by Jo McNally
“Yeah, well, I ran out of charm a while ago,” he said, lifting one eyebrow. “Maybe around the same time you did.”
She sat back and her mouth dropped open. Then she smiled thinly and lifted her glass in his direction in a mock toast. “Touché.”
He nodded and turned back to his drink, swirling the liquid absently. She caught a movement near his feet and saw a dark-haired dog lying close by his bar stool.
“Are dogs allowed in restaurants in North Carolina?” She tried not to sound snobbish about it, but really, was it sanitary?
“This one is, in this restaurant.”
“He’s yours?”
“She is.”
The dog was beautiful, with a sleek coat. Her ears stood up and she stared at Bree intently.
“What’s her name?”
“Maggie.”
“What breed is she?”
“Belgian shepherd.”
“Is she friendly?”
“Most times.”
The guy wasn’t exactly a conversationalist.
“May I pet her?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
He finally raised his eyes to hers. “Because she’s not a damned pet, that’s why. She’s a working dog, and she’s working. Leave her alone.”
A working dog? Did she sniff out seizures? Was Cole disabled in some way that he needed a dog for balance or fetching things? She couldn’t see any crutches or canes nearby. He turned back to his drink with another grunt.
Unintentionally, she spoke her thoughts out loud. “Well, if she’s supposed to be making you human, you’d better return her, because it’s not working.”
He started to turn toward her again, and Bree drew back. She may have poked this bear one time too many. But the kitchen door started to open, and Cole stilled and went back to the intense study of his drink.
Ty walked through the doorway and checked the atmosphere in the room before he turned to Bree.
“Your burger will be ready in a few minutes, ma’am. So where are you headed?”
She stammered then steadied her voice. “Um... I’m actually headed right here, to Russell. I’m...vacationing for a few weeks. I wanted some peace and quiet, you know? I was told to stop in town and ask for directions to Miss Nell’s farm.”
“Miss Nell? You’re renting Nell’s cottage? For vacation? In Russell?” Ty shook his head and chuckled. “Well, that’ll be quiet, for sure. Where you from?”
“Southern California.”
Cole let out another snort. She sent him a dark look.
“What?” she snapped.
He just shrugged and avoided Ty’s warning glare. Ty turned back to Bree.
“Would you like another glass of wine?”
She stared at her empty glass.
“Gee, Ty, I wouldn’t want to offend your brother’s sensibilities by ordering more wine. Maybe I should try what he’s having.”
Cole let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You’d hurt yourself, honey.”
Oh, no, he didn’t. “Let’s make one thing clear. I am not your honey.” She impulsively reached for Cole’s glass. His hand shot out so quickly she didn’t see it move until he grabbed her wrist. His fingers were as hard as his eyes, and she gasped at the feel of his calloused skin on hers.
Ty’s voice dropped to a growl. “Cole, I’ll throw you out the door myself if you don’t let her go. What the hell is wrong with you today?”
Cole pierced her with his eyes, and he didn’t let go. His voice was low and threatening.
“Don’t start something you can’t finish...honey.”
They glared at each other, then he released her hand and pushed it away, causing some of the golden liquor to slosh over the rim of the glass onto her fingers. She kept her eyes locked on his as she lifted his glass to her lips and emptied it. His eyebrows rose just enough that she knew he was surprised, even if his expression remained carved in stone. Both men probably expected her to have a coughing fit or some other girlish reaction, but they were going to be disappointed. She welcomed the burn as the strong drink warmed its way to her stomach. After setting the glass on the counter, she slowly licked the spilled whiskey from the tips of her fingers. Cole’s nostrils flared just a bit at that move.
“Not bad.” She shrugged, and Ty laughed.
“Day-um, woman. You may look city, but you sure act and drink country!”
