out the Mar Vista goods before getting back to her cleanup. She’d have to jury-rig something for displays, and would have to work fast if she didn’t want Gordon’s guys to see this.

  “Hell.” Brad’s voice growled behind her as she was wiping the sides of the trailer with a bleach-soaked paper towel to kill the odor of spoiled fruit.

  “You can say that again,” she agreed.

  “What can I do?”

  “It’s okay. I can handle it.”

  “I said, what can I do?”

  A resigned laugh rumbled in Jamie’s chest. “Can you figure out how to make a display?”

  While she finished cleaning, Brad used the tools she had in her truck and repaired enough of the wood racks for her to get by for the day.

  “How about the canopy?” he asked as they moved strawberries and vegetables into place.

  It was a shame to let Brad see the spray-painted message, but the awning was important since it protected her stock from the sun. His expression grew dangerous as he read the words scrawled on the fabric.

  “I’m sure it isn’t anyone connected with Mar Vista,” she said hastily.

  “They’re the only ones who want you gone.”

  The inescapable logic bothered her, but she couldn’t believe it was the work of Zack or his employees. And there was logic against it being connected to Mar Vista, too. Zack was already installing a high hedge down the critical section of his golf course, separating it from the public road and the view of her signs and the trailer. The company providing the mature shrubbery and trees had brought in cranes and specialized digging equipment, but the resort staff was coordinating the effort.

  And so far the Mar Vista grounds workers had shown no sign of anger; in fact, they’d waved and smiled and some bought fruit for a snack. The grounds manager, Rick Lopez, was among them. He had explained that he’d designed a layered effect to make the hedge look like a natural area of thick native growth, even sketching his ideas for her. He’d seemed pleased to have someone show an interest and had incorporated a suggestion she’d offered.

  “I don’t think it’s anyone from the resort,” she repeated to Brad.

  There was little they could do about the spray paint on the awning. Jamie scrubbed off the rotted fruit and sprayed the fabric with a mild cleaning solution, and Brad helped get it up and pulled taut. She was pleased to see that no one could read the Get Out once the canopy was in place.

  “Thanks, Brad,” she said as the Mar Vista truck pulled in. Everything looked the way it should.

  “Gotta pay for my breakfast,” he said with a grin as he accepted a bowl of strawberries. He sat and ate the fruit before starting on the second half of his long walk. Since she was busy with customers at the time, they only waved at each other when he left.

  Once she was alone, she bagged extra bits of debris before going inside to begin the painful cleanup there.

  “Jamie?”

  It was Zack’s voice, and Jamie’s shoulders sagged. What did he want? She didn’t have the energy to deal with him, but she had no choice.

  * * *

  ZACK GLANCED AROUND and called Jamie’s name again. Her truck was here, so she must be, too.

  The trailer door opened and she slid outside. There was a smell of bleach and he was reminded of the first day they’d met, except today she was wearing cutoffs rather than her overalls, despite the morning’s cool air. Her long legs were displayed down to the most disreputable pair of tennis shoes he’d ever seen. Damn, she looked hot.

  “Yes?”

  “Listen, I’ve been thinking about what you said.” Yet even as he spoke, a carload of customers drove into sight. “I’ll wait.” He made his way to the chairs and tried not to listen to the chattering group of women. They were on a drive from the city and thought the stand was soooo charming. Some recalled visiting years before and asked about George Jenkins; Jamie started explaining about her grandfather.

  Zack leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His thoughts turned to Jamie’s comments about Kim and Brad. How could he have been so blind, and how could he let them see that he was okay with them getting together? In fact, he thought it was terrific, but that wasn’t the kind of thing you could blurt out to either your brother or your former lover.

  That morning, while sipping cold coffee in the SUV and staring at the horse stables, it had suddenly occurred to him that Jamie might have an idea. She was prickly, but she seemed to understand people in a unique way. And she’d seen what was happening with Brad and Kim when they hadn’t even recognized it themselves.

  It was also a good excuse to see her. He didn’t like the way their conversation had gone the day before. Maybe he could salvage it in some way.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  JAMIE ENJOYED THE group of women who’d stopped, and wouldn’t have minded if they’d stayed longer and given her time to think before talking with Zack.

  Judging from the expression on his face, she doubted he knew about the vandalism. With a little luck it would stay that way, at least until she’d figured out what to do. He was so busy that Brad rarely saw him, and she’d promised Brad that she had no intention of staying at the trailer again. It wasn’t unreasonable to hope Zack wouldn’t get the news for a while.

  Whoever was doing the damage must have figured out she was watching, so they’d waited until she was lulled into believing it was over. She couldn’t take up residence in the trailer for the rest of the summer, so she’d have to devise another plan.

