by Rita Herron
Chapter 2
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Had Grammy Rose also given her an heirloom ring to wear so she would dream about her future husband?
Impossible. She was never getting married. Mimi laughed and ran her finger over the hope chest's velvety grape-colored lining. On top of the lavender tissue paper lay a pale pink envelope, but she heard Seth's car coming, so she stuffed the letter in her purse' deciding to read it as they drove.
Seth parked the Lexus and climbed out, snow dotting his thick hair and glistening on his bronzed skin. He'd buttoned his suit coat to hide the tear in his pants. Mimi stifled a giggle.
"What's inside?" Seth asked.
"I'm afraid to look."
"Don't be silly. Nothing in there could possibly affect your future."
Mimi bit down on her lip. Seth lifted the tissue paper and her stomach flip-flopped. A beautiful bouquet lay in the center of the hope chest.
Two wedding bouquets in one day—not a good sign.
"Grammy Rose carried this bouquet when she married Gramps. I saw a picture of it in her photo album."
"See, nothing so strange about that."
Right. Nothing earth-shattering happened. No knight in shining armor appeared. Just dull Seth Broadhurst in a gray Lexus.
Mimi pushed aside the remaining tissue, her gaze resting on a blue-and-white baby quilt, a rocking-horse design appliquéd on the front. An antique silver baby rattle lay beside it.
"Now I know Grammy's confused," Mimi said with a nervous giggle. "I'm certainly not mommy material."
"Anyone can see that."
Mimi narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing." Seth shifted onto his other foot. "Just that I can't see you having kids."
"Well, I can't see you having them, either."
Seth arched a brow. "And why is that?"
"You'd probably psychoanalyze them to death."
"I would not."
"So you want children?" Mimi asked.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"Forget it." Seth glanced up at the dark clouds.
"Hurry up and see what else is in there so we can get going."
Mimi nodded, still stinging from his comment about her and motherhood. "Look, Grammy included her recipe book."
"I guess she thought you could use it at the coffee shop."
"I'm not going to work there forever," Mimi said, slightly defensive. "I'm trying out for a part in that soap opera that's going to be filmed in Atlanta called Scandalous. They need a belly dancer." Mimi turned around and shook her body, snowflakes splashing her cheeks.
* * *
The image of Mimi Hartwell in a harem costume was sexy and titillating. Not at all an appropriate way for Seth to be thinking about Hannah's sister.
He quickly squelched it. Mimi was a bona fide wannabe actress who probably changed boyfriends more often than he changed socks. Besides, the storm was getting worse and they needed to move.
Mimi slammed the chest shut. "Let's put it in the car and get going."
Grateful to be pulled back into reality, Seth helped her lift the hope chest and situate it in his trunk. Mimi rushed to the passenger side and climbed in, shivering and damp. He jumped in and turned on the heater, wishing he'd invested in snow tires.
Mimi adjusted the radio to a soft-rock station and began to hum softly, her voice melodious and rich, her hands fidgeting with an envelope in her hand. He turned his attention to his driving, the wind swirling snow through the wooded area around them, the road already growing slick. Tree limbs bowed with the weight of the snow, and a bitter wind wheezed through the trees, occasionally cracking thin branches and flinging them into the road. He dodged the branches and braked, shifting to low gear as he wound down the mountain.
"This weather's making me nervous," Mimi finally said. "I can hardly see the road."
Seth was uneasy, too. "Now that it's dark, it's only going to get worse."
"You think we'll make it back to Sugar Hill?"
Seth shrugged, his shoulders tight as he gripped the steering wheel. "I'll do my best to get us there."
The envelope rustled in Mimi's hands as she twisted them together. "Good, I have plans later on tonight."
A date? Had Mimi already recovered from Joey and moved on to someone else? Or was she planning to visit Joey in prison?
The thought irked him, although he didn't know why.
The car was growing warm, and he saw that she'd relaxed, so he adjusted the heat, faintly aware of the exotic scent of her perfume. With the windshield fogged, the blizzard whirling around them and some mellow oldie playing on the radio, the interior of the car suddenly seemed way too intimate.
