by Cindy Kirk
“Let’s clear something up right now.” Eliza pointed the bottle at him. “Your sister, your responsibility.”
The laughter on his face stilled for a second. Then he grinned. “You’re not as hard-hearted as you’d like everyone to believe.”
“I am, too,” she shot back, finding herself enjoying the banter.
“Every time I see you two, you’re arguing.” Fin flashed a megawatt smile. “You must really like each other.”
“Oh, yeah,” Eliza drawled. “Kyle and I are besties.”
“We’re sharing a bottle of Corona.” To her horror, Kyle slung his arm around her shoulders. “If that doesn’t say love, I don’t know what does.”
Eliza would have shoved Kyle’s arm aside, but when Jeremy’s gaze settled on her, the speculative gleam in his eyes was better than pity. Which meant Eliza had to resist the urge to jab her elbow in Kyle’s ribs. “What—”
“Shhh.” Fin waved her silent. “Something is happening.”
Something was indeed happening, Eliza thought, as the murmur of the crowd swelled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Owen head for the door. She had only a second to wonder why he was leaving so soon after he arrived when she spotted what had everyone buzzing.
Dan was on one knee in front of Lindsay, a small black velvet box in one hand. She was too far away for Eliza to hear what he was saying, but the intent was unmistakable.
When he flipped open the box with his thumb, the overhead lighting caught the diamond and sent a rainbow of colors flashing.
Lindsay looked like a deer caught in the glow of a car’s headlights. A hush now settled over the room, everyone caught up in a kind of watchful waiting.
After several torturous seconds, Lindsay smiled and nodded. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the room.
It took Eliza several minutes to make her way to her friend. She pulled Lindsay in for a heartfelt hug. “Congratulations.”
“For a second there, I wasn’t sure she was going to say yes.” The minister’s voice shook with excitement, or maybe nerves.
Unlike Fin Bloom, who had stars in her eyes whenever she looked at Jeremy Rakes, Eliza had never seen the slightest sparkle when Lindsay’s gaze landed on Dan.
Still, Eliza reminded herself, Lindsay had accepted his proposal.
Eliza faced her friend’s new fiancé. “Best wishes to both of you.”
“Thanks. Coming from you, that means a lot.”
“I can’t wait to start planning the wedding.” Anita shoved her way to her daughter, then slanted a glance in Fin and Jeremy’s direction. She patted Lindsay’s arm. “Leave all the planning to me. I promise yours will be the wedding of the year.”
Eliza met Lindsay’s startled gaze. They both knew Anita could easily end up driving the wedding train.
“Don’t worry,” she mouthed and saw the tension ease from Lindsay’s face.
“I’m going to head home.” Eliza spoke to no one in particular, wanting her friend to understand she understood that their earlier plans for the evening had been derailed by the proposal.
“Did you drive over?” Kyle’s voice sounded behind her.
Had he been standing there the entire time? She doubted it. She usually sensed his lurking presence. “That’s your business…why?”
“It’s dark outside.”
Lindsay stepped forward. “Dan and I will take you home.”
“I walked,” Eliza told Kyle, ignoring Lindsay’s offer.
“What a coincidence. So did I.” There was that flash of smile again. “We can walk home together.”
The fear that Lindsay would insist on them driving her home had Eliza nodding. She waited until she and Kyle were out the door before jerking her arm free of his light grasp.
He lifted a brow when she whirled to face him.
“Look. You don’t have to leave the party.” Eliza found herself touched—or rather, disturbed—by his kindness and consideration. “I just live up the street.
“I know where you live.” Kyle grinned. “I live there, too.”
She almost smiled. Instead, she rolled her eyes. “You just had to rub that in.”
“You have to admit, you gave me the perfect opening.”
Her chuckle was genuine and took them both by surprise.
“Did you know that was coming?” he asked after they descended the steps and started down the sidewalk.
She cocked her head.
