by Nina Lindsey
Good.
The word popped into his head. Though his competitive side told him he shouldn’t be glad that Aria had sold a considerable amount of merchandise—the last thing he wanted was for her café to increase in popularity—he couldn’t help a surge of pride in her.
She’d started this café through hard work and determination, much the same way he’d started his career. Even if he took his intense attraction to her out of the equation, he’d admire her tenacity.
He entered the café, and the cat-shaped wind chimes above the door jingled. Aria was in the Cat Lounge, wiping down the tables and straightening the chairs.
Hunter’s pulse increased. Just the sight of her flooded his veins with heat. Under her apron, she wore a cotton skirt and a loose shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail that swung behind her with every step, and she paused every now and then to pet one of the cats. He could almost hear her low, crooning voice.
He curled his fingers into his palm. He wanted to grasp her ponytail and tilt her head back so he could kiss her deeply until they both had to come up for air.
She looked up, her gaze colliding with his through the window separating the two rooms. Hunter’s spine tensed. They’d come to more than just a truce last night, but he knew well that the cold light of day could change everything. And he had no idea if she—
A smile crossed her face. Though brief, it had the strangest effect of lifting his heart.
She crossed to open the Cat Lounge door. “Come in, quickly. After Porkchop’s escape, I’m extra cautious with doors.”
He stepped inside, breathing in her scent as he passed. A couple of the cats glanced his way, but most of them were too busy licking their paws or lazing in patches of sunlight to bother with him.
Hunter set his briefcase down. “I see you had some customers.”
“Yes, they were students over at Skyline.” Aria ran her hands over the front of her apron. “Taking a study break. Can I get you some coffee?”
He shook his head. She brushed a lock of hair away from her temple. The crystal stud in her nose shone in the afternoon light.
“I…I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your room last night.” Her mouth twisted as two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “But really, you’re a far more effective sleep aid than warm milk or even Ambien.”
“That was the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a while too, my something resembling a friend.”
“I’m glad to know that.” Pleasure flashed over her face. “So, what are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.” The truth came out before he could think better of it. I couldn’t wait to see you.
Though her smile shone briefly again, she turned away to continue wiping down the tables.
“Hey.” He closed the distance between them in three strides and curled his hand around her slender wrist. The knot in his chest loosened. Wariness mingled with warmth brewed in her blue eyes. He could lose himself in her eyes. In her.
“I want…” He cleared his throat, rubbing his fingers against the soft skin of her inner wrist. “I want you to know I’m not a player. I’m not trying to change your mind by…uh, this. And even if I were, I’m not stupid enough to think it would work. I’m—”
“Hunter.” She hesitated and bit down on her bottom lip. “I know.”
Relief filled his chest, but before he could speak, a set of claws snagged on his jeans.
“Oh, dear.” Aria clucked her tongue and bent to pick up Jumbo, who’d been about to use Hunter’s leg as a scratching post. “He’s either hungry or possessive.”
“So am I.” He glowered at the cat, whom he swore was grinning wickedly.
“Why don’t you two get to know each other?” Aria plunked Jumbo into his arms. “I’ll be right back.”
Jumbo pierced him with a cold stare. The instant Aria closed the door behind her, the cat leapt to the floor, dragging his claws over Hunter’s arm on the way down.
Infernal creatures.
He sat on the sofa, eyeing all the other cats who were lolling around in various states of swishing and stretching. They had it damned good here with plenty of food, toys, and a south-facing window that captured a lot of sunlight.
Not to mention…they had Aria. If Hunter were a cat, he couldn’t imagine a better life.
He caught sight of Fang huddled behind an upholstered chair. The old cat peered at him with his single eye, his torn ear twitching. His posture was guarded and defensive, as if he were expecting a blow. Hunter knew the feeling.
“Hey.” He leaned forward to get a better look at the cat. “You want to come out of there?”
The fur on Fang’s back quivered.
