Hard Love
Scarlett Brooks
Copyright © 2019 by Scarlett Brooks
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
1. Annabelle
2. Luke
3. Annabelle
4. Luke
5. Annabelle
6. Luke
7. Annabelle
8. Annabelle
9. Luke
10. Annabelle
11. Luke
12. Annabelle
13. Luke
14. Annabelle
15. Luke
16. Annabelle
17. Luke
18. Annabelle
19. Luke
20. Annabelle
21. Luke
22. Annabelle
23. Luke
24. Annabelle
25. Luke
26. Annabelle
Epilogue
One
Annabelle
“Just one more, please,” Milly Arnold begged as I inched toward my equipment. Her newborn, Savannah Grace was cradled in her arms.
“I wish I could, but I need to get to my next shoot.” I tried to stuff the camera in my bag, but her husband Mitch blocked my exit. I was running behind schedule. I needed to leave, but the new parents weren’t easy to work with. They never were.
“Please,” he whispered. “If you go Milly will start crying again. It’s just a few pictures. It won’t take long.”
I exhaled, glancing at the time on my phone. I was already late. Did it matter if I added fifteen more minutes?
“Okay, sure.” My shoulders sank. Mitch looked relieved. It didn’t make a lot of sense to leave a paid gig with actual clients for volunteer work. Milly had enough referrals to hurt my reputation if I pissed her off.
“Thank you. Really.” He folded a fifty in his hand and tried to slip it to me.
“No that’s all right.” I waived him off. “We’ll make this quick and then your beautiful family can get back to your routine.” I faked a smile.
I lugged the camera and tripod into the sunroom. It didn’t help that Milly wanted portrait-style photos. I could have given her something more memorable if she had let me shoot the baby without all the stuffiness. I liked to move freely and take pictures as they happened. There was a reason this photo shoot had become a disaster. It was staged perfection.
I knew what I was walking into when I booked the date. Milly opened the door with a matching new mom outfit to her baby’s and Mitch wore a coordinating pink shirt. There was nothing carefree and natural about the way Milly did anything. She was a planner.
I tightened the fastener and looked through the lens. Mitch returned to the loveseat and put his arm around his young wife.
“Looks great. Now look at Savannah,” I instructed. “And then me.”
Click. Click. Click.
“Beautiful, Milly. You have that new mom glow.”
Mitch was as stiff as a statue. I didn’t know how to get him to loosen up after close to two hours of taking shots. I don’t know where he got the idea, but he suddenly reached over and brushed a curl from Milly’s face. She smiled gently at him, the baby’s eyes wide on her parents.
Click.
I looked up. “Got it. I think that was the one.” I stared in amazement. Ten minutes ago, I never would have believed that shot was possible. Milly and Mitch surprised me. I think they surprised each other.
I began to pack the equipment and zip up my bag. Milly met me at the door.
“Thank you for doing this.”
“Of course. You have a beautiful family. Congratulations again on the baby.”
She jostled her, wrapping a pink blanket across the baby’s chest. “She is perfect, isn’t she?”
I nodded. “I think all babies are perfect, right?”
Milly looked surprised, as if that couldn’t possibly be true. “What about you? Does it make you want one?”
I almost choked. “A baby?”
“Yes.” She laughed. “Isn’t your clock ticking? You’re almost thirty. That’s prime baby time.”
“Thirty isn’t old,” I responded. “Lots of women have babies much later in life.”
Milly was a friend in book club. I didn’t know her especially well. For her to insert herself into my life in such an intimate way felt like an invasion on many levels.
“But if you want a big family like Mitch and I do, then you should get started.”
My mouth almost dropped, but I kept my composure. “Honestly, I’m not thinking about it.”
“We started as quickly as we could.”
“I know. I was your wedding photographer nine months ago.”
“I could set you up.” She grinned, ignoring my jab at how quickly she had her baby. “What’s your type? Nerdy? Athletic? Or do you think another artistic type would be a good match?”
“Good bye, Milly,” I groaned, pushing the door open. “I’ve got a handle on my love life, thank you.”
“Will you be at the next book club?” She followed me on the porch. “I’m going to take Savannah.”
I spun around. “I thought we had a no kids policy.”
“Just this once,” she whined. “I’m breastfeeding. You get it.”
“Of course. I’ll work on these over the weekend and send you proofs to approve. All right?”
“I can’t wait.”
I lifted the trunk and carefully loaded in my gear.
“But if you change your mind, I can help you.”
I pretended not to hear her and drove toward my next appointment. I had volunteered to shoot the Evans Mill hot professionals calendar. It was an annual charity fundraiser that had become so popular the calendars were now being shipped around the country. I heard a few had been ordered in Europe. The months were divided into twelve professions. I had to photograph men in their work environment. The hotter the pictures, the better.
