She glanced out the window, then stood up and placed her hands on her hips. “Adam, I didn’t call anyone. I wasn’t sure I’d even be here long enough.”
“You’re right about that.” He lifted the mug to his mouth. “You’d like me to believe the whole family just happened to show up out of the blue on a Saturday morning?” Without thinking, he took a drink.
“That’s hot. Be—” she winced “—careful.”
He spit the coffee back into the mug before he realized what he was doing. “Phew.”
He set the mug on the counter and opened the freezer. He dropped two ice cubes into the steaming brew. “I should have known. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing, I guess.” From the feel of his burned tongue, it would be a long while before he’d make the same mistake.
“Believe what you want about my sisters, Adam. I had nothing to do with it.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why they’re here, but I can’t think of a better way to prove my innocence to someone as...as...bullheaded as you.”
He walked closer with quick, long, purposeful strides. Adam cocked his head questioningly. “Bullheaded? You sure you don’t want to add cad to that? If my memory serves me correctly, that was the word of choice at the church after Kat and
Alex’s wedding. You sure you don’t want to come up with a few more names for me?” The words slipped from his mouth before he thought about the implication, that he’d been thinking of that stupid bouquet.
Lisa folded the newspaper and neatly put it back into the copper boiler next to the small Franklin stove heating the kitchen. “I think that will do fine for now. Given time, I’m sure I could come up with a few more that fit your sour disposition.”
Thankful that she hadn’t seemed to catch his slip, Adam returned to the entry. He slid the heel of his cowboy boot into the wooden boot jack and tugged first one foot, then the other from the fitted leather.
“It’s no wonder you’re still an eligible bachelor if you’re always this charming,” she muttered.
“I heard that, and I couldn’t be happier.” Adam stood at the doorway to the great room and waited. “Must be all that running that makes you so miserable.”
Car doors slammed on the opposite side of the lodge, and Adam returned to the coffeemaker, pausing long enough to add a spot of hot coffee to the overly cooled liquid. “Come on.” He nodded his head toward the front door.
“Whatever makes you think I’m miserable?” Lisa’s feet were planted to the oak floor, her arms crossed.
“Later. Right now, we have bigger fish to fry. And you’re not getting out of this one.” Adam caught her by the elbow and firmly escorted her to the front room to wait for their guests.
Lisa pulled her arm from his grip. “What has you so worried, Adam? This story...?” Lisa sank into the leather sofa with her back to the door and stared defiantly at him. “Or did you tell someone that we caught that bouquet? I thought that was our secret.”
He set his cup of coffee down on the marble coffee table with a crash, spilling hot liquid on his hand. He muttered under his breath. “I didn’t tell a soul. As for the story, Liz sent the paperwork, I didn’t. This is a bad time, is all.”
Lisa crossed her arms over her chest.
His voice faltered and he narrowed his eyes in warning. “Don’t look at me that way.” He pulled a couple of tissues from the box on the mantel and wiped up the spilled coffee, then tossed them into a wicker trash can as the doorbell rang.
“Yoo-hoo! Adam? Anyone home?”
Despite his chilling glare, Lisa kept her back to the door and remained silent.
He was minimally surprised that she didn’t back down. Not that he should be. After all, he’d heard stories from his brothers of how stubborn her sisters were. Why should this Berthoff woman be any different?
Adam glanced at the houseguest, then to her sisters, who didn’t seem to notice Lisa sitting on his sofa. He was surprised to see Susan and Elizabeth had also arrived while he and Lisa were arguing.
“What’s the big emergency?” Alex asked as he helped the very pregnant Katarina take her coat off.
“Emergency?” Adam echoed.
Kevin took Alissa from her car seat while Emily showed Ricky where to put his wet snow boots.
After a quick “Hi, Uncle Adam,” Susan’s boys grabbed hold of Ricky and ran directly to the private family room to play with Adam’s stash of old toys. “Mom called and said we all needed to be here in an hour. What’s so important that you had to wake us all at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning?”
