She snorted. “You sure you can handle it?”
“I have you to protect me.”
She stopped before the large glass display of an empty storefront. Two tattered teddy bears stared back at them, one of them bigger than her. A seam on the larger bear had come loose, and stuffing popped out. “If you’re sure.” She narrowed her eyes, daring him to chicken out.
He smiled.
He’d asked for it. “Okay, well, this building used to be a toy store. The man who owned it prided himself on bringing in traditional toys that would stand the test of time. Wooden blocks for toddlers, handcrafted teddy bears, that sort of thing.”
He stared into the dusty store. “Sounds like a good business plan.”
“It was. People trusted his products.” She swallowed. “He didn’t have any family. So when he died, the building just sat here for several years. Finally, a young entrepreneur secured a lease and came in to clean up. He wandered upstairs, spent about five minutes up there, and then left town without saying a word.”
“Ooh. Interesting.” His attention turned to her, and her pulse raced.
She nodded. “People were curious. They pestered the sheriff to look in on things, speculating that there was a dead body up there somewhere, or that the previous owner was a hoarder and the young guy decided it wasn’t worth the cleanup.”
“Was there a body?”
She shook her head. “Worse.”
He leaned closer and whispered. “What’s worse than a dead body?”
“Dolls. Hundreds of Victorian dolls with hair made from the children who owned them and filled with their baby teeth.” She held the “th” sound just a second longer than necessary. Her arms broke out in goose bumps.
“Ew! That’s not true.” He tipped his head back to look up at the windows on the second floor.
“It’s true.” She assured him with all the confidence of someone who had firsthand knowledge of the situation. “The sheriff said he was fine being up there until he felt something brush his calf. When he turned around, there was a doll with lifelike eyes and a secret smile, sitting right behind him.” She lifted her shoe and brushed it against Asher’s calf.
He jumped forward, and she giggled. “Got ya.”
He laughed too. “How much of that was true?”
She held up a hand, swearing, “All of it.”
He stepped closer, moving the box to the side and keeping his eyes on her face, her lips.
She was suddenly overwhelmed by him, his scent, his wide shoulders, his intensity. “What are you doing?” she asked, a feeling of panic and jubilation rushing though her.
“There’s safety in numbers.”
She shook her head.
“Besides, I need to be close enough that if the dolls attack, I can throw you at them and run away.”
“Why do I believe you’d do that?” She started walking again. Her body was screaming at her to move, or to get closer and see what happened. Having him look at her so intently made her heart hammer.
“I wouldn’t.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “Contrary to popular opinion, I prefer being the knight in shining armor as opposed to the town yellow-belly.”
“Funny, because I seem to recall rescuing you.”
“An odd moment in my life.” He shifted the box. “Have you always lived here? Did you go to college?”
“Crystal and I talked about it, but with Grams here and the shop, we knew where we wanted to be. So many of our classmates moved away and haven’t come back. Our town is full of talent and promise, if we could just get them to invest in Eureka Springs instead of wanting to run away from it.”
“Why do they run away?”
“They think life will be bigger out there. Better.” She stopped and looked at him. “Is it?”
He stopped too.
She waited for an answer. For some reason, his answer to this question was important to her. She held her breath, waiting to see if he was the kind of man she so desperately hoped he was.
He thought for a moment. “People—not just you, but you do it too—but people like Norm and Cap and some others I’ve met, you all talk about this town like it’s family. I’ve never seen that before.”
She released her breath. “Eureka Springs IS family.” They made it to Curios and Curiositues, and she knocked on the door.
Becky hurried over from the register, where she was counting out the deposit. “Is that the order?”
“Sure is.” Brooklyn took the box and handed it over. “The invoice is inside. You can Venmo me.”
“Sounds great. Sorry I can’t chat.” Her eyes darted to Asher and back to Brooklyn. “I’ve got a ton of work to do.”
“No worries. I’ll see you later.” She waved, and they were off, meeting up with the tour, which had worked its way up the street. Naomi waved at them.
Brooklyn waved back. “Well, thanks for your help.” She tucked her hands in her back pockets to keep from hugging him goodbye like a friend or something.
He bobbed his head slowly. “You’re welcome. You know, this was nice. You’re not so bad when you’re not trying to run me out of town.”
She giggled. “Oh, I’m still trying to get rid of you. I’m just being nicer about it.”
He shook his head. “Thanks. It’s a lot easier to take when you flash that brilliant smile my way.”
She bit her lip, uncertain about how to proceed. He handed out compliments too easily, and she had a hard time accepting them.
Mollie moved the tour up the street. “Asher,” whispered Naomi, motioning for him to join her.
“I’ll see you later.” He smiled.
She smiled back, taking a quick moment to admire his chin. It was silly that she liked it so much, but it had character. “Sure.”
They stood there and stared at one another for a moment longer. Brooklyn didn’t want to let him go. She’d liked teasing him, and he was a good listener, easy to spend time with. She could go out with him—once or twice.