She grinned and looked down at what she considered to be casual traveling clothes. She was wearing a pale green broomstick skirt with ballet flats and a simple ivory knit top. Her dark red hair was long and straight, enhanced with several hundred dollars’ worth of extensions. In Russell, North Carolina, she probably looked like a cover girl.
She was just starting to respond when the door from the kitchen opened again. A teenage girl walked through it, carrying a plate holding a delicious-looking burger. Bree guessed she was around fifteen; pretty in a wholesome, cheerleader sort of way. She had long blond hair and lightly tanned skin, with big brown eyes. Those eyes snapped to a halt when she saw Bree.
A lot of things happened very quickly in the next few seconds. The girl nearly dropped the plate, but Ty caught it just as the burger was ready to slide to the floor.
“Emily! Watch what you’re...”
Emily was reaching for something in her back pocket as her eyes grew even wider.
“Oh. My. God. You’re Bree Mathews! Right here in The Hide-Away! Oh, my God! No one’s going to believe this!”
Bree saw the iPhone in Emily’s hand. The girl was raising it to take a photo. An image of Bree blasted out to the internet would ruin her plans to hide here in Russell. She jumped to her feet and reached for the phone with a distressed cry. Cole stood and grabbed Bree’s wrist, yanking her back and closer to him. Ty snatched the phone from Emily’s hand. They all stared at each other in confusion, panic and anger.
Ty was the first to speak. “Emily! What is wrong with you? Is it a full moon today or what? Everyone’s going full-bore crazy around here! And Cole, for the last time, get your effing hands off that woman!”
Bree was close to his side now, and the heat emanating from his body took her breath away. His grip was rough, just short of painful. He glared down at her then back at his brother.
“She grabbed for my niece and I damned sure want to know why.”
Ty nodded in understanding. “I get that. But everyone’s safe now, so let her go.”
Cole looked down at Bree, and her face flamed with humiliation. This day was turning into one hot, glorious mess. He slowly loosened his hold on her, and she took a step away, rubbing her wrist.
“Emily.” Ty looked at the girl who was clearly his daughter. “What on earth is wrong with you, girl?”
Emily’s eyes were still bright with excitement, and her voice was breathless and quick.
“Daddy! This is Bree Mathews! She’s famous! She’s from Hollywood! And she’s standing here in our restaurant!” The men clearly had no idea what she was talking about, and the words started tumbling out of her mouth. “Oh, my God! Don’t you know? She was Miss California and a runner-up to Miss America. Then she married Damian Maxwell, the actor from that big hit TV show about high school from a few years ago, Drama in the Halls. Remember? He played the hunky coach? And then...” The words were coming fast and furious as Emily recited the timeline of Bree’s life. “Then his show was canceled and he and Bree went on the reality show Hot Hollywood Housewives. She was supposed to be the ‘good girl’ of the group, and the other ladies were so mean to her. By the third season, Damian was doing drugs on camera. When she caught him with Jessica Darling, one of the other wives on the show, Bree had an epic meltdown.”
“Emily,” her father said, trying to intervene. But his daughter was on a roll.
“She flipped an entire table on its side in a restaurant. It was awesome! Anyway, even though she divorced Damian, they tried to keep her on the show for another season, but she refused. Now she plans events and stuff for famous people, and she wrote a cookbook, and I heard she might get her own show on Bravo. Some people hate her because they say she ruined Damian’s career. He hasn’t had a hit since she left him, but of course that’s not her fault. Daddy, she’s famous. And she’s standing right in front of us!”
Emily finally stopped for air. Bree dropped her head, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Three decades on this earth, and her entire life had just been recapped in breathless detail by a teenager in less than a minute. And the highlight was that she flipped a table over in a crowded restaurant. That was what people thought of when they saw her. What did that say about her choices? About her values? About her?
“Are you filming something here? Is that why you’re here?” Emily was bouncing up and down now. “You are, right? You’re filming? Why else would you be in a place like Russell? Oh, wow...”
This was her chance to protect herself, and Bree took it. She plastered on her best pageant smile.