“There’s a good patch of sunlight over here.” He pointed to the warm, bright square on the weathered floorboards. “That other cat…I think he’s Buster...needed a drink, so you might want to grab the sun while you can.”
Though he was surprised to find himself talking to a cat, Hunter was damned near shocked by the fact that he almost expected Fang to respond.
The cat blinked his eye. Hunter shifted cautiously closer to the chair. Fang stiffened at the movement, hunching farther into himself. Though Hunter didn’t know the first thing about feline behavior, he figured it had to be a good sign if the animal didn’t run away from him.
Not unlike human behavior.
“Here’s a turkey and cheese sandwich.” Aria came back in with a glass of iced tea and a plate. She pushed the door shut with her foot and set the food on the table in front of him.
“Thanks, but you didn’t have to—”
“I have a dozen sandwiches on hand.” She cut off his words with a wave of her hand. “I’m still trying to figure out how much food to order. At the end of the day, I donate what hasn’t sold to a food pantry, but I still haven’t regulated costs as much as I need to.”
Hunter barely stopped himself from offering to help calculate her expenses. He turned his attention to the sandwich, though he was no longer hungry.
Aria leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she studied him.
“Where do you go when you travel for pleasure?” she asked.
He blinked at the unexpected question. “I don’t vacation much.”
“No fun, right. But when you do,” she persisted, “where do you go and what do you see?”
He scratched his jaw. “I went to India a couple of years ago and saw all the sites. Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, Varanasi.”
“And what have you seen in Bliss Cove?”
“I’m not here on vacation. I’m here to work.”
“Still, you said yourself that Imperial Properties intends to be a presence here if the vote goes in your favor, right?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” He took a bite of the sandwich.
“Shouldn’t you get to know the town where you want to be a presence?” Aria sat back as one of the cats nudged his way onto her lap. “The proposal has a whole section about revising and finalizing the plans with input from the community. How can you do that if you don’t even know the community?”
“We do a great deal of research before even starting the proposals. I’ve studied all the statistics for Bliss Cove.”
“Like what?”
“Population, median income, occupations, climate.”
“Oh, lord.” With a sigh, Aria shook her head and scratched the cat’s ears. “You do realize there’s more to this town than statistics.”
“The statistics were very specific.” He put the sandwich down and creased his forehead in thought. “In my breakdown of the Bliss Cove population, I discovered there’s only one sexy, cat-chasing blonde who smells like summertime and rocks my world with her kisses.”
Aria stared at him, an appealing blush coloring her cheeks. “Oh, well…er, that’s not what I meant.”
“Rumor has it she’s the Pied Piper of the feline world.”
She laughed, and the sound was exac
tly what he remembered—a silver bell. Much as he liked her fire and spark when she was angry, he much preferred making her laugh.
He leaned closer to her, everything inside him wishing he had the right to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.
“In answer to your question.” He took hold of a tendril of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “I haven’t seen much of Bliss Cove. But what I have seen, I like a hell of a lot.”
Her blush deepened. “Okay, then. Let me show you the rest of my town. I guarantee you’ll like it even more.”
Hunter didn’t doubt it. For the first time in his life, certainty scared him.
Chapter 15
For the rest of the day, Aria found herself glancing at the clock often. Hunter was coming back at five for their date…er, outing, and she was increasingly jittery with anticipation.
A few customers stopped by, and after lunch, an older woman came into the Cat Lounge with an application to adopt Buster.
“I’ve decided he’s the one,” Edith announced, waving the paper.
“I’m so glad to hear that. Buster is a wonderful cat.” Aria reviewed the application as Edith cooed at Buster as if they were already the best of friends. “I’ll call you as soon as Sue processes your application. It usually takes her about twenty-four hours.”
“Thank you so much.” Edith slipped her purse over her shoulder, giving Buster another pat. “I’m so excited. It’s been a bit lonely at home since Ed passed away. I’ve been thinking about adopting a cat for ages, but haven’t found the right one until now.”