Susan, Elizabeth and their husbands shared their annoyance at the early beckon to rush right over.
The door opened once more, and Millie strolled inside with a smile on her face. “Morning, everyone. How about some warm muffins fresh out of the oven?”
The room hushed to an eerie silence.
All eyes were on Adam. He raised his hands in front of him. “Don’t look at me. This isn’t my doing.”
Lisa stood and turned around, diverting the attention away from him. “Hi, everyone.” Her bright clear blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Lisa’s sisters screamed as they made their way over to greet their youngest sister. Emily hugged Lisa and held her at arm’s length. “I didn’t even recognize you. You’re so thin....”
Katarina nudged Emily aside and took her turn for a hug. “You look wonderful, Lisa. What are you doing here? Why didn’t you call?”
Alex glanced at Adam with a puzzled look, and Kevin, still holding his curly-haired toddler, gave Adam the thumbs-up, then took his daughter over to meet her long-lost aunt. The toddler immediately grabbed a handful of Lisa’s silky blond hair.
Adam caught Susan shrugging her shoulders as Elizabeth asked why they’d been called over for a Berthoff family reunion.
“Lisa, why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” Emily’s smile and question were genuine.
“I didn’t know. It was a last-minute assignment. I just arrived last night.” Lisa smiled at the child, seemingly wary of frightening the child. “I meant to call. I just ran out of time.” Her voice was soft, and she covered her eyes, playing peekaboo with Alissa. The toddler giggled, then hid her face in the crook of Emily’s neck.
He had no more doubts that Lisa was right. This time his paranoia was getting the best of him. Too much time spent trying to avoid Cupid’s arrow, he guessed. The fact that the festival coordinator had managed to dub Adam and herself as host and hostess for the masquerade probably didn’t help right now.
With their niece in her arms, Lisa made her way through the crowd to him. “Now are you convinced?”
“Point made,” he grumbled, giving Alissa a raspberry on her baby-soft neck. The toddler instantly dove into his waiting hands. “It still doesn’t mean I want to be a part of your magazine.”
Elizabeth’s eyes lit up. “The magazine? You mean, we—we’re going to be featured? Really?”
Lisa’s eyes brimmed with mischief. “Not if your brother doesn’t stop being so obstinate.”
Adam felt his face turning red. “I never dreamed you were serious, Liz. You might have warned me. Who would have thought an unfinished lodge would stand a chance? Especially as a romantic bed-and-breakfast.”
Elizabeth winced at her brother’s raised voice. “You’ve opened Grandma and Grandpa’s house to others as if it were a bed-and-breakfast since the day you moved in, Adam. If adding a touch of romance can help us keep the ranch in the family, isn’t it worth considering?”
“Not only does my brochure not mention bed-and-breakfast or romance, but we’re not even open yet. Didn’t you have to send testimonials or something?”
While the others laughed, Elizabeth immediately defended herself. “I sent your brochure as is without one change. Remember, romance is a matter of personal opinion. As for customer recommendation, you shouldn’t be surprised that your friends gave you wonderful reviews. Admit it, Adam, this was a great idea.”
He had t
o remember, though he held the majority of the interest in Whispering Pines, he wouldn’t be standing in this spacious guest house without the help of his family. Kevin and Alex had donated their time and talent on the lodge construction, Elizabeth and her husband, Kirk, had offered not only financial backing, but business insight, as well. Susan and Mike had donated manual labor to the project each weekend. And without his mother’s encouragement, Adam never would have had the courage to tackle the project at all.
“Why don’t we have some muffins and juice?” Millie suggested. “I see Adam has coffee made.”
The conversation eventually drifted away from the article, but not before Liz made arrangements to come back later in the day to visit with Lisa and show her around the ranch. After serving refreshments, Adam’s mom and sisters left, leaving only Lisa’s family.
While the women visited, Adam, Alex and Kevin discussed unfinished details on the lodge. When they returned, Emily and Katarina had already bundled the little ones in their coats and were ready to leave. “We’ll see you both tomorrow, right?”
