She's Just Right (A Fairy Tale Romance)

by Diane Darcy

  The only problem was, the woman had looked more amazed than afraid.

  Chapter Three

  Honey went back inside to gather her things. This just kept getting weirder and weirder. She was in danger? From who? The wild man who’d shown up in the bedroom door the night before? She idly wondered if she’d dreamed the whole thing.

  Only she knew she hadn’t because it had taken forever to get back to sleep. She’d heard Mr. Baron running the shower and walking around in the hall and shutting another bedroom door. She’d listened in vain for the feminine tones of his wife, then finally fallen asleep.

  A chiming song startled her. Realizing it was the doorbell, Honey slid her bag and purse over her shoulder, and hurried to answer it.

  Two women stood on the other side, one in her fifties or so, clad in jeans and a tee-shirt, the other thirtyish, dressed in a tan slacks suit. Both women had blonde hair, identical brown eyes, and similar features. It only took a second to recognize them from the photos on the mantle.

  “Oh. Hello,” said Honey. She smiled warmly, relieved to finally be meeting the family, and at the same time wondering why they’d rung the bell instead of simply coming inside.

  The older woman beamed and laugh lines appeared around her eyes and mouth, giving her a friendly appearance. She lifted a hand and Honey extended her own.

  “Hello. I’m Laura Baron, and this is my daughter, Elizabeth Holmes. It’s so nice to meet you.”

  Honey shook hands with Elizabeth, but Elizabeth made no comment at all, and Honey moved back from the doorway. “I’m Honey Stevens. It’s wonderful to finally meet you both.”

  The women moved inside. “May I call you Honey?” asked Laura.

  Honey set her things by the door. “Please do.”

  “And you must call me Laura. Do you have time for a chat?”

  Honey glanced at her watch. “Twenty minutes or so. Then I have to get back to the brokerage class I’m taking.”

  “That will be just fine,” said Laura.

  She sat on the couch, and the still silent Elizabeth took a chair to the left. Honey sat in the softer one opposite. Laura crossed her legs and clasped both hands over a knee. “So tell us about yourself.”

  Suddenly it felt like a job interview. Which she guessed it was. People liked to know who they did business with, and this family more than most, if the invitation to stay was an indication.

  “Oh. Well.” Honey pushed hair back over her shoulder. “I live in Napa and I work for Alexander Reality.”

  “Yes, my husband has spoken to Mr. Alexander several times. Have you lived in Napa your entire life?”

  “No, I moved there for my job, and because I like the area. My family’s originally from San Diego, then we moved to L.A. for Dad’s work. Mom, Dad and my brother are still there. I just kept moving up the coast.”

  Laura smiled encouragingly. “Are you a close family?”

  “Yes. Very.”

  Laura’s smile warmed even more. “That’s very nice. It says a lot about a family and about how the children were raised. Are you married?”

  “No. Engaged.”

  “Oh.” Laura looked surprised or disappointed. Honey couldn’t tell which.

  Elizabeth snorted and Laura shot her a stern look.

  Looking from one woman to the other, Honey wondered what she was missing.

  “Please, tell us about your fiancé,” said Laura. “Is he handsome? What does he do for a living?”

  “Yes, Christian is good-looking. He’s a pharmacist.”

  “Dark or blond?”

  “Blond,” said Honey.

  Laura’s brows rose. “Really? That surprises me. Usually it’s opposites that tend to attract, don’t they?”

  Elizabeth snorted again and shook her head. Honey glanced at her, but Laura completely ignored the outburst. “Sometimes,” agreed Honey.

  “And when is the wedding?”

  “We haven’t set a date yet.”

  “Oh,” Laura’s brows rose. “Are you recently engaged?”

  “Just over six months.”

  The brows rose higher. “And no date has been set?”

  “Not yet.”

  Laura glanced at Honey’s hands. “I notice you’re not wearing a ring.”

  This interview was getting decidedly strange and overly personal. Honey looked down, wondered what to say and decided on the truth. “Christian and I had a...disagreement before I came here. He didn’t want me to take the class in Redding. I left the ring home.”