  “Got them squared away?” Zack asked as she put the money into her cash box.

  “Yep. Some of the women remembered me from when I was a kid, though I can’t return the favor. They said that once a year they leave their husbands to fend for themselves and take a weekend trip together. They must have a strong friendship—there were five of them in that tiny Volkswagen.”

  “That would be one way to test it,” he agreed.

  “So, what’s on your mind?” she asked. “Sex or my land?”

  “That’s direct.”

  “Shock value. It throws people off guard. I should market the concept to the navy.”

  “What if it isn’t sex or the land?”

  “You mean you’re actually expanding your conversational topics?”

  A peculiar smile played on Zack’s lips. “Bleach has an odd effect on you. You’re using it today, and were the day we met. You run in bigger verbal circles when the stuff’s in the air.”

  “You should see Marlin when he’s high on it. He goes nutty, same as some cats do for catnip, except it puts him in a bad mood. Granddad used to say he was a mean drunk.”

&nb
sp; “Kim told me he was a mutant.”

  It was an odd conversation, and she did feel light-headed. The bleach could be the cause, or the lack of sleep, or the sexy guy sitting there that she shouldn’t be with again, or the fact that someone had trashed her business and she didn’t have a clue why, except that she was an unwelcome neighbor to the aforementioned sexy guy’s resort.

  The chairs usually sat next to each other, but Jamie pulled the empty one around so it was farther away and faced Zack.

  “You haven’t offered me strawberries yet,” he said in a mock aggrieved tone.

  “There’s a bowl there. You know how to help yourself.”

  He ate a couple while her mind raced in circles. Whatever Zack wanted, he was almost as bad as her father at getting to the point.

  “I was thinking of what you told me about Brad and Kim,” he said finally. “The idea of them getting together is terrific, if a little weird. I don’t know how they’d work it out, but that’s their business.”

  “Right.”

  “Do you really suppose Brad imagines he’d come between me and Kim?”

  Jamie frowned. “He probably hasn’t consciously thought about it that way. I’m guessing he just thinks the two of you are connected, so he won’t let himself see how much he’s attracted to her. He might even believe you still have feelings for each other.”

  “How do I let Brad know it’s okay if they hook up?” Zack asked.

  “Have you considered the direct approach? Simply tell him.”

  “Uh...we don’t talk about things like that. That is...I wouldn’t know where to start.”

  In spite of the morning’s trauma, the humor of the present situation struck Jamie. Zack was so uncomfortable at the idea of a heart-to-heart chat with his brother that he was practically stuttering at the prospect.

  Jamie rolled her eyes. “Try ‘Hey, Brad, I think you and Kim would be a great couple—have you thought about getting together with her?’”

  Zack shifted in his chair. “I can’t leap into a conversation that way. How about you drop some hints to him? He’s here a lot.”

  “Coward.”

  “It has nothing to do with that,” he claimed with injured dignity.

  “No, it has to do with being a man.”

  “Brad would be more comfortable talking about it with you than me,” Zack insisted. “Women find it easier to talk about romance, and that would put him at ease.”

  “You can’t resist those stereotypes, can you?” Jamie asked, amused all over again. The guy would do anything to escape a discussion about emotions with his brother.

  “Whatever. Will you do it?”

  “No.” His face fell and she sighed. “Brad needs to hear it from you. He won’t believe it otherwise.”

  Zack sat back in frustration and stared at the ocean for a few minutes. Jamie closed her eyes so she wouldn’t be tempted to watch him and remember the wrong things. Instead she thought about how to catch the creep who was trashing the fruit stand.

  “I know,” Zack exclaimed, breaking into her thoughts. “Kim is coming up again today.”

  “Yeah, Brad mentioned it.” Jamie didn’t add that Kim had also called her, arranging a time to come see her jewelry.

  “Let’s all have dinner together at the Grotto. If you come as my date, it automatically pairs up Kim and Brad. Nothing has to be said—they’ll both just know.”

  “Is that your answer for everything?” she asked, stalling to consider his idea. “Have dinner?”

  “Food is an age-old remedy. In this case, it couldn’t hurt for everyone to see us together again, either.”

  It wasn’t a bad idea, although she still didn’t believe anyone on his staff was involved in the vandalism. Even so, like he said, it couldn’t hurt.

  “Maybe.”

  “However, it really should be at the Sunfish Grotto. Casual dining won’t send the same message to Kim and Brad as something more formal.”

  As much as Jamie hated the idea of dressing up, and wasn’t sure what she’d wear, he was right. Two people on a date would likely choose the most elegant and romantic location available, even if they were double-dating. She didn’t know if there was a protocol when former lovers were involved, but relationships weren’t her forte in the first place.

  “Okay,” she said. “When did you want to do it?”

