by Jen Talty
“Hi, Lilly,” Hannah said as she rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.
“She’s tired,” Kaylee said.
“I won’t keep you then, but I was hoping I could stop by later today to help you plan out Hannah’s party. I’ve got some awesome ideas.”
Destiny clenched her fists. Lilly was trying to steal her business.
“I appreciate your offer, and you always do a great job, but you’re busy, and now that we have a professional party planner, I thought I’d let her do it. That way I can sit back and relax and so can you.”
Lilly let out a long sigh. “I certainly hope you can pull this off.”
“I know I can,” Destiny said with confidence. Running tables required her to be the most confident person in the room, even when she wasn’t.
“I have to get going.” Kaylee pulled Destiny in for a big hug. “You’re the best. I’ll talk to you soon.” Kaylee glanced both ways before practically running across the street, leaving Destiny standing alone with Lilly, who had daggers shooting from her ice-blue eyes.
“If you need any help, let me know. I have a lot of contacts,” Lilly said.
“I appreciate that,” Destiny said. “Now, are you sure you don’t want to take a chance on me? Come on in and I can show you some ideas for your parents’ wedding anniversary.” She plastered on the widest smile she could manage, which she hoped hid the fact she clenched her jaw.
A flashy Mercedes rolled to a stop and pulled into one of the free parking spaces.
“Sorry. This is my client, and I’m showing him a couple of places in the area, so I’ve got to go.”
A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair stepped from the vehicle. He lifted his sunglasses to his forehead, showing off a pair of gray-blue eyes. Destiny guessed him to be in his sixties. But for an older man, he was quite attractive with his fit frame and five o’clock shadow.
“Hello, Mr. Rivers.” Lilly turned on her heels and sashayed down the sidewalk. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, keeping his gaze stuck on Destiny.
She tried to look the other way, but his stare mesmerized her. There was something in his eyes that made her want to turn and run as fast as she could in the other direction. His smile made her blood turn cold. She’d met men like him before. He was the kind of man that at first glance was the perfect guy. Kind. Caring. Charismatic. But he was anything but.
He pointed to Destiny. “Is that your store? Destiny’s Dream?”
“It is.”
“Is your name really Destiny?” the man asked.
She swallowed. “It is, and if you need any help planning any kind of event, I’m your gal.” She folded her arms across her chest, running her hands up and down her biceps. A chill continued to sweep across her skin.
“Do you have a card? I might just take you up on that offer,” he said.
“Mr. Rivers. We should really get going,” Lilly huffed, tapping her foot against the concrete as she held the passenger door open.
Destiny reached in her back pocket. “I left them inside. Give me one second.”
“We really don’t have time—”
Mr. Rivers held up his hand. “We can wait five minutes. Please, go get me your card.”
“I’ll be right back.” She turned and walked at a normal pace into the shop. She glanced once outside.
“Here you go.” She pushed through the door and handed him her card. “I put my cell on the back. It’s the best way to reach me. I’m not always in my office.”
“Wonderful. If I buy a place here, or near here, my wife and I will be hosting many parties for some very wealthy people who would also be in need of your services.”
“Sounds perfect.”
He wrapped his fingers around her hand and raised it to his lips.
She resisted the urge to yank it away. That would be rude. So, instead, she smiled sweetly.
“I think we’re destined to meet again.”
Wow. What a line. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you have a great day.” No way would she be encouraging him to hit her with another pickup line. Or anything else for that matter. If he called her for a job, she’d do it with a smile. If he didn’t, she wouldn’t care.
Now if he were Mason, that might be a different story.
Oy. She needed to get Mason off her brain once and for all.
Mason set the bowl of dog food on the kitchen floor. Coop, his crazy German shepherd, sat and stared at him with his head cocked.
“You’re a dog. You eat dog food. I’m a human. I get the steak.” Who was he kidding? In about five minutes, he’d be dropping a few chunks in Coop’s bowl, and both dog and man knew it.