“Yes. Yes, we’re filming here. But it’s a huge secret. That’s why I didn’t want you to take the picture. No one can know about it, or it will all be ruined. I’m just here checking things out, but if the press finds out, we’ll have to find a new location to go to. I didn’t think anyone would recognize me out here...”
Cole snorted. Again. “So you didn’t think we had television? Or the internet? Or teenagers?”
Damn his arrogance.
“Look, it was all very last minute, and I didn’t know the show was popular in rural...in the country...places like this...” She closed her eyes, trying to think of a way not to sound offensive. But she never thought anyone would recognize her here in the boondocks.
Emily was still focused on the idea of a film crew arriving. “You’re doing a ‘Bree in the country’ kind of thing? That would be so funny! Maybe we’ll have a dance here at The Hide-Away and you could film it! Daddy, you’d let me waitress, right? I could be on TV!”
Ty looked at Bree in confusion, and she figured she’d better settle his daughter down a bit.
“I’m sure we can figure out a way for a pretty girl like you to be part of the show.” The girl beamed at the compliment. “But it’s critical that no one, not even your very best friend, knows that I’m here right now. Seriously, I’ll have to leave and never return if word gets out. You know how it is once news starts spreading on social media. The press will be here in a heartbeat, and I can’t have that...”
“I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die. I won’t tell anyone if you’ll promise that my friends and I can be part of the show. I didn’t get the photo of you before. Y’all moved too fast.”
Ty swiped his finger across the screen on Emily’s phone, which he still held. He nodded.
“She’s right. No picture. And she won’t ever be taking pictures of anyone without asking permission first, right?” He gave his daughter a stern look and handed her phone back to her.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I promise. I just lost my head...”
Bree smiled. “It’s all right, Emily. Just remember to keep my secret, okay?”
Emily nodded, hugged herself and danced back into the kitchen.
Bree grabbed the hamburger in front of her. A girl had to eat, right? She took a large bite of it and sighed. This burger alone might make up for the lousy day she was having.
She wasn’t at all surprised to hear another grunt from Cole.
“You proud of yourself, Hollywood? Lying to a nice kid like that?”
She was too ashamed to have any fight left in her. She wiped her mouth with a napkin before answering, and her voice was barely a whisper.
“No. No, I’m not proud at all.”
Ty’s voice was low. “Then why did you do it?”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, blowing the air out slowly through her lips. She didn’t care about Cole’s opinion, but Ty deserved the truth. She raised her head and met his puzzled gaze.
“I thought it would be kinder than telling your daughter that someone out there wants to burn me alive. Because that’s what the truth is. I have a stalker, and the whole situation has taken a bad turn. I’m trying to lay low for a while until they can find him. Nell’s daughter, Caroline, is my cousin’s friend, and she suggested I come here.”
Her gaze dropped back to the bar, and the room fell silent. Ty turned and took a bottle from a shelf. He poured the golden liquid into a shot glass and slid it into her hand. She downed it with one swallow, welcoming another burn. She looked up and nodded, and he refilled the glass. But this time she took just a sip before taking another bite of her burger.
“Someone’s threatening to kill you?” Ty asked.
She shrugged. “Or worse. He says he needs to ‘cleanse me by fire’ to remove my sins and make me worthy. He broke into my beach house Saturday while I was gone and burned all of my clothes, because he thinks I dress like a whore.” She took another sip from the glass. “And he sent a threatening message to my cousin’s home in New York while I was there, even though I hadn’t publicized the trip. So now I’m on the run.”
She tried to give Ty a smile, but felt her mouth trembling, and bit down on her lower lip to steady it. Cole, who’d been still and quiet at her side, inhaled sharply. She looked over, but he turned away, staring at Ty. Once again, the brothers carried on a silent conversation. Cole shook his head abruptly, but Ty just glowered at him. Cole’s shoulders slumped and he nodded as he took a step closer to Bree. He lifted his chin toward the shelves behind the bar.