I had one final shoot before I could submit the proofs for print. I was waiting on the Stone & Winters location. The new doctors who had taken over Dr. Nichols’ practice.
In the ten minutes it took to drive from the newborn shoot to the office, Milly’s words irritated me the entire way. A baby? I didn’t need a baby. I was twenty-seven, not necessarily the definition of old hag.
I looked in the review mirror. It wasn’t as if I couldn’t date, but I didn’t have time. I was building a business. Creating a brand. I wanted to be Evans Mill’s go-to photographer. So far that meant spending my weekends at other couples’ weddings and shooting engagement pictures.
How exactly was I supposed to fit a baby into that scenario? Milly had no idea what it meant to run my own business. If I didn’t book shoots, I didn’t make money. Did she think I could cart a baby to a wedding? That a bride would be more enamored with my baby than with her bridal portraits? I knew the answer.
There was no room for a baby in this life I was creating in Evans Mill. I had barely carved out a place for myself. I parked in the employee parking lot at the back of Stone & Winters. Damn it, Milly. Why were you still in my head?
Two
Luke
My chest was bare. Running shorts rested at my hip bones. A drop of fake sweat ran from my sternum to my abs. I reached for the apron I sometimes wore around the shop and lumber yard. It was hanging behind the register. Luke was embroidered over the pocket.
I stared at Tammy, the receptionist for the business. Her eyes were
locked on my stomach. Had she never seen a man half-naked before?
“Where is Josh?” I asked. How the hell did he talk me into this? A photo shoot?
She shrugged. “Josh didn’t actually commit to the project.”
My eyes widened. “Didn’t commit?” I tried to find my cell phone but it was buried in a bag in the back room. “How is that possible? This was his idea.” I wanted to call him and curse him for bailing on me.
Josh was my best friend and business manager. I thought he was going to be a part of the project too.
Tammy bit her lip. “I’ll ask him again.” She pointed next to me. “Don’t forget the hammer and drill. I think you should tuck them in your back pockets.”
“Of course,” I scowled, slinging them around my waist. “Can’t forget the props.”
“It’s for charity,” she reminded me. “It’s going to a really good cause.”
I suppressed a growl. I was slathered up like a damn bikini model. I’d never once showed up for a day of work looking like this. Was I a playboy or a hardworking business owner?
“Where’s the photographer?” I asked.
Tammy’s eyes finally moved upward as if she heard me speak for the first time. “I’m not sure. I’ll check the parking lot in case she can’t get in. The doors automatically locked when we arrived.”
Tammy disappeared into the maze of hallways through the back of the store. It was afterhours on a Saturday and the place was quiet. Eerily quiet. Usually the shop and lumber yard echoed with the sounds of saws, hammers, and moving equipment.
A few moments later I heard two voices growing closer.
“Luke, I found her.” Tammy beamed. “This is Annabelle Simmons.”
The photographer stepped forward, lugging a bag on her shoulder. She struggled to keep it balanced, using her body as leverage.
“Hi.” She was distracted. “I know I’m late. I’m sorry. I was in a hurry and—””
She hadn’t noticed me yet. Annabelle was fiddling with a camera strap and wrestling with a set of lenses. She had long golden locks that fell over her shoulders. A set of long bangs swept half her face. Her cheekbones were dabbed with a rosey glow and I was instantly mesmerized by her pouty lips.
Fuck. She was gorgeous. This was not who I pictured when Tammy told me a professional was taking the pictures.
I cleared my throat. “I’m Luke Lincoln.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I had a newborn shoot, and those can be unpredictable.” She exhaled. “Plus, the parents wanted a hundred different angles.” She attached the lens to the end of the camera.
“You’re here now.” I smiled. “We only waited a few minutes,” I lied. Now that I had seen her, my tone softened.
“If you don’t need me for anything else, I’m going to duck out,” Tammy announced.
“What?”
“I have a husband to feed and the twins demanded spaghetti tonight, but you’re in good hands, Luke. Annabelle can handle this. She’s shooting the entire calendar. She knows what to do. I was just here to get the work space ready for you, really. I’ll just be in the way if I hang around any longer.”
“Is that so?” I eyed my front register clerk.
“She knows everything. I trust Annabelle explicitly.” Tammy grinned.
Annabelle laughed. “I’m not sure about that, but it is for charity,” she explained.
“Right.” I stuck my hands in the coat pockets. “Charity.”
“Everyone in Evans Mill is pitching in somehow it seems. As long as we sell a few thousand copies it will be worth it. I’m happy to volunteer my time. Aren’t you?” Her green eyes landed on mine. “We’ll be fine, Tammy. Thank you.”
Tammy zipped her jacket. “See? She’s a professional. I knew Annabelle could handle this without me. You two have fun.” She winked at me and I wondered how much of the calendar shoot was an orchestrated setup. It was hard to believe Tammy was that devious.
