by Kim Law
Couldn’t stop a man from wanting, either.
The stare-off continued until Holly looked up from the grill and caught them. She punched her brother in the arm.
Then she grabbed two plates, and disappeared from sight.
Energy flowed through Zack’s veins. She was coming out to have breakfast with him. He could hardly wait to see what she’d done with his pancakes.
Or what shoes she had on.
“Sprinkles,” she said with a flourish as she set the plate down in front of him.
His pancakes had different-colored dots in them with whipped topping piled high on top. More sprinkles covered all that. It looked disgusting.
“Sprinkles?” he asked in horror.
Her stack was the same. She settled on the stool next to him, then immediately stood on the rungs to reach over the counter and grab a small pitcher of syrup. As she leaned, he took in her head-to-ankle pink attire. The shirt was tight and cut low and her arms were left bare. The jeans hugged her tight. There was another tassel hanging from the belt around her waist, and he fought the urge to tug on it.
She plopped back down on her seat, and he blinked as cleavage bounced in front of him. Dang, but that was a good way to start the day.
“You need sprinkles in your life,” she pronounced. She poured syrup over his breakfast before doing the same to hers. “I figured if anyone was going to give them to you, it would have to be me.”
He stared down at the mess in front of him, trying to get her breasts out of his mind. “You ruined my pancakes.”
“No I didn’t, sugar. I made them happy.”
He liked when she went all Southern and called him sugar. He felt a grin take hold, even though he didn’t mean to. “Happy pancakes?” he asked.
She nodded. “Everyone needs happy pancakes once in a while.”
What the hell was wrong with this woman? And why was he so turned on by the thought that she’d made him happy pancakes?
“Did you realize you’re wearing rainbow-colored shoes with a pink outfit?” he asked.
Her face glowed. “You noticed my shoes?”
She swiveled on the stool and held her legs out in front of her. Wrapped around her feet were sandals that had a stripe for each color of the rainbow. They were atrocious with her outfit.
But they were so Holly.
“How could I help it?” he said. “They make as much sense with your outfit as this crap does on my pancakes.”
He liked teasing her, and when she glared at him, he just laughed.
“You have no imagination at all,” she accused.
She was wrong. He was imagining all sorts of things right now. Ignoring his thoughts, he grabbed his fork and dug in. But he did not let himself moan at the pleasure that erupted in his mouth. Damn, the woman could cook.
“You like them, don’t you?” she teased.
He refused to answer. When he gave her an irritated look and shoved another bite in his mouth, she cackled with laughter. It made his day.
“Hey, Holly.”
They both turned at the words. Keith—from the Bungalow—stood behind Holly, his hands clasped together in front of him. He wasn’t much taller than Holly, but was a decent-enough-looking guy, Zack supposed. He had sandy-colored hair and was dressed in jeans, a pullover, and sneakers. Nothing special. Pretty much standard fare for Sugar Springs.
Just what Holly was looking for.
“Hey, Keith.” Her eyes lit up. “Great to see you. I was just taking a break. Want to join us?”
The man looked hesitant for a second, eyeing Zack as if sizing him up, but then Holly patted the stool beside her and her breasts jiggled in her shirt. Keith sat.
Zack’s good mood vanished.
“What was so funny?” Keith asked.
“Zack just got his first happy pancakes.”
Jealousy flared when Keith looked around her to see what Zack was eating. Zack didn’t want Keith in on happy pancakes.
When the other man’s eyes lingered on the creamy skin of Holly’s breasts for the second time, Zack almost came up off the stool. He wanted to toss the man out the door.
But what Keith looked at wasn’t his business. Especially not if Holly liked him.
“Looks good,” Keith replied. The look in his eyes implied he wasn’t merely talking about the breakfast. “What’s a guy have to do to get him a plate of those?”
Holly turned her grin on Keith. “I can cook you some.”
“Let your brother do it.” The words came out brusque, but Zack didn’t care. He didn’t want her to leave. And he certainly didn’t want her cooking happy pancakes for someone else. When she looked at him in confusion, he added, “Yours will get cold if you don’t eat them.”
My God, he was fighting over pancakes.
And cleavage.
He should have let her go to the back. Then Keith wouldn’t still be eyeing her breasts.
“It’s okay,” she said. She gave an awkward laugh. “I can have happy pancakes anytime. In fact . . .” She pushed her plate over to Keith, and Zack’s mood scraped the ground. “You can have mine,” she practically cooed. “I haven’t taken a bite of them yet.”
“You don’t mind?” the other man asked.
“Not at all.” She looked at him as if he had something she wanted.
Zack’s fingers tightened around his fork, and he lost his appetite. Catching Brian’s smirk from the grill did nothing to help. The brother approved of Keith, then? Or did he simply approve of him more than Zack?
Didn’t matter, he supposed. Keith was better for her.
Zack pulled out his wallet. “What do I owe?” His tone was rude, but he couldn’t make himself care.
