Laughter from the couples had him raising his brows. "I'm serious."
"We want to welcome her," Jim his oldest brother said.
Staring at his family members, he thought if he ever married, they would accept her with loving arms, but he couldn't imagine finding anyone who could meet his expectations.
"Besides, I don't believe in that tale. It's just a way to put our little town on the map and convince people to do crazy things that gets them in trouble with the law."
His brothers and Kelsey giggled.
"Now, where did I hear that before," Cody said, glancing around the table.
Drew watched his brothers not meet Cody's gaze. What were they not revealing to him? Sure, they'd met their girlfriends and fiancées recently, but he didn't believe the superstition brought them together. Circumstance just happened at the right time and place.
"Thanks for letting me borrow your car, Shadow. If Ryan had seen the Ferrari sitting outside the park, he would’ve had the entire force crawling all over the square. As it was, I still almost got caught. No, I'm never doing the Cupid Stupid dance again. Not even for a bet."
"You'll never have to," Kelsey said. She raised her glass. "A toast. To our new sister-in-law, whoever she may be."
The group clinked their glasses together, including Shadow who lifted her water glass. She and his brother Jim were thrilled to be expecting their first child, so alcohol was off limits for her. The wedding would happen in about three weeks and the baby would arrive in six months. The first grandchild, his first niece or nephew. Everyone could hardly wait.
"There is something else I need to tell you," he said, his tone somber.
The family stared at him, waiting. "Before I came back to Cupid, I purchased Grandmother's old house in town. My plan is to remodel the house and make it where I live and work. The downstairs will be the office, and the back of the house and upstairs will be my living quarters."
How would his siblings react to the knowledge he bought the house with the intention of turning it into his home and office?
"I love that old house," Kelsey said. "The house needs a lot of work. I thought about buying it for the boutique, but the cost was too much for me. That grand old house sits right at the edge of downtown, so it's perfect for office space. I'm happy the place is back with the family. Mother would be so pleased."
Drew's chest tightened at how his mother had loved her old homestead. His father, not so much.
Jim and Kyle nodded.
"Glad you bought Grandmother's place," Kyle said.
"That house is a wreck, right now," Jim said. "Who are you going to hire to fix it?"
Drew shrugged. "No idea."
Cody, his friend and fellow confidant about the Cupid dance smiled at him in a knowing manner.
"There's only one person you can hire," Kelsey said. "Chloe Kilian specializes in renovations of older homes. She'd be great for the job."
Cody turned his head and looked the other way, his face a dead giveaway. If the people at the table paid attention, they would be suspicious. Unable to mask his reactions, Drew understood why Cody hid his face. One look and they would realize, Chloe was who he ran into at the statue.
"Do you know Chloe?" Jim asked. "She's reverend Kilian's daughter. The most jilted woman in town."
Drew felt like someone slapped him as he stared at his brother, stunned. Chloe had been jilted? More than once? Could that be why she reacted so strongly when she realized it was him? Neither one of them discussed their reasons for doing the Cupid Stupid dance, only tried to get away from the sheriff.
Her logic for dancing was suddenly something he wanted to understand. And he intended to talk to her the next time he saw her.
"Why do you say that?" he asked Jim.
"Every man she dates rejects her. The last one created some kind of big scandal in the church."
Was this the reason Chloe danced around the statue? No wonder she appeared disappointed her companion was Drew. But he didn't believe in that nonsense and she needed to keep searching for a husband.
"What makes you think she's good at what she does?" he asked his family. "I'll consider who you guys think is the best."
"Easy," Kyle said. "Go by and ask the owners of some of the houses she's done. Gorgeous inside and out."
Why did this seem like he was being given a reason to work with Chloe? A way to get to know her better? An opportunity to explore the attraction he'd been denying. If the woman was known for being jilted, would she take a chance on him?
The thought shocked him. Chloe was completely opposite of his type, and yet, he wanted to spend more time with her.
Chloe sat reading a magazine on historical homes when her doorbell rang. Dressed in black yoga pants, T-shirt, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she'd not been expecting company. Glancing at the clock, it was after seven.
Peeking out the window, she saw Drew patiently waiting at her front door. Three days had passed since they ran the Cupid statue and every day he'd been on her mind, like a low hum in the background.
Opening the door, she smiled at him. Being polite and all.
"Good evening. May I come in?"
"Sure," she said, knowing her neighbor, Mrs. McCloskey habitually stared out her window and probably was on the phone with the women in her father's congregation rallying the troops to protect her from the bad boy in town. Her telephone should start ringing any moment.
Drew stepped into her house, a sack in his hand and glanced around at her place. "Nice. Did you remodel this house?"
Someone had told him she remodeled houses. In the heat of the moment the other night, her career seemed less important than staying out of jail.
"Yes," she said. "After college, I bought and rehabed this house. My very first job. Can I get you something to drink?"
"No," he said, stepping into her kitchen and nodding.
What was he doing here? First, he showed up at church, and now, he stood in her house while she did her best to forget about him and her disastrous run around the fountain.
"Would you like to sit?"
