by Tara Randel
“Yes. That very idea was pointed out to me the other night.” How had she allowed the conversation to move into this area? With a hard shake of her head, she returned to the sales counter.
Heidi followed and asked, “By Mrs. M.?”
Serena gathered up her pencils and closed the sketch pad. Her advanced calligraphy class would start soon. “No, um, Logan.” As she moved, she tripped over the stool leg and bumped the laptop. The dark screen came to life, showing the last image she’d called up, Logan’s senior picture. She let out a quick squeak but her friend had already seen the screen.
Heidi sent her a knowing grin. “Oh, yeah. And when did this conversation take place?”
“After dinner at the Mastersons’ house.”
“Interesting tidbit you left out.”
She shrugged, even though her heartbeat was racing. “It’s no big deal.”
“Really. Then why do you get all flustered when his name comes up?”
“I don’t know. He...confuses me.”
“In a good way or a bad way?”
“Both?”
Heidi laughed. “Explains why you’re looking him up. He was definitely in the ‘it’ crowd in high school.”
“What can you tell me about him?”
“I haven’t seen him much since he left town a long time ago. I used to be close to the Mastersons, but honestly, we lost touch through the years.
“Listen, I’m going to run by the printer then grab some coffee,” Heidi said. “Need anything while I’m out?”
“No.”
“See you in an hour.” Heidi strolled to the door, then stopped and turned, amusement sparkling in her merry eyes. “Speak of the devil.”
Serena glanced out the large store window to see Logan and his brother walking on the other side of Main Street. Logan was dressed in another button-down shirt and jeans. Headed to Smitty’s? And why should it matter?
When she didn’t respond, Heidi laughed and headed out into the sunny Golden afternoon. Once she was gone, Serena went to peer out the window to catch another glimpse of Logan.
What was it about him that had her at wit’s end? Sure, he was handsome. He loved his grandmother, which spoke volumes about his character. Gave her the chills when he caught her gaze or leaned a little too close. Good grief, could she be experiencing real feelings for the man? Were Mrs. M.’s matchmaking efforts working?
That wouldn’t do. Not now. Not with any man until she repaid her debt. Besides, Logan suspected her of something. That was the real reason a relationship with him would be risky. She was right to be wary. So why did that disappoint her so much?
Brushing aside her regret, she made the changes to the proposal and printed out a clean copy to drop off to Mrs. M. She was crossing the sales floor to get the calligraphy supplies when the front door opened and she heard a familiar voice... “Surprise!”
She turned and her jaw dropped. Her best friend from college stood just inside the door, two large rolling suitcases at her side.
“Carrie? What are you doing here?”
“Hoping you don’t mind putting me up while I take an impromptu vacation.”
Warning bells clanged in her head. “That doesn’t sound like you. You love your job.”
Her smile dimmed the tiniest bit. “Things change.”
Noticing her friend’s unease, Serena pulled her into a hug. After they squeezed each other tight, Serena stepped back. “I’m sensing there’s a story here.”
Carrie’s gaze slid away.
“Why don’t you take your things upstairs and we’ll catch up a little later.”
“You don’t mind?” Carrie asked in an uncharacteristically subdued tone.
“Are you kidding? I’ve missed my partner in crime.”
The old nickname brought a small smile to Carrie’s lips.
“Thanks.”
“What are friends for?”
“Remember that,” Carrie said, then quickly gripped the luggage handles and escaped to the apartment.
* * *
“SO HOW DID dinner go the other night?”
Smitty’s at lunchtime was loud and busy, and the day’s special feature of meat loaf smelled great. Logan settled into the hard pub chair before answering Reid’s question. His brother’s hair was messy and he wore a T-shirt and jeans, a far cry from the usual suit and tie he sported at the office. If anything, Logan was determined to find out what was going on with his less-than-communicative brother.
“Grandmother is worried about you.”
“You covered for me, right?”
“I told her that everyone should give you space.” Logan pinned his brother with a curious gaze. “That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
A muscle jumped in Reid’s jaw. “For now.”
Tired of sidestepping, Logan asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s up?”
Before Reid could reply, the pub owner ambled over. Shot Logan a wry glance. “This is the most I’ve seen you in town in years.”
“What can I say, Jamey? I’m in demand.”
Reid laughed. “He thinks he is.”
“Hey, it’s the truth. I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire.”
Reid raised an eyebrow. Jamey chuckled.
“I’m not feeling the respect here, guys.”
Jamey slapped him on the shoulder. “As long as you use Smitty’s as your base of operations while you’re in Golden, I’ll respect you every day of the week.”
Logan glanced up at the gregarious pub owner. “And if I take my business elsewhere?”
“All bets are off.”
“Figures.” Logan shook his head, but couldn’t deny how much fun he’d had hanging out with old friends since the case had brought him back to Golden. “I’ll have today’s special.”
“Me, too,” Reid said, and the owner set off to the kitchen.
The brothers sat in silence for a long, drawn-out moment before Logan spoke. “So what’s going on with you?”