“You’re leaving?” She turned her head back to him, and he felt like he was a paddle in a Ping-Pong game. On the losing side.
“I’m meeting Cody at the clinic.”
“Oh. Good.” Her brightness dimmed as she glanced at his plate. “But I’m sorry you didn’t like the pancakes.”
Now he just felt bad. “I loved them.” He softened his tone. “I just need to go.”
Keith eyed him from the other side of Holly. Zack ignored the man.
“How much?” he asked again.
“Nothing,” she said. She put a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”
He flicked another look at Keith. “Fine.”
“Will you let me know how it goes?”
The concern on her face made him stop as he straightened from the stool. He peered down at her, wishing he could have finished his happy pancakes with only her by his side. Wishing he were a different kind of guy and could go for it with her. “You bet.”
Holly watched Zack walk away. He’d worn a pair of his new jeans today and he looked really good in them. So good, she noticed she wasn’t the only one watching him leave. The man had a nice butt.
And he was heading to meet Cody. Nerves filled her at the thought of him meeting with his brother alone. She wanted to go with him. She’d like to hold his hand and help him through it. Though he would probably scoff at the suggestion. He still thought he didn’t need any help.
She wondered why he’d run off so fast, and then remembered Keith sitting on the other side of her. She supposed that was it. He was giving her privacy.
Which was nice.
Though she wasn’t really in the mood to charm Keith. She was in the mood to be with Zack. She’d wanted to have breakfast with him. To ask about his weekend. Even to tell him about the call from her cousin.
Good grief.
Her breath stuck in the back of her throat as she realized what was going on. No, no, no. She barely kept from shaking her head back and forth in a panic. She could not be falling for Zack Winston. He was leaving. This weekend.
She would not let herself care about him.
/> Plus, there was Keith. He obviously had interest, or he wouldn’t have sought her out. And she did like him.
He was cute and nice, and he had a great butt too. She’d checked it out Friday night.
Might as well take advantage of the situation presented to her and see where it went.
She swiveled back around and flashed him her most winning smile. It occurred to her as she did that he may not appreciate her all-over-pink I-love-Jeannie look. But then, if he didn’t, it was best to find that out now. Because she didn’t want a man who didn’t appreciate all she brought to the table.
And sometimes, she brought Jeannie.
Especially after a weekend of sitting around wondering if Zack was off with another woman.
She’d wanted to be happy that morning, and her outfit had brightened her day.
Keith had eaten only a few bites of his pancakes; mostly he was watching her. His eyes were soft and blue, and they seemed to be smiling gently. It put her at ease.
“I had a good time dancing with you Friday night,” he said. He sounded nervous.
“Me too.” She nibbled at the corner of her lip. God, she hated the dance of dating. She should have never let her mother’s words get to her. She was fine without a man.
Only, yeah, she did want one. In the grand scheme of things, she wanted a husband by her side and babies running around the yard. She wanted a normal, traditional little life. So why not go for it now? Especially since Ms. Grayson had already helped her out.
She held in a sigh. It would be easier to go along at this point than it would be to stop, anyway.
“I looked for you Saturday night,” Keith said. “Was hoping to see you again.”
“I didn’t feel like going out.” She’d still been in a bit of a funk over what had happened with her mirrors out on the street. Plus, she hadn’t been in the mood to fight off the grabby hands of men who thought she was just looking for some action.
“I heard Travis asked you out.”
The words shocked her. “He did.” She nodded. Since she’d turned him down, she wouldn’t have expected Travis to mention asking her out.
“I also heard you didn’t go. I was hoping that means I’m not too late.” He stopped talking and gave a slight shrug. “Listen, I hate this. Dating, I mean.” He shook his head, then started again. “I hate the uncertainty of it. The fear.”
“Dating scares you?”
He laughed lightly. “Believe it or not, asking a girl out terrifies me.”
“But you’ve been married before.”
“Yeah, and I thought that meant I’d never have to ask anyone out again.”
She understood thinking your life would go in one direction, only to find out you had no real clue what you were doing.
He put his fork down and leaned in, his eyes earnest. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the dating part. I love spending time with a woman, getting to know her. I just hate the dance of it all. You know?”
Exactly what she’d been thinking. Maybe there was potential here. She could feel a flicker of hope flame to life.
“Ask me out,” she said in a rush. She wouldn’t find a husband by sitting at home every night. “There’s nothing to fear here.”
His bottom lip was fuller than the top, and when he smiled, she felt a little something stir inside her. It wasn’t exactly a roaring flame. Not like what had stirred when she’d been in Zack’s arms Friday night. But it was definitely a stir.
And she loved stirs.
He nodded, and reached for her hand. “I’d love to ask you out for tonight. Or tomorrow. But I just found out Nick has me heading out of town most of the week for a job. I leave as soon as I finish here. I can run back over Wednesday night, though. I won’t be too far away. How about we drive over to Pigeon Forge for dinner and a show?”