“The proposal.”
“I assumed their relationship was headed in that direction, but I never thought he’d choose tonight to propose.”
“Is that a note of disapproval I hear in your voice, Ms. Shaw?”
“Dan put Lindsay on the spot.” Eliza’s voice hardened. “He made her the center of attention.”
“Isn’t that the way it’s done now?” His tone remained light and conversational. “I’m always seeing guys proposing at sporting events.”
“Some women go for all the hoopla.” Though Eliza knew it didn’t always hold true, it seemed many men and women cared more about the splash than the actual promise of forever. It was nice to be able to discuss her concerns with someone she could trust to keep his mouth shut. “Lindsay is a very private person. Which is why I’m surprised Dan went for the show.”
“It almost backfired on him.” Kyle shook his head. “I thought she was going to turn him down.”
So he’d also noticed Lindsay’s hesitation.
“I guess she was stunned at having him propose in front of everyone.”
“Something tells me you wouldn’t appreciate that type of proposal, either.”
“Ah, no.” Eliza continued to walk, nodding to several people heading to the waterfront.
The entire evening left Eliza uneasy. She’d never had a sister, but if she had, she would have hoped for someone like Lindsay. She wanted her friend to be happy. Oh, she believed her friend genuinely liked Dan and enjoyed his company. But love?
Eliza wished she’d seen a little more excitement when Dan popped the question. She worried Lindsay had decided to settle. Her friend had made it clear she wanted a husband and children. Dan was a good guy. And Anita approved of him. But Eliza wasn’t convinced he was The One for Lindsay.
She and Kyle walked the last block in silence. Eliza felt everything inside her relax when she stepped inside her home, her refuge.
“I’m going upstairs,” she heard herself say, even though she didn’t owe Kyle an explanation.
“I only had one slice of pizza.”
The odd remark had Eliza whirling, one hand on the banister. “What?”
“I only managed to snag one slice. What about you?”
Eliza inclined her head. He wanted to talk pizza? “I didn’t get any.”
“There’s plenty of groceries in the cupboard.” That easy smile was back on his lips. “How ’bout I rustle us up some dinner? You can catch me up on what’s going on in your life.”
He was up to something. But darn if she could figure out the angle. Her stomach chose that moment to emit a little growl.
He grinned. “A growling stomach doesn’t lie.”
Starved was more like it, Eliza thought, though her mother had instilled in her and Ethan that starved and stuffed were not proper words to use.
As the silence lengthened, Kyle’s expression turned cocky. “Afraid?”
“If you make it, I’ll eat it.” She turned on her heel and continued up the stairs. Then she paused and called over her shoulder, “Just so you know…I’m starved.”
Chapter 5
Kyle wasn’t certain if it was the taunt or Eliza’s hunger that garnered her agreement. He didn’t care. He was looking forward to sitting across the table from another adult, rather than eating out of a bag on his bed in a small motel room.
“Hey, Shaw,” he called out. “Food is ready.”
“Did I hear my name?” Eliza strolled into the room.
She still wore the same tight dark pants and black sweater with straps
that crisscrossed at the neckline. The heels were gone, replaced by red ballet slippers. Her hair, previously pulled back from her face with stylish clips, now hung loose to her shoulders.
Kyle lifted a large wooden spoon in greeting before using it to stir the contents of a pot on the stove.
Eliza gazed curiously at the stove. “What are you making?”
“Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato basil soup.” While she watched, Kyle set the spoon down, picked up a spatula and expertly flipped the sandwiches.
“I like grilled cheese.” She moved to the stove, clearly curious. “What pushes these into the gourmet category?”
“For starters, Gouda and provolone, instead of American cheese. The artichoke hearts, for another.”
“I like artichoke hearts,” she admitted reluctantly.
Kyle hid a smile. While he’d purchased the cheeses at the market yesterday, the artichokes were from her stash of groceries.
“Is the soup from a can?”
