“I’m not pushing—”
The doorbell rang. Thank you!
Maggie dropped off the plates and forks on the dining room table and went to answer the door. Rachel gathered the glasses and set them on the table.
“Don’t listen to Gran,” Shane said. “She’s always playing matchmaker.”
“I’m sure you get a lot of women that way,” Rachel said with a smirk.
Shane set down the platter he’d been holding with a clatter and headed straight for her, a determined glint in his eye. She squeaked and escaped to the living room, where Liz and Ryan, Shane’s oldest brother, stood.
“Chicken!” Shane called.
Liz grinned at Rachel. “Doesn’t he know you’re egg?”
“Oh, shut it.” Rachel hugged her friend and whispered, “I’m so glad you’re here. Maggie was trying to play matchmaker.”
Liz pulled back and grinned at Maggie. “No. I’m shocked. Maggie matchmaking?”
“I was not matchmaking,” Maggie huffed. “I was merely pointing out Shane’s finer qualities when he got all persnickety.”
“Hey, Rach,” Ryan said. “Anything good to eat in there?”
“Definitely. Hope you skipped dinner.”
The door opened again, and Maggie’s husband, Jorge, walked in. “Mmm, something smells good. Hello, everyone.”
A chorus of greetings went around. They all gathered around the dining room table.
“How long do we have to wait for Trav?” Ry asked. “Turtle’s always late.”
“So is Daisy,” Liz put in.
Trav and Daisy were newlyweds with a toddler, so Rachel figured they were often late.
“They live across the street,” Ry said. “How hard can it be to get here on time?”
“It’s not easy to get out the door quickly when you have a little one,” Maggie said with a pointed look. “I’m sure you’ll know all about that soon enough.”
Ry sent a longing look to Liz, who busied herself with her napkin. It was no secret that Ry wanted to get started on a family while Liz dragged her feet. Taking care of her colicky nephew Bryce had scared Liz straight.
“I say we wait,” Maggie said. “Shane wants the full effect of everyone’s feedback all at once. Right, my single, eligible, bachelor grandson?”
Shane looked to the ceiling, but still couldn’t prevent the blush that stained his cheeks. “We’ll wait.”
They chatted about the summer Little League team that Ry was coaching with pint-size kids full of attitude, until they heard the front door open followed by Bryce’s toddler squeal. “Na-na!”
Maggie beamed and stood. “Bryce!”
The boy ran straight for her, wrapping his arms around one leg. She ruffled his hair. Trav lifted him up, and Maggie rubbed noses with Bryce. Then he was off, running into the kitchen. Trav followed at his heels. “Hi all! Be right back.”
“Sorry we’re late,” Daisy said. “Just when you think you’re out the door you have to come back in for a diaper change. Never fails.” She took in the table full of food. “Shane, you outdid yourself. Wow. Just wow.”
“Thanks,” he muttered, blushing again.
Rachel used to think it was funny how much Shane blushed, but now that she’d been doing so much blushing of her own, she could sympathize. It was bad enough to be embarrassed, but then to have the world know it was even worse. Trav returned with Bryce on his shoulders holding a sippy cup with monkeys on it.
“Hang onto that cup, Bryce,” Trav said. “If you throw it, you’re done.”
Bryce just kept sipping, one hand tangled in Trav’s hair.
Ry rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get started.”
“Wait!” Shane ordered. “We’re starting with the fruits and working our way up to the super sweet.” Shane grabbed a notepad and pen he’d stashed nearby. “First up, corn muffins with blueberries. Remember, one bite, savor, then tell me the first thing that comes to mind. Thumbs up or down for adding it to the menu.”
“No brownies?” Trav asked, scanning the table.
“I skipped the brownies and chocolate chip cookies because I already know you guys like them.”
“Aw, no cookies?” Ry asked, looking disappointed. “Just fruity stuff? I come here for sinful desserts.”
“You come here for your brother,” Maggie said.
“I love you, man,” Ry said, pounding his chest and pointing at Shane. Shane smiled and pointed back.
Maggie grinned. “That’s more like it. Trav?”
Trav snorted. “What is this, a lovefest?”
As if on cue, the sippy cup slammed into his head. “Ow!” He pulled Bryce off his shoulders and set him on the floor. “I love you too, little bro. Can we eat?”
“I love you all too,” Liz said, smiling at everyone.
“I’m so happy to be part of this family,” Jorge chimed in.
“Now you know I love you all,” Maggie said.
“Me too,” Daisy said with a loving look at Trav.
Rachel stayed quiet, uncomfortable with all the open affection going on. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone in her family had said I love you.
“All right, all right,” Shane said. “Everyone eat.”
Platters were passed around as everyone took one of everything. Rachel wondered how often they got together for taste tests. Once they got started, they moved like clockwork, passing dishes, savoring, reporting on initial reactions. The food was fabulous, everything fresh and in season. They were lucky it was August and the blueberries, peaches, and raspberries were all at their peak. The blueberries in the corn muffins burst with flavor in her mouth. The peach mini-pies were velvety and delicious. And the raspberry scones were so good she couldn’t stop with just one bite. Their café was going to be so popular.