Mason glanced out the kitchen window. The sun hovered over the horizon as the light-blue sky collided with the pending darkness of night. He’d been trying to come up with a reason to knock on Destiny’s door. Not only had she stole his breath, but she had entered his dreams. In all the years he’d been renting the cottage, he never wanted anything to break. But today he wished something would go upside down, and Destiny would have to call him, giving him the excuse to go over, take a look, and spend time with Destiny.
“Maybe I should send you over,” he said to the dog, who still sat by his bowl, waiting patiently for his portion of meat. “Could you manage to behave yourself and not jump on the pretty lady?”
Coop whined.
He was a good dog. Friendly. But all people ever heard was ferocious bark. Even more frightening than that was his one-hundred-and-twenty-pound frame of solid muscle. No matter how happy he behaved, most people, when first meeting him, were utterly terrified.
Mason cut up the steak, tossing what he knew he wouldn’t eat in the bowl, and Coop immediately went wild, gobbling up both the dog food and the steak.
Nursing a longneck, he looked for signs of life from the cottage. Her beat-up, old, small SUV had been backed into the space next to the house. She’d gotten home while he’d been in the shower, but he hadn’t seen her come outside.
Yet.
And when she did, he was going to find an excuse to go out and chat. He had what he would say all planned out, telling her what he could about Jake’s case and then asking her how things were going with work and if there was anything she needed with regard to the cottage. Then he would ask about the garden. Not that he knew anything, but it should keep the conversation going. If it didn’t, he’d take the hint that she wasn’t even remotely interested in him outside of the landlord/tenant relationship.
Coop finished his last morsel with a big lick and a groan, knocking over the metal bowl. Satisfied, he lay down at Mason’s feet, his heavy tail thumping back and forth. Technically, Coop was still a puppy, just shy of being a year old. Mason had spent a fair amount of time training him, and for the most part, he was well-behaved but easily excitable.
A noise from the cottage caught both Mason’s and Coop’s attention. A deep growl, followed by two menacing barks, echoed in the kitchen. Coop’s watchdog abilities were getting better and better. He raised up on his hind legs, pressing his bear-like paws on the door.
“She’s friendly,” Mason said, patting the dog’s head. “Want to go meet her?”
Coop dropped to all fours and ran in a circle, knocking over the coat stand and nearly putting Mason on his can.
“Calm down,” he ordered. “Leash.”
Coop shook his head.
Mason repeated the command, “Leash.”
Coop lowered his head, taking the leash that had fallen with the coat stand between his teeth and dropping it at Mason’s feet.
“Good boy.” He bent over, securing the leather rope on Coop’s collar and getting a few licks in the process. “You’ve got some serious nasty breath. Let’s get you a treat.” Mason grabbed one of the bones that claimed to give your dog fresh breath, as if that were really possible. If he left them on the counter, they’d be gone. A lesson he learned the hard way a few months ago.
He pulled back t
he door an inch. “Beer. I should bring her a cold beverage.” Just as he reached for the fridge, his sister’s cell popped up on his phone. He accepted the call. “Hey, Kate, what’s up?”
“I lost the business card of the party planner.”
“I gave one to Brett; ask him for it,” he said, setting two beers on the counter.
“I want you to introduce me to her.”
“Why? You’re completely capable of making an appointment to discuss Brian’s birthday party,” Mason said, knowing full well his sister only wanted to try to size up his neighbor as a potential girlfriend for him, and that just wasn’t going to happen.
“Brian is turning ten. That’s double digits. He deserves the best party ever. Why don’t I stop by the station tomorrow on my way to work, and we can walk over to her store?”
“I can’t guarantee when I’ll be in the office. Someone has to patrol these fine streets.”
“I’ve got a bunch of stuff to do in town, so I’m sure I’ll catch you.”
Mason groaned. His sister meant well, but she could be a huge pain in the ass, and often embarrassing.