  “Ah. He doesn’t want you to further your education?” her tone oozed sympathy. “Some men are like that. You have to be careful.”

  Elizabeth laughed out loud and shook her head again.

  Honey stared at her for a moment, feeling completely in the dark, and wondering if the other woman were having some sort of break down. “It’s not that. We just had a little misunderstanding.”

  “Hmm. Well, I, for one, think it’s commendable that you’re advancing your career,” said Laura.

  “Thank you.” Honey glanced at Elizabeth again. The woman was pretty, elegant, and remote. She continued to stare out the window and Honey wondered if she’d done something to offend her.

  Laura sighed. “The early days of an engagement are really about deciding if you’re really interested in tying yourself to that one person for the rest of your life, don’t you think?”

  Honey pulled her attention back to the older woman. “Uh. I guess so.” Honey clenched and unclenched her fingers. “Um, I’m still a little confused about why we haven’t met before now. You must be very early risers.”

  Laura laughed. “Oh dear, I didn’t say, did I? Actually, there’s been a misunderstanding here as well. You’ve been at the wrong house. We live down the road a few miles. This is my son Trevor’s home.”

  Honey froze as she tried to take that in. Her mouth parted as she felt her face suffuse with heat. “What?” She whispered the word, then gasped for air. “The wrong house?” She cleared her suddenly tight throat. “But...but...I...the sign said Baron. And there is a wooden bear by the mail box.”

  Laura waved a hand. “Yes, Trevor carved us one, too. His sisters have them, as well. It’s a mistake anyone could make. It’s not your fault at all, dear.” She reached forward to pat Honey’s hand. “Don’t give it another second’s thought.”

  Laura glanced at her daughter, then back to Honey again. “Anyway, it’s worked out for the best because we have some unexpected company descending on us so it’s better if you stay here now. Elizabeth’s coming to stay with you and Trevor, too.”

  Elizabeth looked at her mother. “Unexpected company, huh?”

  Laura gave Elizabeth a stern look. “Yes, dear, we do.”

  Honey, still in the grip of horror, realized why Elizabeth seemed so antagonistic. Honey was at the wrong house? Mooching off Elizabeth’s brother? Eating the guy’s food? She inwardly cringed as she remembered the wonderful turkey dinner from the night before.

  She glanced at the chair still pushed into the corner--the one she’d broken--and the inward cringing only got worse. What must the poor guy have thought? And then to find a stranger in his guestroom? She put hands to her hot face.

  She was so embarrassed. She had to get out of there! If she ever saw the guy again in the rest of her life, or even in the afterlife, it would be way, way, way, too soon!

  Honey looked at the two ladies. They seemed very sympathetic to her embarrassment, which was, of course, even more embarrassing.

  Laura stood. “Well, you did say you’re on a tight schedule, so I’ll get out of your hair now. But I’d like you to come to dinner tonight if you can?”

  Honey realized she could possibly close the deal over dinner and get out of the Barons’ lives forever. She tried for a smile. “I’d love that. Thank you.”

  “All right then, is six o’clock all right? Trevor and Elizabeth can bring you.”

  Trevor? Honey tried to keep her smile in place. “Perfect.”
>
  At the door, Laura waved. “See you then.”

  Honey was left looking at Elizabeth.

  “Do you have to leave right now, or do you have time to help me bring in a few things?” asked Elizabeth politely.

  Honey glanced at her watch. She’d be cutting it close, but could spare another ten minutes. “I’d be glad to help.”

  Honey followed Elizabeth out, and Laura drove off with another wave. Elizabeth had her own car, and from it she took out a large case, then handed off a smaller one and a pillow. Her brows rose. “Is that okay?”

  “Fine,” said Honey.

  Honey followed Elizabeth inside, they went up the stairs, and Elizabeth pointed to the first doorway. “Are you in the guestroom?”

  Honey stared into the room, then at Elizabeth. “Not that one.” She pointed down the hall. “That one down there.”

  Elizabeth’s brown eyes widened, her mouth fell open, then a big smile erupted and finally she hooted out loud. “Are you kidding? That’s Trevor’s bedroom!”

