She’d also revealed the fact she liked girls and not boys. The words had burst out of her, as if the death of her father had broken through a dam she’d built around her heart. And like water pouring through a burst dam, the words kept flowing forth as Carla confided in him how she could never admit that to her family who had deep-set expectations of her as a beauty queen and a Tipton.
Senator Tipton had built his career out of portraying himself and his family as holding certain values. According to Carla, she’d ruin her father’s chances at reelection and her family’s position in the world if she ever let anyone know who she truly was.
He’d made a promise to Carla that night never to tell her secret, and he never had. Never would.
But that day when Senator Tipton died, when he brought Carla home and asked to see Neva, she’d refused to see him. And until the moment he’d dragged her out of the ditch two days before, she hadn’t spoken to him since the night of their shared kiss, ten years before.
Neva was back in his life. Karma, kismet, chance—something had brought them back together, and he didn’t want to lose the opportunity to be connected again. She’d enjoyed kissing him and had wanted more, the same way he’d wanted more. He needed to try to get her mind back in the game.
“Are you sure last night was a bad decision?” he said. “Because I—”
“Wrong decision. Totally and completely the wrong decision. Besides,” she huffed, “now the correct Tipton twin is in town.”
“I disagree.”
She bit her lip before answering. “I saw how you looked at Carla when she opened the door. You still want her.”
“What if I said that you were wrong? That I wanted you, not Carla?”
Neva barked out a laugh. “I’d say you were trying to be a gentleman and make me feel decent about coming close to stripping for you last night.”
Frustration built inside, like a flame in his belly. “So you don’t think I’d be interested in you, is that it?”
She put down the wooden spoon she’d been using to stir the sausage, folded her arms, leaned back against the counter, and gave him a classic Neva Tipton look. One that said she knew better than anyone else did. A look he knew was a load of bull crap.
“People don’t change.”
Oh, yes. Yes, they do. But there would be no convincing Neva. Not when she was in her bullheaded mode. And not with all the baggage she had in relation to her sister. Family dynamics could seriously suck. He knew full well—his own family life had been filled with fear, insults, and old-fashioned bullying.
If Neva were to believe he wanted her, not Carla, she’d have to come to that conclusion on her own.
An idea tickled the back of his mind. “Did you say Carla’s staying with you for two weeks?”
Neva gave him a strange look. “Yes. Then she’s out of here.”
The idea continued to form. He let it percolate…filter…build and form until it suddenly took shape. Became an actual plan. A fabulous plan
Holy crap, that was one crazy concept. He almost laughed out loud. This idea was so ingenious it surprised him that he’d even thought of it.
Neva thought he wanted Carla.
Carla was too afraid to tell her sister the truth about herself.
Both sisters had too much pride and were too wounded by the past to speak the truth to the other.
If he played this right, he’d get to spend time with Neva. Sure, she refused to actually date him, but this plan gave him a fabulous work-around. And in addition, if he played this really right, he could bring the two sisters back together.
Now if he could only implement the scheme without Neva catching on.
He cleared his throat. “So…let’s say you’re right. Your sister didn’t go for me back in high school. Think she would now?”
Neva gave him a quick once-over. “You’ve grown muscles and filled out and you know you’re attractive, but you still have no clue how to win over a woman like Carla.”
“I tried to be who she liked back in high school.”
She snorted. “I know. And you did it wrong.”
“How so? I worked out all junior and senior year. I developed biceps and a six-pack. I joined the track team. I was the president of the—”
“Debate team,” she said flatly. “You honestly thought you would win Carla’s attention by presiding over the Debate Team?”
“She said she liked men in positions of power.”
Neva rolled her eyes. “Like I said, you went after her in all the wrong ways. You had no clue what you are doing back then.”
“And now?”
Neva paused, considering him for a moment. “You still don’t seem to have a clue how to win over a woman like Carla.”