Adam looked directly at Lisa, waiting for her response.
Before Lisa could reply, Katarina waddled over to give Adam a hug. “It’s settled, then. Sunday dinner will be at our house this week. Emily’s on call. We’ll see you at church, then eat dinner afterward.”
Lisa took her coat from the hook and followed them out the door. He watched her hug everyone goodbye, then walk around the side of the lodge with Toby.
Standing alone in the foyer, Adam wondered what twist of fate had gotten him into this mess.
CHAPTER FIVE
WHEN LISA RETURNED to the lodge after saying goodbye to her sisters and playing with Toby, the huge log house was empty. Adam had cleaned up and disappeared.
Without Adam to distract her, she had the chance to study the lodge and understand Adam’s claim that there was a lot to be done before the grand opening. There was a lot of potential. Had Adam hired a decorator to add those final touches, or did he have a girlfriend who was going to help?
The mantel clock chimed. Elizabeth wouldn’t be back for another hour.
She wondered if Adam had taken pictures of the entire process from beginning to finish, and retrieved her camera. She started upstairs in the guest suites. As Adam had claimed, none of the other rooms were ready for guests.
Antique furniture stood against bare walls, gathered by color and style. Furnishings for the two-bedroom suites were all rustic mission-style, like in her own suite. One furniture set included a matching marble-top dresser and washstand, yet another was a massive darker collection with a bed so high off the ground, she would need a step stool to climb in. On the far side such a stool stood next to the bed frame. All looked as if they had been refinished recently and were beautifully matched.
Pillow-top mattresses and goose-down pillows still wore their plastic coverings and Do Not Remove Under Penalty Of The Law tags. On each antique table or desk was a clock radio still in the box. On one library table stood a dozen lamps, some old, some new, some matching and many unique designs.
Windows were stark frames to the beautiful backdrop of Colorado scenery. Ceiling fans waited anxiously for the summer heat.
Each bathroom was different. Some had oversize walk-in showers, while others replica clawfoot tubs, and pedestal sinks. The largest suite had a double-size jetted tub.
She snapped photos, hoping Adam wouldn’t mind. They weren’t for professional purposes, but for him, just for fun. This had to have been a huge undertaking to oversee the design, plans, purchases and building. She could see now why the cowboy was stressed.
Lisa continued taking pictures in the great room and kitchen, again, enthralled with the impressive collection of antiques—Hoosier cupboards, iceboxes of varied sizes and one intriguing massive oak chest with a dozen shallow drawers and at least another half-dozen cupboards, not counting the hidden compartments on each side of the unit.
By the time Liz returned from her mother’s house, Lisa was armed with questions. She heard the back door open and close.
“Lisa?”
“In here.” Lisa paused, studying the collection of books in the Ballister bookshelf. “Quite a collection.”
Adam’s sister smiled. “We all made contributions, along with donations from friends who’d received a few rather interesting titles from club memberships.”
“Ah, that explains it.” She laughed. “It looks like you should have something to please everyone.”
“That’s Adam’s goal.” Elizabeth curled up on the leather sofa and invited Lisa to do the same. “You may have noticed, he’s a little tense right now. He’s not normally so crabby.”
“I’m sorry to have come at a bad time. Who did my editor call to make the arrangements? It really isn’t like Francie to push for an interview. It’s not like this is breaking news. Whispering Pines will still be here in a month or two.”
Elizabeth’s smile softened. “Mom took the call. She hoped it would give Adam a push to accept some help with the final details, like purchasing the linens, the bedding, the window coverings. He fired the decorator and doesn’t want to accept help from Mom, Susan or I.”
Lisa couldn’t hide her surprise. “And when is the opening?”
“In three weeks.”
Doing a quick calculation in her mind, Lisa made a guess. “Valentine’s Day?”
Nodding her head, “Yep” popped out of Liz’s mouth. “Baby brothers can be so stubborn.”
“You mean this isn’t a temporary trait?”