Reid ran a hand through his thick hair. “I’m thinking of leaving Masterson Enterprises.”
Shock whipped through Logan. “No way.”
A busy server delivered two glasses of iced tea before attending to another table. Reid grabbed the glass and took a long drink. Logan knew his brother well enough to recognize the procrastination tactic.
“What’s really going on, Reid?”
Depositing his glass back to the scarred tabletop, Reid folded his arms and leaned forward. “Before I say anything, please know this has nothing to do with your decisions.”
This couldn’t be good.
“You took off right out of high school, Logan. I get why. The point is, I did the good-son thing. I went to college. Aced school. Came home to be part of the family business. And all I ever hear from Dad is how he wants you on board.”
Logan understood why Reid was upset. He hated that his father overlooked the son who actually wanted to be involved in Masterson Enterprises.
Reid met his gaze, eyes weary with emotional fatigue. “Bottom line? I’m not really sure what I want to do. That’s why I bought the house off Main. If I step down from ME, at least I have a place to stay while I figure out my next steps.”
“You always did your best thinking when you were working on a project,” Logan remarked. “You think Dad is going to fight your decision?”
Reid shrugged, but Logan could feel the weight of his gesture.
“I’m sure he will, but he can’t make me do anything. I’m not a kid any longer. Time he saw me as a man.”
Logan heard the unspoken “like you.” Again, he hated that his brother had to come to this crossroads. As Logan had discovered, the initial pain of a life-changing event was enough to bring you to your knees, but ultimately made you stronger. Or more stubborn in his case? His own epiphany might have come
earlier in life, but he was still proud of his younger brother for taking a stand now.
Logan lifted his glass to swallow the cool iced tea, then asked, “You’re going to tell Grandmother?”
“Yeah. To be honest, it wasn’t until I bought the house that things fell into place. I needed time to wrap my head around my decision. I can tell Gran now.”
Logan nodded. His brother was in for a battle. “Look, you know I have your back, right?”
Reid’s gaze, clear now, met his straight-on. “Always.”
“Then let me help you out.”
“In what way?”
An idea had been forming in Logan’s mind ever since the night he and his brother had talked out by the lake. He’d learned a long time ago to go with his hunches. He only hoped his brother was open to his suggestion.
Jamey returned, setting two heaping plates of meat and potatoes before them. The savory aroma had Logan’s stomach growling. Once the plate was half-empty, he returned to their conversation.
“Here’s my proposal. Let me move in with you for a while.”
Reid lowered his fork. “Move in with me?”
“Yeah, unless you’re afraid I might ruin your romantic mojo.”
Coughing, Reid made a fist and thumped on his chest. “No worries there.”
“Good. If I’m close by we can strategize.”
“Strategize what? I’m not entirely sure what I want to do with my future.”
“Sure you are. You just haven’t worked it out in your head yet.” Logan scooped another forkful of meat loaf, the tangy seasoning reminding him that his culinary skills in the kitchen were sorely lacking.
“You’d give up living in Atlanta? Away from Dad?”
“For a while. The PI office is running smoothly, so my people can handle things until I get back. I’m working on a case that has me coming up to Golden pretty frequently, anyway. If I’m here, I can focus without the distraction of driving back and forth. Plus, you have the honor of using me as your sounding board.”
Reid let out a sharp laugh.
“Okay, a brotherly shoulder to lean on?”
Reid pushed away his plate. “I don’t want you to blow into my life, pressing me to make decisions. You’ll be another version of Dad.”
Logan placed a hand over his heart and reared back. “You wound me.”
“I’m not kidding, Logan.” His brother’s tone was infused with steel. “I can figure out my life on my own.”
Logan viewed the conviction on his brother’s face. Felt it to his toes. “I hear you. I’m not here to meddle. I only want the best for you.”
“And I need to figure that out, just like you did.”
“Fair enough.” As much as Logan wanted to help his brother, make his decision easier, he knew Reid had to go about this his own way, on his own timetable.
The server removed their plates. “Honestly,” Logan said when he’d left, “you’ll be doing me a favor by letting me stay with you. I need to get to the bottom of this case.”
“And this case has to do with Serena Stanhope?”
Logan shot him an irritated glance. “You’re way too observant for your own good.”
“Dude, it’s not rocket science. Anytime you two are in the same room, there’s this tension that hovers between you. And I’m not sure it’s just to do with business.”
Was there? Despite listening to his gut, he couldn’t ignore the attraction. Was that part of the reason he was hot on this case?
“I’ll admit I’m interested.”
Reid snorted.
“But it’s still a job. And if you don’t mind, I’d appreciate you keeping your opinions to yourself. At least until I close the case to the satisfaction of my client.”
“You got it. And yes, you can stay with me for a while.” Reid sat back in the chair and grinned. “My big brother, bitten by the bug.”
“I haven’t been bitten.”
Reid observed Logan in a way that made him antsy. “It had to happen sometime.”
“What had to happen?”
“Falling in love.”