He suppressed the urge to smile. Neva could not possibly realize how close to the truth she really was—because no man would ever win over her sister’s heart. He knew this for a fact.
But Neva’s complete lack of comprehension over who her sister truly was could work to his benefit. That is, if the plan he had in mind would work.
It had to work.
Because he couldn’t imagine leaving Meadowview without first sleeping with Neva.
“So you’ll help me?”
“Help you with what?”
“Tell me what I need to do to win over your sister.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You said I went about, um, trying to win Carla all wrong back in high school. It’s obvious you know how a man should approach your sister. So tell me. Give me the benefit of your brilliant wisdom.”
Neva frowned. “Why? What’s in it for me?”
He paused. “You get my signature on the lease.”
She jolted and turned back around to face him. She grew still. Stared at him. “You wouldn’t.”
Of course not, but she didn’t know that. Besides, what would it hurt to dangle the lease as a carrot? He wanted to give Neva the apples from the orchard, anyway. “Why not? I have something you want. The lease to the orchard. You have something I want. The ability to get Carla.”
“You want me to barter my sister? How medieval do you think I am? How medieval are you?”
Very medieval, clearly. Machiavellian, actually. Although, Machiavelli was a Renaissance man, not medieval, but still. He fought to keep from smiling. His plan—asinine thought it may prove to be—could only work if Neva firmly believed he was pursing Carla.
“You don’t think you can teach me how to…um…seduce Carla?”
Neva sighed. “That’s not it. I’m trying to protect you. You would be good for Carla, but Carla wouldn’t be good for you.”
Of course not, but not for the reasons Neva thought. “Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
“You really do not know my sister.”
Peter refrained from saying, and you do? He needed to get Neva invested in this plan, not push her away. Instead, he simply shrugged and said, “Maybe. Maybe not. So help me, Neva.”
“How? You didn’t have any success in high school, if you recall.”
“So tell me how to do it right. Teach me how to charm her.”
She laughed. “Charm school? What is this, like, the seventeen hundreds?”
“No, more like Cyrano de Bergerac. She’s my Roxanne.”
Neva frowned and reached up to touch her nose. “So in this situation, I’m Cyrano de Bergerac? Because I am so not going for that.”
“It’s not an exact retelling.”
“You seriously want me to teach you how to charm my sister in exchange for your signature on the lease?”
He shrugged. “Would you do it out of the kindness of your heart?”
A long sigh came out of Neva’s mouth. She rubbed her fists against her eyes, leaned back against the counter, and flopped her hands down at her sides.
She looked exhausted.
She looked delicious.
Peter hoped to all that was holy his plan worked…and soon. Because he did not want
to go one more night (or day, he wasn’t picky) without Neva Tipton in his bed.
But he’d have to wait until Neva came around.
And he’d most certainly need to get Carla on board.
“Helping you seduce my sister would not be a kindness to you. But it’s what you want. So yeah, I’ll do it. Just sign the stupid lease already, will you?”
“Give me a pen.”
Neva smiled. And the crooked smile, the way her incisor peeked through her lips, just about melted Peter on the spot.
Breakfast smelled heavenly, even though the air tasted like tension. Peter pretended to ignore Neva’s pointed comments to Carla about the bus schedule, how often the bus took people out of Meadowview and down the hill to Sacramento, and how willing Neva would be to buy Carla a one-way ticket out of town. Carla ignored Neva’s comments too, and instead asked Peter for a ride into town later in the morning so she could (ostensibly) pick up a bag she’d left in a locker at the bus station.
Peter knew damned well Carla hadn’t done such a thing, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Once the biscuits came out of the oven, Peter chowed down—first on the fluffy cage-free eggs and biscuits and gravy that rivaled Maude’s, then on a bowl of berry cobbler. After, he helped a testy Neva wash the dishes by hand (someone clearly needed a dishwasher) while Carla took a shower.
“I’ll get Garston Stanley to bring the lease back over.” Neva rinsed an iron skillet and handed it to Peter to dry. “If you sign it today, we can file the agreement early next week.”