He yanked at his tie, loosening the knot at his neck. "What is that perfume you're wearing?"
Mimi smiled, obviously thinking he liked the strong scent. "Passion Point. You're supposed to dab it on your…"
He arched a brow.
"Well, you know. All your erogenous zones."
Which must have been her whole body.
Seth swung his gaze back to the road, the blur of imagined fantasies nearly blinding him to the white haze in front of him.
The radio announcer bleeped in. "Folks, we're in the midst of a full-fledged winter storm alert. Already some major expressways have been closed for safety reasons. We're advising you to stay off them. If you're a traveler, seek shelter in a hotel until morning when snowplows can clear the roads." He finished by listing areas suffering from downed power lines and trees.
"I guess we'd better try to find a hotel," he said. Mimi narrowed her eyes as if spending the night at the same hotel with him was a horrendous imposition.
Well, he wasn't too happy about it, either, but he was too much of a gentlemen to say so. After all, he had an important date tonight, too.
Of course, his date was a copy of Strategies for Coping with Divorce in the Single-Family Home, but he didn't have to tell her that.
Mimi avoided looking at Seth, uneasy about the hazardous conditions, but Hannah had always claimed Seth was completely reliable. Not mind-boggling in the love department, but dependable. Come to think of it, Hannah had never mentioned that she'd slept with Seth, but Mimi had assumed they had. She'd also assumed Hannah hadn't talked about their love life because it had been lacking in umph. Seth probably had to consult his pocket calendar to schedule sex. Seth never did anything impetuous, could be depended on to keep a cool head—exactly what she needed when surrounded by a raging blizzard. Someone who wasn't driven by hormones, as Joey had been.
Feeling calmer, she opened the letter and smiled at her Grammy's loopy handwriting. She could almost hear her grandmother's Southern drawl…
My spunky little Mimi,
You have always been special to me because you were the middle child, the one who tagged along to her older sister's recitals, the one who wore hand-me-downs and rolled with the punches whenever there were problems. You never ran from a fight, never fussed when your dad was too busy working to come home at night, never complained that you never got anything first. You have a heart of gold, an infectious smile, and you're a sucker for strays. You made us laugh when we thought there might never be laughter in the house again.
You're feisty and witty, creative and determined, but independent to a fault. You know how to have fun in life and laugh at your problems. You are a survivor. I hope you learn to trust in others, to take comfort, as well as offer it.
I wish for you happiness and true love, and a man who will be your equal and give you all the joy a partner can give.
Love you always,
Grammy Rose
Mimi blinked back tears, her heart contracting. She'd always been the misfit child, the one who got in trouble. Hannah had been the responsible, studious one, the one everyone admired.
"What's wrong?" Seth asked.
Perceptive shrink, wasn't he? "Nothing," Mimi said, unable to voice how much the letter meant to her.
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"Then why are you crying?"
"I'm not."
Seth shook his head as if irritated. "Why do women always do that?"
"Do what?"
"Get angry or upset, then claim nothing's wrong when a guy expresses concern."
"Maybe because it's none of your business."
Seth's mouth tightened. "Sorry. I was only trying to be nice."
"Or trying to analyze me, sneaky shrink-style."
He shot her a dark look. "I'm not a sneaky anything. Why are you so paranoid about psychiatrists, anyway?"
"There you go analyzing again. Must be a habit."
"I'm not analyzing you, Mimi. Like I said, I was only trying to be your friend."
Mimi shrugged. "Sorry. I guess I took it the wrong way. Must be that whole Mars-Venus thing."
"I guess." A small smile tugged at Seth's mouth. "There's a hotel over there. I'm going to stop."
"I'll wait in the car." Mimi gestured toward her bridesmaid's dress.
"Right. It might look a little odd."
Several cars filled the lot as Mimi toyed with the letter, rereading the heartfelt words while she waited.
Seth returned with a scowl on his face. "No rooms."