But it wouldn’t be the first time she had tried to set me up. It seemed like ever since she had her kids, she was dead set on finding a Mrs. Lincoln for me. I hadn’t convinced her yet there wasn’t enough time for that. I had a business to run. Employees to look out for. Dating was the last thing on my mind.
The office was quiet again once she left.
Annabelle lifted the camera to her eye. “Should we do it here?”
“Do it?”
“The shoot? Is this what you had in mind? I see you have the costume part down.”
“This wasn’t my idea.” I pointed to the apron. “Tammy thought it would help identify who I was.”
Annabelle laughed. “Every man gets a blurb and title in the calendar, but I think it’s cute.”
My brow furrowed. I was six foot five and lifted lumber every day for a living. Cute wasn’t how I described myself. Ever.
“But here?” she repeated. “Is this the spot for the pictures?”
I blinked. “I’m not the acclaimed professional. You tell me.”
She twisted her lips together as if she was unhappy with the scenery. “What if you sit on the counter?”
“I would never do that at work,” I argued.
“Do you usually walk around without your clothes in the shop?” she tested.
She was a smartass, but it broke the tension. “All right. I can see your point.” I hopped on the counter.
I wasn’t sure what to do with my hands or legs, but Annabelle was already taking pictures without any instructions.
“Don’t you need me to do something?” I asked. “Maybe we should head out back to the lumber yard. I could saw something.”
The camera was affixed to her face. “No. Just do what you’re doing. Or maybe smile a little.”
Okay, now I felt like an idiot. Smiling on top of the checkout counter? I was going to kill Josh for this.
The apron fell to the side and I thought I heard her inhale quickly. I tried to read her expression, but the camera blocked it. Annabelle walked closer. She twisted the lens in her hands and I felt as if she were zeroing in on every line of muscle running across my abs. Maybe she was.
“Why don’t you take the apron off?” she suggested. She looked up from the view finder.
I cocked my head. “Really? Seems a bit much for a charity calendar.”
She grinned. “The guys from the fire station did it. They didn’t have any complaints. Not a single shirt. I also shot the doctors at Stone & Winters the same way.”
It felt like a challenge. If the fire fighters posed like this, why shouldn’t I? I peeled the apron over my muscled arms as the shutter clicked repeatedly. I tossed it to the floor. I worked out every day of the week and had the taunt arms and chest to prove it. It came with owning the only lumber business in town.
There were no commercial shops in Evans Mill. If someone wanted to build a fence, deck, or new house this was where they bought the materials. I stocked everything from nails to silver polish. There was nothing easy about running Lincoln Lumber.
“Maybe hop down and walk to your office with a chart or something. Like you’re studying the numbers from the day’s sales. A few action shots will give me more to choose from,” she suggested.
“This isn’t action,” I argued.
“Just humor me.”
My brow furrowed, but I did as Annabelle asked. I grabbed a clipboard from the wall with a list of restocking items and started down the hall toward my office. She jumped in front of me, keeping a distance of a few feet between us.
“These are great,” she whispered. “The lighting in here makes the shots incredible. I love all the hardwoods in here. It looks raw and rustic. Truly beautiful. The wood is gorgeous.”
“I installed it myself.” I didn’t want to tell her how a fire had taken most everything I cared about. I had rebuilt L & L from the ground up with my bare hands.
“I love all of it.”
“But it’s dark.” I looked overhead. It didn’t make sense that I was anything but shadowed and may
be blurry. How could she see me?
“You can’t see what I can,” she answered.
“And what’s that?” I arched my eyebrows.
I was taller, wider, and stronger than Annabelle. I sauntered toward her one slow step at a time while she attempted to stay ahead of my pace. Without my shirt, I felt exposed and primal. Was this how a tiger felt? She was beautiful, lithe, and despite what little I knew about her, artistically gifted. We couldn’t be more different in our careers or statures.
“You’ll see it when the calendar comes out.” I took it as a taunt.
I chuckled. “You’re going to make me wait that long? Doesn’t seem fair. Not even the fire fighters get a peek?”
Annabelle stopped in the hallway. “It’s my way of driving up sales.” I saw the smirk on her face. “The library needs this kind of publicity.” She pointed at my abs.
“Funny.” I kept moving slowly until I reached my office.
“How far away are we from the lumber yard?” she asked.
I pointed over her shoulder. “It’s right through that door and down the steps.”
“I think I would like to try a few shots there before we lose all the light. Is that okay with you?”
I shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“Why don’t you walk in front of me?” she suggested. “I’ll follow you.”
As soon as I took the first step, I heard the camera go off. Did this woman just take a picture of my ass?
Three
Annabelle
I’d never seen a man look like that in a pair of jeans. I licked my lips as I followed him through the back door. It had to be just as athletic and muscled as the rest of his perfect body. I almost stumbled after him toward the lumber yard.
Hard Love (An Evans Mill Romance Book 2) Page 1