  “What?” Honey shook her head. “No, it can’t be. I saw clothing and shoes in the closet,” she said, pointing to the guest room. “That’s why I moved.”

  Elizabeth shook her own head. “I can assure you that Trevor’s room is down the hall. He stores his hunting clothes, winter coats and boots in the first room. What did he say?”Fiery heat rushed into Honey’s face, tears filled her eyes, and she set Elizabeth’s case down. “He didn’t say anything. Can this get any worse?”

  Elizabeth’s eyes softened and she patted Honey on the back. After a moment Elizabeth chuckled. “It’s kind of funny if you think about it. If it’s all right with you, I’ll take the game room. I like sleeping on the LoveSac. You can move your stuff in here.” She indicated the real guest room.

  Honey didn’t want a room at all. She just wanted out of there! She brushed at a tear that spilled onto her cheek. “You do know I’m here to talk business with your family, right?” Honey’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “There’s some land my boss wants to purchase. Maybe you could facilitate the sale for me, and I could just go to a hotel?”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m not as involved in the business, anymore,” her tone was sympathetic. “Dad owns a lot of property, commercial and otherwise, and Trevor owns some rentals and land. You’ll have to talk to one of them.”

  Honey bit her lip, nodded, and went to collect her possessions. She took a disheartening peek into Trevor’s closet, which was, of course, filled with clothes.

  She tried to hold back more tears. Why hadn’t she checked before? She quickly gathered her things, and thought about taking them straight to her car. But since she’d been invited to dinner, and wanted the chance to close the deal, she just moved to the guest room.

  Thankfully, she had to go to class now.

  She found Elizabeth stretched out on the cushion. “I’ve got to leave. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  “Okay,” said Elizabeth. “And, Honey? Don’t worry about the mix up. It really isn’t a big deal to any of us, and so you shouldn’t care so much either, okay?”

  Honey nodded. “Thanks.”

  All she knew for sure was she needed to wrap the land deal up as quickly as possible, preferably right after dinner, so she could go to a hotel and never see these people again. Especially Trevor Baron.

  ***

  At the fish hatchery, Trevor knelt on the edge of one of the concrete, fish-filled raceways. He captured several more trout with a net then moved his catch to a water-filled trough, and dumped them in.

  The sun beat against his neck in the gap between his hair and the yellow slicker he wore, and he wished he’d remembered to use sunscreen that morning. He’d been more than a little distracted.

  Putting the net aside, he picked up a squirming fish with a gloved hand.

  Paul Davidson laughed as he observed the thrashing trout. “Hold onto it.”

  “I’m trying to,” Trevor snapped.

  “Jeeze. That’s the third time you’ve barked at me today.” Paul put a hand to his heart. “Does this mean we’re on the verge of a break up? Do we need couples therapy?”

  Trevor couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his mouth. At five-eleven, with light brown hair and a slight build, Paul was pretty much Trevor’s physical and personality opposite. Maybe that’s why they’d been best friends since elementary school. That, and the fact they’d both gravitated to the same career and loved it.

  Trevor’s smile faded. As much as he loved his job, he couldn’t stop thinking about Honey Stevens, which made him cranky all over again.

  He didn’t like his world disrupted. He liked things quiet, calm, and ordinary. But that didn’t mean he had to take it out on his friend, either. He blew out a breath. “Sorry about that.”

  Trevor held a trout to the ruler fastened on the front of the trough, then set the wiggling fish on the scale.

  “That’s okay,” said Paul. “But don’t get mushy on me. Tell you what. I have a joke. And it’s a good one, too. You want to hear it?”

  “No. This one is ten inches and point five pounds.”

  “Got it.” Paul recorded the information. “Okay. There’s this guy. He gets stopped by a game warden and he’s got an ice chest full of fish. You know the kind with wheels that you pull? Anyway, the game warden asks the guy, ‘So you got a license for those fish?’ The guy says, ‘No sir, I don’t need a license. These are my pet fish.’”

  Trevor measured and weighed another trout and Paul looked over his shoulder and recorded the info. Trevor let the fish go, then snagged another, but it was only inches long. He turned around and released it back into the raceway without measuring, then picked another.