“Have you asked her out yet? I hear she’s single.”
The door creaked opened, and Coop bolted.
“Shit, Coop, get back here.” But the dog didn’t listen as he bolted across the yard. “I’ve got to go.” He stuffed his phone in his back pocket and ran out the door. “Coop!”
Destiny looked over her shoulder and dropped whatever was in her hands.
“He’s really friendly. He won’t hurt you. But he might lick you to death,” Mason yelled as he tried to catch the dog. “No jumping, Coop. Be nice to the pretty lady.”
“Be nice,” Destiny repeated, holding up her right hand. “Sit,” she said with a stern voice. “Stay.”
Coop skidded to a stop, whining, but he didn’t knock Destiny over, which was a good start, but Mason just got sucker-punched in the gut.
Destiny’s curly hair rested on her shoulders. She wore a red tank top and a pair of weathered jean shorts that hugged her hips like an hourglass. Her wide blue eyes blinked wildly as she braced herself for impact.
“Come here, Coop,” Mason said as he snagged the dog’s collar. “Heel.”
Coop whined more, his dangerous tail smacking Mason in the thigh with a loud thwack. “Sorry if he scared you.” That was a dumb thing to say considering she handled the dog like a true dog owner. His heart fluttered. Dogs had always been the deal breaker with him when it came to women. He couldn’t imagine his life without a four-legged furry friend, but he could see his life without a woman.
That was pathetic.
He hoped she liked dogs.
“He’s a big one,” she said, bending to one knee.
He was about to tell her that wasn’t a good idea, but Coop started sniffing, and she started petting, and the next thing he knew, she had her arms around the dog’s neck, laughing, while he licked her wildly but didn’t knock her over.
Thank goodness.
“You’re a big old, harmless thing, aren’t you?” she cooed, scratching his ears as she stood. “I thought I heard a dog barking when I moved in, and then I saw him running like a wild beast yesterday. I take it he’s yours?”
“This is Coop. He sounds like an attack dog, and he certainly lets me know when someone is here, but he’s still a puppy. We’re lucky he didn’t jump on you. I would wager he weighs more than you do.”
Destiny scrunched her nose.
God, he was an ass. Never mention a woman’s weight.
“I pulled out a couple of beers before Coop took off running,” he said, trying to change the subject before she sent him packing. “Shall I go get them?”
Destiny glanced around, her thumbnail between her teeth.
“I’ll be right back.” He handed her Coop’s leash and raced off toward his house She hadn’t said no. Actually, she’d said nothing at all, which meant she was contemplating saying yes, so why wait until the other part of her brain kicked in and she said no.
Crap. He was turning into Lilly.
One beer. Just one. Then he’d go home, watch some television, and go to bed, not thinking about Destiny and the music they could make between the sheets.
When he returned with the drinks, she had parked herself at the garden table in the backyard, Coop at her feet. The dog barely even glanced up at him.
Could he blame him? Destiny made for better company, even to a dog.
“Looks like you made a friend,” he said, setting the beer down on the table in front of her, holding his out.
“He’s a good dog,” she said.
“Here’s to Coop.”
The dog popped his head up for a second while they clanked glasses. Mason sat across from her, thankful he’d brought his shades as the blinding sun smacked his face, making it hard to see the beautiful woman who had his stomach turning in knots. Living in a small town made the dating scene awkward. Lately, he just hadn’t dated.
“I’m glad you were here when he got out. I’m a dog lover, but I wouldn’t have known how to stop him from jumping on me, and that would have hurt.”
“The massive amounts of saliva alone would have drowned you.”
She laughed, tossing her head back, exposing the soft crevices of her kissable neck.
He lifted the glass bottle to his lips, trying to hide the fact he was indeed staring. Her blonde hair with steaks of brown caught the sunlight in her twisty, tight curls, reminding him of a cascading waterfall. The way her lips curled over the beer bottle sent a fire through his bloodstream. The last time a woman made his hands tremble with nerves had been Coleen.