“Shane, this is amazing,” Rachel said, halfway through. “People are going to be lining up out the door just for the baked stuff.”
Conversation stopped as all eyes went to Shane.
“Thank you,” he said. “That means a lot to me.”
They smiled at each other. Rachel suddenly realized no one was eating. She looked around the group, who were looking at her and Shane. They were all smiles.
“The coffee’s great too,” she said uneasily.
“I’m sure it is, dear,” Maggie said with a knowing smile. “We’ll be the first ones in line.”
They went back to eating. Lemon cookies, chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling, éclairs.
“Yes to éclairs!” Rachel exclaimed, overwhelmed with the delectable dessert. It was heavenly, a thick chocolate ganache on top, sweet cream inside. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted!”
Shane grinned.
Maggie held up an éclair, which suddenly looked very, very phallic. “I told you it’s the love!”
Rachel blushed furiously. Everyone laughed.
“Shane’s got a lot to love,” Trav quipped.
Now Shane blushed furiously. “Moving on,” he grumbled.
They finished the taste-testing with a lot of moans and groans over eating too much. There wasn’t a dud in the bunch.
“It sounds like I should keep everything and just rotate the items,” Shane said. “Rach, keep track of the top-selling items, and we’ll keep those on the menu permanently.”
“Sure,” she said.
Shane addressed the group. “In the fall, we’ll have another taste-testing for pumpkin, apple, pear, and cranberry flavors.”
Everyone moaned and groaned good-naturedly.
Shane started gathering up the platters.
“I have to wonder, bro,” Trav drawled, “why you’d become business partners instead of just taking the easy way and asking her out.”
Rachel stiffened.
“Shut it,” Shane snapped.
“Would that really be the easy way?” Maggie asked. “What if he asked her out and then she said no, then that’s that.”
“I told him going into business together wasn
’t going to help his case,” Ry said.
“But now that they’re working together, he has lots of chances to ask her out,” Daisy pointed out.
This launched a big debate over whether going into business together was the easy way or the hard way for two people to get together. Face flaming, Rachel looked to Shane for help, but he’d gone back to gathering dishes, seemingly fine with his entire family teasing them. Liz shot her a sympathetic look.
“It was more than just an investment, you know,” Maggie said. “It was a sacrifice on Shane’s part.”
Shane’s attention snapped to Maggie, clearly surprised. “Don’t,” he warned.
“What sacrifice?” Ry asked.
Rachel’s stomach dropped. “Shane?”
He shook his head. “Don’t listen to her.”
“You should tell her,” Maggie urged.
“What’s going on?” Trav asked.
Everyone stared at Shane.
“Nothing,” Shane said. “It’s nothing. I dug deep for the cash, but we’ll make it back. No problem.”
Rachel stared at him. “Tell me what you did to get that money.”
He shook his head.
Rachel went hot and cold. She had a very bad feeling about this. “Tell me!” she demanded.
His eyes were steely in their resolve. “No.”
Rachel jumped up from the table and rushed from the room. Something was very wrong here. What did Shane do? What did he sacrifice? Shit. She went outside, taking a deep, calming breath of the nighttime air. She walked down the front path, needing to get away from the crowd. She heard the voices in the house rising in volume, followed by some catcalls, and then Shane was heading her way.
“What’s Maggie talking about?” she asked once he reached her side. “What did you do to get that money?”
Shane’s mouth formed a grim line. “She must’ve talked to my dad. I never told anyone.”
“Told them what!”
“I sold the Shelby.”
“What’s a Shelby?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s a car. A very expensive, highly collectible classic car. It was a ’67 Shelby Mustang GT 500 I inherited from my dad. He got it from his dad.”
Her brows scrunched in confusion. “I never saw you drive a Mustang.”
He lifted one shoulder up and down. “I kept it at my dad’s house because I didn’t want my brothers to be hurt that he gave the Shelby to me and not them. My dad gave it to me as a thank you for spending time with him. We spent a lot of time fixing it up on the weekends.”
Rachel suddenly felt shaky. She knew Shane had only recently started spending time with his dad after his dad had abandoned him as a kid. Her hand went to her mouth, and she took a step back, hitting air where the sidewalk should’ve been. Shane caught her and held her.
“Why would you do that?” she asked.
He gazed into her eyes. “I did it for you.”
“How much?” she whispered.
“How much what?”
“How much did you sell the car for?”
“I was going to sell it at auction, but the guy who owned the garage I took it to bought it from me on the spot for ninety-five thousand.”
Rachel gasped. Shane had given up this car that was worth so much money just to help her start the café? This car that had been in his family for generations? That he’d bonded with his dad over?
Omigod.
Her ears had a weird ringing to them, and she felt lightheaded. “I need to sit down.”
She sank to the ground, and he sat on the curb next to her.
“I’ll pay you back right away” she told him. “We’ll get the car back.”
“No, it’s a done deal.”
“I’ll find another investor. You’re not losing your inheritance because of me.” She gripped her hands tightly. “I’ll fix this.”
He snagged her chin and turned her to face him. “You don’t have to fix this. It’s fine.”