“Afraid not. Don’t get me wrong. He’s poured his heart and soul into the tiniest of details. Yet ask him about practical things like bedding and towels, and he’s clueless, and we won’t even mention decorations. He’s going to drive the rest of us crazy before this is over.”
Lisa couldn’t hold back the laughter, and before they knew it, both were commiserating over siblings. Their enjoyable conversation was interrupted by the master of the mansion.
Adam looked at the two of them disapprovingly, and the laughter stopped. “Liz, you and Kirk going to stay for lunch? I’m putting potatoes in the oven.”
“You mean you haven’t even fed Lisa lunch?” Liz pushed herself up from the sofa and began to rail at her brother. “It’s nearly two o’clock!”
Adam looked at Lisa and their eyes met. “She knows where the food is if she gets hungry.”
“Adam MacIntyre!”
Lisa came to his defense. “He did tell me to help myself. I just lost track of time as I was exploring.”
“See. She’s not helpless,” Adam added with a reluctant smile. “Either of you need anything before I get back to work? Food, drink, questions answered?”
“Oh, man. First you don’t want a thing to do with this. Now—” she looked at Lisa “—you’re dying to know just what secrets I’m telling. Tough, little brother. I’m handling this interview.” She shooed him away as if he were a pesky ten-year-old. “You and Kirk go ahead with your chores. Remind my husband that we have dinner plans, but thanks for asking, Adam.”
Lisa bit back a smile. Adam looked as if he’d just been sent to bed without supper. She listened to Liz talk, envisioning Adam happy and full of mischief, before she’d arrived.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with Adam, Lisa, but trust me, he isn’t normally like this at all. I think the pressure is just starting to get to him. Why don’t I give you the grand tour?”
“It’s hard to imagine the magnitude of what he’s taking on here.” Lisa looked around, trying to imagine the room bustling with unfamiliar people.
“Adam is trying so hard to do this all on his own, but he just doesn’t realize how much more there is to be done.” After seeing the entire lodge, they returned to the great room and Lisa closed her notebook.
“I hope that helps.” Liz handed her a business card. “If you need any help—with the interview, or my brother—just call.”
Lisa nodded. “It’s a beautiful building.
Thank you for taking the time to show me around, Liz.”
“I enjoyed it...and I’m thrilled that you’re here to do this story for us. And despite Adam’s sour mood, I think he’s excited about this story, too.” With that, Adam’s sister left.
Despite Liz’s claim, it was still difficult to picture Adam enjoying playing host. Or maybe he only found it impossible to be hospitable to her.
Whatever the reason, she was determined to change his mind.
CHAPTER SIX
ADAM WENT OUT of his way to avoid Lisa for the better part of the day. Allowing his sister to show Lisa around the guest house was probably the biggest mistake he could have made, and worse, they all knew it. Despite his efforts to ban Lisa from his mind, he’d been unable to keep his thoughts from drifting back to the blonde.
Glancing out the window, he spotted Lisa playing with Toby. She took him off the leash and threw a stick. Adam chuckled. Throws like a girl, all right. Poor Toby won’t get much of a workout while she’s around. Just then she took off running with the awkward puppy lumbering after her.
The steaks sizzled on the stovetop grill and bread warmed in the oven. He chopped a tomato and green pepper, tossed them into the lettuce, then topped it off with a handful of croutons.
The wind whistled as Lisa and Toby tromped inside. “Brrr. Looks like we’re in for a storm.” Her cheeks were pink. She tugged the fleece headband off and tucked it into her coat pocket. Spellbound, Adam watched her remove the hair elastic, comb her hair with her fingers, then magically twist the silken strands into one of those sloppy updos that were so popular.
Adam forced his attention back to dinner. “They’re only predicting a couple of inches.”
She smiled. “Just enough.”
He waited for her to finish the sentence. “Just enough for what?”
She looked at him and shrugged. “To look pretty. Not enough to cause problems for the livestock or driving.... You know, just right.”
He nodded, trying not to show his surprise at her thinking of the livestock. “Okay. Just enough.” Don’t get tangled up, ole boy. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. How do you like your steak?”
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