“Give me a hat” was all he said.
Ty handed him one of several Hide-Away ball caps for sale above the cash register. Cole moved behind her and put his hands on either side of her face, making her gasp. He pulled her hair back and through the opening of the cap, creating a ponytail as he pushed the hat low on her head. Before she could protest, Ty started to explain.
“If Emily recognized you, someone else might. Cole will take you out to Nell’s place in his truck. He lives out that way. That fancy car is no way to lay low in this part of the country. My guess is half the town already knows there’s a ninety-thousand-dollar Mercedes parked at The Hide-Away. Leave me the keys and I’ll pull the car around back, then take it home after dark and put it in my barn. I’ll see if my wife, Tammy, can take you shopping for something a little more...casual. We’ll tell people you’re a college friend of Caroline’s. Everyone loves Caroline Patterson...er...McCormack. She’s married now, right? She married that guy from Boston?”
Bree nodded, feeling stunned. “Yeah, they got married in Barbados. Look, why are you doing this? You don’t know me, and you don’t even like me.” She looked over her shoulder at Cole. His close proximity was making her nervous.
Cole arched an eyebrow at her. “Call it that ‘Southern charm’ you were looking for. We help people in trouble down here.” His mouth twitched again. She decided that was the closest thing to a real smile the guy had. “Even people we don’t like.”
CHAPTER TWO
COLE CALDWELL STOLE a sideways glance at the redhead as he drove out of Russell. She was pressed up against the passenger door, with Maggie curled up on the seat between them. While the dog generally rode with her nose pressed snugly against Cole’s leg, today she lay facing their guest. Her head rested on Bree’s thigh, and Bree was absently scratching Maggie’s ear.
Traitor.
Despite the ridiculous layers of makeup, Brianna Mathews could easily be the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Pulling her hair up under the cap revealed her long, slender neck, fine-boned face and those deep green eyes. Her skin was like porcelain. She was tall, almost as tall as he was. An
d she moved with a natural grace that said she was confident and very aware of herself. The whole package was sexy as hell.
Too bad she was such a flaming, toxic viper.
The lady could peel paint off the wall with those angry eyes of hers. And her sharp tongue could probably flay a man alive. Cole shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable and surprisingly aroused by that thought. He sure as hell didn’t want anything to do with this woman or any other woman for that matter. And it seemed the feeling was mutual. He grunted to himself, earning him another one of her icy glares.
“What?” she snapped.
He shook his head in the closest he’d come to amusement in a long time. Baiting her temper was as easy as shooting very big fish in a very small barrel.
“Oh, nothin’. I’m just picturing you settling into Nell’s hundred-year-old bungalow. All by yourself. No Starbucks. No fancy parties to attend. No television cameras. Girl, you’ll die of loneliness out here.”
She turned to stare out the passenger window. Her voice was quiet.
“It’s better than dying in a pool of blood.”
Well, hell. She’d just managed to turn him into a complete jackass, hadn’t she? No, actually he didn’t need her help with that. He’d done it all on his own. After a year of feeling pretty much nothing but anger, he now felt guilty. He winced at the sharpness of it.
“Sorry.” There’s a word he hadn’t said in a while. “I wasn’t making light of your...”
“Situation? My very interesting situation?” She dropped her head back against the seat of his pickup then turned to look at him. “We don’t exactly bring out the best in each other, do we?”
He snorted. “Apparently not.”
Awkward silence filled the cab as he made a few more turns. The roads got progressively smaller and the fields got bigger. He slowed the truck as they approached a yellow farmhouse with a wide front porch. There was a wooden farmstand next to the road with a simple sign that read Nell’s Produce. He glanced over at the stand as he pulled into the gravel driveway. It looked like Nell had a good selection of tomatoes and blueberries today. He snuck another look at Bree and bit back a smile at her wide-eyed expression.