As if he’d overheard the offer, her brother was now shooting dirty looks at Keith. She ignored him. Basically, if a man spoke to her, he got the look. But Keith was sweet. And she thought it was cute that he got nervous asking her out.
If her family had to pick someone for her, she had a feeling Keith would sail through with flying colors.
“I’d love to,” she assured him. She squeezed his hand under hers.
And she almost convinced herself she’d like to go out with him as much as she wanted to spend time with Zack.
Chapter Twelve
Fourteen steps from the road to the front door.
That was what weighed on Zack’s mind as he faced the front door of the Sugar Springs Veterinary Clinic. He’d parked his car, stepped to the sidewalk, and then counted.
And now he had to go in.
He stared at the oak door, not bothering to peer through the frosted panes to the inside. Cody knew he was coming today. Holly had set it up, and Nick had confirmed it Saturday night. But what the hell should he say to him?
Nick had also been helpful with that.
Don’t push. Don’t be an ass. And don’t act like the fact that they were brothers didn’t matter.
Not that he’d planned to do any of those things. But given that his walls went up when he was uncomfortable—and both Nick and Cody had already experienced this—Zack supposed it was good advice.
His mother had given her own advice the day before. Be nice. As well as asked him about a million questions about his trip.
She’d wanted to know what all he’d done since he’d been there, what he and Nick had done, what they’d said, and if they were getting along. But she’d also asked about the town and the people. She’d specifically narrowed in on Holly.
She’d apparently let her imagination run wild while she’d been sitting home alone. She thought Holly sounded exactly like the type of girl he needed.
He’d reminded her that first, he didn’t need a girl—a woman. And second, he had a career to get back to.
She’d waved away his concerns and asked about the festival he’d also mentioned.
And he’d been right. She wanted him to bring her.
He’d made no promises. He had to get back to work next week, and then he’d see if he had time to make it up for the weekend. Or if there would even be a place to stay.
The door opened in front of him, and a curly-haired woman stared out from behind round glasses. The gray of her hair reminded him of the color of battleships.
“Did you need something?” she asked. Her mouth was pursed so tight that tiny lines sloped up to the edges of her lips. “We don’t allow no solicitors in here.”
“I’m not a solicitor, ma’am.” It irritated him to call this woman ma’am, but his mother had taught him manners once upon a time. Even if he didn’t always use them.
She looked him up and down. “I know you’re not. But I’m not sure we take what you’re selling either.”
Looked like Cody had his security team on hand.
“Cody knows I’m coming,” he told the woman as politely as he could manage.
“He know you were just going to stand on the front porch?”
There was something about the people of this town. They either annoyed the piss out of him . . . or they annoyed the piss out of him.
Yet somehow, most of them grew on him.
This one didn’t.
He gave the woman his scary look and asked, “Can I come in?”
She returned her own scary look. “I reckon,” she said. “It’s an office building. Not my front door.”
With her words, she turned and disappeared back inside. The door closed in front of him and he rubbed his hands down the sides of his legs. Then he looked down at the jeans he wasn’t yet accustomed to.
He’d picked up several more pairs yesterday. Along with work boots, loafers, a pair of sturdy gloves, and a few polo shirts. He’d even tossed in a couple T-shirts on his shopping spree, thinking they would be more appro
priate in the event he ended up helping Nick again.
The work hadn’t been bad. He wouldn’t want to do it all the time, but he hadn’t been involved in any kind of construction since before he’d started law school. He and his dad used to handle random projects around the house for his mom. She’d preferred things done by them instead of hiring outside help.
Didn’t mean she’d always gotten her way, but when time had allowed, he and his dad had done just that. Until Zack had become too busy. Then it had all been left to his dad.
He saw the woman from inside giving him the evil eye again so he wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and pushed open the door.
The smell of dogs, cats, antiseptic, and Pine-Sol hit his nose at once.
None of them were overwhelming, but mixed together, they stung the senses.
“I let Cody know you’re here,” the woman snipped out. She’d moved to sit behind the reception desk, and her nose was stuck in the air as if he were the thing that smelled funky in the room.
“Thanks,” he said, but she was already ignoring him.
Zack roamed the small room, not in the mood to sit. No one else was there other than him and the grizzly bear behind the counter, but he did hear the occasional bark from the back.
The waiting room held six armchairs, a small rustic bench that looked to serve as a seat, a basket of magazines, and a fake plant perched on a coffee table. There were a handful of posters on the walls. They all advertised different services or products the office offered.
A creak sounded behind him and he turned. Cody stood in the doorway. His expression was not welcoming. But at least he was there.
Zack could see so much of himself in the face looking back at him that it set him on edge.
The man was guarded. He was careful. And he had walls.
“I couldn’t get him to sit down,” the old lady said.
Zack eyed her again. He tried his scary look once more. The old bat hadn’t even suggested he sit. Her nose went back in the air.
“That’s okay, Ms. G.,” Cody said. “Thanks for letting me know he was here. And thanks for covering this morning. Amy should be in any minute.”
