Her friend sighed with relief and made herself at home, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and plopping down into one of the chairs at the tiny table in the corner. She popped the top on the brownies and the tempting scent of chocolate filled the air. Lexi pulled the smell deep into her lungs and held it for several seconds, relishing the only taste she was going to get, before letting it go.
To lessen the temptation, she turned her back and began spreading the caramel in the waxed-paper-lined pan so it could cool and harden before she cut it into squares.
“Do you know who’s in town?” Hope asked again, mumbling around a mouthful.
Lexi shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.” How would she know until Hope told her? This might not be the town’s busy season, but there were always tourists. Some of them famous. Just last month a young Hollywood starlet had shown up for a wedding dress fitting with Willow.
It was all hush-hush, because she didn’t want the paparazzi to get the design early. She’d worn big glasses and floppy hats. Everyone in town had known who she was. But they’d had plenty of practice thwarting nosy journalists when her brother, Gage, a wounded POW rescued in a high-profile military operation, had come home several months ago. The starlet’s secrets were safe with Sweetheart.
As were anyone else’s, for that matter. There were definite drawbacks to living in a small town, but they knew how to circle the wagons and defend their own when necessary. The mentality was similar to siblings—your big brother could pick on you all he wanted, but the minute someone else tried, blood would be involved.
And anything that affected the town’s image, reputation or businesses affected them all.
“Erica talked to Mrs. McKinnon this morning and apparently that prick who’s been trying to get the town council to rezone the stretch of land across the lake sent someone for tonight’s meeting.”
Heat shot through Lexi. Embarrassment, that was all it was. She’d dumped chocolate mousse on his shoes. And told him his work sucked. She’d left her parents’ house with self-righteous indignation riding hard, which had lasted right up until her head hit the pillow and she tried to go to sleep.
Then guilt set in. God, she’d dumped chocolate mousse on his shoes and told him his work sucked.
Hope apparently didn’t notice her private little meltdown. She snorted. “He came back to the inn last night with his pants in a terrible state. Mrs. McKinnon made him take them off in the middle of the foyer.”
“She didn’t,” Lexi breathed.
Hope’s grin widened. “Oh, she did. And was all too quick to pass along every intimate detail she got an eyeful of.”
Lexi choked. She wheezed, unsure whether to be mortified on Brett’s behalf or amused by the comeuppance Mrs. McKinnon had dished out. Mortification and guilt won. It was her dessert that had put him in the position in the first place.
“Uh...I’m the one who ruined his pants.”
“What?” Hope shot forward in her chair. As a reporter, she was used to being the first with any scoop and discovering juicy details after the fact bugged the hell out of her. “How? And why the heck didn’t you call me?”
“Dad invited him home for dinner last night. Mama called me for a dessert.” Turning to the sink so she could hide her face, Lexi shrugged and mumbled, “I tripped and dumped the dessert on his feet.”
“You did what?” Hope breathed.
Lexi screwed her eyes closed, remembering the exact moment the trifle bowl had slipped from her hands. It replayed as if in slow motion. She kept wondering if there was a way she could have saved the bowl—and chocolate. “Nothing.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Hope crossed the kitchen, forgotten brownie dangling from her fingers, and pressed her hip against the counter. “What did you dump on his feet?”
“Chocolate trifle.”
“You didn’t.”
Lexi looked at her friend. “I did.”
Hope’s eyes rounded with horror, but her lips quivered like they were the only things holding back the biggest belly laugh. “On purpose or by accident?”
“Accident.”
Hope shook her head.
“But if I’d still had it later, I probably would have done it on purpose.”
“That good, huh?”
Lexi grimaced. Giving up on the distraction, she sank into the chair Hope had vacated. The scent of chocolate got stronger.
“He came here and I sold him a cake. I had no idea who he was. He said he didn’t know I was the mayor’s daughter, but I’m not sure I believe him.”
Hope plopped down beside her. “Why?”
Lexi sent her a pointed glance. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I don’t have the best track record when it comes to men who walk into my store. The last one used me for information. The likelihood is this one’s doing the same thing.”
Several months ago a reporter for the Atlanta Courier had targeted her. Brandon had lied, telling her he was a nurse from Charleston, all the while flirting and seducing, subtly pumping her for information about Gage and his experiences in Afghanistan. He’d wanted the scoop on a story Gage had refused to give to anyone—including Hope, the woman he’d loved for years. Luckily, Lexi didn’t know any details, but that didn’t stop the guilt and self-recrimination.
She should have known Brandon had ulterior motives. Why else would a beautiful and charming guy have been interested in her?
Hope’s sharp blue eyes met hers. A single eyebrow rose in a silent question.
“What?”
“Comparing him to Brandon implies that he tried to seduce you. I smell more to this story than you’ve told me. Spill it.”
Fudge. Lexi wrinkled her nose. She should have known Hope would pick up on the one thing she’d meant to keep to herself.
She calculated her chances of getting Hope off the trail and decided they were nil. With a sigh of resignation, she said, “We flirted. Before I knew who he was. But it didn’t mean anything and I have no intention of doing it again. I don’t trust him.”