Mimi patted his arm. "Don't worry, Seth, we'll find something."
His blue eyes flickered with doubt, but Mimi believed in the value of optimism. He continued down the winding mountain. She searched for a music station on the radio, but every station focused on the weather, only adding to the mounting tension.
Thirty minutes later, Mimi's optimism had faded along with the visibility and any hope the blizzard would let up. Seth had tried a small motor lodge, a bed-and-breakfast and one place with a purple door and orange lights that Mimi had negated on sight—it looked a little seedy and was in a bad section of town. Finally they veered toward the apple houses near Ellijay. Seth clenched his jaw so tight she expected to hear bone grinding any minute. A few miles later, Mimi spotted a large well-known hotel, the Magnolia Manor.
"There have to be rooms here," she said, pointing to the long drive.
"Let's hope. I'm low on gas now and the highway's closed." Seth steered the car up the drive at a turtle's pace and parked in front of the sprawling hotel. He returned minutes later with a tight expression on his face.
"Don't tell me this big place doesn't have any rooms."
He held up his index finger. "No, they have one."
"That's great."
"Just one."
"What?"
"Just one room, as in a single one."
Mimi's stomach sank as Seth's meaning hit her.
They would have to share.
* * *
Seth knew he should offer to sleep in the car and let Mimi have the room to herself, But the idea of spending the night in the frigid temperatures was not appealing.
Mimi's face registered surprise, then indecision, and for a moment, worry. "Look, Mimi, I can sleep on the floor if you want. You know Hannah and I were… What I'm trying to say here is … er—"
"I know you're safe," Mimi said matter-of-factly. "Believe me, Seth, I'm not worried."
Seth bristled, wondering why she thought he was safe.
"I hope the bar's open. Maybe we can get a drink and relax. You must be stiff from driving."
"Um, yeah. I saw a bar in the lobby." His shoulders were aching from the tense maneuvers down the mountain. And Mimi's perfume had made him slightly dizzy. And stiff.
"I hope there's a gift shop, too. I need a toothbrush and something to sleep in. I have to get out of this silly bridesmaid dress."
Seth stifled the images her comment brought to mind. Helping Mimi out of the dress and her sleeping in his arms … ridiculous. He didn't even like her. Did he?
"Let's do it," Mimi said.
He nearly jumped out of his shoes. "Do it?"
"Yeah, let's go." She hiked up her dress, revealing those beautiful legs of hers, and yanked at the neck of the dress, which had slipped lower as the evening had worn on.
He jerked his brain back to reality. She meant for them to take the room, not do it. Obviously Mimi didn't find him attractive, another stomp on his wounded ego.
She preferred rough types like that jailbird ex-boyfriend of hers, guys with tattoos who probably drove motorcycles and had ungodly piercing of assorted body parts—the exact opposite of him.
Which was perfect. He didn't want Mimi to be attracted to him. Even if she was the sexiest woman he'd ever laid eyes on. She wanted to be a belly dancer, for God's sake. And he was a respected psychiatrist. She probably needed to lie on his couch and let him analyze her erratic behavior.
Not lie on his couch and have him analyze her in the physical sense.
He locked the car and followed her, grateful to see the open bar and determined to steer his thoughts back on track. He'd simply reacted to Mimi's comment. First Hannah had dumped him, then her sister had insulted his male prowess. And Mimi's exotic perfume, which had driven him crazy for the past half hour, probably had some chemical in it that had affected his brain cells. It was a wonder the pheromones hadn't asphyxiated him.
Reminding himself he'd felt sorry for Mimi earlier, that he'd planned to offer her a shoulder to lean on if she was still upset over her boyfriend's deception, he straightened his tie and followed her. Yep, he'd put on his counseling hat and consider the evening with her as a job.
So they'd share a room later as friends—no, acquaintances—it was no big deal. No one but the two of them would ever know they'd been stranded together. And it was for only one night.
What could possibly go wrong?