"Sure," he said and took a seat on her couch. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here."
"Curious," she replied, thinking she liked the way he defied convention with a dark shadow of hair above his lip, his eyes emerald as the mountains in spring. Handsome as sin, she appreciated why women were drawn to him. Sexiness oozed from his pores like a fine perfume.
Taking a deep breath to quiet her overactive libido, she reminded her hormones his reputation proceeded him. Yes, they shared the Cupid dance, and she was attracted to him, but she refused to become just another of Drew's exes. After all, the word ex was attached to her name more times than she cared to remember.
"Six months ago, I purchased the Perkins homestead. Originally, it belonged to my grandmother."
Instantly she perked up. The dilapidated house sat at the edge of downtown and she had coveted it for years. Just looking at it she knew, that in its day, it had been stately and beautiful and she wanted to restore the home's elegance.
"I'd grown tired of practicing law in the city, working sixty hour weeks and fighting to make partner. So, I made the decision to return to Cupid and open an office here. When my grandmother died, my father sold the house."
Sitting back, she understood his reason for returning and couldn't help but be intrigued. She loved that big old house.
"I've now seen three of the houses you've redone and I like your work. Would you take me on as a client?"
Staring at him, she felt herself getting lost in his gaze and that couldn't be healthy. If they worked together, she couldn't act upon this attraction. But again, she had no intentions of becoming involved with the bad boy of Cupid. Why would she let him have a chance at damaging her fragile heart even more?
And this house. For years, she had longed to get inside and see how she could refurbish the aging beauty. Yet Drew might be a hindrance. At the moment, her schedule could take on a new pro
ject, one she longed to do, but it would be wise to tread carefully.
"Tell me your ideas for the house."
"The front, I want to be my office, the place where I sit with clients and we discuss their issues. The back of the house, that area I want to be my living space, and upstairs the bedrooms. Two rooms downstairs should be offices. One for me and one for my secretary who I have yet to hire."
Oh, there would be women all over town vying for that position. A great paying job, a boss to drool over, and the opportunity to snag the bad boy. Who wasn't up for the hiring process.
"Why don't I meet you at the house tomorrow morning, say nine o'clock, and I'll walk the property and you can tell me what changes you want to make and I'll see if we're a good fit."
He grinned that lopsided smile that made women swoon and shed their panties. Automatically she placed her hand on her waist to keep her undies from sliding.
"Oh, I think we're an excellent fit, now we need to know if we share the same vision for the house and talk money."
"Exactly. I'll warn you, I don't compromise on structure, and if there are design elements I think will hurt the house, then I refuse to do them. These Victorian homes should strive to maintain their history, as much as possible, while serving a newer generation. Do you understand?"
Her reputation was built on quality and sound restoration. Even the bad boy in town was not going to jeopardize her skills or reputation.
"Yes, and I'll try to keep that in mind. Grandmother had beautiful wood in her home and I hope the oak hasn't been painted or rotted."
Chloe loved the dark, rich tones of hardwood in a home, so she hoped, as well. "Why has the house sat vacant for so long?"
"The people who owned it moved out of the area and kept hoping to come back. Finally, they realized the longer they waited, the more the house went to waste. So when I learned they wanted to sell, I jumped on the chance to bring the home back into the family."
"Tomorrow, we can walk through the house, talk design, and then I'll draw up plans and we can go from there."
"Sounds like a plan," he said. The easy, relaxed atmosphere changed and she sensed something else bothered him. "Are you doing all right? I mean after the Cupid dance?"
"I'm fine. Life goes on," she said, feeling let down. For some reason, she believed in the statue and the superstition and yet her emotions were no different today than the day she ran. In fact, she feared being worse off. Because now she was drawn to an athletic, completely wrong man for her. Drew Lawrence.
"My family asked me who I met after the dance and I didn't tell them. You don't need my sister and sisters-in-law hunting you down. Plus, I promised to keep it our secret. Cody is the only one who knows the truth. When the sheriff arrived, Cody picked up your clothes and mine."
Handing her the sack. "Everything is in there."
"Thanks for bringing these back to me."
"Nice underwear," he said and her cheeks flamed. He went through her things?
"Did you find anything else interesting?"
A grin spread across his face and she could almost see the naughtiness in his eyes. "No, but that brand I buy for my girlfriends all the time."
"You purchase them underwear?" she asked in shock.
"Yeah, a matching lacy bra and panty set. Most women love that gift," he said.
Shaking her head at him, she said, "I'd say you enjoy your playboy status."
"Definitely. One of the many reasons why I'm not a good match for dancing around the statue."
"Yet, I just happened to bump into you. I wanted to find the man of my dreams..."
"And I was dancing to fulfill a bet. Does seem a little unfair," he said.
"Ya think?" she responded clearly irritated. Not only was he not the person for her, everything he said proved he was a ladies’ man. She didn't need another boy child who had problems.
"Tell me why they call you the most jilted woman in Cupid."
A flash of anger rushed through her and her response came out harsher than she intended. "Isn't it obvious."
And then her phone rang.