“It’s Wolfgang Puck’s.” He shrugged. “Making it from scratch would have taken too long. Trust me, this is as good as homemade.”
“My father or brother wouldn’t be caught dead in a kitchen.”
“I don’t mind it if I have the time. My mother was determined I know more than how to nuke a freezer dinner.” He slid one of the sandwiches, grilled golden brown, onto a plate and handed it to her.
Kyle was pleased when she held out a plate for his sandwich. Teamwork. Perhaps there was hope for a peaceful coexistence, after all.
“How about you?” He reached for the ladle.
Eliza, busy setting the plates on the table, looked up. “What about me?”
He inclined his head. “Do you do much cooking?”
“More than you probably think.” She took the soup bowl from his hand and carried it to the table.
Seconds later, he joined her.
“Some people think it’s not worth it to cook for one.” She dipped her spoon into the soup and tasted. “You’re right. This is good.”
He gestured with his own spoon for her to continue. “You like to cook?”
“I prefer eating at home.” Instead of lifting the sandwich to her mouth, she forked off a bite, and the cheese oozed out. “If it costs me a little more time to eat what I want at home, I’m okay with that.”
She closed her eyes and moaned while she chewed and swallowed. “This is positively orgasmic.”
Kyle felt his body harden and was grateful he was sitting down. The look of absolute pleasure on her face had him wondering about things he had no business wondering about.
If he and Eliza were going to survive the upcoming weeks together, it was important not to muck it up with sex. “Tell me about the projects you’re working on.”
Smoky gray eyes opened, then narrowed.
He chuckled. “No ulterior motive, just a feeble attempt to get better acquainted.”
Lifting his grilled cheese, no knife and fork for him, Kyle took another bite.
As they ate, he encouraged Eliza to talk about herself. Each time she attempted to redirect the conversation to him, he asked her another question.
She told him all about the Cherries and the plans already in place for the May Day and Independence Day festivities. By the time she finished telling him about the vintage baseball games played over the Fourth, the food was history.
Kyle caught her eyeing the doorway. He was enjoying the conversation too much to let her skip out on him. “Any other projects in the works?”
Something sparked in her dove gray eyes. “I’m spearheading the upcoming Ready, Set, Wed event. This is something new. We’re hoping it will bring a lot of publicity to the peninsula and Good Hope.”
“Ready, Set, Wed.” Kyle sat back. “Sounds like a bride thing.”
“It is.” She gave a little laugh, and her cheeks flushed with becoming color. “The project has so much potential. I could talk about it all night, but I’ll spare you the agony.”
“Actually, I’d love to hear more.” He rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Make sure you don’t leave out any details.”
Eliza couldn’t recall the last time a man had looked at her so intently. While she and Jeremy had often discussed business, they’d both been so familiar with the projects that conversations were usually brief and to the point.
“You asked for it.” While Kyle was undoubtedly only being polite, Eliza hoped verbalizing the plans would bring out any flaws that needed fine-tuning. Shoving her chair back, Eliza stood. “Being bored silly will go down easier with a glass of wine.”
She showed him the wine refrigerator, and they agreed on a Shiraz. He expertly uncorked the bottle, then followed her into the parlor. The fact that this evening had been so pleasurable concerned her.
Eliza didn’t want to get used to having someone around. She’d been on her own since college and liked her solitude.
In the parlor, she took a seat in the chair she considered hers while he dropped onto the sofa. Now that each of them held a glass of wine, she didn’t delay. “You were right when you said Ready, Set, Wed sounds like a bridal thing. More specifically, it’s a wedding competition between Good Hope, Egg Harbor and Sturgeon Bay.”
“Is it going on now?” Kyle sipped his wine, his eyes focused firmly on her.
“The competition kicks off at the beginning of April.”
His lips twisted in a sardonic smile. “You’re starting a competition on April Fool’s Day?”