His chest tightened at his brother’s words. “I think you’ve overstated. I barely know her.”
“But you’re making strides to remedy that?”
He was, in order to close the books on Deke’s case. At least that was what he told himself.
“I’ll admit she is a very fetching subject, but that’s as far as I’ll go.”
“Right,” Reid scoffed before finishing his drink.
They paid for lunch and headed outside. The strong afternoon sun warmed Logan’s shoulders, but he welcomed the slight crispness in the air, which meant fall was officially on the way.
They’d started walking back to Reid’s place when both their phones pinged. Logan pulled his from his pocket and read the caller ID. “Grandmother.”
Frowning, Reid looked up from his phone. “Me, too.”
They both tapped the text icon and looked at each other with identical expressions.
“The tea party,” Reid groaned.
“Saturday.” Logan replaced his phone in his pocket. “She wasn’t kidding about getting us to attend.”
“And we gave her our word.”
They took a few steps.
“You know what this means,” Reid said.
“That she’s got an unsuspecting female picked out for each of us.” Logan placed a hand over his stomach. “Are you feeling what I’m feeling? Like our lunch was bad and we’ll be laid up for a few days?”
Reid chuckled. “That won’t work. Gran will drive you to the hospital to have your stomach pumped before she’d let you skip this event.”
Logan dropped his hand. “It was worth a try.”
“Face it, bro, she’s got us good.”
Logan’s gaze wandered to Blue Ridge Cottage of its own volition. He wondered if Serena was involved with the guild. Would she be at the tea party? If so, he could use the opportunity to question her some more.
Or simply enjoy her company.
Yeah, there was that.
CHAPTER SIX
THE GOLDEN LADIES’ GUILD held its annual tea luncheon at the historic Sever House, which was set on the far side of Gold Dust Park. It had been built in the early 1900s by Ronald Sever for his bride, and the ladies’ guild had taken over care of the structure decades ago. A three-story Victorian, white with black shutters and a wide wraparound porch, the house was, in Serena’s estimation, a dream come true. She and her father had only lived in tiny apartments, so the idea of raising a family in a gorgeous house like this was a staple of her daydreams.
Reality was quite another issue.
The lower level was divided by a wide staircase, which was located in the center of the house. The two main living areas were large open spaces, with high ceilings and broad windows that allowed plenty of natural light to brighten the space. The house was available to rent for weddings, parties or meetings, such as today’s. Both rooms had been transformed into fashionable afternoon-tea rooms; complete with round tables and dainty chairs, pink-and-white linens and tiered serving plates. Along one wall sat a long table with pots of tea and platters of cookies.
“Good grief. There’s enough pink in here to give me a toothache,” Heidi griped as they made their way into the gathering. “It’s practically autumn and not a harvest color in sight.”
“Be nice,” Serena whispered. She smoothed her palms over her sheath dress, designed with an explosion of colorful flowers over a white background. “It was sweet of Mrs. M. to include us today.”
“I like it,” Carrie said as she viewed the brightly decorated surroundings.
“That’s because you look like a guild lady,” Heidi pointed out.
“And what’s wrong with that?” Carrie countered, looking down at her
flattering peach dress. “It reminds me of the times my grandmother took me to tea.”
“When you were a little girl?” Serena asked.
“No. Last month,” she answered sheepishly.
Heidi choked over Carrie’s reply.
“Hey, my grandmother rocks.”
Serena had to hand it to Carrie and Heidi—so far the two women had worked together without a fuss. Carrie still hadn’t revealed to Serena why she was here, but she was helping Serena in the store as a way of making up for crashing at her place without notice. And Heidi, although she would never admit it, didn’t mind spending less time at the store because her accounting clients were increasing and she could work a few more hours at home.
“Ladies.” Mrs. Masterson clasped her hands in front of her chest and hurried toward them as other women from town began to arrive. Her pantsuit was as pink as the afternoon-tea decor. “Thank you for coming.”
“Like we had a choice,” Heidi said under her breath, tugging at the blue lace skirt of her dress.
“You did,” Serena said through her smile. “I told you that you could stay at the store.”
“And then remind me that I’d let Mrs. M. down? No way.”
Serena stepped forward to greet the older woman. “We’re so happy to be here.”
“Ah, and you brought your friend.”
On one of Mrs. M.’s visits to the store, she’d met Carrie and the two had quickly bonded like long-lost friends. Heidi already had an ongoing relationship with Mrs. M., since she’d been in town the longest, and if Serena didn’t miss her guess, the older woman had a soft spot for the usually prickly Heidi.
Carrie grinned. “I like your style, Mrs. M.”
The older woman preened. “I can’t take all the credit. The committee had a clear vision and created this beautiful English tearoom.” Mrs. M. took Serena’s arm and pulled her from her friends. “But I have a problem, my dear.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I must leave before the festivities start and I have a favor to ask.”
Relieved and eager to help, Serena said, “You name it.”
“I invited some additional guests. They might feel a bit out of place and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind sitting with them.”