Chapter 3
The next day, Drew watched as Chloe, tablet in hand, made notes as she walked about the house. Even now when he came in, he could hear his grandmother telling him to make certain he wiped his feet at the door before he ran across her good rug.
Then she would meet him in the kitchen usually with a fresh batch of cookies coming out of the oven. The smell of oatmeal or chocolate chip always seem to drift through this house until the day she died. This old house was filled with memories that left him aching for the past and the love he always experienced here.
A grandmother's open arms. Those hugs were the best.
"What do you think?" Drew asked, mesmerized at how Chloe appeared in a trance as she did a thorough inspection of the rooms.
"Beautiful. The bones in this house are fabulous. The history and the architecture," she said, taking pictures with her notebook and typing in notes.
"Now the house is mine and will be in the family until my time is up," he said, watching her, fascinated at how she worked.
Glancing up at him, she smiled. "Drew, that makes me respect you a lot more."
A grin spread across his face. Why did he always seem to be smiling when he spent time with Chloe? "You didn't have respect for me before?"
"Oh, I did, but not as much. When you marry, your new wife is going to love living here."
He stared at the home that meant so much to him. Odd, he didn't want a little woman to call his own, yet he wanted to own a piece of his heritage. Sure, he had a stake in the ranch, but this was his.
And the women he dated, the models, actresses, and socialites, they wouldn't want an older remodeled home on the edge of Main Street in a town the size of Cupid. No, they required a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood surrounded by other like-minded professionals with him working sixty hour weeks to pay the mortgage.
"It's doubtful there will ever be a Mrs. Drew Lawrence. The snooty women I date wouldn't want a home like this."
Gazing at him, she shook her head. "Shame. This is a house a family should fill. Gatherings in the great room around the fireplace. The kitchen bursting with warmth and laughter, sweet aromas drifting from room to room. Children being tucked into bed upstairs. This is the kind of home I hope to buy someday."
Her words caused his chest to ache. Often, he wondered why he didn't want to marry, but marriage seemed so ordinary, and controlling and pointless.
"Why haven't you married?"
Shaking her head, she halted her steps inside the dilapidated kitchen. "You know the answer to that. Last night you asked me why I'm called the most jilted woman in Cupid."
"Sorry, I don't think I handled that well. My brother recommended you as the house builder, he mentioned your status in Cupid. Which made me curious because of our adventure."
Halting in the middle of the kitchen, she raised her brows at him. "How long do you have for me to tell you about my dating life? My biggest and closest call to matrimony ended when I caught him in his office at church doing the horizontal rumba with a married parishioner. I've dated men who thought I should be bowing before them because they took me out. But the worst were the ones my father chose for me who clearly had not separated from their mother’s tit."
He started to laugh at the image.
Blue eyes cut at him and flashed indignantly. "Not funny. In fact, it makes you question if it's you or is it them?"
"Is this the reason you danced naked around the statue?"
Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, she licked her lips, her eyes the color of Texas bluebonnets in spring darkening.
"The women of my father's congregation are trying to tear down the God of Love. I'm not sure that superstition is real or not, but I decided I'd better run soon or risk my chance of Cupid being dismantled. Right now, my dating life could use a little excitement. Not just a little excitement, it needs a lightning bolt from above."
> A frown formed between his eyes as he considered what she'd gone through. "You've never fallen in love with any of these guys?"
Picking up her tablet she had laid on the counter, she glanced at him. "Didn't say that. Austin, I loved and was ready to become his wife. Sometimes I blame myself for that one. If I hadn't been so strict, we would be married. Even when I broke up with him, he kept saying he would always love me."
"Men will say anything to stop a woman from leaving."
A heavy sigh escaped from her lips and he had the most incredible urge to comfort her. Yet, that was ridiculous. They had a connection because of the Cupid statue. Now he was hiring her to be his contractor, but there was no romance there - just an attraction. Nothing more.
"What do you mean strict?"
She looked up from the notes she was making, her big blue eyes regarding him. "I'm waiting until marriage. I made him wait until we married for sex. Obviously, he found it somewhere else."
Drew stared at her in shock. Chloe Kilian was a virgin. All his alarm bells started ringing in his head and his blood rushed to his groin in a mad dash.
Why did that seem like a challenge, and yet, he promised himself when he moved back to Cupid, he would save his hound dog ways for when he was in Dallas.
Drew didn't need or want the gossip associated here in town. Looking at Chloe, this beautiful woman stood untouched, a virgin, and all his hormones revved up like a drag car ready to sprint to the finish line. The idea of being her first left him hard and wanting and completely off limits.
A week later, Chloe stood beside Drew, a paper mask covered their faces. The contracts were signed, the permits approved and the demolition was ready to begin. This afternoon, Drew would help her, while her crew finished a job, and tomorrow, the whole team would be here to start the renovation.
"Okay, let's pull the cabinets down, remove the countertops and afterwards we'll knock down that one wall and go from there. If we don't run out of time, we'll do the upstairs."
Cupid's Heart: Western Contemporary Small Town Romance (Return to Cupid Book 6) Page 3