He leaned in close and sniffed her hair, pleased when she didn’t back away. “First, an agreement on the ‘charm school’ lessons.” He made air quotes around the words. “How about we have the first one later today? I have some errands to run, but I should be done at four. I’ll be in town then, so can we meet at the Goldpan Pub?”
“Today?”
“Well, I only have, what, twelve days left? Besides, the timing’s perfect. There’s a social event tonight. We’ll get Carla to attend, and I’ll put my newfound skills to the test. You can watch and tell me if I’m charming her correctly.”
Neva’s eyes bugged out. “Another party? Good gravy, does this town never sleep?”
He laughed, bringing a smile to Neva’s lips.
“Nah. It’s a fundraiser to raise money for youth scholarships to the Modern Playwright’s Festival.”
“The what?”
“One of the local families, the Courants, put on a festival featuring plays by modern playwrights. Sadie Courant, well, she’s Sadie Sawyer now—you might have met her at the welcome party—runs the festival.” He bent and placed the skillet in the open cabinet. “It’s a big deal in Meadowview—brings in a lot of tourists, which means lots of dollars coming into the economy.”
“Wow. Even more people,” Neva muttered under her breath.
“I heard that,” Peter said, grinning. “Still as introverted as you were in high school, I see.”
She shrugged. “People don’t—”
“I know what you’re about to say, but stop.”
“It’s true, though. People’s characteristics stick with them for life.”
“Meaning, what, exactly? Their favorite color? Favorite food? Because I used to love the color green and now am kinda partial to pink,” he argued. He let his gaze roam around her breasts, taking in the pink and white checked top. The one button in the middle strained and the desire to reach out and pop it open battled with his better sense.
Neva rolled her eyes.
“Plus,” he added, “when I was a kid, the idea of eating raw fish would have sent me gagging, but now sushi’s my favorite food.”
“No, silly. I mean who someone is on the inside. A kind and generous person remains kind and generous. A cheater, on the other hand, will always be a cheater.”
“I don’t know about that. I think you have a rather myopic vision of people.”
“Seriously, Peter, I know from experience. People. Don’t. Change.”
“So you haven’t grown up, then. Matured.”
“Oh, I’m plenty mature.”
Damn, but Neva was cute when she got haughty, with her adorable nose stuck up in the air. He bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Fine,” he capitulated. “You’re mature. But not mature enough to attend a social function?”
She blew out a long, slow breath and slumped against the counter. “It’s just all a bit…”
“I get it. This town’s a bit much for someone who’s destined to be a lonely old lady with lots of cats.”
Neva chuckled. “Isn’t that a bumper sticker?”
“Aunt Maude has the phrase on a magnet on her refrigerator.” He tipped his head and considered Neva as she rinsed the plates, her lower lip bit between her teeth. “Try opening up, Neva.”
“No reason to,” she grumbled.
“I get it—being in crowds gets to you. I’m not all that fond of socializing, either. But the people here…well, they’re worth getting to know. And someday you’ll need their help.”
Neva finished placing the dishes in the drainer and turned to face him. She leaned back against the kitchen counter and dried her hands with a linen hand towel. A shadow crossed her face before she asked, “So…what time is this event? And where? And are you sure my sister will want to even attend?”
“Seven o’clock, at the Meadowview Theatre. Big brick building, just up Main Street on the south side, past the pub. And of course your sister will go. What else does she have to do here in Meadowview?”
Neva studied him for a moment, her expression inscrutable. Then she twisted her lips to once side and drawled, “I think you’ll still crash and burn, even with my help.”
“But you’ll do it, right?”
She tipped a shoulder upward as she reached for a plate. “It’s what you want, so I should. And I do need that lease signed.”
Good. He had her on the hook. Now, though, he needed to reel her in. “Should we up the ante?”
She reached for another dish. “Meaning?”