“Buster has been looking for a forever home for a while, so it sounds like he might have been waiting for you.” Aria handed her a sheet of paper. “Here’s the supply list, and of course, don’t hesitate to call me if you have questions. My cell number is there at the top of the page.”
“Thank you so much, my dear.” Edith cast Buster a loving look and headed out into the late-afternoon sunlight.
Aria returned to the Cat Lounge, pausing to stroke Buster’s black-and-gray back. Though she was always thrilled when someone wanted to adopt one of the cats, she couldn’t help feeling a touch of sorrow that the animal would soon leave her care.
As the cat leapt onto the window ledge, Aria saw her sister Rory striding down Mariposa, her boots clomping on the cobblestones and her long black hair loose around her shoulders. She went to open the front door.
“Coming to adopt a cat?” she called. “Oh, wait. You’re the one who can’t keep a houseplant alive.”
“And you’re the one who’d take in a rat if you thought it needed a home.” Rory smirked and strode up the porch steps. “How’s business?”
“Not bad. I just got an adoption application for Buster.” Aria went around the counter and poured a cup of coffee. “Are you working at Mom’s today?”
“Tomorrow morning.” Rory hitched herself onto a stool at the counter and pulled the mug toward her. “I have some coding to finish up tonight, but I wanted to bring you this.”
She pushed a large brown envelope across the counter. Aria eyed it warily. The last time she’d received one of those, the contents had been nothing good.
“What is it?” she asked.
“The stuff I found on Hunter Armstrong.” Rory took a swallow of coffee.
Aria rubbed her hands on her apron. “What did you find?”
“Oh, no.” Rory shook her head. “You want the intel, you need to read it yourself.”
“But is it bad?”
“How would you feel if it were?” Rory studied her for a moment. “Vindicated? Or disappointed?”
Aria huffed out a breath of annoyance. “What difference does it make?”
“Because if you feel vindicated, then you’ll be happy to have something to use against him.” Rory leaned over and grabbed a takeout cup, then poured her coffee into it. “But if you’re disappointed, then you’ll realize that deep inside, you didn’t think he really was a bad guy. And you’ll be upset that you might have been wrong, which will tell you how you feel about him.”
“God.” Aria slumped and rested her head in her hands. “You are such a bitch.”
Rory chuckled and slid off the stool. “Even if you and he hadn’t been totally transparent at the bakery the other day, it would have been obvious that you’re into him. So how much do you want to know?”
Aria grabbed the folder and weighed it in her hand. It couldn’t have been more than a few pages at most, which hopefully meant Hunter didn’t have a lengthy criminal history or a file with the CIA.
Although if he did, she’d have significant leverage in this negotiation. The question was—would she use it?
“Mousehole Friday?” Rory started toward the door.
“Maybe. I’ll text you.”
After her sister left, she turned the envelope around, fiddled with the sealed flap, and tested the weight again. Finally, she went upstairs and pushed the envelope into a drawer in her desk.
She slammed the drawer shut and went back downstairs. Though she’d come to know a lot about Hunter over the past few days, she didn’t know nearly everything about him. And there was no question that she would be deeply, irrevocably disappointed if the report contained evidence of wrongdoing.
The problem was—she’d be far more disappointed in herself rather than him. She’d never forgive herself if she were so wrong about a man again.
But she wasn’t wrong about Hunter. The truth was a little glow right in the center of her being. Her trust in him had taken shape the moment she’d climbed through the window into his room. Both the first and second times. God knew falling asleep in his arms had solidified everything she’d believed about him.
She locked the front door, flipped the sign to Closed, and started cleaning up the café. As she finished feeding the cats, a knock sounded on the window. From the sidewalk, Hunter lifted a hand to her, his beautiful mouth curved with a smile and his dark hair flopping over his forehead.