  “If Kim agrees, how about tonight at seven or eight? I’ll call her office, or text her. When is best for you?”

  “Eight,” Jamie replied, thinking of everything she had to do. Purchase a security camera—one that was sensitive enough to film at night and had a motion sensor. Maybe she’d buy two, put them in unobtrusive locations. All she wanted was evidence of who was attacking the stand; she’d give the video to Curt and he could handle it from there. It was what she should have done in the first place. If she had, her feelings for Zack Denning wouldn’t have gotten so complicated.

  “Jamie?” Zack caught her attention. “You look a million miles away. I was saying that I’ll pick you up at seven forty-five. Do you dance? We’ve got a band at the Grotto on Friday evenings.”

  “I dance.” Maybe when she went to buy the camera, she could shop around for something to wear. After she finished cleaning the trailer’s interior she’d leave the box to collect the money and run into town.

  * * *

  ZACK WAS ANNOYED with himself as he left the fruit stand. The plan to have dinner at the Sunfish Grotto was fine, but he hadn’t dealt with other important matters. Ironically, Jamie had given him the perfect opening with her crack about sex or land, but he hadn’t been able to focus.

  At the moment he was going to play golf with someone who wanted to invest in Mar Vista. He’d have to find a nice way of refusing the investment funds, or of saying he’d consider it without discouraging the guest from returning in the future.

  It was a nice endorsement having a financial whiz interested in putting his money into the resort. But Zack wanted to make it on his own, without investors who’d try to control how he managed the place. He’d accepted his parents’ investment funds only because it was so important to them to help.

  Anyway, he didn’t need investors. He was putting extra on his loan payments, along with building a healthy contingency fund. With the way reservations were filling for the months ahead, a time could come when he’d have to turn away customers. Before Mar Vista had opened, he’d had the lobby decorated for Christmas so pictures could be taken to promote the holidays. Amazingly, they were already a third booked for December—in June. Things looked better than he’d ever hoped they could.

  Still, it would be wise to promise that he’d consider an investor rather than give a straight no. It made sense to keep his options open.

  * * *

  KIM QUICKLY SIGNED two letters and handed them to her office assistant. She was in a hurry, hoping to get to the airport before the noon traffic rush.

  “Maybe we should change the return address to Mar Vista since you’re going up so often,” Chloe suggested with a barely concealed smile.

  Kim pressed her lips together, unaccountably annoyed. She knew she’d surprised Chloe by planning yet another weekend in a row at Mar Vista. Admittedly, it was out of character, but stepping outside the box could be a good thing.

  “Is something going on...romancewise, that is?” Chloe asked. They’d known each other for so long that her assistant sometimes got personal; it would have been a problem except she was strictly business when anyone else was present. Kim was well aware that some people still expected a higher degree of professionalism from a female attorney than they did from a male.

  “If you’re asking whether Zack Denning is still single, the answer is yes...as far as I know,” she said. “I’m simply going up there to relax. I haven’t gone on vacation in over three years
and can’t take one this summer, either. Mar Vista is great for short breaks.”

  “Uh...sure.” A hint of pink brightened Chloe’s cheeks; when she’d first met Zack she had acted like a lovesick puppy.

  Kim had decided to treat herself to another trip after discovering flaws in a new client’s paperwork. The Parkers had passed the contract to her, mostly as an afterthought, since their previous attorney had already approved it. They hadn’t been happy about going to a new law firm, but their lawyer of thirty years was retiring and closing his office. Their attitude had improved radically after she brought the problems to their attention and they were now recommending Wheeler and Associates to everyone. The firm was getting so many inquiries she might have to recruit another associate.

  Changing the pace by going to Mar Vista was proving helpful, with the added bonus of seeing friends. The previous Sunday, she’d had lunch with Zack before going boating with Brad. Leaving later in the afternoon had been the only hard part; given a chance, the resort could feel like a second home. In fact, she’d been given the same suite on each visit, and when she’d mentioned it to Zack, he’d said it was policy, unless a guest requested a different room or it was otherwise occupied.

  No question, Zack knew what he was doing when it came to the resort, however badly he’d handled things with Jamie Conroe. She wondered if they would ever resolve things—both parties were firmly entrenched in their positions.

  Poor Zack—he was so passionate about Mar Vista, and Kim had to admit the fruit stand was an eyesore; his high-profile guests would also likely see it negatively. She assumed the land dispute had gotten pushed aside because of the vandalism. And, according to Brad, Zack had gotten his nose out of joint at the suggestion that one of his employees could be involved.

  Men and their pride. Zack and Brad were both overly endowed with the stuff.

  “Mr. Denning hasn’t called recently,” Chloe commented with a hint of disappointment in her voice. “You must be handling his legal issues while you’re at Mar Vista.”