* * *
Chapter 3
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Mimi studied the frown on Seth's face as they settled on stools in the crowded bar. Was he pining for Hannah? Thinking about their lost wedding night? Wishing he was in the honeymoon suite with Hannah, instead of here with her?
Stupid question. Of course he did.
"What would you like?" Seth asked.
"Huh?"
"To drink?"
Mimi noticed the bartender watching her, one elbow propped on the gleaming countertop. Soft music flowed from the speakers, an Eric Clapton tune filling the room. Suddenly self-conscious in the wrinkled dress, Mimi yanked the bodice up a notch. Unfortunately the movement drew attention to the drooping neckline, instead of diverting it.
Seth sent the bartender a dark scowl. Mimi considered ordering a fancy drink, something sophisticated, but she refused to put on airs for Seth Broadhurst or any man. "Give me a light beer. Whatever you have on draft is fine."
The bartender's sideways grin irritated her while one of Seth's dark-blond eyebrows rose.
"And you, sir?"
Seth tapped his fingers on the counter. "Scotch on the rocks."
His gold-and-black-onyx ring flickered in the overhead light. A class ring from Harvard. "Figures."
"What?"
She hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. "I said it figures you'd drink scotch. Probably the expensive stuff."
"There's nothing wrong with having class, Mimi."
Mimi indicated her beer. "Are you implying I don't?"
"No. Don't be so sensitive. You're analyzing everything I say, turning it into something it's not."
Regret pulled at Mimi. She was supposed to cheer him up. After all, he'd been nice to her the day Joey had been arrested. "I'm sorry, Seth. You deserve to drink whatever you want. I know it's been a bad day."
He seemed confused. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, er … watching Hannah marry someone else had to be hard."
The bartender handed him his drink, and he stared soulfully into the dark liquid, as if it held the answers to his problems. "I'm fine."
Mimi lifted her mug and took a small sip. "You don't have to pretend with me, Seth. I saw your face the day Hannah called off your wedding. And today…"
He met her gaze. "What about today?"
"Seeing Hannah marry someone else so soon aft
er your breakup, well, you haven't had time to get over her. After all, you two dated a long time, and she's so great."
He nodded. "Yes, Hannah is a great lady. I want her to be happy, Mimi. I told her that."
"You deserve to be happy, too." Mimi patted his arm sympathetically. "Don't worry. You'll find someone else, Seth. Just don't let Hannah ruin you for another woman."
"Is that what you think?"
"I don't know. Hannah's a hard act to follow. I love her to death, but I've lived in her shadow all my life."
"Ahh."
"What does that mean?"
"Sibling rivalry."
"We're not rivals, so don't start that shrink stuff again. We're best friends."
Seth sipped his drink. "So you're not jealous of her?"
"Of course not. I'm proud of Hannah."
"Me, too. Hannah and I are friends." He sipped his drink. "You looked a little uncomfortable today, too, Mimi. Has Joey ruined you for another guy? Is that the reason you're against marriage?"
Mimi shrugged. "Like Grammy said, he was just a passing fancy."
Seth chuckled. "Easy come, easy go?"
"Something like that." Mimi traced a finger along the rim of her mug. "Although he did ask me to wait for him while he was in prison."
Seth's incredulous look made her laugh. "But you refused because you can't wait that long?"
"No, if I really loved someone, I could wait." She shuddered as Joey's arrest replayed in her mind. The humiliation. Her father's face on screen, the police, Joey holding Hannah at gunpoint. "He deceived me. My gosh, Seth, he cheated Dad and threatened Hannah. If anything had happened to them…"
"Your father and Hannah don't blame you." Seth covered her hand with his. His hand looked huge, but it felt warm, almost electric, sending strange sensations skittering up Mimi's spine. Feelings she didn't recognize.
"You do know that, don't you?" He tipped up her chin with his thumb.
"Yes, but I feel so stupid. I should have seen through Joey, done something to stop him—"
"Don't blame yourself, Mimi. Joey was a con artist. A pro. This wasn't the first time he'd deceived people."
"I still wish I'd caught on to his game."
"So what did you say when he asked you to wait for him?"