Pleasure swirled through her. She didn’t fully understand all her motivations behind wanting to show him around Bliss Cove—though she acknowledged a tiny dream that he would fall in love with the town and ease up on his plan to buy Mariposa Street.
However, she no longer lived in a world of dreams, and not for an instant did she think Hunter would back away from his goal. In some way, she might even be a little disappointed if he did. She’d been drawn to him partly because of his steadfast resolve, and she was proud of herself for holding her ground against such determination.
Not a coincidence.
It was crazy, yes, but what if Destiny had been right? What if this was meant to be a step on Aria’s path back to trusting herself? Even before Steve, she’d been on shaky ground in that department, owing to all her stops-and-starts and her failures. Steve had just chipped away at what little faith in herself she’d had left.
But in some strange twist of fate, Hunter—of all people—had unknowingly bolstered her confidence. She’d trusted her instincts about him, stood up to him, let herself indulge in her attraction to him.
She’d launched a petition and fundraising drive to counter his proposal, and she was managing not to be intimidated by his money and power. She would work her ass off to get ready for their debate—and on some level, she suspected that he wanted her to do well. He wanted to win, of course, but he liked a good challenge.
As it turned out, so did she.
She unfastened her apron and tossed it into the laundry bin before hurrying to the front door.
“Hi.” She stepped aside, taking an unnecessarily deep breath as he entered the café, just so that she could inhale his delicious scent.
“Hi.” He held up a covered plate of sugar cookies. “Mrs. Higgins insisted I take these back to my room after teatime. She needs to rename her place the Sugar Rush Inn.”
Aria smiled and took the plate, setting it on the counter. “Let’s save them for later, so we can make the most of the light.”
She picked u
p her bag and keys, ensuring all the doors were locked before they walked back out to Mariposa. The old streetlamps began to glow, and reddish light shone on the building façades.
“I heard that Gus over at the Vitaphone has a few cats of his own.” Hunter nodded toward the movie theater.
“Yes, he’s had a number of cats over the years, all from the Rescue House.” Aria gazed at the old marquee. “He always goes onstage to introduce the movies himself, whether it’s a classic or a new blockbuster. After telling the audience about the movie, he opens a can of cat food at the microphone. At the sound, his three cats come running down the aisle to the stage. One of them, Daisy, actually balances on the stair railing. It wouldn’t be movie night at the Vitaphone if Gus’s cats didn’t put on a dinner show first.”
“I might need to see that.”
“I’d like for you to see it.” She glanced at him. “You asked me last night why I opened the café here on Mariposa Street.”
“You didn’t answer.”
“Because of things like that,” Aria explained. “And because of what this district has stood for throughout history. The Hotel Casa Grande was the first hotel in all of Bliss Cove. The grocery store was built in the 1920s by a man whose father started the Bliss Cove Fishing Company.”
She waved a hand to the opposite row of shops. “The thrift store is on a plot of land that once belonged to a woman named Nellie Paxton-Smith, who owned acres of orchard fields farther inland. After her husband died and left her the Mariposa plot, she constructed that building for commercial space and used it as a fruit stand to sell the oranges and pomegranates she grew.”
“I’ve never denied the history of the district,” Hunter said. “But the town could have worked to preserve it years ago.”
“I know.” Aria folded her arms around her waist. “Now it would be much more expensive to renovate. That’s why everyone has chosen to forget about it, for the most part.”
She felt his gaze on her. “Except for you.”
“I’m not a crusader.” Shame bubbled in Aria’s chest. “I hadn’t even thought about Mariposa in ages until the Sterling House came up for sale. Then I started remembering what it used to be like. It wasn’t in great shape even when I was a kid, but my father used to love it here. Whenever we went to the beach, he’d make a point of detouring through Mariposa just so he could tell us about the history and the architecture. Of course, I was bored silly, but eventually I learned to appreciate his love for the area. Now I love it too. I think I always have. I just didn’t know it at the time.”