  “Anyway,” said Paul. “The warden doesn’t believe the guy and wants to give him a ticket. So the guy says, ‘Really! I’m serious. Every night I take these fish down to the lake and let them swim. Then I whistle and they jump back into the ice chest and I take them home.’ So now the warden really doesn’t believe him, so the guy’s like, ‘I’ll prove it to you.’ So they go down to the lake and the guy pours the fish into the lake. After a few minutes the warden says, ‘Well?’ And the other guy’s like ‘Well, what?’ And the warden’s says, when are you going to call them back?’ And the guy says, ‘Call who back?’ And the warden’s like ‘The fish!’ and the guy says ‘What fish?’”

  Paul laughed and looked at Trevor. “Well? Didn’t you think that was funny?”

  “It was the first time you told it. About ten years ago.”

  “Ouch,” said Paul as he recorded more information. “Tough audience today.”

  Trevor captured another fish, but it splashed back into the trough. “Dammit!”

  “You’re losing your touch. Or terrifying them with your bad mood.”

  Spotting Glen Judkins coming out of the hatchery’s main building, Trevor straightened, pulled off his soggy, gray gloves, and hung them on the side of the trough. “I’m taking a break.”

  “Okay, but come back happy, dear.”

  Trevor walked over to talk to the old-timer who’d worked at the hatchery forever. “Hey, Glenn. Have you started to get any volunteers to help with the fall spawning season yet?” They walked together back toward Paul, and Trevor matched the older man’s slower pace.

  Glen shrugged, his bald head gleaming in the sunlight. “A few.” He stopped at one of the holding tanks to peer inside. “We’ve been calling people who did it last year. And we’ve been sending notes home with the kids who come out for field trips. Plus, we keep sign-up sheets for visitors. The ususal. We’ve got all summer to worry about it.” He dipped a plastic container into the holding tank and pulled it out full of water.

  “Great. Let me know if you need any help with that. How are the yearlings doing?”

  Again the shrug as he capped the container. “Pretty good. We fertilized more eggs than ever before. We’ll be releasing almost a million steelheads in the fall.”

 
Trevor nodded. “How’re the new generators working out?”

  “I’m glad to say we haven’t had to use them, but all the same, I sleep better at night knowing they’re in place. So far no problems with the water treatment plant, so no signs of any viruses.”

  Trevor’s phone rang and he checked caller I.D., saw it was his mother, considered not answering, but remembered he had to talk her into removing Honey Stevens. “Excuse me, Glenn.”

  He walked a few more feet toward Paul so neither man could overhear. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi, Sweetie. I’ve just left your house. Honey is a doll. Both she and Elizabeth are staying at your place. Won’t that be fun?”

  Fun? Was she kidding? “Mom. I told you to get that girl out of my house.” He took a breath and trotted out the reasonable alternative he’d come up with. “Why don’t you take her and Elizabeth and send the aunts over instead?”

  Trevor turned to see that Paul had stopped what he was doing to listen, brows raised.

  “Are you kidding?” said his mom. “You three are all about the same age and will have tons of fun together. I can just see you trying to play host to my sisters.” She laughed merrily. “That would be hilarious. And Honey’s such a nice girl.”

  Paul continued to stare, interested.

  Trevor pulled the phone away to glare. “Are you getting any measurements?”

  “They keep getting away. Anyway, your conversation is more interesting.”

  Disgusted, Trevor walked a few feet away and lifted the phone to his ear once more to hear his mother’s continued happy chatter.

  “...so anyway, I think it’s great, don’t you?”

  Trevor knew he could argue all day and she wouldn’t change her mind. His fist tightened for a moment, but he finally threw up a hand and gave in. “Fine. She can stay.”

  “Great! I knew you’d feel that way!”

  Trevor shut his eyes briefly. What he felt was exasperation, and the need to run away from home. He wished he had more building repairs to keep him busy. His own properties were running smoothly, but maybe he’d call his dad and see if he had any work available.

  Regardless, Trevor had no intention of going home until late, if at all. He’d go do a stakeout. Try and catch some spotlighters. Maybe even bunk at the office. Or in his truck. The girls could have the house. The bottom line was avoiding the girl with the curls.