He was the first one to turn, breaking the spell that held her feet in place. She took a few steps and then stopped to watch him meet up with his sister.
She closed her eyes and pictured herself chatting with him across a white linen tablecloth. The image was pleasant and left her bubbly inside.
There was no harm in fantasizing, so she followed up dinner with a pretend goodnight kiss as she made her way around the building, up the steps, and through the apartment door.
Crystal was in the recliner, painting her toenails. “Hey.”
“Hey there.”
“Someone’s happy tonight.”
Brooklyn lifted a shoulder.
“Does this have anything to do with a certain land developer?” Crystal prodded.
“Maybe. Why do you ask?”
“I saw him carry your box.”
Brooklyn laughed. “It wasn’t scandalous.”
“Flirting with the enemy is always scandalous. Have you changed your mind about Mountain Cove?”
“No.”
“Have you changed your mind about Asher?”
She buried her face in her hands.
Crystal poked her leg. “It shouldn’t be that hard of a question.”
“He’s nice. Bad guys aren’t supposed to be nice.”
“Maybe you should look at it from his perspective.”
“Maybe.” She headed to her room. Was there another side to this situation? One she hadn’t considered before? She needed to think on that, because if Asher wasn’t wrong, that meant she was.
Chapter Fourteen
Asher
Asher followed the inspector as he tromped through the brush, stopping every now and again to drop into the trench and check the gas lines. This was the third utilities check this week, and he had no doubt that they’d pass with flying colors.
He stepped and heard a squishy sound. His mud boot had gone an inch into the muck. There were pockets of it everywhere thanks to the spring rain they’d had last night. He kept
walking. The smell of freshly washed air made up for whatever mud he tracked home with him.
“I’ve seen everything I need to. Here’s your yellow slip.” Gary scribbled his name on the bottom line of the inspection sheet, tore off the carbon copy, and handed it to Asher.
“Thanks. It’s been a pleasure.” Asher shook his hand.
Gary glanced around. “I have a feeling you’re going to keep me pretty busy for a while.”
“I hope so.” Asher smiled, wondering if Gary fell into the same camp as Brooklyn. She wasn’t the only local upset about the changes, but she was the most vocal. Or had been. He hadn’t seen her in eight days.
Eight long days.
When he got back to the house, Mr. Taylor was loading Naomi’s bags into the trunk. Sack after sack came out of the house. She’d shopped her way up and down Main Street for several days.
“You’re not really going to leave me here, are you?” He pouted as she came out carrying three hat boxes. His private plane would shuttle her wherever she wanted to go, so she didn’t have to worry about checking bags or weight limits.
She handed the boxes to the driver, Clark, who arranged them in the trunk. Asher would have to check his résumé, but the man might just have a degree in engineering, because he managed to make it all fit.
“You’d have plenty of female company if you’d just play nice with Brooklyn.”
He gasped and splayed his fingers over his chest in mock indignation. “I’ve been a gem.”
She pegged him with an I’m older and know better stare.
He deflated. “What am I supposed to do? She hates me.”
“She doesn’t know you. Give her a chance, and she’ll fall head over heels.” She reached for a hug. “You’re really a good guy, Asher. Act like it.”
“What if she doesn’t want me?” With all that Carrie had put him through a few years ago, including the manipulations and alienating his family, the biggest fear she’d created inside of him was that no one wanted all of him. His money? Sure, everyone wanted some of that. His time? That too. But the guy who liked to be busy and dig into projects, the one who wanted to know how machines worked and watch birds fly … that was the person no one wanted to keep.
“I don’t think it will be a matter of not wanting.” She grinned at him. “She wants you plenty; it’s allowing herself to have you that will be difficult.”
“Women are weird.”
She laughed loudly. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
He laughed as he hugged her. “I don’t like saying goodbye to you. I wish you’d stay.”
She patted his back. “I’m off to make my mark on the world.” She pulled back and squished his cheeks.
He laughed, gently pushing her away. “Go, then. I’ll send an email out warning everyone you’re coming.”
“It won’t stop me.” She kicked her leg behind her and blew him a kiss before getting into the back seat of the car. The driver nodded to him as he backed out. Asher watched her leave, a sense of dullness settling in.
He didn’t feel like heading back into the big, empty house, so he wandered back down to the dock. Repaired, so it wouldn’t strand him in the lake, the dock was made of treated lumber and steel. He rested his hands on the rail and watched a hawk circle above. Several boats went past The Cove, but none of them turned in. He’d had a buoy placed with a sign that said “Private Property.” It was standard procedure. The sooner people got used to the idea that this area was out of bounds, the better.
Just as he was about to head inside for lunch, the sound of a single paddle slicing through the water reached his ears. He leaned forward over the railing, hoping to see a blue paddleboard and a head of brown hair.
Brooklyn came into view, and his heart leapt. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Hey there!”
Her head whipped around and she stared at him, drifting, her oar dragging on one side. He waved her over. She shook her head and pointed at the sign. Even at this distance, he could tell she wasn’t happy about being kept out of The Cove.