“How goes things with work?” he asked.
“Well, Kaylee hired me, and I have three appointments tomorrow. One from someone who lives in Relcor County. She said she overheard Kaylee talking about me.”
“Kaylee’s a good person to get to know. She’s had some hard knocks in life, and for a while, she was a little misunderstood, but she’s well respected and everyone likes her, even Lilly.”
“Kaylee and I ran into Lilly today, and Lilly had offered to help plan Hannah’s party. I thought it was in poor taste to do it in front of me.”
Mason chuckled. “I shouldn’t be shocked that Lilly would actually offer. She would give you her last dollar, if it benefited her in some way. She comes off all unicorns and rainbows, but that horn will cut you, and she won’t hesitate to rain on your parade.”
“Oh, my God. That wasn’t funny.”
“I thought it was hilarious.” He winked, holding up his beer. “Lilly is ultimately harmless.”
Destiny shook her head. “She actually called me a half hour ago. I didn’t take the call, but she left a message saying that she’d like to at least hear my ideas for her parents’ wedding anniversary party.”
“I would be surprised if she hired you, but only because she actually does enjoy throwing parties.”
“That’s exactly the kind of client I need.”
“You have no idea what you’re getting into.” He let out a slight chuckle. “I suspect if anyone could take her on, it would be you.”
Destiny arched a brow. “What’s your history with Lilly?” She tipped her beer before taking a large swig. She told herself the more she knew about everyone in town, the more likely she’d be able to land their business.
“If you must know, she and I were good friends in grade school. When I was dating my high school sweetheart, Carol, Lilly was dating Carol’s brother, so we hung out a lot. She was much different back then. Very down to earth. After a bad breakup recently, Lilly was actually a good sounding board. It reminded me of who she used to be, so I made the mistake of taking her out a few times.”
“She must have missed the memo of your breaking up. Oh wait, you don’t do the kiss-off thing that well.”
He laughed. “You’ve got me pegged. I just didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I’ve been on the other end of that, and it never feels good.”
�
��You are literally too kind.”
Mason stood, holding out his hand. He wanted to feel her dainty fingers intertwined with his. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” She glanced between his hand and his gaze.
“The path to the lake. You should know where it is.”
“Is it a long walk?”
“A mile at most. And I need to give this dog a good walk, or he’ll never settle down tonight.”
She took his hand, and he led her to the far-right corner of the property where two bike reflectors marked the path. There was always concern that the town council would manage to turn this forever wild patch of woods between his property and the lake into condos, or worse, an expansion of the park right into his backyard.
Coop proudly trotted between him and Destiny.
They stepped into the clearing by the public park. He pointed to the big white house across the lake. “See that massive place?”
“I do. It’s breathtaking.”
“That’s Blaine and Kaylee’s bed and breakfast.”
“Wow,” she said softly.
“When I was in sixth grade, I had the biggest crush on Kaylee. Of course, she was three years older than me and only had eyes for Blaine, but I used to come here and fish off those rocks over there, waiting for hours to just catch a glimpse of her.”
“You were a stalker.” Destiny jogged onto the dock with her arms outstretched. She twirled around in a circle like a little girl. “I didn’t believe that the lake was this close when I signed the lease.”
“I told you, and I always show images of the trail and lake in the online listing.”
“I’ll be honest; I didn’t really look. All I cared about was that it was a one-bedroom, outside of town, but close enough I could walk to work if I wanted. But now I can walk here.” She bent over before jumping up in the air and laughing like a schoolgirl. “That beer went right to my head.” She plopped herself down on the dock. “Why can’t the cottage be on the lake?”
“Because I don’t own the property between—”
“That was a rhetorical question.”
Mason hung back. Since no one was around, he let Coop off his leash. “Go get it, boy,” he said as he hurled a stick across the park. “Tell me something about yourself that not many people know.”