“Oh, I don’t know. How about if, because of your tutoring, Carla accepts say…three dates, I’ll extend the lease to three years. Sound good?”
Neva almost dropped the plate. She gaped at him before saying, “For real?”
He grinned. How cute—she sounded like she did when they were young. Innocent, fresh, and nowhere near as jaded as she’d apparently become. “For real.”
“I’m not sure, Peter. I mean, I didn’t think you and my sister were good for each other back in high school, and now…”
No. She’d better not be having second thoughts. He’d sign a three-year lease no matter what—clearly Neva needed the contract. Yes, he’d wanted to leave all decisions about the property to Maude and give no more thought to Meadowview or Maude’s property or his life here. But he needed Neva to believe what she was about to do had value.
“We need a baseline,” he said quickly, before Neva could hesitate any longer.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll ask her out. The way I normally would. We’ll see if she accepts without your help. Hey, maybe she will, right?” He knew the answer already—no way would Carla go out with him. Of course she wouldn’t.
“Yeah, good luck with that. I’m one hundred percent confident she’ll turn you down flat. I’m sure you make a nice living as a firefighter, but you don’t have enough zeroes in the bank to interest her. Even the inheritance you’re getting from your mom—while majorly substantial—isn’t anywhere near the ballpark of the men I’m assuming she dates. I’m positive she’ll say no.”
He was certain Carla would turn him down, too. In fact, he was banking on it.
Neva’s expression turned worried. “She might even laugh.”
Before he could puzzle out why Neva seemed suddenly concerned for his emotional well-being, Carla wandered back into the kitchen, hair blow dried and flat ironed, a pair of insanely expensive jeans painted on her legs and a silk blouse
in turquoise and sea-foam green. She looked like luxury times ten.
Peter gave her a quick wink. She responded with an inquisitive glance and a quirk of her eyebrow.
“Carla, will you accept a date with me? We could go to dinner and then back to my house and have sex,” he stated baldly
Carla’s jaw dropped. “I will most definitely not go out with you,” she stated emphatically. “And I absolutely will not sleep with you. What on earth could you possibly be thinking?”
He turned to Neva, wearing an exaggerated frown. “Your sister doesn’t want to date me. I can’t believe it. Maybe I need charm school.”
“That’s clear,” Neva said wryly. She handed Peter the now-dried plate. “I need to go water the berries and seedlings. Will you give Carla a ride into town, Peter?”
“Anything for you, my dear,” he responded. Their fingers brushed as he took the plate from her hands and he swore he heard her suck in a breath. Could swear he saw a flicker in her neck. Could swear he caught the scent of her arousal in the air.
Less than twenty-four hours before, they’d been crawling all over each other like a couple of horny teenagers. They’d get back to that place. Soon.
They had to. Because if they didn’t, he’d explode. And so would she. He’d bet Maude’s farm on it.
With Neva headed off to the fields, Peter hustled Carla out to his truck as soon as they finished putting away the breakfast dishes. He needed to figure out if he should tell her his plan to spend time with Neva. Earlier, the concept had seemed so clear. Now?
Now he didn’t exactly have regrets, per se, but he most definitely wasn’t sure what he hell he’d gotten himself into.
“Best laid schemes of mice and men,” he murmured.
“Why are you quoting poetry by Robert Burns?” Carla asked as she hopped into the truck. “Geez, Peter, you seem even odder than normal this morning.”
He shook his head. “Never mind.”
Carla cranked open the window and stuck her hand out, tracing patterns in the flow of air.
“Talk to me,” he ordered, shifting out of first and into second as he guided the truck off Neva’s gravel driveway and onto the paved road heading into town, narrowly avoiding the stiff branches of a manzanita bush. He made a mental reminder to bring his loppers over and trim some of the brush on Neva’s property before he left town for good. “Come on, Carla.”
Charming the One: (Meadowview Heroes # 3) (The Meadowview Series Book 7) Page 9