That point had been brought up before. “We’re starting at the beginning of April,” she repeated.
“What’s the difference?”
“Semantics.
The comment made him grin.
“There are four categories—dress, cake, hair/makeup and reception venue.”
His gaze remained puzzled. “And the purpose of the competition is to see which town can plan the best wedding?”
Eliza realized she needed to come up with talking points. Part of getting the community excited about the competition would be in clearly articulating the process.
“Let me lay it out for you.” She leaned forward, forgetting her resolve to keep her distance. “Vendors in each category are chosen in their respective communities to participate. They each work with the bride and groom in coming up with a wedding plan. This plan is part of a showcase in each community.”
“Showcase?”
“It’s like a mini-wedding. The groom and bride, along with a single attendant, are dressed for the wedding. A reception is set up at the chosen venue with the cake on display. After attending the three showcases, a producer will choose which town wins. That bride and groom will get an all-expense-paid wedding that will be televised.”
Eliza was out of breath by the time she finished. She took a long drink of wine and sat back.
Kyle rubbed his chin. “Televised?”
“We already have buy-in from the Wedding Channel.” Eliza toyed with the glass in her hand, twisting the stem back and forth between her fingers. “The goal is to boost Door County as a wedding destination nationally. My goal is to boost Good Hope.”
“Who’s the Good Hope bride and groom?”
Eliza fought back a surge of annoyance. “The couple we had in mind eloped last week.”
“Shouldn’t be difficult to find a replacement.”
“I’ve interviewed several possible replacements but haven’t found a good fit. It can’t be just any couple.” Eliza considered being politically correct but laid it on the line instead. “They have to be attractive, appeal in some way to television viewers and be articulate spokespersons for Good Hope.”
“Plus, be willing to plan their wedding—and eventually be married—in a goldfish bowl.”
Eliza nodded. “Exactly.”
“It’s too bad your friend isn’t getting married sooner.”
“What friend?”
“Lindsay.” Kyle placed his empty wineglass on the burl-wood coffee table.
“You’re right. Dan and Lindsay are both attractive. She’s a working woman with a job as a floral designer. That’s a nice wedding tie-in.” Eliza tapped a finger against the table and considered. “I’m not sure how much appeal a minister will have for television viewers, but Dan is young and handsome and not the preachy sort.”
She caught the flash of Kyle’s grin and pursed her lips. “All factors have to be considered.”
“They might not be interested.”
“True. But it doesn’t hurt to ask.”
Kyle cocked his head, his gaze sharp and assessing. “Will you push?”
Eliza lifted a brow. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it.”
“You appear to me to be a man who also goes after what he wants.” Eliza kept her tone light, but the warmth of only moments earlier had disappeared. “On second thought, maybe not.”
A wary look crossed Kyle’s face. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“That whole situation with Jeremy. You want him to do the DNA test, yet you wait and do nothing.”
The muscle in his jaw tensed, telling her she’d struck a nerve.
Good, she thought. She’d judge him as harshly as he judged her.
Kyle Kendrick didn’t have the slightest idea what made her tick. If he did, he’d know she’d never push Lindsay to do anything against her will.
Her father always thought he knew what she was thinking, what she wanted, what was best for her.
He’d been wrong, too.
“Jeremy is getting married in two weeks.” Kyle’s words broke through her mounting anger. “I didn’t want to pressure him.”
“It’s a swab in the cheek. It takes two seconds.” Eliza fluttered a careless hand in the air. “Frankly, I don’t care what you do. I’m bored.”
With an effortless grace honed from years of yoga, she rose and didn’t turn until she reached the doorway. “Turn out the lights when you go to bed. Oh, and thanks for the meal.”
Eliza had to admit Fin’s bridal shower was a cut above any she’d recently attended. Ami had decorated her home with the requisite balloons. However, she—or one of her sisters—had taken the extra step of covering the balloons in lavender and pink tulle to add a romantic feel.