He moaned. “Wait there!” He hurried to the end of the dock to where he’d hung a paddleboard several days ago. He’d actually hung three of them, hoping to convince Naomi or even Mrs. Morgan to go out on the lake. But neither of them had been in the mood to get wet. He shucked the mud boots and rolled his pant legs up to his knees. Carefully, he lowered himself onto the board and then paddled out to Brooklyn, grateful that she hadn’t gotten impatient and left.
When he got closer, he splashed at her with his oar, missing completely. “Good afternoon.” She looked lovely in a tank top and board shorts, her hair hanging loose.
She leaned away from him. “Are you sure you’re steady on that thing?”
The grin that split his cheeks was too strong to hold back. “I got here without getting my tie wet, didn’t I?”
She chuckled and splashed back at him, the water barely sprinkling his knees. “I’ve never seen someone paddleboard in a button-up and tie before. Is this standard attire for a private cove?”
“Of course.” He straitened his tie and met her eyes. They held gazes for a moment, the energy between them buzzing and growing in intensity.
She was the first one to look away. “Nice board.”
He pointed to the name painted on the side of hers. “I figured you knew what you were doing, and buying the same brand would serve me well.”
She ducked her head. “I’m an amateur at best.”
“Novice.” He raised one hand.
She smiled softly and briefly met his gaze again. “Want to see something?”
“Sure.” He wasn’t as confident as he tried to appear. But if she wanted him to follow her out on the open lake, he would.
She pointed to the sign. “Do I need a special permit to go in there, or is being with you going to keep me out of jail?”
He smirked. “I can’t make any promises.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But you’re paying bail.”
He grinned as he followed her into The Cove and to the right. They paddled in silence. He liked how quickly they moved even though they didn’t have to work hard. He’d tried rowing once in college and hated it. Not that the experience was bad, but the next day he could barely move. This worked his muscles but didn’t overtax them. And there wasn’t a guy with a megaphone telling him to keep up.
They passed Adam’s house and the dock and kept going until the waterway narrowed. At the very farthest in, he could hear water running. She turned and revealed a small waterfall.
About four feet high, the water came off a series of big rocks. It moved slow enough that the sound was muted until they were practically under it. He gaped. “How did I not know this was here?”
“The water comes from an underground spring about twenty feet that way.” She pointed up and to the right. “The current is slow. Unless you’d hiked down to the water’s edge, it’s unlikely you’d know it existed.”
He scrubbed at the back of his head. “It’s stunning.” The water was clear, and the rocks beneath were marbled with reds, black, and gray. Grass grew in patches along the flow, clinging to the black soil. The sound of it was like a cello, low and slow and singing over his skin. “It’s really beautiful here.” He tipped his head back and searched for the hawk he’d seen earlier.
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, it is Arkansas.” He hoped she could see the teasing in his eyes.
She laughed, startling a squirrel with full cheeks. He scolded her and ran away. “Best-kept secret around.” She paused and swallowed. “Why are you doing this?”
He knew she was talking about more than just a paddleboard ride. Though they’d been light and teasing, he wanted to give her a real answer. “Several reasons. The first being that a friend asked me to.”
“That’s a pretty big favor. How long is all this going to take?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “We start the foundation for the first hom
e in two weeks. It should take about nine months to build. There are several others right on its heels. The whole development should be done in two years.”
She blinked rapidly. “That’s fast.”
“That’s why he hired me. I’m good at this.”
She ran her hand along her oar.
“The truth is, I love what I do. I had a great-great-great-grandpa who headed west in search for gold. He carved out a piece of land, sold it a few years later, and did it all over again. There’s something about taming wild things and exploring and making my own way in my blood. I have more advantages, sure, but something like this—” He waved his hand around to indicate the mountains on either side of them. “—is a challenge even for me.”
“I just don’t want it destroyed.” She spoke so quietly, he had to lean forward to hear her.
“Me neither. Part of my mission is to preserve the land. Each home has to blend in with the surroundings and meet Eureka Springs’s building codes and requirements. Some of which are kind of out there, I gotta say.”
She chuckled. “That sounds about right. But how would you feel if someone wanted to develop your hometown?”
“I grew up in Phoenix.”
She threw her hands up. “Okay, bad example.”
An idea struck—one so brilliant he was already patting himself on the back. He paddled so they were right next to each other, their legs touching as they dangled in the water. “Will you show me your hometown?”
Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. “I thought you took the tour with Mollie.”
“I did. But I want to see your Eureka Springs—through your eyes.”
She pressed her lips together as she thought. “All right. But if I do this, then you have to call off the Mountain Cove development.”
“I can’t do that. My friend is a good person, and he has a vision for this place. And I believe in it.”
She frowned.
“I’ll buy you a funnel cake?” He’d seen the small shack at the end of town, not far from her shop. The smells that came from it made his stomach rumble, but he hadn’t, as yet, given in to temptation.
Her Billionaire Mistake (Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Book 1) Page 9