“Shane…what your family said back there. Were they right? You did all this just to…” She couldn’t say it, but it was there. Shane went into business with her to sleep with her. “Just tell me why you wanted to be business partners. What’s the real reason?”
His mouth formed a tight line. Rachel got the unsettling feeling that his intentions were exactly what his family had said.
“Just say it,” she said.
He ran a hand through his hair, and the humidity made it stay rumpled. She quickly smoothed it back into its usual side part, not able to deal with a rumpled, sexy look right now.
He watched her warily. “I told you, to diversify against that idiot Barry.”
“That’s the only reason? Honestly?”
He paused, finally saying, “It was a plus that it helped you out.”
“And?”
“And what?”
She stared him down. “What did you expect in return? To get me into bed?”
“You think I’m paying to sleep with you?” His voice was dangerously low, and she felt the first inkling that maybe she’d pushed him too far. “I’ve never paid for sex in my life!”
“Forget it,” she muttered. She stood and turned to go. She’d fix this and soon. She’d find another investor and pay him back all that money he’d lost. She’d make sure he got his car back.
He stepped in front of her, blocking her way. “Say what you’re thinking.”
She tried not to get turned on by the return of alpha Shane. She wasn’t going to argue with him over the money. She’d take care of it, and that was that. Still, his aggressive stance riled her up.
She raised her chin. “We’ve been friends for months, and you never kissed me, I mean, really kissed me until after we were business partners.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “That wasn’t why I kissed you.”
He stepped closer, and she eased back a step, trying not to look like she was running. She wasn’t. She was just preserving her personal space. He closed the gap, and she stopped, taken in by his scent, his reassuring presence, so close after keeping his distance these past weeks.
He ran a fingertip over her exposed collarbone, and she swallowed, flushing with warmth. “Think about it, Rach. Think real hard. Why did I kiss you?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. It makes no sense. We were friends. We had just signed a contract.”
His hand slid into her hair, and she thought, I should go, but then his mouth was near her ear, and his voice was low and silky, and she couldn’t move. Not one inch.
“Think about it tonight when you’re alone in your bed,” he said. “When you reach for Neal—”
She gasped, horrified at the mention of her vibrator. She shoved him away with both hands, face flaming. He just smiled and stayed feet planted in front of her. Why had she confided so much in Shane? He was such a good listener she’d let her mouth get away from her. Now he would use everything he knew against her. This was just one more reason why you should never hook up with your best friend.
He nodded. “Oh, yeah, I remember. Think about me tonight when you’re about to—”
“I shouldn’t have told you that,” she muttered. She exhaled sharply and stared at his chest. “Just shut up. I’m embarrassed enough just from hanging out with your family. Now you. Is that what you wanted?”
“You know what I want.”
Her head snapped up. Their eyes met for a crackling moment. He reached out, one warm hand cradling her face as he leaned slowly toward her. She forgot to breathe. Okay, just one kiss, she told herself. They’d get this out of their system and move on. She closed her eyes.
Then nothing.
He pulled away, and she stared at him as disappointment swamped her.
“I think we want the same thing,” he said.
Then he turned and walked back to the house. She stood there fuming, unsure whether to lash out at him or her own stupid self for wanting what she knew she couldn’t have. Shouldn’t have.
He turned, hand on the knob. “Like I said, it’s your move.”
“Aargh!” The man was simultaneously devastating in his generosity and unforgivably withholding.
Rachel turned and walked home in a daze. One thing was for certain. She would not be spending time with Neal tonight thinking of Shane. She wouldn’t give Shane the satisfaction of being right.
Chapter Fourteen
The next day Rachel was sitting at the front register of her store, still lost in thought, trying to figure out where she’d find another investor for the café when Barry walked in.
“Good morning!” he called cheerfully.
“Morning,” she replied.
He stopped at the counter, and his brows drew together. “Everything okay?”
She forced a smile. “Yes, sure. What can I help you with today?”
“Got any recommendations for a beach read?”
“Sure. I just got a celebrity tell-all that might be fun.” She led him to the memoir and biography section and handed him the book.
He glanced at it. “Thanks.”
She went back to the register to ring him up, still lost in a dark cloud. She couldn’t believe what Shane had sacrificed for her. Why would he do that and never say a word about it? Who does that?
“You sure you’re okay?” Barry asked.
She rubbed her forehead. “I just had a bit of a shock.”
He handed over his credit card. “Want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “Not unless you know someone who wants to invest in my café.”
He grinned. “As a matter of fact, I do. I’ll invest.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “But you just opened your own shop. How could you possibly afford—”
“You didn’t think I always worked at fro-yo, did you? I had a windfall. I’ve got money invested in quite a few places.”
She stared at him, confused. “What do you mean?”
He grinned. “You know Giggle Snap?”
Giggle Snap was a social media phenomenon focused on sharing sounds—laughter, conversation, weird sound effects. “That was you?”
“Yup. I sold it to one of the big guys. Then I started the fro-yo shop just for kicks. Mom was so proud I finally did something she could enjoy.” He grinned. “So what do I get as an investor?”
Bad Taste in Men (Clover Park, Book 3) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Page 14