“You don’t trust anyone.”
“True.”
Lexi eyed the open container of brownies. She really wanted one, but realized the urge had nothing to do with her sweet tooth. Although the nervous pit in her belly would probably feel so much better with a little chocolate.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Hope reached into the container and held one out to her. “Be bad for once, Lexi.”
“No.”
Hope rolled her eyes.
“That brownie is a slippery slope. If I break the rules now I’ll break ’em again in an hour. And tomorrow. And next week. And before you know it I’ll be Piglet Harper all over again.”
Hope frowned, but tightened the lid on the brownies anyway. Lexi appreciated her friend’s support, even if Hope didn’t completely understand. Lexi had worked hard to shed the pounds and the mental weight of being disappointed in her own body. She wasn’t about to backslide now because she couldn’t say no to a brownie she didn’t really need and only wanted because she was embarrassed and upset and on edge.
“So, since you’ve seen him...”
Lexi ignored the pointed emphasis her friend put on the word seen.
“What do you think he’s going to do?”
“I’m not entirely sure.”
Despite what she’d said about his designs, Brett Newcomb was anything but stupid. She couldn’t imagine that he would come all the way to Sweetheart without a plan. And a pretty good one.
She remembered the way he’d watched her with those ice-blue eyes, and a shiver snaked down her spine.
“I’ve seen that expression on your face before.” Hope watched her with appraising eyes. “You’re attracted to him.”
“I’m not,” Lexi protested, a little too quickly.
&
nbsp; Hope’s pointed stare weighed on her. It was all her friend needed to call her a liar. It made her want to squirm. And she finally caved.
“All right. So he’s...gorgeous. Sexy in a cool, reserved way. If you go for that kind of thing.”
“And you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Oh, you do.”
Lexi reached into the fridge and snatched out a bottle of water, snapping off the lid with one quick twist. “Okay, maybe, if he wasn’t the enemy.”
“Hardly the enemy. He’s just doing his job.”
Hope was making excuses for him? She hadn’t even met him yet. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours,” was her friend’s immediate answer. “Ours. Everyone’s. But maybe I’m a little more objective.”
“Hope, the man came here to put an eyesore on the outskirts of town.”
Hope shrugged. “We both know that’s not going to happen. At least not the way things are right now. So maybe he’s here for another reason.”
Sure, to make her life a tangled mess.
“All I’m saying is you should give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Lexi choked on her water and stared at her friend. Had Hope really just said that? Out of everyone, she understood just why Lexi would hesitate to trust anyone, least of all a complete stranger.
Hope had been there when she’d discovered Brandon’s deception. “You know what happened the last time I trusted a man who showed up ‘randomly’ on my doorstep. I’m not inclined to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Especially a man we know for a fact is here to make trouble.”
Hope blinked and shook her head. “What happened with Brandon was not your fault, Lexi.”
“Of course it was my fault. I let my lust blind me to what he was really after.”
“He was a deceitful user and a talented liar. He’d have told you whatever you wanted to hear.”
“Exactly. I should have known it was too good to be true. Guys like Brandon and Brett don’t go for girls like me.”
Hope’s eyebrows buckled and deep frown lines bracketed her mouth. “Intelligent, kind, beautiful and successful women, you mean?”
Lexi sighed. Hope didn’t understand. She hadn’t lived in the shadows her entire life, crowded out by her powerful father, her perfectly charming mother or her larger-than-life brother. Next to them, Lexi was just...normal. She was good. Not bad, but not stellar.
She was the kind of girl who had to borrow little black dresses and shocking red pumps. Her entire wardrobe consisted of jeans, plain shirts, running shoes and hair bands so her ponytail didn’t get chocolate dipped along with the pretzel sticks.
She woke up at five and fell into bed exhausted at nine. And in between she was more likely to have flour and powdered sugar on her face than lipstick and mascara.
And she was okay with that. Lexi had come to terms with who she was a long time ago.
“It doesn’t matter. I insulted him and ruined his shoes. And even if I hadn’t, I’m not interested. This time there’s no chance for confusion. He’s only here to get what he wants. Luckily, I have nothing to do with that.”
* * *
BRETT STARED AT the folder in front of him. A large manila envelope had arrived by messenger this morning. He hadn’t had time to worry about it, too preoccupied with preparing for his meeting with the town council, which had been a complete waste of his time.
The room had practically been empty. Only the council and a handful of people had turned out for the agenda. But it didn’t matter. Brett had pulled out all the stops, sophisticated presentation complete with fancy graphics, a full scale model and twenty minutes of detailed research for increased town revenue.
One of the council members snored. Halfway through Brett’s presentation someone in the audience fell off their chair. The noise got more attention than he did.
Brett was frustrated and not a little pissed.
What had happened to that Southern hospitality they were supposedly famous for? Apparently it was showcased by the spread of finger sandwiches, coffee and cookies. He wondered if they’d come from Lexi, but he hadn’t seen her.
And maybe that’s what disappointed him the most. After her impassioned outburst at dinner he’d expected her to be in the front row arguing with him. He’d looked forward to the exchange.
Instead, he had to content himself with reading her dossier. He hadn’t bothered to grab the others. None of them really interested him. Mr. Bowen obviously had an idea about how this assignment was supposed to go. But he wasn’t here. And Brett had his own agenda.
However, the more he spun the idea of using Lexi, the more he thought it might actually work. Partly because she was so completely against the project. If he could convince her of the benefits, her father would have to listen. And if he convinced the mayor, the rest of the council would follow.
He flipped through the pages. Looking at the detailed information Mr. Bowen had provided gave Brett the creeps. He’d included her high school transcript, pictures from her childhood, even how she preferred her coffee. Brett had no idea how the man had gotten the information and probably didn’t want to know.
His boss was an asshole, but a powerful one.
She’d been an adorable child, even if her eyes had often been clouded by shyness. She rarely looked at the camera straight on. But her cheeks were rounded with health, and when she didn’t know the camera was there the life and light in her expression made his chest ache.
Toward the back, a single photograph caught his attention. Lexi was bundled up in a thick winter coat. It skimmed the middle of her thighs. A hood lined with fur surrounded her face. Behind her, snow-capped mountains jutted into the sky.
It was breathtaking, but not because of the amazing location. It was the smile on her face, the sheer joy and uninhibited exhilaration that caught his attention.
Something told him Lexi rarely let this side of herself free. She was cautious. Methodical. And he could appreciate that since he was usually the same. But there was a passion that ran beneath. Passion he couldn’t help but want to see.
Even if he shouldn’t.
Now that he knew it was there...
Throwing the dossier into the passenger seat, Brett exited the car. It was late, but after the meeting he’d needed to get away from town before he did something he’d regret. Driving out to the property had seemed like a good idea.
Until he’d realized just how far out it was.
Plop him down in the middle of an urban jungle and he was perfectly fine. But he had no idea what to do with the trees and overwhelming scent of pine.
He was here, though, so he picked his way through the overgrown brush. Everything was lush and green, fully in the throes of summer. A sliver of moon peeked through the branches above him.
He pointed a flashlight onto the unfamiliar ground.
The land was big, fifty-plus acres. For the most part, they were untouched. Somewhere there was a house, but from the pictures he’d seen it was ninety years old and practically condemnable. It hadn’t been inhabited for at least twenty years.
The closest Brett had come to this much green space was the park down the street from the apartment building he’d grown up in. And he sure as heck wouldn’t have thought to venture out there at night. At least, not without a weapon.
A surprising sense of peace stole through Brett. Bullfrogs called into the night and water lapped gently at the lake’s shore. He wanted to see it. From the moment Mr. Bowen had handed him the photographs of this place he’d been drawn to the lake.
He hadn’t consciously come here with a purpose, but his feet moved unerringly through the trees toward the water. Stepping out from beneath the shadows, Brett got his first real glimpse. The scent of damp earth filled his lungs. He stopped at the shore, his new
shoes crunching on the sandy ground.
Brett stared out across the water to the far shore. It was so...quiet. Here he could imagine the sort of family fun he’d never had. Pushing Hunter’s head beneath the water. Wakeboarding. Fishing.
He didn’t want to mar the untamed landscape. He wanted to enhance it. To design something that would bring out the character of the place. High ceilings. Walls of glass to bring the outside in. Natural stone. Rough-hewn native woods. Crystal fixtures. Modern rustic.
He could see the building in his head, not that it really mattered.
Even if Bowen would agree, Sweetheart’s marketing plan wasn’t necessarily geared towards families. But the resort had so much potential to draw in new clientele and increase the exposure they’d already established.
Young parents could bring their families, enjoying a quick taste of small-town life. And after the kids were fast asleep they could take advantage of the romantic atmosphere.
He frowned. Damn Bowen for not seeing the vision. His boss had insisted on a design that was in-your-face instead of integrated with the natural landscape. He’d wanted flashy and eye-catching instead of subtle and sumptuously elegant.
Brett began walking down the shore. His muted footsteps blended with the other sounds—the splash of a fish, the buzz of an annoying insect. The oppressive heat of the day eased and a gentle summer breeze brushed against his skin.
It was difficult to tell where Bowen’s property ended and someone else’s began. He could see the slanted roofs of several cabins and cottages around the lake. Docks jutted out into the water, some clustered together. Others were spaced farther apart. The lines out here seemed to blur, without many fences.
The beam from his light flashed back and forth across the ground in front of him, more of an afterthought than anything else. He probably wouldn’t have noticed even if there was an obstacle in his way. The vista of the lake kept pulling him.
Until the crack of Lexi’s voice startled him. “What are you doing out here?”
4
BRETT TURNED SLOWLY. It took several seconds for his eyes to find her since she’d camouflaged herself in the shadows of the trees. Lexi knew the moment he found her, though. She could feel the impact of his gaze as it collided with hers.
She's No Angel Page 4
